Northeast News
April 19, 2011

Metro police will be out in force April 20 to combat those driving under the influence.

April 20, or 4/20, is a day of widespread marijuana use and a holiday in the drug culture, which can mean danger on the road, said Sgt. Daniel Graves of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.

“People need to recognize that a DUI is not just from alcohol,” he said. “Driving high is just as deadly.”

The Kansas City Missouri Police Department will saturate the roadways April 20 to enforce traffic laws with a specific eye out for those who may be using marijuana. The officers will pay special attention to areas around schools, parks and locations known for drug use.

Graves said he wants to continue to use this day to educate parents about the meaning of “420” and the culture surrounding it, as has been done in the past few years.

“It’s in all kinds of rap, hip hop and rock songs your kids may be listening to,” he said. “We’re finding that many parents don’t realize this code.”

The common story of how 420 came to represent the cannabis culture is that of high schoolers in San Rafael, Calif., who met after school in 1971 to smoke weed at 4:20 p.m. because that’s when detention let out. Marijuana enthusiasts extended that to 4/20, or April 20.

Once again this year, 4/20 will mean heightened police presence on Kansas City area roads and schools.

“We will not let up on making our streets safer for everyone,” Graves said.

Metro police will be out in force April 20 to combat those driving under the influence.

April 20, or 4/20, is a day of widespread marijuana use and a holiday in the drug culture, which can mean danger on the road, said Sgt. Daniel Graves of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.

“People need to recognize that a DUI is not just from alcohol,” he said. “Driving high is just as deadly.”

The Kansas City Missouri Police Department will saturate the roadways April 20 to enforce traffic laws with a specific eye out for those who may be using marijuana. The officers will pay special attention to areas around schools, parks and locations known for drug use.

Graves said he wants to continue to use this day to educate parents about the meaning of “420” and the culture surrounding it, as has been done in the past few years.

“It’s in all kinds of rap, hip hop and rock songs your kids may be listening to,” he said. “We’re finding that many parents don’t realize this code.”

The common story of how 420 came to represent the cannabis culture is that of high schoolers in San Rafael, Calif., who met after school in 1971 to smoke weed at 4:20 p.m. because that’s when detention let out. Marijuana enthusiasts extended that to 4/20, or April 20.

Once again this year, 4/20 will mean heightened police presence on Kansas City area roads and schools.

“We will not let up on making our streets safer for everyone,” Graves said.