California marijuana users run 4.2 miles

August 17, 2015

420 GamesIn attempt to prove that marijuana users are not lazy, lethargic stoners, cannabis advocates are holding a series of athletic events in California dubbed the 420 Games. [SF Gate]

The games kicked off Saturday in San Francisco with a 4.2-mile run. Participants included students, accountants, businessmen and housewives.

All runners wore the number 420 during the race. The race and after-party were smoke-free, but the winner walked away with $500 in credits for medical marijuana.

Jim McAlpine, a snowboard company executive who founded the event last year, said he wanted to show marijuana users are motivated, athletic members of society.

“People who use marijuana have been classified as dumb, lazy, stupid people and with this race we’re showing them we’re not what they say we are,” McAlpine said.

McAlpine said he takes edible cannabis because it helps him foucus. He also skis, rides mountain bikes and does long-distance open-water swimming.

The 420 Games will continue throughout the year. Events will include a golf tournament in San Jose, bike cruiser marathon in Orange County, stand-up paddle board racing competition in Lake Tahoe.

A marijuana legalization initiative is likely to appear on the California ballot in the November 2016 election.


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Looks as though the guy in the purple shirt really wants that $500 worth of weed. What was the winning time?


they forgot


Convince me you want your surgeon stoned in the OR, or the nurse who administers your meds.

How about the long haul truck driver near you on the freeway? Your children’s school bus driver?

Or perhaps your employee who uses equipment that can chew his/her arm off, or maybe even kill them if they’re not 100% mentally “in the game”?


Who wants to pay increased Worker’s Comp insurance rates for stoned employees? For their own safety, we don’t allow intoxicated folks to work, same rules must apply.


justbeware: would you point out to me where in the article it says marijuana use will be indulged in in the circumstances you point out. Alcohol is legal and while doctors have been known to drink at lunch and perform operations; it highly frowned upon. Also; legal pharmaceuticals are used by the people you refer to in your position statement; are you advocating that this is ok and less lethal or dangerous in the described circumstances?

Nobody is talking about legalizing marijuana for use in situations that are illegal for any other drug or mind altering substance. Always the same old tired argument. It doesn’t fly.


Do you care if the bag boy, grounds keeper, telemarketer, assembly line person, agriculture worker, ticket taker,Oh heck, the list is endless. Do you think that random drug testing or pre employment testing does anything except make the testing companies money? If you come to work stoned then you have a point, but if you smoked a joint last month at a rock concert should you be fired because you failed the random test today? The War on drugs was and is pointless.


Do I think that random drug testing or pre-employment testing does anything except make the testing companies money?

Yes, I do.

Pre-employment testing detects those who lied when they indicated they could pass said test. Do I want to hire someone who lies to me before they’re hired?

No, I do not.

Honestly, I have much more respect for those who choose to save me the cost of the test and just not show up for it than I do those who take it knowing they will fail. Why lie?

Random drug testing allows me to terminate the employment of someone who has violated company policy and could possibly endanger themselves, a co-worker or both.

Safety is paramount.


Don’t ask them. It’s really that simple. I’m sure there are tons of questions that you could ask a potential employee that actually have something to do with what would be expected of them like “do you plan on getting a parking ticket while employed? Of course the answer would be no. Then one day wham. get a parking ticket! YOU LIED! No more paycheck for you!

The whole drug testing thing is a charade and anyone standing behind that is a fool.


Please explain how “do you PLAN on getting a parking ticket?” is equivalent to “can you pass a drug test?”


It’s a stupid question that has no bearing on the job. Thats the equivalency


And the correct answer should be “It’s none of your business unless I come to work under the influence!”


And how are you going to prove it? Send them for a drug test?


Wow, this one story totally wiped out forty years of watching what pot does to people. These silly games totally convinced me. Thanks your awesome, can I send a check to help pay for the participation trophies. I might know a vendor.


One issue I have with law enforcement perception is that they are constantly looking for things to prove their predetermined conclusions, but not trying to make conclusions based on the information as a whole.


When you look at alcohol users, do you only judge all alcohol users based on what you see in the justice system? Of course not, because most alcohol users don’t wind up in the justice system, and because people are completely open about using alcohol, you can see that there are plenty of people who can use it without a problem. But because people are not open about using marijuana, you don’t see that there are plenty of people who can use it without a problem, and you assume that that people who don’t have problems aren’t using marijuana.


So you have to compare populations more specifically. If you compare alcohol users who wind up in the justice system with marijuana users that wind up in the justice system, which leads to more property and violent crimes?


@mkaney The only issue you have with Law Enforcement is they Enforce the Law!


If you changed the law, then the enforcers can not arrest you. What if I decided that I did not like the DUI laws? Do I have the right to blame the LEOs for enforcement? NO! Only an uneducated idiot would think that LEO have the discretion to only enforce the laws they personally believe in.


Check your schedule for the “Methamphetamine Marathon” coming next to your town.

Give me a break!


“students, accountants, businessmen and housewives”


NOT engineers, power plant workers, competitive athletes, prison workers, law enforcement personnel, or thousands and thousands of other occupations that get drug tested regularly and frequently.


Let’s start with the premise that your point has some truth to it. Is this because it prevents them from doing these jobs, or simple because these occupations get drug tested regularly and frequently?


Now let’s move on to the reality, where your point is totally untrue. Engineers are drug tested? Maybe locomotive engineers but whether a mechanical or electrical engineer is tested depends on who they work for. And I have known plenty of engineers that smoke marijuana. There are also plenty of competitive athletes that have smoked marijuana, Michael Phelps for example.


Finally, law enforcement personnel in this area are not drug tested. And two police officers were fired in the last few years for smuggling uppers from Mexico. So you’re simply living in a TV version of reality.


law enforcement drug tested??,, that would make sense though wouldn’t it


Heck if I lived in the sanctuary capital of the world and was buying dope in the meanest of mean streets you can bet I’d learn to run and run fast!


No one needs to “say” they’re lazy and apathetic. That’s been scientifically proven for us!


The 420 games. Classic.

Instead of water stations they had doritos and other assorted munchies along the route.


Hey they should have tweaker and smack head races too!


Get on your mark, get set, toke, hold and the pizza is at the finish line.