A recent cannabis rave in a city centre community park that went on for all of Easter Sunday with loud music and crowds of stoners rejecting decades of government drug policy, has been slammed for the chaos it caused and the detritus left in its wake. The competing sound systems and all-day partying at the illegal event left a harsh feeling in the throat of one neighbouring resident, who said: “It was very depressing and the music was awful.”
The Bristol Cannabis Club has distanced itself from the recent 420 event in the city’s Castle Park, stating that it does not reflect the cannabis community they represent. The park hosted the annual event on Sunday (April 20), a day recognised globally for celebrating cannabis and protesting its prohibition.
In past years, thousands have congregated at the site, with music blaring from various sound systems – this year was no different. Despite the council rejecting an application in February for a temporary licence for a sound system, locals reported loud music playing for over 12 hours on Easter Sunday, leaving the park littered.
The Bristol Cannabis Club now claims the event has been ‘hijacked’ and no longer functions as it once did. Alister Flowers, co-founder and manager of the Bristol Cannabis Club, expressed his shock at how the 420 event has been taken over by free party sound system crews.
Speaking to Bristol Live, he stated: “The event does not represent the cannabis community in any way.”
Alister suggested that “the majority [of people in attendance this weekend] were all on class A drugs and drinking heavily”.
Alister expressed his frustration, saying: “We strongly feel it’s gone this way as Bristol City Council and Avon and Somerset Police refuse to let us license, fence and control it.
“We and fellow organisations have submitted applications most years since 2017. Many of the sound systems you see came from other counties in the South West where rigs are often confiscated.
“They have come to Bristol to take over what activists and the cannabis community built, for their own benefit, ignoring the masses who would be affected.
“Much of the cannabis community avoided the park as 2024 was also terrible due to the lack of licensing and regulation. Those who did venture to the park left early this year and last.”
The police released a statement explaining: “Police attended an unlicensed gathering with multiple sound systems in Castle Park on Sunday.
“Thousands were there for the unofficial international ‘420 Day’, a public rejection of laws restricting cannabis use.
“In the UK the police response involves engagement, explanation and education around drugs and drugs misuse; with appropriate interventions as and when necessary and proportionate.
“Bristol officers had dozens of calls, mainly about the impact of very loud music on the wider community.
“At 3am on Sunday – before the crowd gathered – officers had seized a sound system from the park. However, powers to deal with the music during the daytime are limited. Officers ensured it was turned off by 11pm.
“Police and ambulance crews attended several incidents as the day wore on, including medical emergencies and assaults, and there were a handful of arrests.”
Another local, dealing with the impact of smoke-filled festivities near Castle Park, recounted how his flat was “vibrating” from thunderous tunes, lamenting: “Basically they used it as a rave, with cannabis. It was very depressing and the music was awful.
“There were thousands of people there all around, looking high, wandering about in a daze.”
Back in April 2024, BristolLive caught up with Alister, who has been fighting for full decriminalisation of the cannabis plant, currently designated as a Class B drug.
Alister, who is prescribed cannabis legally for health purposes, regularly turns up at 420 weed day events held in Bristol’s parks, participating every year since 2014. Alister contends that full decriminalisation would avoid penalising individuals who grow cannabis at home for personal consumption.
He suggested that a regulated market would benefit consumers, offering them access to “expert bartenders” who could advise them about which specific type of cannabis might best suit their needs.
Germany reportedly took the leap in the same month, green-lighting the possession of modest amounts of cannabis across the nation for personal enjoyment.
The new German law now permits adults to hold up to 25 grams (almost one ounce) of marijuana for leisure use, additionally allowing the cultivation of up to three plants for individual use.
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