Pot advocates out to shatter stereotypes
Cannabis consumers and joggers — staples of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park — came together Saturday to show the world the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
Marijuana enthusiasts arrived in droves at the park’s bandshell to reject the stoner stigma and run what originally was supposed to be a 4.2-mile course, an homage to the celebratory date and time of cannabis use. The race, however, was considerably shortened to about 2 miles just before the start time at the request of park officials.
For backers of Proposition 64, a November ballot measure that would make recreational marijuana use legal for people 21 and older, the race was a chance to disprove what they view as misconceptions about the medicinal plant — like the notion that cannabis users are unmotivated to move beyond their couches.
The event, billed as familyfriendly and bookended by yoga sessions, prohibited smoking, but that didn’t stop many runners from lighting up before and after, either at home or in other discreet locations.
“I use cannabis on a daily — hourly? — basis,” said Avery Collins, 24, a professional ultramarathoner and winner of Saturday’s 420 Games. “Running high is awesome. It’s pure joy.”
Before the race, Collins, a Colorado resident, said he munched on some potato chip edibles and toked once or twice.
A few weeks ago, he ran 112 miles in Colorado’s San Juan mountain range, which took about 34 hours. Saturday’s
“It’s just clarity. I don’t have to listen to music. I can just listen to things around me.” Tyler Baker, who says marijuana is particularly helpful for relieving aches and pains after workouts