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“While I do have the power, under B.C.’s Public Health Act, to order each vendor to comply with these requests, I am sure you agree it would be much better for them to take these sensible health precautions of their own accord.”

Vancouver Coastal Health’s chief medical officer Dr. Patricia Daly confirmed Saturday that officials have been trying to reach organizers. She said they don’t want a repeat of last year, when more than 100 patients showed up at St. Paul’s Hospital on April 20 — also known as 4/20.

“We had patients as young as 15 years old,” she said. “We are concerned about adolescents and youth being sold marijuana and so we are asking them to ID people who look like they are under 25.”

The city is drafting legislation that will include not allowing minors to enter dispensaries, and Daly wants vendors at the 4/20 protest to do the same.

Organizer Jodie Emery said asking vendors to card anyone under the age of 25 is “unreasonable and unjustifiable,” considering the protest event has had a safe record for more than two decades.

“We have done and will do everything within reason to make the entire event safe in every way, as it always has been, after 21 years of being a successful, problem-free massive gathering of civil disobedience,” she said.

She added that 4/20 is safer than many city-sanctioned events that have alcohol available and noted there’s never been violence or any serious harm caused to anyone.

As for the number of people who required medical attention last year, Emery said that was unusual because of the weather.