Denver pot holiday brings crowds, tight security

A cloud of smoke visible for blocks wafted over Denver Saturday, when tens of thousands packed a city park to celebrate the counterculture holiday known as 4/20.

It was the first celebration since Colorado and Washington made pot legal for recreational use.

A sizable police force on motorcycles and horses watched the celebration. But officers didn’t arrest people for smoking in public, which is still illegal.

Reggae music filled the air, and pot smokers shared hugs and joints in a festive atmosphere. A crowd estimate wasn’t immediately available, but organizers predicted some 80,000 at the nation’s largest 4/20 observation.