Marijuana marathon races look to break stoner stigma [View all]

[marmar]

(MarketWatch) Marijuana users on the west coast are running, or walking, away from the popular image of the Jeff Spicoli-like pot smoker.

420 Games is a Marin County, Calif.-based events company whose goal is to de-stigmatize the mainstream opinion that cannabis users are lazy “stoners” like Sean Penn’s character from “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” The company holds 4.2-mile runs/walks and other types of sporting events to show that marijuana users are just as active as non-users. “If you smoke cannabis and someone hears about it, you’re called a stoner right away,” says 420 Games founder Jim McAlpine. “No one calls you a drunk if you take a drink here or there.” (The term “420” originated in the 1970s as a code for smoking marijuana.)

420 Games held its second annual 4.2-mile run in San Francisco on Saturday, and has also hosted a run in San Jose, Calif. The company plans to introduce its events in new cities with a run, then expand to other activities, such as golf tournaments, paddle board races and long board marathons, he says. ..................(more)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/marijuana-marathon-races-look-to-break-stoner-stigma-2015-08-19