14 DAY TRIAL // After legalizing marijuana on January 1 this year, Colorado found itself faced with another problem, the interstate sign “Mile 420” that drug enthusiasts kept stealing for a while now. Officials decided to take it one step back, literally, and instead of 420 they replaced the sign with “Mile 419.9.”
The controversial sign was somehow associated with marijuana and smoking and over-excited people had a special wish of making it their own.
The sign was stolen several times, and once weed was legalized in the state, officials believed the sign would be in even more danger because of 420 paraphernalia fans and took the unusual decision to change it.
Officials believe that a one-hundredth of a mile difference will make it unattractive and they wouldn't need to replace it every time a thief decides he likes it too much and takes it home. Besides the marijuana-related sign from Interstate 70, no other sign was in need of replacement of modifications.
The importance of the “Mile 420” sign allegedly originated with a group of friends nicknamed the Waldos who would meet after school, precisely at 4:20, to smoke marijuana. With the development of the smoking craft between teens, 420 started to imply either an invitation to smoke or the question “Do you have weed?” notes The Huffington Post.
The photo of the “Mile 419.9” sign created quite the laughter on social media sites and sparked once again concerns regarding the situation of Colorado after marijuana was legalized and the state was invaded by weed shops.
The now fractional mile marker is hopefully there to stay, as it doesn't hold any particular significance for citizens of the newly marijuana legalized state. A similar situation with mile markers was encountered in Larimer County where the sign “Mile 69” was repeatedly stolen by pranksters and officials decided to replace it with a “Mile 68.5” marker.