Marijuana supporters say the time has come for the government to decriminalize what many see as a harmless pastime that could provide needed tax revenues.

"We're talking about taxes in excess of 400 million dollars, savings in excess of 500 million dollars (from reduced drug enforcement)," says Jacob Hunter of the Beyond Prohibition Foundation, a non-profit group that advocates sensible marijuana policy,

"We're really talking a net benefit into the billions of dollars to government. It's just senseless that we're still fighting this after 30 years."

Hunter spoke Friday with reporters at the annual 420 gathering outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Partly party, partly political rally, the annual celebration of cannabis culture, now in its 18th year, is held each April 20. The gathering is a call to arms among pot smokers demanding that Canada repeal prohibitions against the drug that date back to 1928.

To pot smokers around the world, "420" is the code for cannabis consumption and April 20, or 4/20, is their red-letter day.

With close to 1 million Canadians having a criminal record for possession of marijuana and criminal gangs fighting for control of the illegal trade, Hunter said it's clear the declared government 'war on drugs' has been a failure.

He suggests governments instead legalize marijuana, regulate it and use the tax proceeds as a revenue source.

"Despite 30 years of commissions saying that prohibition is enriching organized crime and isn't serving any purpose, we still haven't actually had a legal regulated market in this country," Hunter said.

"And so we have people here today to speak out to say to our government, and to say to the people of Vancouver, it's time we take a different approach on the war on drugs."

Hunter said the turnout of more than 10,000 people for 420 in Vancouver was proof that a growing number of people want changes to current drug laws and don't view marijuana as dangerous.

"The thing with the drug war in Canada is it is not as violent as it is in the United States by any means," Hunter said. "But we can see from alcohol prohibition that the deaths in Canada, the United States and Mexico and around the world are actually more the result of the criminalization of drugs than the drugs themselves."

Marijuana advocates received some support in November when four former Vancouver mayors wrote an open letter calling for an end to marijuana prohibitions, partly to reduce rampant gang violence. The letter was later endorsed by Mayor Gregor Robertson.

Earlier this week, former U.S. Attorney General John McKay said that the "criminal marijuana prohibition is a complete failure."

Now a Seattle University law professor, McKay actively supports a ballot initiative to regulate and tax marijuana in Washington State. He estimates, if approved in the November election, that the initiative could generate 500 million U.S. dollars in annual revenue.

Hunter suggests that similar legislation in Canada could provide a windfall for cash-strapped British Columbia.

A number of medical marijuana companies were on hand for Vancouver's 420. The companies, allowed by Health Canada to dispense the drug to those with grave and debilitating illnesses, sold their wares openly without police harassment.

One medical vendor, who was selling three joints for 10 Canadian dollars, told Xinhua he had prepared for two weeks for 4/20 and expected to take home "thousands" of dollars for his efforts.

Other street merchants offered a variety of drug smoking accessories, including pipes, bongs, and rolling papers. Marijuana-laced cookies, cakes, candies and ice cream also were available.

With Friday a vacation day for Vancouver's public schools, many youngsters attended the event, drawing the ire of some education officials

"First of all it's illegal, especially for the ones under 18 to be smoking, let alone marijuana," said Ken Denike, a long time Vancouver School Board trustee.

"Second is, it gives a very bad example," he said. "I mean if they (students) are permitted to smoke there in a large crowd, what's the rule when they're not in a large crowd? It should be if it's zero-tolerance, it's gotta be zero-tolerance everywhere all the time."

Denike said an event like 420 went against everything students are taught about drugs and alcohol abuse. He said the city and police had essentially turned a blind eye in allowing such an event to be staged for so many years.

"It's a problem. It's a real problem. I think that what happens is there are so many people there that it's difficult for the police to really enforce and they've just taken an easy road," Denike said.