About 50 people gathered in Regina's Victoria Park on Friday at 4:20 p.m., in what some called a celebration of marijuana, and others a protest of its illegality.

About a dozen police officers were at the event, writing tickets and making arrests for those participating.

"This is medicinal, this is not anything more scary than a glass of wine at night, or a prozac, or a paxil, or the chemotherapy drugs that they wish to shove down your throat," said Katelyn, who has health problems and looks to cannabis for help.

She said she was there protesting pharmaceutical companies.

Two others who did not want to be named said they were there supporting their friends -- one was sitting in a wheelchair, frail and shivering, and the other was using a walker.

They both said they were in accidents involving drunk drivers, which left them with brain damage.

They argued alcohol is what made them need to use medical marijuana, calling it ironic that liquor is legal, while police hassled them over a drug which helps them to get by.

Edited by News Talk Radio's Jared Knoll.