Thousands puff for legal pot at 4/20 parties throughout US

A plane dragging a banner encouraging attendees to "smoke weed" circled overhead, while unlicensed vendors set up tables and makeshift tents to sell all types and strains of bud, not to mention T-shirts, pipes and food.

Fans of the drug have long marked April 20 as a day to roll weed or munch on pot-laced brownies and call for increased legal access to it.

In Anchorage, Alaska, a downtown marijuana pot club has scheduled a "420 Blaze Party" in a state where recreational use is legal but sales of weed aren't until later this summer.

Several Las Vegas marijuana businesses held grand opening ceremonies, including the Cannabis Chapel, which offered customers a pot-themed wedding package complete with a silk cannabis bouquet — all for $104.20.

Nevada voters legalized medical marijuana use in 2000, but it wasn't until 2013 that lawmakers created rules allowing for dispensaries.