Idaho replaces 420 mile marker with 419.9 to thwart stoner theft

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

Stoners, your days are over for decorating your walls with 420 mile marker signs.

Idaho transportation officials said the iconic mile marker sign has now been replaced with 419.9 signs to thwart would-be stoner thieves.

It goes without saying, Idaho isn’t alone in this problem. States like Washington and Colorado have also replaced 420 signs with 419.9 after consistently having to replace them.

The sign is located just south of Coeur d’Alene, and now reads “MILE 419.9.”

Adam Rush of the Idaho Transportation Department told Fox News that this is the only 420 sign the department has replaced in Idaho, a state well-known for being strict on marijuana despite the proximity to recreational use and medicinal use states.

“Having a sign removed from a highway is pretty rare,” Rush said. “In Idaho, people will shoot at them or write on them before stealing them completely. We spend more time mending signs than replacing them.”

The other alternative—leaving the milepost empty—wasn’t a good option because the signs can be valuable for drivers who track their journeys.

In Washington, two highways are long enough to feature 420 mileposts, which have been plagued by thieves over the years. Three years ago—the same year the state legalized pot—officials replaced one of the signs with 419.9 along Highway 20 near the Idaho border. The other sign on Highway 12 remains missing, with no immediate plans to be replaced.

I guess it’s time to take a trip down to Weed, California.