It Was the Only Highway Sign Like It in the State -- And Officials Are Taking a Hilarious Step to Ensure It's Never Stolen Again

Story by the Associated Press; curated by Dave Urbanski

DENVER (AP) — Colorado officials think a difference of one-hundredth of a mile will be enough to stop thieves from stealing the mile marker 420 sign along Interstate 70.

Amy Ford of the Colorado Department of Transportation says the "MILE 420" sign near Stratton, about 25 miles from the Kansas border, was stolen for the final time sometime in the last year.

No, there won't be a guard posted there; officials simply won't use the number 420 anymore.

And what will replace it? "MILE 419.99."

Image source: KUSA-TV

Ford says it's the only "420" mile sign to be replaced in the state that recently legalized recreational marijuana, as most highways aren't long enough to need one.

The number "420" has long been associated with marijuana, though its origins as a shorthand for pot are murky. Last April 20, a pro-marijuana rally in Denver attracted thousands to a downtown park where two attendees were wounded by gunfire.

It's not the only sign in Colorado with a fractional mile marker that has raised the concern of the transportation department. Cameron Pass in Larimer County sports a "MILE 68.5" sign after frequent thefts of the "MILE 69" sign.

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