Hooray for Hollyweed: prankster alters movie capital’s landmark sign

The iconic hillside sign overlooking Southern California’s film-and-television hub was defaced overnight on New Year’s Eve in honour of marijuana.

Residents awoke on Sunday to find “Hollyweed” staring down at them in four-story, white letters from Los Angeles’ Mount Lee, where a version of the picture-ready “Hollywood” sign was first erected in 1923.

City surveillance cameras captured footage of someone dressed in black about 3am whom police believe was behind the conversion, Sergeant Robert Payan of the Los Angeles Police Department said in a phone interview.

Material similar to a tarp was placed over the two Os to make them appear as lower-case Es, and park rangers were assessing how to remove them, Payan said.

There were no suspects, but the person if caught could be charged with misdemeanour trespassing, he said.

A ballot measure to make recreational marijuana legal for adults was easily approved by California voters on November 8, opening the most populous US state to the burgeoning commercial cannabis market, although the drug remains illegal under US federal law.