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Preparing for 4/20 Pot Smoke-Out
4-14-08|Daily Camera|By Brittany Anas

Student smokers, in perhaps the cliched easy-going fashion associated with marijuana, are getting ready for the annual 4/20 celebration on the University of Colorado campus.

Official smoke-out T-shirts sold online simply say: "University of Colorado. April 20. Farrand Field." And a group on the networking Web site Facebook is demanding that Slightly Stoopid, an acoustic reggae hip-hop group, come play at CU for Sunday's event -- but it stops short of organizing a concert.

"Nobody got in touch with us," said Matt Phillips, public relations coordinator for the group, adding that Slightly Stoopid is interested in coming to Boulder for a fall concert. (The band is playing at Red Rocks on Aug. 15, and signed a contract agreeing not to play in the nearby market for five months prior to the concert).

But where the casual marijuana aficionados lack in the planning department, the student chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has picked up the slack.

Every year, thousands of people gather on the CU campus April 20 for the unofficial pro-pot celebration -- and at 4:20 p.m. a cloud of smoke mushrooms above the crowd. The event is said to have grown from a northern California tradition.

CU police this year are bracing for a large crowd.

The NORML group has several on-campus events planned to take place near the Dalton Trumbo Fountain outside the University of Memorial Center, including daytime concerts by Tribe Zion, 303 Boys and Buncha Kindsa. The group also is bringing in marijuana-reform speakers and will have an art wall.

Alex Douglas, who does public relations for NORML's CU chapter, said there also will be a screening of the documentary "Super High Me" in Cristol Chemistry Building, Room 140. The group plans to rally for the legalization of marijuana with signs and banners on Norlin Quad.

Douglas said his group expects more than 10,000 people to attend the events Sunday.

"We think that many people that didn't want to miss class, or were busy because of school, will be able to join in this year with no worries," he said.

CU police Cmdr. Brad Wiesley said the department will likely need to pay overtime to its officers to monitor the event, given the possibility that the smoke-out could be heavily attended.

"We will obviously have a presence," Wiesley said. "We certainly don't condone, support or otherwise sanction this event."

People have the right to protest for marijuana law reforms, Wiesley said.

"But, breaking the law in order to change the law is not how our democratic society works," he said.

In past attempts to snuff out the event, campus police have turned sprinklers on the crowd and taken pictures of student smokers, posting them online and offering rewards to those who could identify them.

Wiesley, though, was mum on this year's planned tactics.

"We don't give our playbook to the other team before the game," he said.

University of Colorado police have tried a variety of responses over the years to the 4/20 marijuana smokeout, but they're mum about any tactics planned this year,

POLICING 4/20

In 2007: About 3,000 people showed up at Norlin Quad, and police ticketed six who were caught lighting up and inhaling.

In 2006: Officers posted 150 pictures of participants online, then offered a $50 reward for each positive identification. The ID'd students were ticketed for drug charges or trespassing on the closed Farrand Field.

In 2005: Crowds that ignored the closure of Farrand Field were soaked when police turned on the sprinklers there. Still, no one was ticketed or arrested on drug charges.

In 2004: CU police made sure the gathering didn't get out of hand, but they said it was impractical to enforce marijuana laws in connection with such a large gathering. "We don't want to create a larger issue than we're presented with," Lt. Tim McGraw said.

In 2003: Five officers, outnumbered by about 800 people, made no arrests but did confiscate some drug paraphernalia. "Because there were so many people, we decided to keep a low profile," Cpl. Jim Manzanares said.

In 2002: Officers largely monitored the crowd but also responded to a man who passed out and hit his head on the sidewalk outside of the University Memorial Center.

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Donation links to NORML (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) | MPP (Marijuana Policy Project)

 

tokinGLX

the city of denver will be holding its own (city sanctioned) event at the park across the street from the capitol. it will be gated(free admission) and you will need to be 21 or over to gain access to the event.
this is being done in memoriam of ken gorman.
--a post by ken gorman on the yahooka boards.

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united we toke, divided we choke.

Buzzby

Tell that to Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luthor King!

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elgrande

Thanks, tokin, for the poster. I fully support the event but I would like to see more friendly, approachable characters in marijuana law reform promotional graphics. This incredibly zoned out gumby is not going to attract support from non-users. Non-teenage people who enjoy marijuana might not relate to such a bizarre character.

BillieBudd

I agree, elgrande. If pro-alcohol forces emphasized how foolish, sick and dangerous using their drug could make you, prohibition would never have been repealed...

 

troublemaker_42

Well, I, for one, WILL be in Boulder on 4/20. I can't wait to get high with between 1 and 10k people!!!! Personally, the threat of being "caught" in Colorado doesn't exactly strike fear into my heart. Its a petty offense with a $100 max fine.... thats almost laughable compared to what the same charge would earn you in SD!!!

__________________
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forget the freak, you're just nature
Keep the gun oiled and the temple clean
shit, snort and blaspheme
Let the heads cool and the engine run
Because in the end,
everything we do
is just everything we've done..."Omega" by StoneSour
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politic...ma#Gun_control
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ADIDAS

Wish there was something going on like this in my area. If only the community college held such events hahahah.

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All Day I Dream About Smoking

neconide

My circle is going to be huge. We're going to smoke in my friends basement, with like 15 people. We're going to have about $75 in food and $400 in weed. It's good shit, too. OG Kush