cannabisnews.com: 4/20ers Be Warned





4/20ers Be Warned
Posted by CN Staff on April 20, 2005 at 08:24:40 PT
By Casey Freeman, Colorado Daily Staff Writer
Source: Colorado Daily 
Paranoia is said to be a symptom of pot smoking. But what happens if you actually have something to fear?While partakers in traditional 4/20 events at CU and on campuses around the nation normally associate the day with sunshine and carefree toking, this year, the CU administration and local law enforcement are planning to crack down on the event. So, if you plan on actively celebrating the high point of the weed-lovers' calendar by smoking pot at CU's Farrand Field today, be prepared to tangle with CU police.
April 20 (4/20) has been celebrated at CU-Boulder at Farrand Field in recent years. CU police have backed off of enforcing the law on marijuana due to the overwhelming numbers of smokers that have prevented them from issuing tickets or making arrests.That isn't the case this year. After two years of bad press about scandals centered on sex, drugs and alcohol, CU has said it will crack down on pot-smoking during 4/20 today."As in the past, CU-Boulder's campus police will maintain an appropriate presence at any gathering on campus," Chancellor Phil DiStefano's office stated in a recent press release. "We are asking the community to refrain from coming to this informal, unsponsored event." The CU-Boulder Police Department told the Colorado Daily last month it plans to partner with the city of Boulder Police Department, as well as other drug enforcement units.Some students and community members think CU is overreacting when it comes to this latest ban on the event."The University acts like this is something unique to here," said CU senior and campus activist and Hip Hop Congress member Dustin Craun. "And it's not in any way. There are 4/20 rallies all across the country. Now (the media are) going to cover Boulder, because CU made a big deal about it. This goes on at most college campuses across the country."Many think CU's cracking down on the Farrand Field festivities is a just a way for CU to show the state it can deal with its hard-partying students."I talked to University officials and they told me something to the extent of 'well, we're only going to do stuff to those 50 or so individuals who light up every year.' I think they're delusional if they think it's 50 individuals. It's going to be like 2,000 kids, like it is every year. The majority of which are taking part, in some extent, to the things going on. I don't know what they can do to 2,000 kids," said Craun.Other community members say CU is trying to extinguish another potentially embarrassing occurrence before it happens."This is not an issue that the CU administration wants on its agenda at all right now," said Paul Danish, a former Boulder City Councilman, County Commissioner and long-time U.S. Drug War critic. "The administration is under a lot of stress with a whole bunch of different stuff. Much of it suggests 'CU is out of control.'"Danish said the CU administration is trying to recover its image from the scandals related to football recruiting issues and the controversy surrounding ethnic studies professor Ward Churchill."I'm not thrilled about breaking the law; on the other hand, I think that the laws in this case are pretty irrational," said Danish.Even so, Danish warns students that CU might not be kidding around this time."If you go and participate in this sort of festivity, and warnings have been given, chances are police will be cracking down harder this year," he said.Craun, who says he doesn't smoke pot, also cautions avid pot advocates about the potential legal and financial consequences that could come along with getting high and getting caught."I would encourage the students to use caution, considering this is an act of civil disobedience," said Craun. "And this is (coming from) me, someone who's been arrested twice for civil disobedience this semester."Calls to the University of Colorado Police Department for this story were not returned by the Daily's deadline Tuesday evening. Colorado Daily reporter Matt Williams contributed to this report. Source: Colorado Daily (UC Edu, CO)Author: Casey Freeman, Colorado Daily Staff WriterPublished: April 20, 2005Copyright: 2005 Colorado DailyContact: letters coloradodaily.comWebsite: http://www.coloradodaily.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #8 posted by observer on April 20, 2005 at 12:22:15 PT
Dissent Attacked
'well, we're only going to do stuff to those 50 or so individuals who light up every year.'Idea:Roll "joints" of 100% legal herb and throughly document what happens when the cops "do stuff" to the "joint" smokers. Then your lawyer and you will have grounds for a lawsuit against campus (etc) police. Activists have successfully done this before.'well, we're only going to do stuff to those 50 or so individuals who light up every year.'Also, I have to say that is a rather pure expression of drug war propaganda theme #8: "dissent attacked":
http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme8.htm#8Chapter 8 of my book "Drug War Propaganda" is devoted to this rhetorical and physical attack on those who speak out against prohibition. (pages 283 to 310, excluding chapter notes.) 
Reformers Should be JailedExperts, officials and authorities agree that drug policy reformers are
causing children to take drugs. What is to be done? Prohibitionists have
various suggestions. Government force, coercion, punishment and jail
are, for them, the preferred tools.
The idea that it is acceptable to jail those who suggest changing the
laws is the idea the propagandist is peddling. Some subjects are304acceptable, perhaps, for debate. To the prohibitionist, however, no
debate may be permitted, if the subject is the drug laws. The next
logical step is to jail those who disagree with drug laws. Some have
already suggested this. . . . 
("Drug War Propaganda", pgs.304-305])
book: Drug War Propaganda
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on April 20, 2005 at 11:06:03 PT
One More 4/20 Article!
The Facts About Marijuana: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20550.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on April 20, 2005 at 10:52:14 PT
b4daylight 
It sure would be nice. I like good vibrations!
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Comment #5 posted by b4daylight on April 20, 2005 at 10:40:45 PT
....
Wouldn't that be nice if on 4/20/05 at 4:20 the supreme court ruled for Medical Pot.4/20 is also the day you plant your legal crops...
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Comment #4 posted by goneposthole on April 20, 2005 at 10:22:28 PT
and warned again!
With all of this fancy schmancy stuff going on with the all about cannabis and its effacacious nature, I am going to remain using the adult cannabis phenotype and forego the extracted forms. Keep it simple, stupid. OK, I will.It is just too complicated and, after all, Dr. Grinspoon has it right.It will be with the positive aspects and not the watered downed controls that only merit fiduciary 'gain' with no respect for the actual results with whole plant use advantages. Cannabis extracts are high on my list of things that I can do without.However, I won't stand in the way of those interested in developing the potential uses for cannabis derivatives. That's their business and they can build it as they see fit.
two differing perspectives
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Comment #3 posted by bongathon on April 20, 2005 at 09:52:58 PT
i wish i could be there...or maybe not
you should've them shutting down the 25th Annual Colorado Invitational in 1999 better known as the Bong-a-thon in Redfeather lakes near Ft.Collins. Hundreds of cops in riot gear, 80 police cars, snipers, automatic weapons, loudspeakers, spies arresting people at will. The charges against the promoters were eventually overturned. they had no right to raid the event. it was on private land. the warrant was without merit. i saw a 4 ft. high stack of 420 and boomers in the port-a-potty just before i jumped in the microbus and got in line for a two hour traffic jam to get out of there. it was the largest police raid in the history of Larimer County. the 24th annual was cool, a friend of mine won first place in "blaze an eighth" and stevie van zandt played, it rocked...those were the days!
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 20, 2005 at 09:14:49 PT
4/20 Articles from Snipped Sources
Pop Culture: Is There a Higher Meaning To 420?: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/features/3143224***Hey Now, It’s 4/20 ... Enjoy The Holiday: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14379214&BRD=1697&PAG=461&dept_id=44551&rfi=6
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Comment #1 posted by unkat27 on April 20, 2005 at 09:10:23 PT
FASCISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FASCISTS! These police are robotic fascists working for the vampires and vultures.
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