4/20 Gets Bigger Every Year
In 2006, Colorado University police photographed participants in a 4/20 celebration and offered rewards for information leading to their capture. It didn't just fail, it backfired colossally, galvanizing contempt for the drug war and the petty police tactics that have spawned in its name.
Two years later, this quote says it all:
Huge turnouts at 4/20 events this year, along with a Chicago Tribune report on the commercialization of the marijuana holiday, are a powerful signal that this phenomenon is becoming rather public. Pete Guither notes in a lovely reflection that we're on an unstoppable trajectory towards victory in the larger fight for drug policy reform and it's hard to argue when you see these teeming masses taking control, if only for a day.
I don't think smoking pot in a field is going to end the drug war. But the existence of these events, their size, the surrender of police, the fact that nothing bad happened; these things are illustrative of the resilient and massive drug war resistance.
If the war on drugs can be overwhelmed for one day, there is no doubt it can someday be overcome altogether.
Two years later, this quote says it all:
"We can't do the same thing year after year," [CU police Cmdr.] Wiesley said hours before Sunday’s smoking began. "So I doubt we'll do anything like the pictures. ... There's no way our 12 to 15 officers are going to be able to deal with a crowd of 10,000. We just can’t do strong enforcement when we're outnumbered 700 or 800 to one." [dailycamera.com]This video, via Steve Bloom, shows that 4/20 has now evolved from a spattering of small secretive gatherings into a full-blown civil disobedience protest against the war on drugs:
Huge turnouts at 4/20 events this year, along with a Chicago Tribune report on the commercialization of the marijuana holiday, are a powerful signal that this phenomenon is becoming rather public. Pete Guither notes in a lovely reflection that we're on an unstoppable trajectory towards victory in the larger fight for drug policy reform and it's hard to argue when you see these teeming masses taking control, if only for a day.
I don't think smoking pot in a field is going to end the drug war. But the existence of these events, their size, the surrender of police, the fact that nothing bad happened; these things are illustrative of the resilient and massive drug war resistance.
If the war on drugs can be overwhelmed for one day, there is no doubt it can someday be overcome altogether.
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wow
I think the persistence of these students should be noted. They have had to deal with online photobanks and sprinklers yet continue to come out in force every year
Normalization of marijuana use.....
Another unintended consequence of Prohibition?
Colorado is Cool!
According to the Colorado Daily newspaper yesterday, "A news release from issued by the CUPD after the event stated that approximately 15 officers and six Boulder County Sheriff's deputies monitored the 420 activity that occurred on campus to support public safety -- not to enforce the laws against it."
This is a nice change from photos of criminal pot smokers posted on the Internet! Given Colorado's decriminalized laws and medical marijuana recognation, I think CO is becoming a pioneer in pot friendlies! The success of this year's Boulder 420 is testiment to this positive change.
Pot has been demonized unfairly to create a criminal user group; drug warriors and policy makers cite criminal laws rather than current 21st century science. When mainstream people see pot smokers as normal people who are peaceful and resonsible, cannabis gets a better name.
Thank you Colorado for giving peace a chance.
Marijuana the image of success
"When mainstream people see pot smokers as normal people who are peaceful and resonsible, cannabis gets a better name."
It would be nice if some well-known rich business like people who use marijuana would speak out, e.g. Peter Lewis.
CU Boulder 420 2008 Photos
University of Colorado at Boulder 4/20 2008 ... 10,000 people peaceably assemble ... Zero Leaders ... Zero Tickets ... Zero Arrests.
CU BOULDER 420 2008 PHOTOS:
http://www.ThirdTablet.com/2008/CU-420/
Wish something like this could happen in ALL 50 states this big!
Those cops,I admire them..and i pretty much hated cops till now. I f all cops took astand like that and something as big as thier 4/20 event would take place all across america at least ONCE a MONTH instead of just 4/20...i bet we could end the war on pot by 2010! But it takes alot more then prostest,it takes action and money. People have been protesting for years.now its time to get hip-hop radio stations envolved and start running ads and gettin them to invite reformers of all areas,politics,law enforcement(L.E.A.P.) www.leap.cc- and famous rap starts,moviestars,etc. You get my drift..the news papers wont alk about it,tv sure dont talk about it less its connected to a crime and our government will never put it on a presidentual ballot 4 ALL of america to decide. Just like music spreads messages,so can the radio that plays it,and what better group of radio stations to contact then hip-hop? Who wouldnt want a live interview with snoop dogg or willie nelson or any other person oof iterest to come on theri show...even if it meant IT HAD TO BE ABOUT ENDING MARIJUANA PROHIBITION!!
- Kevin Johnson-Ft. Wayne,IN. IM NOT A CRIMINAL!!!!!!!!!!!
Colorodo
I'm choked with tears at the site of so many of my bros & sisters peacfully lighting up. No drunken violence. Just a great example of folks who refuse to accept the crap governmental society feeds us about pot use. The weed will inevitably be free!! J. Velasco
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