"Nine, eight, seven ...".... A crowd of about 10,000 people collectively began counting down on the University of Colorado's Norlin Quadrangle just before 4:20 p.m. Sunday. Yet the massive puff of pot smoke that hovers over CU's Boulder campus every April 20 -- the date of an annual, internationally recognized celebration of marijuana -- began rising over the sea of heads earlier than normal this year.... Although it's become an annual and renowned event at CU, this year's 4/20 celebration was different in some ways than in many previous years: The crowd was so large it migrated from the long-traditional site of Farrand Field to the larger Norlin Quad; festivities kicked off earlier than normal with daytime concerts; and CU police handed out zero citations.
Ah, yes...there's a time and a place for that...and it's called "college", eh? Now, don't get me wrong; I'm not going to advocate the use of illegal drugs. I'd be something less than honest, however, if I didn't own up to the fact that there was a time when they did in fact work pretty well for me. My own college experience was significantly enhanced by my occasional recreational use. Hey, I thought I was freakin' Jean-Paul Sartre when I was stoned. I was young and stupid, and now...well, young has long since let the building. If I have to, I'll put on my best "JUST SAY NO!!" face...and hope that no one notices the rank hypocrisy that would be involved in my doing that. This is a part of my past I can't change, and I'm not about to paper over. It happened, I made the decisions I did, and fortunately I came out whole on the other side. At this point in my life, I can look back and laugh at some of the things I did during my college days...and marvel that I never did hard time. More than a few federal laws went by the wayside...but then I was hardly the only one in that milieu engaging in the same sorts of activities.
I don't brag about my drug use, but if asked (politely) I'm fine discussing it. I have some mixed feelings about my recreational pharmaceutical experience, but when your best friend is the campus dealer...well, it doesn't take a Ph.D. to figure what happened next. I can look back and laugh about some of the uproariously funny phenomenally stupid things I did while I was fried...because there are times when I'm frankly surprised that I still have sufficient remaining brain cells to be able to tie my shoelaces- much less construct complete sentences. Perhaps the single dumbest thing was going to soccer practice seriously stoned off some high-grade ditchweed my brother (who was home on shore leave) had brought back from Asia. I would not hold this up as a sound decision, because...well, because it's not. As a goalkeeper, I was actually expect to stop balls that were kicked in my general direction. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop giggling, and every time someone launched a shot at me, I saw two balls. It sure seemed funny at the time....
Yeah, I was young AND stupid...emphasis on "stupid". One of the benefits of not having children is not having to somberly dispense advice like: "Before you light up, always make certain that you've stocked up on Doritos and Coke. Trust me, nothing will ruin a tight budget faster than trolling through a grocery story while you've got the munchies."
Of course, there are certain, um, pastimes which can be enhanced by...oh, sorry. I keep forgetting that this is a family show....
Just Say No, kids.... ;-)
Vancouver 420 Rally 2008
Over 10,000 pot heads showed up for the Marijuana 420 Rally in Vancouver, BC. April 20, 2008. Enjoy!
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/343678/
Jack, I'm new to your site and not quite sure what to make of it yet. You seem like an intelligent person so I'm a little stumped. Anyone who has had a legitimate migraine headache or something close understands the value of "RELIEF."
In my experience, nothing works better or faster than cannabis for relieving migraine. Well, Demerol does, but that's not a long-term solution.
Instead of the wink-wink, nod to "family show" maybe you could have told the kiddies about the birds and the bees, or why Congress refuses to tell the D.E.A. or F.D.A to get off their asses and reclassify cannabis for medical use. A society that treats "one" drug as a gateway to prison when it's one of the safest medicines on the planet is kind of silly don't you think?
The only and I mean only legal requirement for cannabis to become legal for medical use is that it has "KNOWN" medical use. You would think that 20% of the U.S. states having some form of medical cannabis would kind of fit into that category.
Yes cannabis shouldn't be used by young kids but either should any drugs. Cannabis can be a blessing if you are disabled and have chronic pain. Sick people are advocating this at the risk of imprisonment. There is no legitimate or scientific reason that cannabis should be illegal. It's not for everyone but to criminalize it is STUPID.
I'm tired of mature intelligent people acting if cannabis is something that can't be discussed before children. I think your a smart guy but on this you're wrong, in my opinion. Cannabis has a role to play in the lives of both patients and mature adults. Shame on you for acting like it's something to be ashamed of.
Well said.
My ex suffers from frequent migraines as well as persistent joint pain, despite surgeries. She claims that it helps both.
Chemotherapy is most effective when it's delivered on schedule, but the nausea it causes can force patients to skip treatments. Here again, cannabis helps many people.
Yet we have a an official federal office of propaganda, the ONDCP, that spends our money telling flat out lies, and the DEA's jack booted thugs breaking down doors and stealing legal medicine from people who need it.
And out of more than a dozen presidential hopefuls, only Dennis Kucinnich and Ron Paul had the guts to take a reasonable stand on the topic. Even Obama has backed away from his earlier position on this.
Hey, don't get me wrong, y'all. I have nothing against cannabis, and if I could legally use it to cope with my migraines, I'd already be making love to a bong. Part of my conflict is from having been around children and pondering how to address my drug use without sending the wrong message.
Personally, I think the prejudice against cannabis is the height of hypocrisy. If alcohol can be freely used (and misused), then why not cannabis? Because too many politicians have to appear to be tough on illegal drugs in order to keep their job.
WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN??
Gimme a (&^%$#@ break....
Currently, over 200,000 young people do not have access to federal financial aid for college thanks to legislation passed by the Bush administration in 2000 that removed that advantage for anyone convicted of a drug crime (including possession.)
Yup, it seems that W and friends don't think college students should be smokin doobs. But fear not! If their insane zero tolerance drug war keeps you out of higher education, you can always join the their war on terrrrrrr.