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| UVM Hoping to Discourage Annual Marijuana Smoke-in |
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Posted by FoM on April 14, 2002 at 14:44:16 PT By Associated Press Source: Associated Press 
The University of Vermont hopes to deter students' annual April 20 marijuana smoke-in -- by holding a rock concert. A student group is spending $55,000 to create a three-day drug- and alcohol-free celebration of spring to divert students from gathering to smoke pot. ''Spring Fest'' will culminate Saturday in an afternoon of music outside Bailey-Howe Library. Student leaders and administrators say the university could no longer ignore the annual mass dope-smoking because it has tarnished the school's image with lawmakers, alumni and private donors. ''An illegal activity of that magnitude is inappropriate for the image of the University of Vermont,'' said the school's interim president, Edwin Colodny. ''It can affect how the state views the university in terms of support; it can affect alumni giving and student recruitment.'' Filmmaker Spike Lee will speak Friday night and Saturday's concert will feature a new band put together by a member of Phish. Campus police Chief Gary Margolis made clear police won't just stand by at the annual smoke-in, known as 420, as they have in past years. ''We've taken the appropriate steps to make sure we can manage a large gathering. We're going to send a different message this year. We're not going to let this happen,'' the chief said of potential drug violations. UVM's so-called 420 ritual has attracted a growing crowd since it began in the mid-1990s as a protest of marijuana laws. The event isn't unique to UVM -- it is observed, spottily, from coast to coast. At least 1,500 people gathered at UVM last year. Some students expressed skepticism that officials will be successful in discouraging the smoke-in. ''It would be fine if they had the rock concert and let what will happen, happen,'' said UVM junior Jon Haddad, who described himself as an ''extreme participant'' in past 420 celebrations. He said he doesn't smoke anymore, but would go to the concert to see the scene. ''This will make it worse -- it'll be partying, with music!'' chimed in one of his companions. Source: Associated Press CannabisNews - Cannabis Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #8 posted by Sam Adams on April 16, 2002 at 11:02:54 PT |
| From the UVM website.......... Noon to 6 p.m. EVENT: SPRING FEST 2002 concert. Headlined by Vida Blue a band bringing together Page McConnell of Phish, Oteil Burbridge of The Allman Brothers and Russell Batiste of the Funky Meters. The hip-hop of Project Logic and UVM-student band Groove Components complete the musical lineup. Bailey/Howe Lawn. Rain location, Patrick Gym. UVM ID required, 300 tickets @ $10 for non-UVM affiliates, accompanied by a UVM affiliate. Information: Katie 656-2053. This pretty funny. Now that I think about it, the administration knew exactly what they were doing. There will be a massive 4:20 celebration, at 4:20 PM, but PR-wise, it will just be a concert. They just shifted the title of the event, rather than cancelling it. Good move. We'll see if the students have the cajones to go to the Green and light up anyways......... [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on April 16, 2002 at 04:29:41 PT |
| The only way there could be more irony in this story is if The Man also booked Rage Against The Machine. "If you are high enough, please go to the fringe of the crowd, and give someone else a chance in the middle!" [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by mayan on April 15, 2002 at 14:11:27 PT |
| Anyone who's been to a Phish show, especially in Vermont,knows that there will be so much smoke that you won't be able to see the band! I would love to see this! To the pigs, I say "good luck". You'll need it! I wonder how much taxpayer money will be spent by law enforcement to harrass the evil pot smokers? It would be neat if everyone there would pre-roll some tobacco cigarettes & smoke them(or at least pretend to) & after the cops get tired of harrassing them, break out the real stuff. I always found it comical that at such events, some speaker would urge everyone to stay away from the fringes of the crowd to avoid arrest. Now, how can everyone possibly stay off of the fringes of the crowd? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by CorvallisEric on April 15, 2002 at 08:47:14 PT |
| I'm curious if there's any connection of this with Presidential wannabe Gov. Howard Dean. Anybody know? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on April 15, 2002 at 07:29:24 PT |
| I was disturbed last year with some of the police rhetoric and envisioned a riot-like affair up there in VT. But this is even better! What, did they think the fact that a 3-day rock concert is going to make people forget when 4:20 on Saturday rolls around? Please! These guys just created a 3-day smoke-in! Instead of 1500 UVM students, they're going to get students from all the schools around Burlington, ski-bums, recent grads, high school kids, etc. etc. This is SURE to backfire. If they think alumni and donors are upset with the smoke in, just wait till they feel the backlash from hundreds of tuition-paying parents that find out little Jimmy was beaten-down and thrown in jail by a bunch of riot cops! For smoking a bowl at UVM! LOL. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #3 posted by Dan B on April 15, 2002 at 06:41:06 PT:
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| West Texas was to have its first annual Hempfest this Saturday, April 20, 2002, but alas it has been cancelled. Inclement weather? No. Lack of a permit? Wrong again. This Hempfest, a legal gathering of folks interested in changing the nation's cannabis laws, was cancelled by the marshall's office. I don't know the details; all I know is that I planned to attend after viewing the signs posted around the university campus. That was on Thursday; today, all of the signs read: "cancelled by the marshall's office." I'm guiessing they mean the fire marshall's office. Here's the thing: everyone who knows anything about West Texas politics knows darn well why the Hempfest was cancelled, and it had nothing to do with fire safety. The West Texas Hempfest (which was supposed to be a large event with several bands playing, Select-A-Seat was on board, had several sponsors including West Texas NORML, etc.) was cancelled because the powers that be here in West Texas are afraid of a plant. I plan to look into this story further, though I have yet to be able to get ahold of the leader of West Texas NORML (he has not answered my emails, even though I sent him an inquiry, my email address, and a plea for him to give me a chance to help out in any way I can). If I find out any new information, I'll post it here. Sad in West Texas, Dan B [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on April 15, 2002 at 05:01:55 PT |
| Are they seriously trying to get the crowd to stop ingesting illegal mind-altering substances with a PHISH CONCERT??? Somebody out there with a portable recorder will probably catch the Phishy bits, but if you're out there reading this - I'm really curious as to what Spike Lee has to say about 4/20 and such. He doesn't exactly seem the type to spew the party line on anything. I mean, he calls every film "A Spike Lee Joint"... [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on April 14, 2002 at 14:58:20 PT |
| Student leaders and administrators say the university could no longer ignore the annual mass dope-smoking because it has tarnished the school's image with lawmakers, alumni and private donors. The problem is, they have to compete for students like any other university. If they sincerely want to get rid of this event, then all they have to do is warn the students whom they are trying to recruit that anyone who uses marijuana is strongly discouraged from enrolling in their university. They could also put it in their college brochures very prominently. But they would nrever do that, because the fact is, there is competition for the best students nowadays and the universities don't want to do anything to lose that competition. So instead they try to have it both ways. [ Post Comment ] |
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