The annual "4/20" marijuana smoke-out on Farrand Field started out Thursday like a game of playground
chase.
Thousands flocked to the University of Colorado campus for the pot-smokers' holiday and found that the field had been shut
down by school administrators. Fifteen minutes before the clock hit 4:20 p.m., a college-aged man broke from the masses surrounding
the field, busted through the temporary barricades and led security officers and police on a short-lived chase.
A hesitant, stand-back crowd grew bold and followed his lead onto the field.
Kathleen Chippi, 37, of Nederland, came in a cannabis costume and marched around the field shouting "Happy 4/20!" She posed
for pictures as if she were the mascot for marijuana smokers and shouted out statistics to make her case that weed is safer
than alcohol.
For munchie prevention, a bicycle-riding vendor rode around tossing out free, miniature submarine sandwiches from Jimmy
John's.
A stark-naked streaker who ran a lap around the field added to the anything-goes spirit.
Then, at 4:20 p.m., a cloud of smoke rose above the crowd.
"It seems like it's more tolerated here," said Tyler James, a 20-year-old Colorado State University student, as he let
a puff of smoke escape his lips. "I'm the kind of guy that likes stoner-friendly places."
And there were plenty of friends to be made.
An estimated 2,500 people converged on the campus for the unofficial gathering that is said to have grown from a northern
California pot-smoking tradition at 4:20 p.m. The Farrand Field smoke-out has become so well-known that out-of-state freshmen
say they have heard about it before even coming to CU. It also has gained mention on Web sites such as CollegeHumor.com and
Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia.
Andrew Layne, 19, a freshman from Pennsylvania, said he quit smoking because pot makes him paranoid. But he came out to
Farrand to see what the 4/20 tradition is all about.
"It's amazing how much smoke goes up in the air," he said.
CU police estimated that not even half of the people on the field were smoking pot. Officers arrested one person for trespassing
— the man who initially broke through the barricades — but nobody was ticketed for marijuana-related offenses
during the smoke-out, said Lt. Tim McGraw.
Possessing small amounts of marijuana is a petty crime carrying a $100 fine, he said.
"Sometimes you've got to pick your battles," McGraw said.
Smokers could get hit with a heavier littering ticket for dropping their submarine wrappers on the field than taking a
hit from a joint.
But student smokers aren't entirely in the clear. The university took video surveillance of the first groups of people
to storm the field and of people smoking, said CU spokesman Barrie Hartman. The school will be placing the photos on the university's
Web site and offering $50 rewards for anybody who can identify the scofflaws.
By 5 p.m., Farrand Field had turned into a picnic ground for pot lovers and students who just wanted to enjoy a sunny afternoon;
many played Frisbee and Hacky Sack to the beat of drums.
"It's good for school bonding," said CU freshman Christina Trevino, a 19-year-old who said she had fun without getting
high.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas at (303) 473-1132 or anasb@dailycamera.com.
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