College Students: Tattle on Potheads for Cash $$$

by **thoughtographer** » Thu May 04, 2006 11:26 am

I'm speechless. <a href="http://www.colorado.edu/police/420_Photo_Album/index.htm">University of Colorado, Boulder - Farrand Field 4-20-2006</a> <blockquote>Quote:<hr>The University is offering a reward for the identification of any of the individuals pictured below. After reviewing the photos (click on a photo for a larger image), you may claim the reward by following the directions below: 1. Contact the UCPD Operations section at (303) 492-8168 2. Provide the photo number and as much information as you have about the individual. 3. Provide your name and contact information. 4. If the identity is verified to be correct, you will be paid a $50 reward for every person identified. 5. The reward will be paid to the first caller who identifies a person below, multiple rewards will not be paid for individuals listed below.<hr></blockquote> Uh... <blockquote>Quote:<hr>On 4-20-2006 University officials closed Farrand Field from 12 Noon until 5 PM. The field was closed off with barricades, yellow jacketed "event staff" personnel and police officers. Approximately 40 signs were posted on all sides of the field advising that the field was closed and that video and photographic surveillance was going to be used on and around the field that day. A photo of one of the signs is shown to the right. Those individuals who are pictured below and on additional pages were photographed on the field during the closure hours as posted on the signs. <hr></blockquote> So, where was the warning about the planned use of paid, anonymous informants? "A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."

by **chillin** » Thu May 04, 2006 11:33 am

The page seems to show people smoking something. I wonder if anyone can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt what that something *is* just from a photograph. I don't see any evidence of these fine young citizens being 'potheads'.

by **chillin** » Thu May 04, 2006 11:36 am

I guess they're closing the field to collect any butts left lying around for DNA analysis?!? Mindboggling...

by **chillin** » Thu May 04, 2006 11:50 am

They'll be charged with tresspassing I guess, I missed the part about it being closed during the 4/20 thing.

by **StarmanSkye** » Thu May 04, 2006 12:37 pm

Yowza; The anti-people/liberty/life/fun/community/autonomy bureau-technocrat fascist goons just can't tolerate people deciding to snub their petty authoritarianism -- and I guess the city and campus feel in-the-spotlight of Public Attention for the 'wrong message' sent if they 'don't DO something!' about curbing the annual smoke-in, which has become something of an unofficial holiday-like celebration. But Good Golly Grief! Offering 'rewards' to encourage snitches! And 'closing' the field just to spite the people who were actually using the place as a public space to celebrate a singular tradition of social protest -- all to perpetuate the silly, stupid, malicious, mean-spirited and hypocritical 'drug-war' -- the trend of heavy-handed institutionalized abuse of authority continues. In reading published articles and forum-comments about this it's astonishing how many people advance the 'it's the LAW' argument for why smoke-in participants SHOULD be prosecuted -- ignoring the larger issue here which is the right of the ordinary citizens to be autonomous, live their own lives and make their own decisions -- as long as they don't intrude on the rights of others. Anyone halfway-informed can't help but realize anti-marijuana prohibition and related legal/enforcement actions have been immeasurably more harmful than any possible actual effects of moderate use. Yet another instance of society's lack of perspective, esp. on the part of the thought-and-behavior police. Starman Context: <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/buffzone_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2448_4639391,00.html">www.dailycamera.com/bdc/b...91,00.html</a> 2,500 pot smokers celebrate Annual smoke-out gains attention on Wikipedia By Brittany Anas, Camera Staff Writer April 21, 2006 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. **** <a href="http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20060429/NEWS/60429001">www.summitdaily.com/artic...S/60429001</a> Hundreds turn in marijuana users in Boulder By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS April 29, 2006 BOULDER — Hundreds of people called University of Colorado police Friday to name people photographed at last week’s “4/20” marijuana smoke-out on Farrand Field. Police posted 150 pictures online Thursday of people lighting up, exhaling and even streaking at the annual event. For each positive identification, CU is offering a $50 reward. Tipsters, who will remain anonymous to the offenders but not to police, began calling early Friday, said CU police Lt. Tim McGraw. “The phones have been ringing off the hook,” he said. “One person called in and ID’d five people.” Andrea Hansen, 19, was among the estimated 2,500 people who gathered at 4:20 p.m. April 20. When she heard about the online photos Thursday night, she visited the site immediately. The CU freshman said she was relieved to see she had succeeded in avoiding the cameras, but some of her peers weren’t so lucky. “There are two pictures of my friend,” Hansen said. “She got all freaked out.” If police can’t confirm that those identified in the pictures were puffing marijuana, they still can be ticketed for trespassing on the closed CU field, officials said. A person must be charged and cited for tipsters to be rewarded. Hansen said she was surprised to hear that hundreds of people had responded to the police department’s reward offer. “But $50 is a sack,” she said, referring to the price of marijuana. “So there’s your incentive.” A Boulder-based group that advocates marijuana as a safer alternative to alcohol said Friday that CU’s attempt to punish the 4/20 revelers is “cowardly.” Mason Tvert, campaign director for Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, said CU is treating pot-smoking students like “child molesters” by “sticking their photos online.” “I think this is unbelievable,” he said. “They’re using money to turn this campus into a culture of informants. If they asked students to call in every time they saw a student drinking, it would be an incredible mess.” Tvert said CU should be focusing its efforts on alcohol abuse and encouraged anyone pictured online to call his organization. “I’m sure there will be lawyers and other people upset about this,” he said. “I don’t know what we can do for them, but we’re hoping for some public outcry because this is clearly a waste of time and money.” Lt. McGraw said alcohol abuse is a top priority but that CU has to discourage blatant marijuana smoking. CU spokesman Barrie Hartman said he didn’t know how long it would take to identify and charge the pictured suspects. Students could face a $100 fine and a “strike” against their school record, CU officials said. “But school is out very soon,” he said. “So the clock is working against us on this thing.” The “4/20” smoke-out has been drawing crowds for years, but this is the first year CU police have tried to catch participants with online pictures. Hartman said he thinks CU will succeed in charging a “representative sample, to set an example.” But Marc Muniz, 22, said he doesn’t think anyone will get in trouble. “I just think the police are trying to appease the citizens and make it look like they’re doing something,” said Muniz, a CU senior. “But I don’t think they’re going to get anything done.” **** <a href="http://www.securityinfowatch.com/online/Educational--and--Institutional/Unique-Security-Dilemma-at-U.-of-Colorado--Pot-Smokers/8013SIW334">www.securityinfowatch.com...8013SIW334</a> Unique Security Dilemma at U. of Colorado: Pot Smokers U-WIRE-04/20/2006-U. Colorado: U. Colorado officials, police prepare for pot smokers (C) 2006 Colorado Daily Via U-WIRE By Casey Freeman, Colorado Daily (U. Colorado) BOULDER, Colo. -- Smoking pot at Farrand Field on April 20 is a tradition that University of Colorado officials, the police department and marijuana activists can agree upon. They all say: Don't do it. "We do not approve, we do not like this event and we do not like the image of the school that it shows," said Barrie Hartman, interim spokesman for CU-Boulder. "This is not just a CU thing. It's a national thing," Hartman continued. Every year on April 20 students, activists and people interested in a good time smoke marijuana in public. It has become a national phenomena celebrated by concerts, marijuana-legalization events and massive rallies. In Boulder, Colo., people flock to Farrand Field on April 20 to smoke pot or just hang out. Lt. Tim McGraw, spokesman for the CU Police Department, said he views the pot smoking day as "part of contemporary life" in Boulder. "We historically have not had huge problems with this event," said McGraw. Typically, the event has been so big, that the CUPD does not bother ticketing or arresting all the people that smoke pot. "The bottom line is that our resources are finite," said McGraw. "We have not had the number of police officers there that were required to write a ticket for everyone." Neither Hartman nor the CUPD would discuss police procedures for Thursday's event. "We hope that what we do will cause students not to go out," said Hartman. The CU administration and CUPD have an odd ally on 4/20 -- somebody who has fought to decriminalize marijuana across the nation, and recently had a law passed in Denver, Colo., that allows people over 21 to possess less than an ounce of marijuana. "The whole thing on 4/20 is actually something we're against," said Mason Tvert, event coordinator for Safer Alternative For Enjoyment Recreation. "I don't really see how smoking marijuana in public does anything positive. It sends the wrong message about the work that we (SAFER) are doing." While SAFER does not condone pot smoking on Farrand Field, it has held events in the hope of legalizing marijuana use. This year SAFER does not have an event planned, but people will be trying to collect signatures to make a statewide initiative that would allow people 21 years old and up to have up to one ounce of marijuana in their possession. Tvert will not be at Farrand Field this year, but he will be at a National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) event in San Francisco, Calif. Tvert will receive the NORML Activist of the Year award for his work around the country attempting to decriminalize marijuana. Last year SAFER had a rally in front of the Coors Events Center. While law enforcement has been lax in past years, police have been stepping up ways to discourage people from participating in the event, sometimes using almost comical methods. In 2005, police officers tried to block people from going onto Farrand Field, and after people started smoking, the sprinklers were turned on and forced students to leave. "We're telling people not to show up and break the law," said McGraw. Hartman said some people want CU to make its rules against marijuana stricter. "There are legislators and citizens that think we should be aggressive in dealing with this," said Hartman. "We are dealing with this in a serious manner." There have been rumors that police are going to use pepper spray or other deterrents to keep people from smoking on Farrand Field. Neither McGraw nor Hartman would comment if there was any validity to this rumor. Tvert said if the police use pepper spray they are "asking for a riot." CU and its police department did express hopes that the day would go on without any major problems. "Our No. 1 concern with an event like this is the safety of our students," said Hartman. "We will not react in a way that would hurt our students." ((Distributed on bahalf of U-Wire via M2 Communications Ltd - <a href="http://www.m2.com))">www.m2.com))</a> ((U-Wire - <a href="http://www.uwire.com))">www.uwire.com))</a> **** <a href="http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20060502/LETTER/105020043">www.summitdaily.com/artic.../105020043</a> Unbelievable. The article "Hundreds Turn In Marijuana Users In Boulder (SDN, April 30) is an appalling statement on the lows we've stooped to in order to maintain our nation pogrom against cannabis consumers. The hastily erected barrier was placed in order to stop an event which can best be described as peaceably assembling in order to petition the government in order to redress grievances. Or is there a section to the Constitution I missed that says "except in the case of pot smokers?" And anonymous snitching? For alleged trespassing? What's next, illegal seizure of personal bodily fluids? What happened to the opportunity to face one's accusers? So are we a nation built upon the ideals of liberty and founded with a document written in order to guarantee our freedoms or are we now ignoring our founders' efforts and sacrifices? When laws like those instituted to prohibit cannabis (in its multiple forms) are founded upon lies, bigotry and perjured testimony before the Congress of the U.S., there is indeed just cause for a population to seek redress for very valid grievances. Allan Erickson, Drug Policy Forum of Oregon

by **thoughtographer** » Thu May 04, 2006 1:29 pm

Thanks for that, Starman. "A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."

by **chillin** » Thu May 04, 2006 1:51 pm

Of course it should be legal, but it's nice to see the laws aren't so harsh for minor possession everywhere in the States. In Canada our new conservative gov't won't be re-tabling a bill that would decriminalize possession of small amounts that the liberals started before getting the boot.

by **nomo** » Thu May 04, 2006 1:57 pm

it's nice to see the laws aren't so harsh for minor possession everywhere in the States. I believe a lot of it has to do with the color of your skin.

College Students: Tattle on Potheads for Cash $$$

College Students: Tattle on Potheads for Cash $$$

weird

actually...

wish I could edit =/

Re: College Students: Tattle on Potheads for Cash $$$

Re: College Students: Tattle on Potheads for Cash $$$

$100 fine

Re: $100 fine

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