4/20 puts security on high alert against pot

Sarah Brown Life Editor

On the heels of a holiday-filled week that included Passover and Easter, Thursday, April 20 represents another day widely celebrated both at Vassar and on college campuses nationwide. April 20, affectionately called “4/20” by those who celebrate it, is considered the holiest day in cannabis culture. Although smoking marijuana is illegal almost everywhere in the United States (some areas of California allow medicinal use), 4/20 celebrations are prevalent on many college campuses nationwide.

For example, at Wesleyan University, “Zonker Harris Day” (named after the stoned Doonesbury cartoon character) occurs each year around April 20.

Oberlin College students celebrate to the tunes of a band called “Righteous Doob,” which plays at 4:20 p.m. on 4/20.

While many students at these institutions take part in the festivities of the day, policies at some colleges make it almost impossible to toke up on the twentieth.

For example, at Liberty University, a Baptist College in Lynchburg, West Virginia, students can be expelled after a first offense of marijuana use. Liberty student Joshua Keys ’07 said, “Though a first offense might in a rare case find some lenience with the dean’s office, a second offense most certainly would not.”

While the origins of marijuana associations with 4/20 are not certain, many theories exist, ranging from the temperature at which tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) burns (420 degrees Fahrenheit) to what was once (incorrectly) considered to be the police code for a drug bust of marijuana smoking in progress.

According to urbandictionary.com, marijuana usage to commemorate April 20 originated in the 1970s at a Northern California high school where a group of students used to meet every day at 4:20 p.m. to smoke. High Times magazine credits this as the most widely-accepted theory.

Despite marijuana’s illegal status, some students still plan to celebrate a traditional 4/20 at Vassar. “4/20 at Vassar is like New Year’s for stoners, a holiday to embrace the stoner lifestyle and stay high, happy, and laid-back, and to make a peace offering against the drug wars,” said Katie Hickman ’08.

Many students do not participate because they do not smoke, while others choose not to because of possible ramifications from Security. Although a citation at Vassar does not immediately guarantee explusion.

According to Chief of Security Don Marsala, Security is well aware of the drug culture surrounding April 20.

“We read a lot on our police servers about hash bashes at colleges, and we are certainly aware of the situation,” said Marsala.

The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Officers (IACLEA) is one police server Security uses. The server provides a forum for security officials at different institutions to discuss incidents of drug use on days like 4/20.

An official at the University of Colorado, for example, discussed on the server that since the state of Colorado deems marijuana smoking only a minor offense, their primary goal on the day is to prevent riots.

New York state law says that a first-offense conviction of the possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana will result in a civil citation and a fine of $100.

According to Vassar’s Drug and Alcohol Policy, the College “cannot and will not protect students or staff from prosecution under federal, state, or local laws.”

Students hoping to get high at the Shakespeare Garden (a spot Marsala says is frequented by smokers on the day) or at other spots on campus can expect to face an alert team of Security.

“We are prepared to deal with this,” said Marsala. “We plan to have our ears, eyes and noses open for any violations of New York State law and Vassar regulations.”

The Cost Of Smoking Up: Drug Penalties and Policies at Peer Institutions

Bard: “Selling, making, distributing or possession of a significant amount of illegal drugs will be met with prompt and forceful College action. The student will be asked to resign from the College”

Oberlin: “Judicial sanctions may include suspension or expulsion, depending on the seriousness of the offense.”

Bryn Mawr: “Depending on their severity, violations may be referred to the Honor Board and/or may be subject to a Dean’s Panel being convened.”

Wesleyan: “Disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed on students include warning, disciplinary probation, community service hours, suspension, expulsion, and dismissal. The University may also require a student who violates these standards to participate in a program of rehabilitation.”

University of California Santa Cruz: “Disciplinary sanctions could include but may not be limited to loss of on-campus housing privileges. Possession of less than one ounce of marijuana for personal use constitutes a misdemeanor, the conviction of which could carry a fine up to $100.”

NYU: “The unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol is punishable by criminal sanctions authorized by the federal government and by the State of New York. These sanctions can include imprisonment, fines, assigned community service, and loss of federal student financial aid eligibility.”

Source: Student handbooks
for each institution
—Compiled by Sarah Brown, Life Editor