Believe it or not, I had no idea that when I decided to attend CU-Boulder, I decided to attend a school that is infamous for being a party school. Now, really, had I used my brain, I probably could have figured it out. It's a really big state school, and I feel like those two traits are all that a school really needs to be a party school.
What I had also heard rumors of, of course, was that Boulder was known for its liberalism concerning the use of marijuana, which is rampant and not really curbed by anyone, including the police. I mean, obviously, arrests, etc., are made, but the punishment is a slap on the wrist.
So out of curiosity, and because I'm a nerd, I googled "CU Boulder" a few days after moving in. I expected to see some cheesy advertisements published by the university itself, maybe a few sports events, some student videos of late-night taco bell runs, and freshman dorm shenanigans.
I am so naive.
Instead of what I would have considered to be normal videos, I saw hundreds of videos celebrating April 20th. Oh, yes, the infamous 4-20. I feel like it needs no explanation, but in case it does, April 20th is the famous day for smoking marijuana. I don't know why, I don't care why. It just is. And Boulder being Boulder, 4-20 is bigger than Christmas.
NORML, or the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Regulations, puts on events across the country, and one of the largest is in Boulder. It's a "protest," or so they say. Last year, 10,000 students gathered on Norlin Quad, in front of the famous Norlin Library, and smoked pot. A lot of pot.
This year, they expected 15,000. They only estimate that they had 8,000, but as you can imagine, 8,000 people smoking marijuana in one place at one time can be a crowd. A very stinky crowd. Peacefully "protesting."
If you ask me, it's just another excuse to get high.
Now, I'm not just writing this because my parents read this, but I've never smoked. Not even once. I tried a cigarette when I was 13 or something, and haven't put any burning device anywhere near my mouth since. And I find it sad that there are more medical marijuana dispensaries in Boulder than there are pharmacies. But what of it?
It's Boulder, I guess, and that's all there is to it. Here's a video from this year's "celebration":
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