Pubdate: Sat, 21 Apr 2007
Source: Guelph Mercury (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007 Guelph Mercury Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.guelphmercury.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1418
Author: Brandon Walker

'CHRISTMAS FOR STONERS'

Hundreds Celebrate Marijuana Festival

A haze of sweet-smelling smoke hung over Johnston Green  at the
University of Guelph yesterday afternoon while  hundreds of students
celebrated the annual underground  tradition known only as
four-twenty.

Held on the 20th day of the fourth month, this year's  event was
promoted on the social networking website  Facebook and was attended
by University of Guelph  students who were high on life, among other
things.

The day is a celebration of all things  marijuana-related, a drug many
stoners refer to as  four-twenty.

Greeted by a warm and sunny day, students inhaled the  fresh air and
enjoyed the company of others with a  similar mindset, while grooving
to the music of Pink  Floyd and Bob Marley.

At exactly 4:20 p.m., students began jumping up and  down, cheering
and hugging each other as though the  clock had struck midnight on New
Year's Eve.

"It's kind of like Christmas for stoners," said Zachary  Ramsay, 19, a
first-year science student at the  university.

"That's the thing, because there's so many of us it  becomes a
spiritual and communal event," said Tanya  Jarmai, 18, a first-year
theatre student.

Jarmai wasn't sure how long students have been holding  the annual
four-twenty event. "Definitely a few years  anyway," she said.

Tom Matsushita, a 19-year-old first-year marketing  management
student, said he's been celebrating  four-twenty since he moved to
Canada from Korea in  Grade 8.

"It brings everyone together to, you know, bring  everyone together,"
he said with a giggle.

"And there's nothing they can do about it, there isn't  enough
handcuffs (for everyone)," he said excitedly,  before wandering away.

"I've never seen this many people on Johnston Green,"  said Sarah
Stewart, 18, a first-year women's studies  student who spent the
afternoon wearing a hippie-style  headband and necklace.

Stewart and three of her friends sat on a blanket,  talking and
giggling while passing around what was  purportedly a marijuana cigarette.

"It's cool that this many people can bond over common  ground," she
said while exhaling thick smoke and  laughing.

"Since so many people smoke they should obviously  legalize it," said
Stefanie Kelly, 19, a first-year  philosophy student.

Moments later, a man wandered through the crowd wearing  a cape
resembling a Canadian flag.

On closer inspection, it turned out the maple leaf had  been replaced
by a red marijuana leaf.

The caped crusader, a.k.a. Imran Rashid, a first-year  psychology
major, said four-twenty represents a  peaceful event that simply
brings people together.

"It (also) represents marijuana and culture. And, to  show that
legality isn't an issue to us."

The 19-year-old wandered the crowd carrying a camera to  record the
day's festivities.

One thing he wouldn't have recorded were any police  officers on
Johnston Green.

Staff Sergeant Greg Zinger at Guelph Police said he was  pretty sure
no officers attended this year's event. He  said he doesn't think the
police usually patrol the  event.

When asked for his thoughts about four-twenty, Zinger  refused
comment, but did say he thought the  university's security probably
monitored the event.

Pat Martin, manager of operations for security at the  University of
Guelph, seemed surprised to hear students  were smoking up on Johnston
Green yesterday.

"Our Johnston Green?" he asked.

"It's difficult for me to comment. It's illegal no  matter where you
are and students have a code of  conduct they have to maintain," he
said.

Students celebrated the event by throwing frisbees,  kicking hacky
sacks and soccer balls, and inhaling  through small colourful glass
pipes or "cigarettes"  rolled in Zig-Zag papers.

One group was even juggling plastic bowling pins in a
circle.

Dave Daily, a first-year biomedical student, said it's  a great time
to hold the event.

"It's the first day we get to smoke and not worry about  school," he
said. "It's the end of the school year and  smoke-up day all at the
same time."
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MAP posted-by: Derek