MARIJUANA USE UNCERTAIN ON 4/20

Timing of mid-week 'holiday' has pot users debating how to celebrate

Marijuana is illegal in the United States, but that does not stop UCLA
students from celebrating 4/20 today, the unofficial marijuana user's
holiday.

April 20 has fallen on the weekend in the past few years, giving people more
of a reason to celebrate at home instead of on campus. This year, because it
occurs in the middle of the week, it is uncertain how and where students
will celebrate the occasion.

Marijuana users are still planning to smoke, in spite of potentially
increased scrutiny.

"People who smoke marijuana are going to celebrate their holiday any day of
the week," said Allie Butler, a first-year world arts and culture student.
"It's like your birthday."

But today calls for some people to be more cautious in their marijuana
usage.

"If I were to (smoke marijuana), I'd do it where I felt safe," Butler said.
"I wouldn't want to jeopardize my housing."

Keeping marijuana use private defeats the purpose of the holiday for some.

"I think the whole point is to be out in public and to show that (marijuana
use) is not as bad as politicians make it out to be," said Georgina
Wakefield, a third-year English student.

April 20 is political; it's taking a stand to legalize marijuana by
celebrating the controversial day, said Wakefield.

Marijuana became illegal for recreational use in the United States in 1937
under the Marijuana Tax Act.

"Other things like alcohol and tobacco are legal, while pot is not,"
Wakefield said. "It just doesn't make sense."

For others, 4/20 allows marijuana users to reflect on their usage in the
past. Last year, undeclared student Daniel Zamani gave up marijuana for an
extended amount of time after 4/20.

"(Marijuana) allows me to look at reality from a different perspective,"
Zamani said. "I reached a point of diminishing returns, and I was learning
less each time I smoked."

Some users find that occasional use can turn into abuse.

"If you're using the drug as an escape from reality, then that's abuse,"
Zamani said, adding that he no longer knew why he smoked.

"Motivation is usually an indication of psychological addiction."

For other marijuana users, it is difficult to abuse the drug.

"We're all on student budgets," Butler said. "It's hard to develop an
addiction to something when you don't have it."

For everybody participating in 4/20, the day gives marijuana users an
opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the controversial drug.

"This time off has given me a lot of perspective, and I'll respect the drug
a lot more," Zamani said.

It is not certain how marijuana users will celebrate 4/20 at UCLA.

"I have no way of being able to predict what's going to happen," said Berky
Nelson, director of the Center for Student Programming.

But officials are hopeful that today will not be out of the ordinary.

"I'd rather say that it's going to be a normal day," Nelson said.

The last time 4/20 fell on a weekday was in 2001.

On April 20, 2001, a Friday, large groups of people congregated at Meyerhoff
Park, the area in front of Kerckhoff Hall, to smoke marijuana though people
had originally gathered for a Libertarian party event, according to the
Daily Bruin archives.

Instances of on-campus 4/20 marijuana smoking have declined since 2001,
Nelson said.

"I wasn't here on campus, so nothing was brought to my attention when 4/20
was on weekends," Nelson said.

In the residence halls, where many UCLA students live, officials do not
expect 4/20 festivities to get out of hand.

People tend to go to public events to celebrate 4/20 instead of celebrating
at the residence halls, said Christine Coons, judicial affairs coordinator
for the Office of Residential Life.

In general, marijuana usage is not the highest policy abuse in the residence
halls, Coons said.