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On closer inspection, it turned out the maple leaf had been replaced
by a red marijuana leaf.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