Spring Break
Fort Collins, Boulder prepare for anticipated 4/20 celebrations
Matt Minich
Issue date: 4/20/09 Section: News
Tearing a piece of this newspaper in half and throwing it on the ground is committing a more substantial crime than possessing less than an ounce of marijuana in Colorado, or so says Commander Tim McGraw of the CU-Boulder Police Department.
Possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is considered a class 2 petty offense, which is punishable by a fine of no more that $100.
Because of the drug's relaxed status in Colorado, Fort Collins police are saying they will not provide any increase in enforcement today -- a date when pot smokers across the country will gather to promote the decriminalization of the drug.
And nowhere is more popular for the celebration than the famous center of the CU-Boulder campus for people to toke.
But Fort Collins sees a much lighter influx of smokers, according to police.
Rita Davis, the public information officer for Fort Collins Police Services, said that the city did not see a significant amount of illegal activity on last year's holiday.
"In the past, this festival has not been a problem," she said.
Davis said if police saw any locals partaking in the day's festivities they would confiscate the contraband and enforce the laws.
Sgt. Mike West of FCPS, who patrolled during the holiday last year, said there is no reason for a higher level of enforcement in Fort Collins.
"I have no recollection of anything significant up here related to that event," West said.
The department will run its usual patrols today, which involve anywhere from 10 to 15 officers divided among seven districts. The CSU Police Department will do the same.
Frank Johnson, the acting chief of the CSU Police Department, said 4/20 celebrations do not pose any significant problems on the CSU campus.
"All the officers are made aware of it," Johnson said, adding that if students used marijuana on the campus on 4/20 in the last few years, they did so out of sight of law enforcement. He said there were no marijuana-related arrests on April 20 in 2008, 2007 or 2006.
Possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is considered a class 2 petty offense, which is punishable by a fine of no more that $100.
Because of the drug's relaxed status in Colorado, Fort Collins police are saying they will not provide any increase in enforcement today -- a date when pot smokers across the country will gather to promote the decriminalization of the drug.
And nowhere is more popular for the celebration than the famous center of the CU-Boulder campus for people to toke.
But Fort Collins sees a much lighter influx of smokers, according to police.
Rita Davis, the public information officer for Fort Collins Police Services, said that the city did not see a significant amount of illegal activity on last year's holiday.
"In the past, this festival has not been a problem," she said.
Davis said if police saw any locals partaking in the day's festivities they would confiscate the contraband and enforce the laws.
Sgt. Mike West of FCPS, who patrolled during the holiday last year, said there is no reason for a higher level of enforcement in Fort Collins.
"I have no recollection of anything significant up here related to that event," West said.
The department will run its usual patrols today, which involve anywhere from 10 to 15 officers divided among seven districts. The CSU Police Department will do the same.
Frank Johnson, the acting chief of the CSU Police Department, said 4/20 celebrations do not pose any significant problems on the CSU campus.
"All the officers are made aware of it," Johnson said, adding that if students used marijuana on the campus on 4/20 in the last few years, they did so out of sight of law enforcement. He said there were no marijuana-related arrests on April 20 in 2008, 2007 or 2006.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Ron
posted 4/21/09 @ 5:44 PM MST
some great photos at www.lookingattheleft.com/2009/04/420-boulder
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