Daily Bruin File Photo An unidentified police officer
watches students congregated in Meyerhoff Park last April 20. No
one smoking marijuana was arrested.
By Karen E. Graulich
Daily Bruin Contributor
Pot, weed, chronic, reefer, dank”¦ however you want to
label it, this Saturday, April 20, people across the nation will be
smoking it in honor of “4/20.”
Although the use of cannabis sativa is illegal, it is safe to
assume that at least some of the UCLA student population will be
lighting up and flying high as a tribute to this weekend’s
observance.
Carlos Collard, a fifth-year communications and political
science student, feels that 4/20 calls for much celebration.
“I see it as a day to liberalize yourself, be free on
campus because everyday here is so physically restricting,”
he said.
Others, like third-year architecture graduate student Brian
Krob, feels that smoking weed on 4/20 is more a private, intimate
matter.
“In graduate school (smoking weed) is more recreational.
We don’t do it on campus, we go home and do it,” Krob
revealed.
Considering this 4/20 will be on a Saturday, more students than
usual will be off-campus celebrating the holiday.
 Meyerhoff Park, the grassy area in front of Kerckhoff
Hall, was literally covered with over 420 celebraters last April
20.
On past 4/20s, students have smoked marijuana on campus, in the
face of university opposition. According to Berky Nelson, director
of the Center for Student Programming, on April 20, 2001, the UCLA
Libertarian party reserved Meyerhoff Park for an event. Some
participants, whether part of the libertarian student group or not,
smoked marijuana, as a part of their demonstration.
Nelson reported that no arrests were made. He said that his
primary role is to contact the University Police to report the
illegal activity; from that point on, it is under their
jurisdiction. He also added that ultimately it is the city
attorney’s decision whether to press charges once a report is
filed.
Although the UCPD avoided commenting on this particular
celebration, they did make it clear that they oppose the use of
marijuana, both on and off the campus.
The UCPD Web site states “The sale, manufacture,
distribution, or possession of any controlled substance without a
prescription is illegal under both State and Federal Laws. Such
laws are strictly enforced by UCLA police officers. Student
violators are subject to University disciplinary action, criminal
prosecution, fine and imprisonment.”
But Nancy Greenstein, a UCPD spokeswoman, described a much more
lenient procedure.
If students were smoking marijuana, they would receive a warning
to stop; if they complied, nothing further would be done,
Greenstein revealed, but if they continued, they would be given a
citation. She noted that the students “won’t
necessarily get arrested (because the police officers) would have
to look at the whole situation.”
According to Greenstein, this Saturday will entail business as
usual for the UCPD officers.
“At this point, nothing has been planned,” she
said.
She added that the UCPD fully supports the university’s
mission and encourage students to follow the law.
If one looks at 4/20s of past years, students who break the law
will not necessarily be subjected to “”¦ university
disciplinary action, criminal prosecution, fine, and
imprisonment.”
Perhaps it is just impractical to arrest and prosecute every
single offender. Until more attempts are made to crack down on
offenders of the law, students may still be able to smoke marijuana
on-campus undetected or at least unpunished on 4/20.
This was the case with UCLA student Andy Park who admits to
having smoked marijuana on campus during last year’s
4/20.
“I walked from Kerckhoff to Bunche smoking. Nobody said
anything,” he said.