Despite the sweltering heat of record-breaking temperatures of 96 degrees, thousands gathered at Porter Meadow on April 20, 2009 to join in the annual pot-smoking festivities. The crowd included students, alumni, Santa Cruz locals, and people from cities up and down California who came to revel in a smoke-induced haze.
Starting at 3 p.m. Monday, all campus traffic, including buses, was redirected to the east side of campus. Despite this literal road block, students braved dehydration and sunburn to make the trek on foot or bicycle. Many students chose to start celebrating earlier in the day, creating an exodus across campus in the high heat.
When asked about his 4/20 adventures thus far, a Kresge student who prefers to remain anonymous replied, “Metaphysically, or walking? Short answer, my apartment five minutes away. Long answer, life.”
And it wasn’t just Californians enjoying the chronic this past Monday. Patrick Meaux from Louisiana was filming the events of 4/20. Having been in Santa Cruz for four months, Meaux extended his stay to partake in the infamous 4/20 events.
“If I tried to do this in Louisiana, I would get arrested and go to jail,” he said.
He commented on the conservative nature of Louisiana legislation, describing it as a Napoleonic Code. “Weed is very strict,” he continued. “Willie Nelson got a huge fine in Louisiana for pot possession. That just wouldn’t happen here.”
*Denotes name change
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