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April 20, the quasi-official holiday for people who enjoy marijuana, is recognized by millions around the world. Those who celebrate 4/20 do so despite – and often due to – decades of out-dated propaganda about a plant that is objectively less harmful than alcohol. They do so despite our federal government’s stubborn insistence that marijuana is one of the more dangerous substances known to man and that it has absolutely no medicinal value. People who choose to celebrate 4/20 do so amidst intense stigma surrounding the event and marijuana in general.

This reality will soon be on full display once again in Boulder, CO where one of the more prominent 4/20 events takes place on the University of Colorado campus. This year will have a deeper significance as Amendment 64 is on the ballot to tax and regulate marijuana. Amendment 64 decriminalizes marijuana for adult possession and opens the door for the state and local municipalities to establish a non-medical, regulatory framework regarding cultivation, distribution and sale.

CU administrators have drawn a dubious First Amendment line in the sand by closing the campus to the public and threatening arrests. In spite of this, local activists plan to mobilize support for Amendment 64 this weekend.