Stinky fertilizer used to try to move pot celebration

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Every April 20, the unmistakable smell of marijuana fills the air at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

But today, that smell has been replaced by the stench of a fish-based fertilizer. It's been applied in the area of the campus where the marijuana celebration usually takes place.

The school was determined to prevent a repeat of last year's event, which attracted more than 10,000 people -- students and non-students. It's also shutting the campus to all unauthorized visitors, and it's offering a free campus concert by hip-hop star Wyclef Jean (WY'-klef zhahn).

A student organizer of the event says he doesn't see "any justification for the university shutting it down." He and other supporters of the event plan to move it to a nearby park, off-campus.

Officials at Colorado's flagship university are looking to rid it of its reputation as a top party school.

Students there and around the country have long observed 4/20. The number 420 has been associated with marijuana use for decades, though the origins of that link are a bit cloudy.

In Austin, Texas, country music legend Willie Nelson, who's open about his marijuana use, is expected to help unveil an 8-foot statue of himself -- at 4:20 p.m., local time.

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APPHOTO COBOU502: FILE - In this April 20, 2009 file photo Garrett Kramer smokes marijuana during the 420 event on Norlin Quad at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo. The University of Colorado is closing its campus to outsiders on Friday and closing the Norlin Quad to prevent a 420 gathering. For years, the term "420" was a kind of code. But the term, and the holiday, have become more mainstream as more attention has been focused on marijuana issues. (AP Photo/The Daily Camera, Mark Leffingwell, File) (20 Apr 2010)

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