Smoked, in Secrecy

Last Friday, Dec. 11, an exclusive pot fest, meant to support the Massachusetts Cannibis Reform Coalition (MassCann), was held at a secret location in downtown Boston.

The Girls 4 Ganja Holiday Ball was a benefit event for MassCann, the state’s chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

Suffolk’s SUNORML was in high attendance as well (pun intended).

“It’s the beginning of an underground counterculture, pushing for legalization” of marijuana, said Jeff Morris, the president of SUNORML.

All who bought a ticket did not find out about the secret location until after 4:20 p.m. Friday afternoon. Tickets went on sale for $25 the week prior to the event. The event started at 8:20 p.m. and ran until 4:20 a.m.

People began to arrive shortly after 8:30 p.m. The $25 dollar ticket included free baked goods - including sugar cookies, brownies, and Reese’s peanut butter shaped snacks, all hand-delivered by Santa – and pizza, which arrived later in the night.

The event took place in what seemed to be a studio apartment. However, it was hard to identify such a space due to the graffiti on the walls reading “Girls 4 Ganja,” as well as the crazy lights, props, street signs, and other decorations that were hung randomly on the walls.

Close to midnight, the first cut was made into the enormous marijuana cake. The marble cake with frosting, formed in the shape of a cannabis plant, drew rave reviews from the crowd, as did the mini bar that was located to its right.

There was a large oriental rug that took up a quarter of the room, which seemed like a good tool for motivating people to come together. There were moments where the rug was occupied entirely, with people sitting and chatting, establishing a rapport that seemed to form quickly over such a short period of time.

The atmosphere was very friendly and laid back; everyone seemed to be making friends with everyone. It was fascinating to see how little drama was present at an event that might have brought about its fair share of controversy. The secrecy involved in setting up the event did not prevent people from enjoying themselves.

The event was heaven for teens. Two college students, Cayley Lord and Amanda Faia claimed that they have never had so much fun in their life and had high hopes for another Girls 4 Ganja ball.

Girls 4 Ganja is an effort launched in late 2008 by Scott Gacek, a Boston photographer and member of the MassCann Board of Directors. The website publishes photos of “really hot girls, smoking weed,” according to its bio, and hopes to raise money for MassCann and raise awareness on marijuana law reform awareness.