By Bella Goodson

Music pulsed at the base area at Eldora Mountain Resort on Saturday, Jan. 24, where the University of Colorado Boulder’s CannaBuffs and Skateboard Clubs teamed up to host a ski day. The event was organized as off-campus social time to allow members to connect beyond their weekly meetings.

Brooke Lengel, 21, is the president of CannaBuffs and says the club promotes safe consumption.

“We recently hosted an event educating students on how to interact with cannabis in a positive way,” Lengel said. “Part of breaking the stigma around cannabis is sharing the culture through public events, and hopefully, in return, that stigma begins to break.”

Jackson Cooper, 21, is the co-vice president of CannaBuffs. He says the club’s approach to cannabis extends into recreational spaces where alcohol consumption is already normalized. 

“Drinking on the mountain is such a big part of the culture,” Cooper said. “Who’s to say we can’t also normalize safe cannabis consumption as well?” 

Co-Vice President Lucy Treccia, 21, says it’s important to educate college students navigating the state’s legal cannabis use for the first time. 

“In a state where it’s legal and so readily available, there should be an understanding of safe consumption at this age in college,” Treccia said.

She said the club’s event at Eldora went on without problems. 

“Ski patrol, parking staff and security at Eldora had no issue with the club’s presence and even enjoyed stickers and cookies,” she said. “We had music, hot dogs, people dancing, doing yo-yos and just having fun.” 

Hayley Forstot, 20, a snowboarder who attended the event, said she does not consume cannabis but still felt comfortable on the mountain. 

“I don’t smoke, but I still felt included and had a chill time being there,” Forstot said. 

By afternoon, students drifted in and out of the base area between runs, pausing to grab food, talk with friends, and listen to music before heading back up the mountain.  The gathering wrapped up a day that unfolded much like any other at Eldora.