cannabisnews.com: International Marijuana Reform Goes To The Web!





International Marijuana Reform Goes To The Web!
Posted by FoM on April 30, 1999 at 16:19:58 PT
Tomorrow is the big day!
Source: Million Marijuana March
It seems that this May 1st, the whole panorama of legalization interests from fiber, medicinal access, imprisonment of marijuana users, and the complex issue of legal adult recreational use, will be marching in step for personal freedom, reason and tolerance. You may even be able to stay home and light up, while watching live feeds from demonstrations all over the world (if your not marching that is!).
During the sixties and seventies direct action for the reform of marijuana law consisted of marches, rallies, and smoke-ins. Now it seems that you can sit at home, smoke a joint, and join the revolution. In the last few years advocates for the legalization of marijuana have taken to the internet to espouse all points of view on the subject of reform. Since the success of pro-legalization sites like hightimes.com, marijuana.org, drcnet.org, norml.org, and cures-not-wars.org, not to mention hundreds of others all over the net, there is a whole new fever among activists to use this potent new tool to connect all the various points of view and groups throughout the world. While some of these sites are flashy, "Hey, we support Pot', and are full of cannabis graphics, others contain in depth info and links to a wealth of resources and contacts. The MILLION MARIJUANA MARCH, an International Day of Protest that started on the first of May last year in New York City. It is the marijuana movement's most recent attempt to exert political muscle on the internet. Facing down Mayor Rudolph Guilliani, Cures Not Wars went to Federal court for the right to march in their traditional protest, the historical 29 year old, Fifth Avenue Marijuana March. Last year's march, the first Million Marijuana March, drew thousands to Washington Square, who then marched to Battery Park in lower Manhattan. The march itself was not unique, as there have been hundreds of marches and rallies drawing tens of thousands of participants. What is different is the way the marijuana movement is beginning to coalesce this spring under the moniker 'THE MILLION MARIJUANA MARCH'. Internationally the banner has been picked up in an attempt to reform the marijuana laws of Great Britain on an excellent site put together by the ICC - International Cannabis Campaign. (www.schmoo.co.uk/mayday). Marches now are being held worldwide in over twenty cities, among them London, Auckland NZ, Melbourne Australia, Amsterdam, Johannesburg South Africa, just to mention a few. What was an independent attempt by many groups to form an International Marijuana Day, has become a full throttle endeavor on the internet to assemble the largest pro-marijuana protest in history. Cures Not Wars (cures-not-wars.org) enlisted the help of its sister organization and long time direct action engine, CAMP, to promote the event worldwide. The Coalition for the Abolition of Marijuana Prohibition, CAMP, (worldcamp.org) was formed in 1978 to bring together divergent groups on platforms and forums acceptable to all viewpoints. Out of this coalition grew the NYC Fifth Avenue Pot Parade (1978 / YIP) and the 29 years of annual marijuana protest in the nation's capital every July 4th. It is now promoted as the 4th of July Coalition (4th of july.org). CAMP was also instrumental in supporting initiatives in the early 80's in California (CMI) and Oregon (OMI). CAMP participated in the 1980 International Cannabis Alliance for Reform convention (ICAR) with its sister group the Legalization of Cannabis Campaign (LCC) which has now become the ICC. After visiting the site, www.millionmarijuanamarch.com, a person can see the progress of The Million Marijuana March as it proceeds. Listed are all the sponsors and endorsements. This one-of-a-kind portal has handy links to all the useful websites that promote marijuana reform. Concentrating on the MMM, Saturday May 1st, it features times and places for assembly, maps, lists of speakers, bands playing, resources like stickers, posters, dates of 420 benefits, products available to those wishing to promote the event, and individual contacts around the world. Cities participating across the United States include New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Tampa, Austin TX, and many, many others. You could sit on your butts and surf the revolution from a distance, you could sit at home and write your congressperson, but if you want to make a real difference you can join the one million marijuana co-conspirators in their quest to legalize cannabis by marching in the streets Saturday May 1st, 1999. Paul CornwellNational Coordinator / CAMPInternational Rally For Tolerance!  http://www.millionmarijuanamarch.com/
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Comment #8 posted by d train on March 28, 2001 at 21:17:26 PT:
MJ purchase in NYC
i'm travelling back to the city in a couple weeks and have often found pot in central park or on st marks st or washington square but have also noted intermittent step up in police patrols and crack downs. what is the best place, safest plaace to score and does anyone ever find hash in the city? thanks in advance for any replys
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Comment #7 posted by kimmie on July 21, 2000 at 14:41:25 PT:
mary jane
yesssssssssssssssssssssss............
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Comment #6 posted by tomyippie on January 18, 2000 at 13:34:17 PT:
july 4th washington dc
cool site, folks i guess i will be the parade marshall again this year, this demo is vey imprtant as i have been involved since its beginings. i cant believe its taken a quarter of a century, and the news media still chooses not to do a story on us, what do we have to do, set ourselves on fire? the history of raids on organizers homes the beatings false arrests and the abduction of our children, it really is a police state and we have to fight back, gee whiz im twice as old as the cops who harass us at our rallys. chief ramsey of the dc police is a disgrace and the city council ignores the will of the people, i hope to see every one and their kids at the raslly this year. by the way alot of people asume because we have a permit to asemble they think the permit allows us to smoke pot but it doesnt, i feel vey strong about civil disobediance, but you old hippies dont go away and die some put on the suit and forget their past roots, i cant i will always be a pot smoker till the day i die,
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Comment #5 posted by granny on July 29, 1999 at 10:45:19 PT:
million marijuana march - why not on any news????
I just read about this MMM in a recent hightimes magazine that was given to me by a nephew. I don't understand why the television news didn't cover this loosely organizedevent. You would think that people surrounding the White House would have at least gotten a snap shot from one of the news services, and why is it that all we get from the news isold stuff like who killed that girl in Boulder or the anniversary of the OJ simpson trial, like who cares about those things, they don't affect each and every one of us in the sligthest way.  Even C-spam is guilty of ignoring this marijuana topic, finding all kinds of boring stuff to put on and ignoring this. The drug war is coming up to a 20Billion dollars a year proposal, and NO ONE IS COMPLAINING? I don'tthink so. How many new hospitals, medical research, schools could this country have built by now? we could be the mecca of world education, not the champions of incarceration.One of these days.....
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Comment #4 posted by Edward Forchion on May 17, 1999 at 11:04:50 PT:
Toters are voters!
The one of the greatest powers you as americans have is the power of the vote. But you don't use it. Americans can change laws with the vote. Laws can be changed in a varity of ways, one being thru "JURY NULLIFICATION" but you have to register to vote. You see if your registered to vote, you may be picked for jury duty. If you are, picked remember you as a juror have the right to vote your consience and "you can judge a law it'self. For instance if you were picked for a jury trial and the defendant was charged with some sort of non-violent charge like marijuana possesion. You in your own conscience can decide the "law is wrong"-- (no-one should be jailed for marijuana) and refuse to convict.  -JURY NULLIFICATION has been used many times in this country, it helped end the Alcohol Prohibition. As in my example local juries refused to convict their neigbhors of alcohol charges during prohibition- the results bore out that it was useless to charge them. This helped end the alcohol prohibition, it could very well end the "WAR ON DRUGS".    PARTICIPATE!     So register to vote, do not avoid jury duty!
The "Legalize Marijuana Party" (LMP)
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 15, 1999 at 15:34:25 PT
MMM
Thank You Sandi! I'll pass on the mailing list information to the proper person! Keep on keepin' on! We might just win this war!Peace, FoM!
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Comment #2 posted by Sandie Bjornson on May 10, 1999 at 15:29:16 PT:
MMM
excellent reporting, had to be at my hemp shop that day, but plan on organizing one in my city next year....MMM...2000.....please put my email address on your mailing list....thanks, good job!!
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Comment #1 posted by Dr. Ganj on May 01, 1999 at 19:39:33 PT
San Francisco Million Marijuana March
I just got back from the march at the UN building in San Francisco, and let me say it was truly incredible! What a wonderful group of diverse people all coming together to make their opinion known: Let this plant be utilized, and consumed without interference!The guest speakers included Chris Conrad who wrote "Hemp: Lifeline to The Future", and his wife Mikki Norris, who co-wrote "Shattered Lives". They both spoke of the problems of prohibition, and the negative consequences it produces. They emphatically demanded an end to our destructive war on the people of the United States.Other notable speakers included Rob Raich, who is an attorney in Oakland, California, who has indefatigably fought for realistic guidelines concerning medical marijuana. He should be commended for all his efforts.Another attorney, Bill Panzer, also vehemently spoke about the utter failure of the drug war.The most compelling speech came from Pete Brady, who was arrested on his last day of probation for a previous marijuana related charge. The latest arrest was because he was seen with Steve and Michelle Kubby, and was considered a "conspirator" in their case. Pete Brady, when arrested again, had a little marijuana, and a few psilocybin mushrooms at his house. He now faces potentially years in prison due to a violation of his probation, even though it was his LAST day of probation! Although his attorney advised him not to speak today, he did anyway, and with eloquence and passion! The whole crowd of several thousand people were all shocked by the hard truth this war on people causes innocent people. It took great courage to stand up to all the forces against him. I will always remember his speech, our reaction, and the collective hope we all have that we are making a difference. Our favorite plant will be freed from the terrible grips of restriction, and there is a light of hope, and we all saw it today. Dr. Ganj
http://www.erowid.org/entheogens/mushrooms/mushroom.shtml
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