cannabisnews.com: Pro-Marijuana Rally Sparks Up Today
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Pro-Marijuana Rally Sparks Up Today
Posted by CN Staff on April 19, 2010 at 20:41:17 PT
By Kristin Pazulski, DDN Staff Writer
Source: Denver Daily News
Colorado -- Traditionally April 20 is known as the stoner holiday of the year, and in Colorado marijuana advocates celebrate with the annual 420 Rally in Civic Center Park. But despite the celebratory aspect surrounding the day’s events, some medical marijuana advocates also see the event as a venue for advocating for the professional and medical side of marijuana use. “For many years (the rally) was simply a smoke-out, but now it has become more focused on the advocacy,” said Brian Vicente of Sensible Colorado, an advocacy group for effective drug policies. “It’s become an opportunity to educate people on medical marijuana use and laws.”
Miguel Lopez, the rally’s organizer, said the rally will follow the guidelines for a professional public assembly, with a benediction, keynote speaker and closing.“The rally fits around professionalization,” he said. “We are an official assembly.”Andy Cookston, owner and operator of Cannabis Medical Technology at 762 Kalamath St., said he still sees the rally as more of a party.“The convention was more of a T-N-A event … and to me the 420 events will be the same,” said Cookston, referring to the Colorado Cannabis Convention held earlier this month at the Colorado Convention Center. Cookston would like to see legislation focus on the difference between medical use and recreational use. He said that the businesses cropping up to support recreational legalization should be distinguished from medical use supporting businesses.“It would be real nice to get some clarity between medical use and 420 type people,” he said. “420 events just remind me of people that support marijuana in general. There is nothing wrong with that, but our push is for marijuana for medical purposes.”Kayvan Khalatbari, one of the owners of Denver Relief at 1 Broadway, is letting people know that the event should not be about getting stoned but about advocating for medical purposes by cleaning the park during the event. Tomorrow Khalatbari and about 30 of his patients, dubbed the “Green Team,” will wear green shirts and carry green trash bags while cleaning during the rally. “The rally is really based on marijuana use in general, and more on the recreational side of it. But (marijuana use) is not just about drugs, it’s about wellness,” he said. “As the Green Team, we want to say that we’re not all out here to smoke and degrade the space.” Khalatbari said there are businesses that are “forgetting” the core values of marijuana use, like helping people with illness and pain.“Wellness is an all encompassing thing,” Khalatbari said. “Some people are just in it for the business. But there is no reason to bastardize and commercial it.”Today’s rally is set to begin at 9 a.m. with DJ Ricky and ends at 6 p.m. There will be live music throughout the day, as well as speeches by Larry Frieling, a former judge and current speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP); Warren Edson, author of the state’s amendment regarding marijuana use; and Lopez.“The last event was definitely a lot bigger, and they definitely tried to make it more professional event, and I see a continuation of this,” Cookston said.“You are going to have the usuals. You’ll have the kids there to have fun and smoke, but you’ll see a lot more professionals this year than in the past,” Khalatbari said. “They are making it known that it’s not just stoners and kids that are using marijuana.”For more information about today’s rally, visit: http://www.myspace.com/420rallySource: Denver Daily News (CO)Author: Kristin Pazulski, DDN Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, April 20, 2010Copyright: 2010 Denver Daily NewsContact: editor thedenverdailynews.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/JxjRFamSWebsite: http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #1 posted by ekim on April 20, 2010 at 09:05:03 PT
WY: PUB LTE: Pot Laws Based On Racist Lies
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n241/a01.html?190http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/taxact/t3.htm
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