cannabisnews.com: Hundreds Gather To Decry Pot Laws





Hundreds Gather To Decry Pot Laws
Posted by FoM on September 17, 2000 at 07:16:55 PT
By Amanda Halligan, Arizona Daily Star 
Source: Arizona Daily Star 
Not a rave, but a rally at fairgrounds by Backers of legalizing marijuana. "Grass Roots Affair" kicked off as scheduled yesterday at 4:20 p.m., drawing a crowd that ranged from teen-agers looking for a good time to people in their 50s supporting a cause. The show at the Pima County Fairgrounds featured several reggae and hip-hop bands, disk jockeys and booths set up by groups ranging from marijuana advocates to the Libertarian Party. It was scheduled to last until 4:20 a.m. today. 
Ed Tinsley, 18, a student at Caņada del Oro High School, was at the show as the gates opened. "It's a good cause, and there's not too many other people that you can come out and be with to enjoy life," Tinsley said about the pro-marijuana gathering. Though the event met with disapproval from Pima County officials, the concert was allowed to proceed just weeks after a "rave" dance was canceled at the fairgrounds because officials didn't want to sanction illegal drug use. The Southwest Fair Commission, which operates the fairgrounds for the county, allowed yesterday's concert after the promoter said the event was not a rave. Promoter Ariel Farah, 20, said he did not have time to talk to a reporter last night at the event. Previously, Farah said the show was to promote the legalization of marijuana. Proceeds, he said, were to go to a group called Artists Helping End Marijuana Prohibition. Greg Schroeder, a Bisbee resident who suffers from glaucoma and is blind, celebrated his 54th birthday at the concert. "I'm here because the government is oppressive. Because I don't have the freedom to put a seed in the ground and grow it. I'm being oppressed. I should be able to use this for medicine, but I don't have the right because of you-know-who," he said. Mary Mackenzie is the secretary for Arizona 4 NORML - the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws - a group that is working to restore marijuana's availability as medicine. The group had a tent set up at the event. "We were started in 1970," Mackenzie said. "We're trying to change the law. We are opposed to the drug war. You can't legislate morality." Though the Pima County Sheriff's Department did not plan on having a presence at the concert, there was security on hand. Jim Hunt, 28, director of security for the company hired by the promoter and fairgrounds, said the event was running smoothly. Farah had said he expected a crowd of about 7,500 to 10,000 to attend. The crowd was sparse early on but began to grow as the sun went down. There were about 1,000 people there as of 9 p.m., officials estimated. Published: Sunday, 17 September 2000Source: Arizona Daily Star (AZ)Copyright: 2000 Pulitzer Publishing Co.Contact: letters azstarnet.comWebsite: http://www.azstarnet.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:AZ 4 NORMLhttp://www.come.to/az4normlThe Libertarian Partyhttp://www.lp.orgOfficials Bummed Out, But Pro-Pot Show Goes Onhttp://mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1380/a05.htmlCannabisNews Articles - Arizona:http://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=arizona
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: