NiagaraThisWeek.com: Article: Hundreds rally for legalized marijuana
Honking car horns coming from vehicles as they passed a parkette near Hwy. 420 got a crowd of 200 cheering in solidarity.

With the smell of ganja in the air Sunday, people rallied to show their support for the legalization of marijuana at the 420 marijuana march, a peaceful protest aimed at showcasing the need to abolish marijuana prohibition.

With similar demonstrations in Toronto and Hamilton that same day, marijuana enthusiasts marched down Victoria Avenue and down Clifton Hill to Queen Victoria Park with their protest signs and flags held high … all while lighting up a joint in the process.

One of the supporters at the rally was Derek Pedro, who is a legalized user of marijuana. Suffering from migraine headaches, muscle spasms and joint pain, Pedro said marijuana has helped reduce his suffering.

“I need to get high to feel medicated,” Pedro said. “But everywhere I go I feel like I need to hide myself to smoke. I feel the public doesn’t understand that there are positives to marijuana use. Prohibition gives it a bad name.”

Alison Myrden, who represents the group, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a non-profit educational group whose mandate is to lower incidents of death, disease, crime and addiction through ending prohibition, has suffered from symptoms of chronic Multiple Sclerosis. The symptoms include extreme facial pain and the need to walk with a cane.

Myrden said marijuana helps get her through the pain and has reduced the number of painkillers she takes each day.

“Prohibition doesn’t work,” Myrden said. “If it was legalized, people wouldn’t be looking at the streets to find it. Something has to be done to change the laws. In my perfect world, all drugs should be legal.”

There is a sentence that will scare your average person: all drugs should be legal.  To most people, that conjures up a society gone berserk, with trippin’ space cadets, zombie junkies, thievin’ tweakers, and utter chaos in the streets.  We can’t legalize drugs, they protest, because that would encourage people to do drugs!

I’ve got news for them: drugs require no encouragement.  People are doing drugs, even though they are illegal.  The chaos in the streets is already here and most of it is a direct result of the prohibition, not the drugs.  It’s funny to me how the drug warriors see prohibition (the lack of laws controlling drugs) as a method of control and they see regulation (taxes and laws to control drugs) as a recipe for disaster.

Out drug war is based on the wrong metrics, and those are (a) how many people are using drugs and (b) how much drugs are they using?  Both measures are irrelevant.  If half of all North Americans lit up joint every day for the next month, would that be bad?  By the drug war metrics, yes.

But what would the results be from that massive smoke-in?  Are there fewer crimes?  Less drunk driving?  Fewer prescriptions for toxic pharmaceuticals?  A reduction in violence?  A windfall for snack manufacturers?  See, it’s not how many people or how much drugs that we should worry about, it’s the harm that does or does not result from the drugs.

And with marijuana, most people know that there is little societal harm, if any, from the responsible adult use of marijuana.  Even those who think marijuana is harmful believe that harm is pretty much reserved for the marijuana user, and rarely believe that it’s causing more harm than alcohol or nicotine.

Police: Pot-smoking event in UCSC meadow a moral slap in the face” - San Jose Mercury News
SANTA CRUZ — For those who arrest people who use, abuse or sell drugs, Sundays pot-smoking festival at UC Santa Cruz was “a moral slap in the face to the cause,” said Rich Westphal, task force commander with the Santa Cruz County Narcotics Enforcement Team.

Despite efforts by the university to control access to campus, thousands of people, many of them students from UCSC and other California colleges, gathered at Porter Meadow to commemorate the so-called 4/20 cannabis culture holiday.

UCSCs once student-only gathering to smoke marijuana is now known nationally. It has grown to 5,000 people strong over the years, its popularity attributed to articles published in high-profile magazines like Rolling Stone and High Times Magazine — along with newer forms of social media, like YouTube.

Though smoking pot is illegal, no one was arrested at the weed-smoking exhibition that unfolded Sunday.

And that’s because Santa Cruz is one of the cities that has voted to make enforcement of marijuana laws the lowest priority for police.

As I scan the news reports of 4/20, I’m finding very few arrests and no reports of violence or disruptive, anti-social behavior.  Most police understand that marijuana smokers are not a threat to ordered society.  Ask any cop whether he or she would like to try to control 5,000 marijuana smokers or 5,000 beer drinkers in public.

Like other articles, this one tries to scare the reader by bringing up the two shibboleths still trotted out by drug warriors, “Driving While Stoned” and “What About The Children?”  Concerned citizens called to wonder why police weren’t arresting attendees for DUI as they left the gathering, and some teenagers were able to get into the gathering.

For the former, could it be that most police recognize that a couple puffs on a joint isn’t the biggest traffic danger in the world?  Or perhaps the people who drove away didn’t show any signs of driving impairment?  Until taxicabs and buses are the only vehicles I see entering or leaving bar parking lots, I think our police have far more drunk drivers to worry about than stoned drivers cruising a little too slow, missing their freeway exit, or idling at the In’N'Out drive-thru window.

As for the latter, whether it is alcohol or marijuana, teenagers will get a hold of it.  Marijuana is far less harmful.  But if this were a outdoor microbrew festival, the legality of beer lets security and police set up restricted areas with checks for ID and sometimes ID wristbands.  You don’t see any spontaneous open-air beer festivals popping up nationwide - since it is legal we can do a better job of keeping the minors out.

Niagara Falls Review - Ontario, CA
Pro-pot activists say it’s high time the federal government legalizes marijuana.

And hundreds of those who believe Canadians should have the right to smoke up without fear of being charged took to the streets of Niagara Falls to draw attention to their cause.

“You need to legalize it,” said Marco Renda, one of the demonstrators who took part in what has come to be known as the annual Highway 420 Anti-Prohibition Rally.

“I have no problem with the government regulating it, just like they do alcohol.”

The rally, which was staged for the first time in Niagara Falls about five years ago, began around 3 p.m. on a grassy patch land on Victoria Avenue overlooking Highway 420.

CTV British Columbia- Thousands smoke pot in Vancouver for ‘420′ - CTV News, Shows and Sports — Canadian Television
The smell of pot was in the air as thousands assembled on the lawn of the Vancouver Art Gallery for a collective toke.

It was a grass-roots celebration of the freedom to smoke marijuana on April 20 — known as ‘420′ among pot users as the time to get high.

Amid the tents, the music and, barely seen through the smoke — were messages on signposts by organizers about legalization of marijuana.

At pot rallies, things get hazy at 4:20 : Updates : The Rocky Mountain News
It was a warmer-than-average, sunny day in Boulder on Sunday.

And around 4:20 p.m. on the University of Colorado campus, the sky grew unusually hazy.

Cheers erupted along with a heavy cloud of smoke as an estimated 10,000 people - mostly CU students joined by friends from out of town and some local residents - lit up to celebrate at an annual pot-smoking rally.

Some said they were there to advocate for the legalization of marijuana. Others - including some who came just to watch - said it was all for fun.

“It’s like, why do people drink beer on St. Patrick’s Day?” said a 22-year-old “super senior” who didn’t want to give his name. “It’s a holiday. Like the Fourth of July.”

CU police monitored the gathering, with 15 campus officers and six Boulder County sheriff’s deputies stationed around the perimeter and directing traffic.

According to a news release, the focus was to “maintain a safe environment and discourage potentially hazardous activities.”

No citations were issued and there were no arrests, although there were four medical incidents and two people were transported to local hospitals, the release stated. One person was treated for a seizure, the other for dehydration.

‘420’ gathering brings more than a thousand to Redwood Park | The Eureka Reporter
Consuming comestibles from ganja ice cream to hash lollipops — or even hash itself — more than 1,000 people gathered at Redwood Park on Sunday to celebrate “420” — a reference commonly used when referring to marijuana culture.

Along with the sizable crowd, 10 police officers were visible patrolling the scene.

It was something to see, with loud, persistent bongo music louder and camp tents set up alongside beach blankets.

Right around 4:20 p.m., a section of the crowd began to go wild.

A cloud of smoke rose above the heads of a small group, as its members began to smoke a joint that was at least a foot long and as wide as a hearty burrito.

Meadville (Pennsylvania) Tribune - Two arrested at marijuana ’smoke-in’
A marijuana smoke-in at Meadville’s Diamond Park has two teen-agers facing drug-related charges.

Numerous fliers posted all around Meadville had promoted the event for 4:20 p.m. on Sunday and drew about 40 onlookers.

cbs4denver.com - Up To 1,000 Attend Marijuana Rally At Denver’s Civic Center Park
DENVER (AP) ? As many as 1,000 marijuana smokers lit up at Denver’s Civic Center park as police on horses and motorcycles looked on during a nationwide annual celebration of the drug.

Denver police say they arrested only one person during the rally, held on April 20 each year across the country by marijuana revelers.

NORML Founder Keith Stroup was a guest on my XM Satellite radio show today, at exactly 4:20pm Eastern.  You can listen to our interview using the little audio player on my site - but the post won’t be available until Sunday evening, since we must wait until the audio has played on our rebroadcasts on terrestrial stations (if you’re in the Portland area, you can catch the show from 8am-10am on AM 620 KPOJ or listen to their live stream on your computer.

The gist of our conversation revolved around the mainstreaming of the “420″ holiday, as reported on MSNBC:

Capitalist buzz surrounds stoner ‘holiday’ - Life- msnbc.com
A once clandestine counterculture pot-smoking “holiday” observed each April 20 has crossed into the mainstream this year with public gatherings that will attract thousands of participants and marketing campaigns that tout a trio of marijuana-themed movies.

As anti-drug activists chafe, the so-called “420” pronounced “four-twenty” celebrations “are taking on a life of their own,” said Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws, who has been working on marijuana issues for 17 years.

Don’t forget about NORML’s 420 MoneyBomb, happening tomorrow.  You can join NORML for the reduced price of $4.20.  It costs money for public-relations campaigns; do something tangible to help end adult marijuana prohibition.

Download the NORML Daily Audio Stash for 2008-04-18

Friday is Cannabis Community day on the Stash, and coming up after the news, we’re speaking with our regular guest Steve Bloom, the webmaster at CelebStoner.com. Steve is a former editor at High Times Magazine who helped uncover the origins of the whole “420″ subculture. (No, it’s not the California police code for marijuana smoking in progress and it’s not how many chemicals are in cannabis.) If you’re listening in Colorado, Steve will be at a Cheeba Hut store near you, autographing copies of his latest book, Pot Culture, The A to Z Guide to Stoner Language and Life.

Next, Cannabis Karri brings us an old favorite of the Stash, just perfectly timed for 4/20. It’s Suburban Noize Records recording artists Kottonmouth Kings, and we’re thrilled to play “Super Duper High”, from their new CD/DVD set, The Kottonmouth Xperience Vol. II: Kosmic Therapy.

We wrap things up today with NORML’s Founder and Legal Counsel Keith Stroup discussing Barney Frank’s groundbreaking new bill to end the prosecution at the federal level of adults who use cannabis responsibly.

Finally, don’t forget that every Saturday we’re now posting the NORML Weekend Music Stash, where you can get all of the last ten songs from our daily musical breaks in one podcast, suitable for your weekend party pleasure. If you have a band that would like to be featured on our podcast, please send us an email at stash ‘at’ norml.org.

So sit back and relax with your favorite strain and enjoy your NORML Daily Audio Stash…

NORML.ORG US CO: Preparing For 4/20 Pot Smoke-Out
Student smokers, in perhaps the cliched easy-going fashion associated with marijuana, are getting ready for the annual 4/20 celebration on the University of Colorado campus.

Official smoke-out T-shirts sold online simply say: “University of Colorado. April 20. Farrand Field.”

Every year, thousands of people gather on the CU campus April 20 for the unofficial pro-pot celebration — and at 4:20 p.m. a cloud of smoke mushrooms above the crowd. The event is said to have grown from a northern California tradition.

CU police this year are bracing for a large crowd.

Alex Douglas, who does public relations for NORML’s CU chapter, said there also will be a screening of the documentary “Super High Me” in Cristol Chemistry Building, Room 140. The group plans to rally for the legalization of marijuana with signs and banners on Norlin Quad.

CU police Cmdr. Brad Wiesley said the department will likely need to pay overtime to its officers to monitor the event, given the possibility that the smoke-out could be heavily attended.

“We will obviously have a presence,” Wiesley said. “We certainly don’t condone, support or otherwise sanction this event.”

In past attempts to snuff out the event, campus police have turned sprinklers on the crowd and taken pictures of student smokers, posting them online and offering rewards to those who could identify them.

Wiesley, though, was mum on this year’s planned tactics.

“We don’t give our playbook to the other team before the game,” he said. People have the right to protest for marijuana law reforms, “but, breaking the law in order to change the law is not how our democratic society works,” he said.

Uh, Commander Wiesley, if I may enlighten you with a quote from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from his Letter from a Birmingham Jail:

One may well ask: “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all.”

…Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal.

Marijuana prohibition is one of those unjust laws. The power majority made our use of an intoxicant (marijuana) illegal, but keeps their use of an intoxicant (alcohol) legal. Dr. King was addressing the social and legal segregation of blacks and whites; I’m addressing the social and legal segregation of tokers and drinkers. Breaking unjust laws in an act of civil disobedience is a long tradition in this nation… even for us cannabis consumers.

Download the NORML Daily Audio Stash for 2008-04-14

It’s the week leading up to Sunday, April 20^th - Cannabis Liberation Day, or as others call it, 4/20. Coming up after the news we have the Reformer’s Calendar to let you know about the special 4/20 events happening this weekend. If you have a special 4/20 event you’d like to promote this week, send me an email at stash ‘at’ norml.org and I’ll plug your event on this week’s Stash podcasts and up on our Stash blog.

One of the events happening at a NORML Chapter near you is the “Roll Your Own Screening” of Doug Benson’s new comedy documentary, Super High Me. We sat down with Doug last week to learn more about the show and how you can help support the end of adult marijuana prohibition by seeing it this weekend.

All this week we’re also promoting the NORML 420 MoneyBomb. This is a fundraising effort by NORML to get as many people as possible to visit 420moneybomb.org on Sunday, April 20^th, and join NORML and get a 4/20 sticker for a $4.20 donation to NORML.

For our musical break on this Blues Monday, Cannabis Karri has discovered Jake Lear, a singer/songwriter from Vermont who gives us a thoughtful tune called “Trouble in my Mind, Trouble in my Soul”.

Then we’ll finish up with comedian Rob Cantrell who is hosting his own 420 comedy show along with Marijuanalogues founder, Tony Camin, in Arlington, Virginia.

And remember, if you are a business or non-profit who’d like your message heard on the Daily Audio Stash or the NORML Weekly News, you can advertise with us. We have rates for every budget and a 10% discount for non-profits. You can target your message to the focused audience of enlightened cannabis consumers you’re looking for. With over 28,000 daily downloads and hundreds of thousands of embedded players on websites worldwide, advertising with NORML is the most effective way of reaching your potential customers. Just send us an email at stash ‘at’ norml.org and we’ll have you on the air in no time.

Today’s Sponsors:

• Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP)
• The Hemp & Cannabis Foundation’s medical marijuana clinics in WA, OR, CA, HI, CO, and NV
• NORML

So sit back and relax with your favorite strain, it’s time for your NORML Daily Audio Stash.