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Cannabis Conversations

• Dr. Keith Saunders of MassCann/NORML and Keith Stroup, NORML Founder, discuss the Boston Freedom Rally

"The Death of Dr. Thompson" - To Keith: The Wicked Accuse, The Godly Defend

There’s a certain surreal part of this job. I’m typing this post from Keith Stroup’s place in Virginia, watching the San Diego Chargers play the Baltimore Ravens. Ten feet away he’s catching up on email and I’m snapping pics of his framed pictures on the wall. One is a signed personal pic photo of Hunter S. Thompson firing a shotgun at a photo of Ronald Reagan in cowboy gear. Another is a shot of Keith and Willie from long ago. Another is a drawing of Keith from a piece in the New Yorker. “Sometimes I feel old,” I tell Keith, “especially when you’re around these young people at these rallies. Then I think of the great people and great music I missed by being as young as I am. Growing up in the Eighties sucked.”

Keith had picked me up from the CVS at 7th & Pennsylvania in DC.  I’m lugging my two overstuffed carry-ons full of studio gear (which TSA loves to make me completely unpack and repack at every security checkpoint, so ixnay on our secret stoner plan to bring down Babylon by disguising soundboards and wireless keyboards as explosives to bring down the Boston-DC shuttle) and my literally bursting at the seams hanging bag that the baggage handlers have been abusing for the modest fee of $15.  And I’m wearing my Packers t-shirt, because it’s game day, and it is horribly old and tattered, and my Concordia University sweats, because I don’t wear anything metal while flying.

Can we talk about flying?  Nobody can seem to understand why the airlines keep losing money?  Well, that nobody ain’t six-foot-and-two-fifty!  I’m trying to respond to emails offline in the air with my arms like a T-Rex on a nearly five hour flight from PDX to Logan, completely packed full.  I’m forced to haul two heavy limit-pushing bags of recording gear because no freakin’ way will I let the baggage gorillas throw around the laptop and the Mackie and the mics AND pay an extra $30 or $40 for the privilege.  I’d pack it all in the flight case, but they want to charge $100 for that, each way.  It’s going to get to the point where it’s cheaper to fly with no bags and just buy your clothes at Wal-Mart when you land.  Oh, are you feeling peckish?  Well, for eight dollars, we’ll give you a Lean Cuisine-quality meal poorly cooked to eat on your folding tray that’s in your gut from the person reclined in the seat centimeters in front of you.  I swear if I get enough revenue flowing I will get a Madden Cruiser and just bus my way to all these events.

Stevie Lee Webb at the audio desk where he used to engineer The Russ Belville Show on XM Satellite

Where was I?  Oh yes, before Keith picks me up I’m visiting my friend Stevie Lee Webb at his offices at The Bill Press Show.  We worked together for over a year.  He’s from London and a complete Monty Python fan and radio comedy vet in England.  We used to have so much fun on our show and he’s agreed to provide some voice overs when we have some egregious UK reefer madness to read.

Packer Baby at the Hawk'n'Dove in DC

Stevie let me park my gear in his office, then we trekked a couple of blocks to the Hawk’n'Dove.  It’s a big Democratic hangout in DC, I’m told, but more importantly, the Packers bar on Sunday!  I enjoyed watching most of the game as Stevie and I ate pub food and drank beer (yes, I did some hard drugs – alcohol!)  Nice to finally meet face to face, and we’ll be having dinner in the next two days so I can meet his wife and we can play Monty Python Fluxx (don’t ask, it’s a nerd thing).

It's 4:20am in Boston after a long day of sun and fun and three hours sleep.

The day begun very early.  At 4 am I’m getting up in Cambridge at a hotel near MIT after having partied past midnight at the “Boston Tea Party”.  Caught a cab at 4:20, thought it was appropriate, to catch the 6am shuttle to Dulles.  Flying is so miserable (did I mention that?) that I prefer to do it as early as possible to have the time for the repacking and so I can sleep through it later.  But that put me in DC at 8am, way too early to bug Keith.  Called Stevie and he could meet me at noon, so I found a spot near the “Flyer” bus terminal and slept for three hours.

The party after Freedom Rally that kept me up so late was a blast.  It was invite only and I had a “plus one” invite, but no one to join me.  But it turned out that Anne from New Jersey NORML wanted to go, and her boyfriend Ron was with her, and I did some quick talking and we all got in.  Then Delia from New Jersey called, so we went back out toward the Boston Common and picked her up and I talked her in as well.  It’s not too difficult talking beautiful women into stoner parties.

Georgine DiMaria at the backstage studio for NORML SHOW LIVE

Speaking of, it was a pleasure to meet Georgine DiMaria, a High Times Freedom Fighter of the Month and Miss New Jersey 2006.  She stopped by NORML SHOW LIVE and gave us a great interview.  The Freedom Rally was amazing, with excellent music and really cool people.  Toby Grear was also on the show and his girlfriend Nicole shot a photo of me holding up fists to Toby and him giving me a funny look.  I can’t wait until she sends me that photo!

It was a fun show to do, though I’m not sure how well it came out.  Toby Grear, Danny Danko from High Times, Chris Goldstein, and Keith Stroup all stopped by.  When I was interviewing Danny, the rapper Styles P stopped by and got on the mic for a sec.  Me, being the old overworked nerd I am, had no idea from Styles P to Master P to the Stylistics.  I told Delia at the party that Styles P dropped by and she said, “Styles P!?!” She filled me in that he’s currently the bomb with his hit song about getting high that I’ve never heard.

I was actually more thrilled to get an interview with a total stranger, a woman in a powered wheelchair sitting backstage named Lori.  She was quite attractive with what I’d call big East Coast hair and makeup, and visibly affected by some sort of severe medical condition that has drastically diminished her legs.  It was nearing 4:20, so I couldn’t get any luminaries back at the table, so I asked her, on a hunch, if she’d like to talk about medical marijuana.  She told me she doesn’t like to talk about her condition and she couldn’t give more than her first name, I assured her I only wanted to talk to her about her opinions on medical use.  It’s one of my favorite interviews ever.  She so perfectly represents and communicates why arresting people for using marijuana is just plain evil.  She told me it was her first-ever moment “coming out” in public about medical marijuana.  I feel like we just birthed an activist.

I’m exhausted.  Here are some more of the pictures, most of them I think made it into TwitPic.  I’m going to listen to the live show and try to catch some sleep.

The two ladies on the outside are from Girls4Ganja.com (Mikaela on the right) and the two inside ladies are a Miss High Times 2007 finalist on the left and Miss High Times 2006. I can't remember everybody's name (sorry!)

I loved this band Graveyard BBQ, and not just because they had dancers.

Right before this shot, High Times Associate Publisher Rick Cusick says "Say 'Evidence'!"

"A question. Since before your sun burned hot in space, and before your race was born, I have awaited ... a question." Me and the singer from The Force going though lighted sculpture at MIT

Dr. Keith Saunders and Dr. Frank Lucido at the High Times / MassCann Awards and Fundraiser, where the NORML Daily Audio Stash won Best Podcast for the 2nd straight year. Thanks!

So I am in my room at the La Meridien when Keith Saunders of MassCann/NORML calls me. “Where are you?” After I tell him, he says, “Hey, we’re in the room right next door!”

Tonight’s podcast is gonna be short. In fact, it will just be my interview with the Keiths to preview the Freedom Rally. Gotta get ready for the party tonight. Oh, and I haven’t eaten today, better take care of that. I’ll get plenty of audio at the awards tonight and post as many TwitPics and TwitVids as I can. — “R”R

Update: Oh, of course the voice recorder software won’t load! OK, so I’m uploading the Keiths Interview on Cinch – check the sidebar on the right. I’ll send more tonight from the party.

Well, kinda live.  I was on the panel on Cannabis in the Media.  Moderating was Richard Cowan, a former NORML Executive Director and now publisher of MarijuanaNews.com.  Paul Armentano, NORML’s Deputy Director, gave a great preentation on how the media lie about cannabis.  I followed up with a discussion of why, centering on the political concept of framing.  Ann Harrison. an independent journalist, talked about how the journalism profession has been swayed in the Drug War.  Finally, Bruce Mirken, Communications Director for MPP, discussed how to influence the media and respond to their poor reporting of the drug war issue.

Then we headed off to the breakout sessions.  I moderated a session on Tools for Activists: How to avoid Burnout.  Madeline Martinez, Executive Director of Oregon NORML discussed how to share the “attitude of gratitude” in cultivating a volunteer force.  Vivian McPeak, Executive Director of Seattle Hempfest, explained how he turned a political rally into the largest reform event in the world.  Dr. Mitch Earleywine employed some practical strategies for meditation and how to communicate the marijuana issue.  And Keith Saunders of MASS/CANN NORML talked about finding your identity as an activist.

Tonight is the Awards Banquet, which I’m also covering.  We’re generating a whole lot of audio and video and we’ll get as much of it on the tubes as we can as quick as we can.