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| Pot Supporters Parade Saturday |
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Posted by CN Staff on May 05, 2002 at 09:02:35 PT By Jan Kaus, Northern Hills Bureau Source: Rapid City Journal 
More than 300 marchers took to Sixth Street in Rapid City Saturday afternoon to show their support for efforts to reform marijuana laws and legalize its use. Proponents said that people in more than 160 cities around the world would stage similar marches in parades collectively known as the Million Marijuana March.Rapid City's event was organized and led by marijuana/hemp proponent Bob Newland of Hermosa, president of SoDakNORML, an affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "Our position is that public policy concerning marijuana is a disaster," Newland said before the march. "If we stimulate people to voice their fears, angers or misgivings on public policy dealing with marijuana, we'll succeed. By that definition, we've already succeeded. And we won't stop until we get them to stop putting people in jail simply for trying to feel better." Marchers carried posters urging reform of marijuana laws. Messages included, "Educate and regulate, don't incarcerate." Newland led chants such as, "Here to keep cops off kids." And despite earlier concerns by Rapid City School District officials over the starting point of the march — at Sixth and Columbus streets in front of Dakota Middle School — no protesters were seen. This was the sixth year for the march but the first for Rapid City. Newland said it's the best-known single international event centered on the cannabis plant, and he called Saturday a day of protest against putting people in jail. "Its timing served us well," he added, referring to legislative efforts the coalition is sponsoring and petition signatures being gathered Saturday. "We have to turn in enough signatures Tuesday to get the issue of legalizing industrial hemp on the ballot for the November election." Marchers were more than happy to share their views on why they want hemp legalized — although most chose to share only their first names. "Vince" was visiting Newland from Florida, so he joined the march. He said he feels most politicians choose to fight the marijuana issue simply to give an impression that they're doing something. "They've chosen to fight something that goes against what most people say is not a battle to be fought," Vince said. He added, "A good percentage of people have smoked pot or do it now, so if those people are fighting this, then they are hypocrites. At least there's a few individuals that will still stand for something." Another marcher, who identified himself as Garry, said he thinks marijuana has good points and bad points. "I believe it's useful to a certain extent if you don't abuse it. If you abuse it, it'll use you." Marchers represented a cross-section of the population, some with children in tow. The march ended without incident at Memorial Park. Source: Rapid City Journal (SD) Related Articles & Web Sites: South Dakota NORML Million Marijuana March 2002 Million Marijuana March To Be Held In Rapid City Marijuana-March Site Criticized Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #1 posted by eco-man on May 05, 2002 at 12:53:27 PT |
| Cannabis Liberation Day. May 4 2002.
4th annual Million Marijuana March (MMM).
Against the global drug war.
No Global Police State.
Free the Prisoners of Drug War. *MMM 2002 EVENT NAVIGATOR. Cannabis Liberation Day. It lists the names of nearly all of the MMM cities worldwide on one page. In alphabetical order. With the state and country names also. Click any city in the alphabetical list to see the contact and rally info for that city: This is a great new web page: http://www.millionmarijuanamarch.org/navigator.php *The main page for the continually-updated, clickable, all-on-one-page, alphabetical city list for MMM 2002, Cannabis Liberation Day, is at the page here: http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/y/mmm2002.htm and http://corporatism.tripod.com/mmm2002.htm and http://members.fortunecity.com/multi19/mmm2002.htm Email address for sending in MMM reports, photos. Anybody can use this address. There is no need to subscribe to anything first. cannabisaction@yahoogroups.com Messages sent to this email address will end up in this Public MMM archive: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cannabisaction/messages Please also send in personal or published MMM rally reports to Dana Beal dana@cures-not-wars.org and to Cannabis News at submissions@cannabisnews.com where they will be posted at: http://www.cannabisnews.com [ Post Comment ] |
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