I fear that overall, hemp rallies are bad for the kids who attend, bad for the country, and very bad for our movement. I gave too much weight to my hope that I was recruiting idealistic college students to a fulfilling political activism. I didn't pay close enough attention to the event as experienced by the audience.
As constructive political activity, these rallies are not simply a failure, they are a catastrophe. What is the number one obstacle to drug policy reform? The public's fear that kids will use drugs. Hemp rallies fully legitimize those fears.
The public's fear of kids using drugs is an obstacle to reform? Not when most now realize that most kids are going to use drugs. What to do about it, how to reduce it, always goes to us.
Most people on this one subject are more aware than you give them credit for. If they weren't, would 65% wouldn't support decrim and 80% medical marijuana.
This article is written like it is still 1989.
Wake up and smell the coffee.
If it weren't for the Boston Freedom Rally, I would have never been involved in this cause of marijuana reform. From that event, we've raised awareness, new members, money and actually did change the law in November in Massachusetts.
No more arrests for cannabis in MA for under an ounce. That's because of the activism at the Boston Freedom Rally. Yes, some smoke pot. But many get involved for the first time from that event. I did and I've raised 10's of thousands for the cause, produced songs, benefit shows, appeared on tv and radio and in local print, dozens of times and not your typical medical marijuana user. My appearances, stories have been more than beneficial to the cause. And produced stories with local media. Video, lots of commercial radio for the cause. A professional and clean cut, we get many like that who are now supporting this cause with their activism this way. The masses may not be that but the activists are.
Times have changed. And I'm of the opinion that even bad media is good, maybe even more so. The reefer mad news stories give us opportunities to respond and those negative stories only rally the majority to our side.
Because we are the majority, bringing people out like myself is all that matters.
To Mr.Sterling: How many people have you brought out to do what I do? I've helped many find ways to get involved and much of it because of the Boston Rally. Thousands of hours of service because of that event.
Another example: Prospect Hill, one of this year's Freedom Rally headliners, loved in their hometown even with the Mayor who didn't agree with them on marijuana law. The Mayor and city of Methuen, MA compromised on the fine for marijuana because of this Freedom Rally act. Three news paper stories on the front page for that.
I could go on all day of stories like this. Of people who got involved and helped because of the Boston Freedom Rally.
You want to tie our hands and bow to the minority that do not support us?
I say that rallying the majority who are not yet active enough is what has worked.
It gets bigger every year for a reason.
Because each year, we bring out new people forever for the cause. We show them how to do it in their city and town with their skills.
A bigger case in point, when MassCann/NORML started the Boston Freedom Rally, 20 years ago, not even close to 50% of MA voters supported medical marijuana. Today it polls at 80%+. MA Marijuana decrim passed with 65% of the vote in November 2008, backed by the group that got it rolling with campaign after campaign, MassCann/NORML, producers of the Boston Freedom Rally. If it's not working why is the large majority now voting with us?
Laws in MA have been changed because of the Boston Freedom Rally.
I think you will find the same has happened in Seattle for the very same reason.
Any city in America with an active hempfest style show is a city with a thriving marijuana reform movement.
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