While 4/20 has become an national phenomenon of sorts, and is the launch date these days for numerous commercial products and services directed at America’s cannabis consumers, this remarkable day in my view has lacked a certain degree of needed gravitas– with ‘4/20’ looking more like a ‘party in the park’ than genuinely organic socio-political events that elected policymakers and the media should take seriously.
However, I’d like to highlight the Colorado University chapter of NORML for not only holding the largest organized annual ‘4/20’ event in the world–but for recognizing this year, a year marked so far by an ever-growing voter sentiment about the need to legalize cannabis–that ‘4/20’ provides cannabis law reform advocates a prime annual opportunity to do far more than just protest in the park by convening a day-long, substantive conference in advance of ‘celebrating cannabis’ the next day by exploring logical and effective alternatives to cannabis prohibition.
NORML encourages college chapters of NORML and SSDP to follow CU NORML’s lead by organizing ‘marijuana forums’ on their campuses next week, as college students are disproportionately arrested at higher rates than most other subgroups of Americans for cannabis possession charges and can be denied access to federal loans for college if convicted of a single cannabis possession offense.
Despite President Obama’s unfortunate inability to take Americans’ current calls for cannabis law reforms seriously, there is nothing funny about cannabis prohibition in America. Next weekend at The University of Colorado at Boulder, students, activists, professors, lawyers and doctors, as well as proponents of cannabis prohibition will engage in serious-minded discussion and symposiums about how to move forward into the near future by crafting functional cannabis policies at the state and federal level.
National Marijuana Forum
April 18-20, 2009
University of Colorado, Boulder
For a complete schedule, check out NORML@CU!
Cannabis experts from all over the country will converge in Boulder,
Colorado from April 18-20 for the 2009 National Marijuana Forum, which will
bring together local and national experts to discuss cannabis reform. The
events will culminate on Monday, April 20 with the celebration of 4/20:
International Cannabis Day.
The National Marijuana Forum will be the foremost assessment on the current legal, scientific, environmental and social issues related to cannabis. Experts from all fields including marijuana law reform activists, law enforcement officials, medical experts, environmentalists, journalists and awarded scientists will participate in panels and lectures. The forum will serve to educate, enlighten and empower members of the CU and Boulder community on all current issues regarding marijuana in an unbiased
environment.
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DATE: Saturday, April 18. 2009
LOCATION: Mathematics 101
Near the intersection of Colorado and Folsom
TIME: 7:00pm
TOPIC: Keynote Address
Jessica Peck Corry – Executive Director of the Colorado Civil Rights
Initiative
Keynote Political speaker Jessica Peck Corry will participate in an open
discussion regarding the legal status of marijuana. The speaker will
discuss current reform and federal drug enforcement surrounding marijuana.
They will also discuss the legal channels in which reform
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
LOCATION: Eaton Humanities 1B50
Just North of the Norlin Quadrangle
TIME: 11:00am
TOPIC: Welcome Panel
Speakers:
– Allen St. Pierre – Executive Director, NORML
– NORML@CU Board of Directors
Preceded by an empowering and inspirational talk to kick off The National Forum on Marijuana, this welcoming panel will discuss the legal status of marijuana in the current day. The two leaders of the National Reform of Marijuana Laws will lay the foundation for the day’s topics and discussions. NORML@CU will then provide an overview of the forum and speak on the mission behind it.
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
TIME: 12:00 pm
TOPIC: Health and Marijuana
– Dr. Robert Melamede – Endocannabinoid Specialist, UCCS Professor
– Scott Karr Esq. – Attorney for THC Foundation
An overview of marijuana and its effects on the human body.
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
TIME: 12:30pm
TOPIC: Hemp: A stepping-stone on a path to a sustainable future
– Allen St. Pierre – Executive Director, NORML
– Michael West – Education Director, CU Biodiesel
– Laura Kriho – Colorado Hemp Initiative Project
Until the end of World War II, hemp was a vital resource in the American
industrial textile industry. Hemp refers to the non-psychotropic cannabis
strains that can produce various products including oil, fabric, and food.
This panel will present the history of the American hemp industry, its
current legal status, and possible solutions to climate disruption and
economic recession.
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
TIME: 1:00pm
TOPIC: History of Marijuana Prohibition
– Kevin Booth- Award Winning Filmmaker/Activist
– Mason Tvert – Executive Director, SAFER
Marijuana’s vibrant history spans multi-millennia, yet only recently has it
been prohibited. This lecture will present the history of the marijuana
drug prohibition in the United States. Leaders in drug reform will provide
valuable insight into all aspects of marijuana laws and illicit status.
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
TIME: 1:30pm
TOPIC: The State of Medical Marijuana
– Tom Sloan – Commander, Boulder County Drug Task Force
– Devin Koontz, Food and Drug Administration
– Scott Karr Esq. – Attorney for THC Foundation
– Brian Vicente Esq. – Executive Director, Sensible Colorado
– Michael Lee – Founder of Cannabis Therapeutics
With medical marijuana constantly evolving, this panel will discuss
current, past, and possible future laws regarding the medical use of
marijuana. We will look at the current applications of medical marijuana in
Colorado. Emerging research will be discussed and analyzed.
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
TIME: 2:00pm
TOPIC: Federal and State Laws
– Tom Sloan – Commander, Boulder County Drug Task Force
– Devin Koontz, Food and Drug Administration
– Lenny Frieling Esq.- Retired Lafayette Judge
– Allen St. Pierre – Executive Director, NORML
– DEA Special Agent (tentative)
State vs. Federal Laws: Federally, marijuana is still seen as prohibited.
However, medical marijuana is legal at a state level in 13 states. In
addition, if over the age of 21, marijuana possession is legal to a certain
extent in many cities nationwide, including Denver, Colorado. This panel
will discuss the differences in laws at each level and explain the
stratification in the legal process.
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
TIME: 2:30pm
TOPIC: Marijuana Law Reform: Past, Present, and Future
– Allen St. Pierre – Executive Director, NORML
– Mason Tvert- Executive Director, SAFER
– Jonathon Perri – Students for Sensible Drug Policy, San Francisco
– Brian Vicente Esq. – Executive Director, Sensible Colorado
Since the prohibition of marijuana there have been many social movements
striving to legalize and utilize marijuana. This panel is comprised of a
diverse group of activists that have played important roles in the reform
of marijuana laws. The panel will discuss current legislation, possible
legislation for your hometown, past breakthroughs in reform, and future
goals.
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
TIME: 3:15pm
TOPIC: Cannabis Cultural Icons
– Steve Bloom – Former Editor of High Times
– Kevin Booth – Award Winning Filmmaker/Activist
This panel will look at the societal aspect of marijuana, including its
cultural significance, ties to media and entertainment, and how it affects
culture. The panel will include celebrities, journalists, and other
well-known figures that are heavily involved in the cannabis culture.
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
TIME: 4:00 PM
TOPIC: The Great Debate: Marijuana Legalization vs. Marijuana
Criminalization
– Allen St. Pierre – Executive Director, NORML
– Drug Free America (TBA)
As Federal government has failed to address marijuana prohibition since the
Schaffer Commission, this debate will look at opposing viewpoints on the
legalization of marijuana. This talk will bring in experts from both sides
of the issue to discuss the current legal status of cannabis and whether or
not it should be legalized.
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
TIME: 4:45pm
TOPIC: Closing Panel
– Allen St. Pierre – Executive Director, NORML
– NORML@CU
This panel will bring together both sides of the debate and summarize the
day’s events. The talk will bring the forum full-circle and discuss the
future of marijuana prohibition, law reform, and how students can empower
themselves to make right decisions and become active citizens in the U.S.
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DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2009
TIME: 7:00pm
TOPIC: American Drug War Film Screening
LOCATION: Cristol Chemistry Building Room 140
http://www.americandrugwar.com/
The War on Drugs has become the longest and most costly war in American history, forcing one to ponder how much more the country can endure. Inspired by the deaths of four family members from “legal drugs,” Texas filmmaker Kevin Booth sets out to discover why the War on Drugs has become such a colossal failure. Nearly four years in the making, the film follows gang members, former DEA agents, CIA officers, narcotics officers, judges, politicians, prisoners, and celebrities. American Drug War shows how money, power, and greed have not just corrupted dope fiends but an entire government. More importantly, it shows what can be done about it. This is not a mere pro-drug stoner film, but a collection of expert testimonials from the ground troops on the front lines of the drug war; those who are
fighting in it and those who are living it.
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HAPPY 4/20!!!!
DATE: Monday, April 20, 2009
TIME: 4:20pm, of course!!!
TOPIC: 4/20 International Cannabis Day Celebration/Protest
LOCATION: Norlin Quadrangle, CU Campus
4/20 is International Cannabis Day, a holiday celebrated by millions of
people throughout the world. Every year on 4/20 at 4:20 pm, citizens
worldwide gather together to celebrate their favorite plant. Last year,
more than 10,000 people gathered at CU’s Norlin Quadrangle to celebrate the
4/20 holiday. This year, NORML@CU expects more than 15,000 people. While
NORML@CU is not a sponsor of the 4/20 celebration/protest, the group has
worked with CU Police to ensure that this year’s protest will be as safe
and uneventful as it has in the past.
HAPPY 4/20!!!!
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For a complete schedule and speaker information, see:
NORML@CU
http://www.normlcu.com/