This past weekend, tens of thousands of marijuana reform advocates joined MassCANN/NORML on the Boston Common for the 23rd Annual Boston Freedom Rally. This year’s event was a great success, featuring a mix of engaging speakers, entertaining musical acts, diverse vendors, and beautiful weather. Speakers included Jodie Emery, Rep. Barney Frank, Judge Jim Gray, and countless others. If you missed the event this year, be sure to stay tuned to masscann.org for information on next year’s rally as it becomes available. Check out NORML’s photo slideshow from the event below, in addition to several videos of the rally speakers. See you on the Common in 2013!
(Photos by NORML’s Sabrina Fendrick, Barney Frank and Jim Gray video courtesy of MikeCann.net)
I once saw 8 tobacco company CEOs raise their right hands and swear before Congress in 1993 that they didn’t believe tobacco was addicting. So who’s in jail? Marijuana seed businessman, Marc Emery.
Tobacco kills 400,000+ Americans every year. Virtually no one starts smoking after age 21. Children are being addicted to a physically addicting carcinogen, and that’s only one of its dangers. Marijuana kills no one and even shows anti-tumor properties.
We are not addressing the problem of health care costs at the chemical/biological level. You could not consciously design a worse drug policy. The the drug war encourages bad health and death, while systematically thwarting research into medical marijuana.
If the government cannot do better than this, it’s time to let people decide for themselves.
Yeah, I can never get off of work because these things are not held in peak summer. I can never attend any of the conferences, Seattle Hempfest or MassCann events because they’re not in peak summer.
Anyhow, thanks for the reportage.
Now that Attorney General Holder has been cleared of any wrongdoing in Fast and Furious, now will he call off the feds in the MMJ states. Not too long ago, there was this theory that Holder let the federal dogs loose on MMJ in order to distract from Fast and Furious–or otherwise toss some red meat to the prohibitionist dogs led by Darrell Issa.
Now that his persecutors have been neutered, he had better have something in the works to call off the DOJ, DEA, IRS and all the other federal fuckers wasting money going after good people in MMJ states and D.C.
Maybe he doesn’t want to upset the cart before the election, but with the Romney-Ryan campaign screwing up so badly Obama is probably going to be re-elected. Hopefully, the masses will be attracted to voting a straight ticket for the Democrats so that Obama gets majority control of the Congress and can get something pro-cannabis done. I’d like to see something positive for the winter holidays.
The Netherlands has to form a new coalition government. Gert Wilders commented he was looking forward to attending the Lady Gaga concert in Amsterdam. Well, that happened last night, Tuesday, September 18, and the audience was throwing gifts up to her. She received cigarettes, which she didn’t smoke. She also received a joint, of which she took at least three puffs that I could tell from the video footage on Huffington Post’s site.
What influence may this have had on Gert Wilders and his willingness to backpeddle on the Dutch weedpass now that his party will not have to form a coalition with the Dutch right-wing fundamentalist Christian party?
Oh, yes, before I forgot. Last but by no means least, thank you very much, Barney! I love Barney Frank! Who is going to take his place?! I hope more than one person takes up his causes.
Kiss, Kiss
Great article. You did leave out some awesome speakers who I was the MOST moved by: Mike Cann. Cara Crabb-Burnham. Julia/Peter’s Page who also introduced Judge Jim Gray. Diane Fornbacher. Keith Stroup. In my opinion they ALL deserve some mention because they work their asses off just as much as the ones you did mention.
Too bad it took Mass. nearly 20 years to catch up with, California & too bad it’ll take another 20 years for the Southern States to catch up to, Mass.
Damn, I wish I could have been there! Too bad there are no pro-marijuana rallies in my area, they’re mostly on the west cast sadly.
Kill me please. After 30 years of waiting for reason. I am sick of it… Literally sick.
Finally the North East is catching up with the West . Congrats, Mass . but even still in the West some States will still NOT let you own a firearm if your a medical Marijuana patient but in the deep South they got a new twist……….
Drinking and guns go well together in the South . A Georgia shooting range will soon find out. A Georgia couple is building a $3.5 million indoor shooting range that will feature a full bar, serving alcohol to its patrons.
So is this the start of a potentially dangerous new business model where intoxicated firearm enthusiasts will literally be shooting from the hip .
WSB-TV reports that Lakeside Guns Shop owner Kristina Brown plans to open the multimillion-dollar indoor range with her husband in Powder Springs. And when it comes to being state of the art, the Governor’s Gun Club will not only have the best technology available to marksmen, it will also have Maker’s Mark.
That’s because by a vote of 4-1, the Powder Springs City Council approved an alcohol permit for the establishment.
Man I wish I could join. I can’t wait for the masses to overthrow this law just like alchohol. And I hope the king drug lord is in the middle of an orgy when he looks up at his ceiling flat screen and they anounce its legal.
Yeah Dood, marijuana prohibition is like 9/11, at least for the emotional effects it has like depression. 9/11 lasted only one day and it effected millions with its anger, death and hatred. Now it has just become everyday life in some areas of Mexico, like having a new 9/11 weekly. Here many innocents are arrested for no reason, it truly is depressing.
I personally know people who need help for their physical ailments, but the system refuses to help them; yet will literally attack them over pot and it is one of the few things in their lives that is a positive. I can see how someone already depressed can be pushed to suicide via the response they get from our system when they reach out for help and get attacked instead.
These rallies are great, I hope we get more action on medical and freed legal marijuana here on the east coast!
So there’s rallies for MA medical, but why aren’t we having rallies for Amendment 64 or I-502 or Oregon’s legalization?
We should put together a giant festival or something maybe a massive rally. We need some rock band like tenacious d to through a concert and raise some money… I figured more people would be pumped up for these initiatives.
Dammmmmnnnn there’s a dude named king og in the bible who stands 13 feet tall. King O.G. This has absolutely no reference to what I stated before deuteronomy kjv o.g. version
What is this I hear about Nationalizing Pot? Like what they did to Alcohol. We skip going through congress or anyone and take over the business ourselves? I saw it on MSNBC yesterday. Surprised NORML hasn’t mentioned it.
Anyway with all the good effects of marijuana and virtually no bad effects, we should legalize/nationalize it. Free the Pot, NOW!
right on La Corbata, we need to have a major “outing” of those who want cannabis but can’t get at it because it’s illegal and we’re hushed into silence by social pressure, at least in my conservative neck of the woods where all my friends can enjoy going into any town any night and getting totally buzzed on alcohol.
Be libertarian with me for ONE election. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X3QRSIXgns