Sacramento, CA: Several hundred demonstrators – including patients, students and public officials – braved 104 degree heat to convene at the California state Capitol in Sacramento on Monday to protest the federal government’s increasing crackdown on state medicinal marijuana patients and providers, and demand state politicians stand up for the state’s medical pot law. The daylong protest marked one of the nation’s largest ever rallies for medicinal marijuana.
NORML Chapter Coordinator Kris Krane, who helped organize the event, called Monday’s demonstration a success. “It is truly heartening to see hundreds of students join together with patients and other concerned citizens to defend the rights of California’s sick and dying,” he said. “Our hope is that this demonstration will send the message to state and federal lawmakers that the will of the people must no longer be ignored.”
Monday’s demonstration was held in response to a wave of recent federal raids on California medicinal marijuana collectives. Protestors also demanded federal officials pardon Bryan Epis, a northern California medical marijuana provider facing ten years in prison for marijuana cultivation. Epis, who was convicted in federal court in July, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7. Approximately 30 demonstrators were arrested blocking the doors of the Sacramento Federal Courthouse to protest Epis’ conviction.
For more information, please contact Keith Stroup or Kris Krane of NORML at (202) 483-5500. To download video footage of local news footage of the event, please visit: http://www.news10-tv.net/news-story/September2002/092302/_video/Demonstr.ram