Category: <span>protest</span>

Australian Cannabis Activists Protest THC Ban for Drivers

April 24, 2023 Published by SDZ News

A group of Australian cannabis activists took to the streets of Sydney in a motorcade of military vehicles to protest the failed War on Drugs and policies that punish drivers who are found to have THC in their system. Known collectively as the Who Are We Hurting? Army, the group of activists staged their protest on 4/20, the global cannabis community’s high holiday. The contingent of military vehicles including a tank traveled by the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, two well-known landmarks in the Australian city that served as the backdrop for a protest on April 20, 2022, that featured cannabis imagery projected on the iconic structures.

The organizers of last year’s 4/20 protest, Alec Zammitt and Will Stolk, have been criminally charged for their actions under a law that bans the projection of commercial images on the Sydney Opera House. The pair are on bail pending prosecution for their actions, which they maintain are a constitutionally protected protest of cannabis prohibition in Australia.

For this year’s demonstration, the group of activists secured a fleet of armored military vehicles to travel throughout Sydney to deliver facts about cannabis directly to Australian news outlets. The protest also aimed to highlight the failures of the cannabis policy in the Australian state of New South Wales, which penalizes drivers who are found to have THC in their system. Under the law, drivers found to have THC in their system are subject to criminal penalties including license suspension or revocation, stiff fines and imprisonment. Zammitt said that the military-style action was designed to highlight the harmful policies of the failed War on Drugs.

“This visual statement aims to highlight the need for a new approach to drug-driving policy, one that prioritizes harm reduction and treatment over punishment and incarceration,” Zammitt said in a statement to the press.

The activists note that a 2019 study by Sydney University’s Lambert Initiative, a research program investigating the medical potential of cannabis, found that while drivers under the influence of high-potency THC products exhibited more lane weaving, other measures showed that intoxicated drivers were somewhat safer. Intoxicated drivers tended “to leave a larger gap between them and the car in front” and showed “no tendency to speed,” according to the research.

“Driving with THC, shouldn’t make you an enemy,” Zammitt added. “Driving laws need change. Cannabis patients deserve equal range.”

The protest was also designed to educate the public about the benefits of cannabis legalization, including enhanced personal freedom and the potential for new sources of revenue for public services that could come with regulating and taxing commercial cannabis production and sales.

“We want to publicize the discussion around cannabis in Australia and ask the government, who would be hurt by an amnesty?” said fellow cannabis activist Stolk. “We also want to educate the Australian taxpayer on the benefits of fully legalizing cannabis in Australia. There is a huge amount of money that will flow into the coffers of the Australian government, for use in healthcare, schools, and roads, from the tax excise that will be taken from legalized cannabis.”

“We also want to highlight the fact that the 75-plus year war on drugs hasn’t worked and has cost the taxpayer billions of dollars fighting a war that cannot and will not ever be won,” Stolk continued.

The cannabis policy reform movement in Australia got a new boost recently when the Legalise Cannabis NSW party elected Jeremy Buckingham as its first member of Parliament. Buckingham, a former Green Party member, said that he will spend much of his time in office advocating for the legalization of cannabis and related policy reforms.

“I am honored to have been elected as the first MP for the Legalise Cannabis NSW party,” he said in a statement. “I am committed to advancing the cause of drug law reform and working towards a more just and equitable society. I look forward to working with my colleagues in parliament and with the broader community to make this vision a reality.”

The post Australian Cannabis Activists Protest THC Ban for Drivers appeared first on High Times.

Australian Activists Face Charges for 4/20 Sydney Opera House Projection Protest

January 23, 2023 Published by SDZ News

Two activists in Australia are facing criminal charges for projecting pro-cannabis messages on the Sydney Opera House, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. The activists, Alec Zammitt and Will Stolk, projected a dancing pot leaf and other images on the famed venue on April 20, 2022, timing their protest against the continued prohibition of marijuana in Australia to coincide with the cannabis community’s 4/20 high holiday.

A month before the 4/20 demonstration, Zammitt had conducted a trial run of the protest in which he projected images for a short time onto the Sydney Opera House from the Park Hyatt Hotel, a location with sweeping views of the iconic landmark and nearby Sydney Harbour Bridge. The images, which left no permanent mark on the structure, included cannabis leaves and the numeral 420, among others, and the phrase “Who are we hurting?” a primary theme of the activists’ protest.

Zammitt was contacted by police detectives, who visited his home the following day to conduct an interview. Before concluding the interview, the detectives told him that they were not sure if what he had done was an offense and said they would seek internal legal advice and contact him after a day’s time. When that didn’t happen, the activists believed they were in the clear and planned their next demonstration for 4/20.

4/20 Demonstration Interrupted By Police

After returning to the Park Hyatt Hotel early on the morning of April 20, Zammitt and Stolk, who freely admit their actions, used laser projectors to again project the pro-cannabis imagery onto the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Before long, however, the protest was shut down by the authorities.

“The police ended up raiding the hotel suite where the projectors were set up. They issued me with an offense relating to the month prior as well as a new offense for the 4/20 projections,” Zammitt wrote in an email to High Times. “They also charged Will with the same offense under section 9 G of the Opera House Trust By-Laws.”

Zammitt went on to explain that the offense relates to “Distribution of advertisement etc. on Opera House Premises,” noting that there is similar legislation relating to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, on which the activists also projected pro-cannabis messages. So far, police have chosen not to pursue charges in relation to that part of the demonstration, however.

Stolk and Zammitt are fighting the charges against them, arguing that their actions did not constitute a commercial advertisement but were instead a constitutionally protected protest of Australia’s prohibition of cannabis and a message of support for reform legislation being debated in the New South Wales (NSW) Parliament.

After being informed by the activists’ legal counsel that they would bring constitutional challenges to the charges against them, prosecutors changed their approach and agreed that rather than a commercial advertisement, Zammitt and Stolk’s actions were a political protest. However, they are continuing the proceedings and requiring the pair to present their constitutional defense in court.

Activists Appear In Court Next Week

On January 31, Stolk and Zammitt face a hearing in the case, where the NSW attorney general’s office will indicate if it will oppose the activists’ defense based on political expression or communication. If the attorney general opposes the defense, the matter will be set for a constitutional hearing.

If the case goes to trial and the activists are convicted of the charges against them, Stolk faces a fine of up to $1,100, while Zammitt’s penalty could be twice that due to the second charge for the trial run. Zammitt hopes the court proceedings bring attention to the continued prohibition of cannabis in Australia and amplify their “Who are we hurting?” message. He added that he has retained an attorney renowned for his work with constitutional defenses related to political expression and expects prosecutors to drop the charges before the case goes to the Australian High Court.

Stolk said he is tempted to pay the fine and be finished with the matter, but the case’s constitutional implications and his desire to continue spreading a pro-cannabis message keep him in the fight.

“We did this for a reason, and the reason was to firmly express our opinion and political belief that we should legally be allowed to consume and sell recreational cannabis just like we do alcohol and just like our brothers and sisters get to do in numerous legal states in the USA, in countries like Canada, Holland and Thailand, and soon even Germany,” Stolk wrote in an email. “We believe that the current Australian laws are stuck in the 1800s and we believe that it’s our constitutional right to be able to protest and express our political opinions.”

He also notes that the basis of the protest is the desire of many Australians to be able to smoke a joint without fear of reprisal from the government. He adds that it is a matter of personal freedom, something his grandfather fought for in World War 2, spending five years in a Nazi POW camp.

“I personally feel that if we give these corrupt politicians an inch they will take a mile,” Stolk asserts. “So as we are now in the position to take one for the team and stand up for our constitutional rights I think that no matter what the outcome it’s our duty as Australians to defend our freedoms that our ancestors fought so hard to protect.”

The post Australian Activists Face Charges for 4/20 Sydney Opera House Projection Protest appeared first on High Times.

Thailand Cannabis Advocates Rally After Lawsuit Challenges Decriminalization

November 22, 2022 Published by SDZ News

The future of Thailand’s cannabis industry is up in the air after a new legal challenge could bring everything to a screeching halt. In response, advocates in the country are mobilizing today in Bangkok to fight back.

An order, issued by Thailand’s Public Health Ministry, effectively removed cannabis from the country’s Category 5 narcotics list on June 9. Under those regulations, marijuana and hemp cultivation and commerce were legalized. Restaurants and cafes are permitted to sell foods and beverages infused with cannabis, but only if they contain no more than 0.2% THC. Products with higher concentrations of THC are permitted, but only for medicinal purposes.

Things didn’t go over well with the opposition, however, and Thailand’s cannabis industry was slammed for its lack of basic controls. The opposition argues that Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul caused social problems for the country and violated local and international laws by issuing the decriminalization order. In response to the growing criticism, the Public Health Ministry announced a new ministerial rule to better control the promotion and sale of cannabis flower, but the law has not yet taken effect.

The Central Administrative Court on Monday accepted a lawsuit spearheaded by Smith Srisont of Thailand’s Medical Council and MPs from opposition political parties who seek to revoke the decriminalization order. Srisont is a member of the Medical Council and president of the Forensic Physician Association of Thailand. His lawsuit names Charnvirakul and the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) as co-defendants.

The political parties opposed to cannabis include Move Forward, Pheu Thai, Thai Liberal, Thai People Power, and Prachachat parties.

Cannabis advocates in the area, however, aren’t going to accept the current legal challenge and are making efforts to have their voices heard.

Cannabis Advocates Fight Back

One of Thailand’s top cannabis advocates Chokwan “Kitty” Chopaka announced on Facebook that she and other dispensary owners would rally together at noon on November 22 at the Government House in Bangkok to protest against the lawsuit that could end everything.

“Dropping by different dispensaries around Sukhumvit to invite them to attend the protest tomorrow which went better than what I thought, I guess having your business threaten can make people quite active,” Chopaka posted on Facebook, translated from Thai.

“I apologize if I could not personally invite every dispensary, and I would like to take this time to invite all dispensaries to come out and protest against the Narcotics Control Board re-criminalizing cannabis again. Which means that all dispensaries may get shut down.”

“Those that do not want their businesses shut down. Those that do not want their investment disappeared. Those that do not want to hide their grow again. Those that want to sell cannabis legally. Those that do not want to go back to getting piss tested. Those that want to see cannabis stay legal, come and join us.”

ABC News reports that about 200 people showed up to the rally at the Government House in Bangkok. “We want to ensure that these politicians are not trying to put cannabis on the narcotics list again. If that happens, our fight for years will mean nothing,” Akradej Chakjinda, a coordinator of Cannakin, a network of cannabis decriminalization supporters, told The Associated Press.

A proposed bill, the Cannabis Act, would implement Anutin’s decriminalization policy, and will be introduced in Parliament on November 23.

Another advocate, Soranut “Beer” Masayavanich, owner of Sukhumweed dispensary, announced that another group will gather at the Ministry of Public Health to discuss the upcoming Cannabis Act with Charnvirakul.

“We aim to create mutual understanding on benefits that cannabis will bring,” Beer stated. “We insist that decriminalizing cannabis brings benefits to several sectors from tourism and economy to agriculture.”

Opposition leaders say that it is better to put cannabis back on the country’s banned narcotics list until the proper legislation is put into place.

The post Thailand Cannabis Advocates Rally After Lawsuit Challenges Decriminalization appeared first on High Times.

Activists To Demonstrate For Cannabis Clemency in D.C.

October 21, 2022 Published by SDZ News

Hip hop icons Redman and M1 of Dead Prez will join cannabis activists in Washington, D.C. on Monday to protest the Biden administration’s failure to release people imprisoned on federal marijuana convictions. The rally, which is being billed as an act of civil disobedience, will bring together cannabis policy reform groups including Students for Sensible Drug Policy, D.C. Marijuana Justice, the Last Prisoner Project and Maryland Marijuana Justice as members protest in front of the White House on October 24.

Steve DeAngelo, a cannabis policy reform leader and co-founder of the Last Prisoner Project, said that he has helped organize Monday’s demonstration to bring attention to the plight of those imprisoned on nonviolent marijuana charges, often for decades. Activists hope the protest will spur the White House to take action on cannabis clemency before the November general election.

“As the nation heads into the midterms, I am calling for one simple thing— that President Biden keep the promise he made during the last election cycle, to release those people still serving prison sentences for cannabis convictions,” DeAngelo wrote in an email to High Times. “As the White House itself has admitted, the recently announced pardons will not free one single person.”

On October 6, President Joseph Biden announced that he had issued an executive order pardoning all people who have been convicted on federal charges of simple marijuana possession. An analysis of Biden’s executive order conducted by the New York Times estimated that the pardons will apply to about 6,500 people convicted of federal weed possession charges between 1992 and 2021 and thousands more with similar convictions in Washington, D.C. But the action provides no relief for cannabis prisoners currently behind bars, most on marijuana distribution and related charges.

“At a minimum, if President Biden really wants the support of cannabis voters, as a show of good faith, he should immediately release at least 100 of the 2800 federal prisoners currently serving time on non-violent cannabis charges,” DeAngelo said. “If President Biden refuses to act, I will gather at the White House on October 24 along with hip hop legends M1 and Redman, and hundreds of other cannabis activists, to hold the President’s feet to the fire.”

M1 said, “I decided to participate in this action because of the inaction of this government to step on the right side of his/herstory. My cannabis community deserves freedom and justice. And with my cultural activist comrades, we will keep our finger on the pulse of the People. Free ‘em ALL!”

Biden Administration Exploring Rescheduling Cannabis

Biden’s announcement earlier this month also included a call for governors to take similar action on cannabis clemency at the state level. The president also directed Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to review cannabis’ status as a Schedule 1 drug. Despite the historic nature of Biden’s pardons, activists argue that the president did not go far enough.

“I’m outraged that the President would make an executive action on cannabis but release zero of our incarcerated friends and family,” Kat Ebert, board chair of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said in a statement from the group. “He’s forcing us to raise our voices to be heard in order for the wider public to understand cannabis prisoners are still not free. On October 24th we plan to make it clear to the Democratic leadership that we won’t accept mostly symbolic actions. We demand clemency for all cannabis prisoners.”

DeAngelo is the co-founder of the Last Prisoner Project, a group working to free those imprisoned on cannabis charges. In addition to the activist groups involved, formerly incarcerated individuals and local cannabis freedom fighters will also take part in the protest.

“If President Biden truly wants to repair the harms of our nation’s unjust policy of prohibition, this initial progress must be followed up with bolder action—action that would actually lead to freedom for cannabis prisoners,” said Sarah Gersten, LPP executive director and general counsel.

Monday’s demonstration is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time at the gates of the White House, with Redman and M1 slated to appear to join the call for cannabis clemency. The crowd will gather at the Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Square before engaging in expected civil disobedience nearby, with the goal of drawing attention to the lack of people released from federal prison as a result of Biden’s executive order.

“DCMJ is joining protests to free all cannabis prisoners because we’ve simply waited too long,” said Adam Eidinger, co-founder of D.C. Marijuana Justice, a group that has spearheaded cannabis policy reform efforts in the nation’s capital. “We are excited that students are leading this effort to make tangible gains on freeing cannabis prisoners whose continued confinement is immoral and unjustified.”

The post Activists To Demonstrate For Cannabis Clemency in D.C. appeared first on High Times.

Over 850 Doctors in Thailand Protest Pot Legalization

July 25, 2022 Published by SDZ News

If Thailand’s transformation from a nation with one of the strictest set of drug laws to a place with legal cannabis seemed like too much, too soon—you’re not alone. Doctors from across Thailand are speaking out on what they consider to be a reckless cannabis law that lacks protection against children and teens.

President of the Forensic Physician Association of Thailand, Smith Srisont, posted a document on Change.org in Thai with a list of demands to the government. “Turn off the vacuum state of cannabis” the post reads. The “vacuum” is the way the document describes the lack of regulatory controls compared to systems seen in place in other countries. Srisont helped determine the dangers of other substances like kratom in the past.

Over 851 doctors signed the petition, which was posted in Thai, but it should be noted that all 851 signees are doctors and alumni of one single school—the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University in Ratchathewi, Bangkok. However, the school is considered the country’s most respected medical establishment.

The document states that studies show that cannabis could affect the health of children and teenagers as well as the growth of their brains. The document added that with legalization on the agenda, the move now threatens the healthcare system and Thai people’s health, both in the short- and long-term.

“Cannabis was removed from the Public Health Ministry’s Narcotic list on June 9, but no policies have been launched to control the use of cannabis for personal pleasure,” a spokesperson from the group stated. This lack of [legal] direction makes cannabis more accessible for children and teenagers.”

Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was accused Tuesday, by the Opposition party, of deliberately creating a “legal vacuum” in Thailand, in which there is no law to enable control of the use of cannabis, hemp, or extracts following decriminalization of cannabis in the country last month.

Fear in Thai Media

The country also experienced a wave of fear-inducing news articles following the rollout of legal cannabis in the country. Thai PBS reports that in the month following legalization, nine children fell ill from unsupervised cannabis consumption. It was also reported that a 6-year-old child ate cannabis-infused snacks and “fell into a stupor,” while a 15-year-old boy with a known history of depression attacked people with a knife after smoking two joints.

The group invited doctors or alumni who agreed to sign their names and announced that they also had a campaign on Change.org for the public to vote. The target of the campaign was set at 15,000 names, and the campaign got more than 10,800 people.

“The government and related departments should stop threatening people’s health as soon as possible,” the document reads at the end. “The use of cannabis for medical purposes should be under control for the best benefits and safety as the government claimed from the first place.”

Thai doctors began raising concerns that cannabis supposedly can trigger mental health issues months ago. Criticism is also coming from people who are concerned that the change in the law will hurt the reputation of Thai agricultural exports, given that the biomass might be used in animal feed.

Some of the changes have been too much to handle for people in the county. On the bright side, it’s having a lasting positive impact as well. Thailand’s sudden change of heart towards cannabis is prompting other countries in the region such as Indonesia to re-examine their own approach to cannabis.

The post Over 850 Doctors in Thailand Protest Pot Legalization appeared first on High Times.

Weed Sprouts Across New Zealand Parliament Grounds Weeks After Occupation

March 31, 2022 Published by SDZ News

An unknown protester sowed cannabis seeds throughout the rose gardens of New Zealand’s Parliament in Wellington, most likely as an act of defiance. The guerilla grower may have splintered off a violent anti-vaxxer occupation that took place weeks earlier.

New Zealand Herald reports that half a dozen of the weed plants were promptly destroyed by Parliament grounds staff as they continue to sift through the rubble of the occupation.

According to New Zealand’s 1 News, an unnamed protester returned to Parliament grounds on Thursday claiming the seeds had been sown during the chaos, alongside a range of other plants that are always there, such as coriander, brassica and marigolds.

Many of the cannabis seeds had been scattered throughout Parliament rose gardens, the protester told 1 News in anonymity, and “many more will likely germinate for years to come.” It is not immediately clear if the protester was involved in or liable for any of the violence that took place weeks prior.

With a few weeks’ head start, nature takes over and it can spread like a weed. A Parliament groundskeeper agreed that more seeds will inevitably sprout. “There were a few cannabis seedlings,” the groundskeeper said. “A lot of seeds had been scattered around, amongst other things left from the protesters.”

Parliament grounds Speaker Trevor Mallard told 1 News, “I’ve asked for the weed to be weeded.”

This comes after a 23-day occupation of New Zealand’s Parliament grounds and surrounding streets by protesters against the country’s vaccine mandate—eerily similar to the insurrection at the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The copycat insurrectionists torched areas, threw flammable objects, and in some cases, tried to ram into law enforcement with cars.

The occupation began as a “convoy” that kicked off in Wellington on February 8, and was very similar to the Canadian convoy that took place in Ottawa in Canada. The convoy first camped in front of the Parliament building before things went South and they began to blockade most streets.

According to John Pratt from Victoria University of Wellington, the police did nothing to prevent the occupation from taking place, nor did they enforce a complaint from nearby Victoria University against the protestors. So by the stretches of imagination, the weed scattered throughout Parliament grounds could have been prevented as well if they had chosen to do so. Protesters attempted to burn the Law School building at the university.

Opposition National Party leader Christopher Luxon repeatedly extends sympathy for the protesters. Amid the vaccine mandate protesters, other issues are also at play.

Is it Connected to Random Roadside Drug Testing?

Random roadside drug testing will kick off in New Zealand in 2023 as part of an effort to deter drug-impaired driving, after the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment legislation on March 29. The Māori Party is the only party to have voted against the bill.

“In July 2020 the Government introduced legislation that would introduce a compulsory random roadside drug testing scheme in New Zealand,” the Ministry of Transport wrote in an announcement. “Under the proposed drug driving regime, oral fluid tests will detect the most prevalent impairing illicit and prescription drugs at the roadside. The proposed change allows police to test drivers for the presence of drugs anywhere, any time, just as they can for alcohol.”

There are blood limits for 25 different street drugs, including THC. The problem with that is the fact that THC lingers in the bloodstream for much longer than most street drugs.

Drivers who test positive for drugs will be fined and stopped from driving for a minimum of 12 hours. On a positive note, drivers will not be criminally charged if they are simply high and not in possession of controlled substances.

A flurry of medical organizations in New Zealand slammed the roadside drug testing plan. The framework for oral fluid and blood tests is “not supported by reliable scientific evidence”, the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners said. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists said “the presence of drugs … does not directly relate to impairment.” The NZ Medical Association also said that the science is “not quite sufficiently adequate.”

The post Weed Sprouts Across New Zealand Parliament Grounds Weeks After Occupation appeared first on High Times.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Headlines | Marijuana Today Daily News

July 28, 2020 Published by SDZ News

Marijuana Today Daily Headlines
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 | Curated by host Shea Gunther

// DC Collects Extra 5,000 Signatures to Decriminalize Psychedelics During Protests (Merry Jane)

// Acreage pulls out of Iowa medical marijuana market (Marijuana Business Daily)

// Chart: Medical marijuana sales in Oklahoma near $300 million in first five months of 2020 (Marijuana Business Daily)

These headlines are brought to you by Natural Order Supply, one of the nation’s premier cannabis cultivation supply companies dedicated to streamlining cultivation and helping industrial hemp farmers calculate their price-per-plant cost. They have everything from lights to harvest supplies to cultivation advice!

// Massachusetts regulators developing cannabis product catalog (Marijuana Business Daily)

// Report: NBA won’t test players for marijuana in Disney World bubble (NBC Sports)

// Canada exported record amount of dried cannabis in 2019, but mostly to one market (Marijuana Business Daily)

// New USVI adult-use cannabis bill to go before Senate Friday (Vibe High)

// GOP Congressman Says Killing Of ‘Marijuana User’ George Floyd Doesn’t Deserve Protests (Marijuana Moment)

// Despite COVID, Cannabis Sales To Hit $20.4 Billion in 2020 (Green Market Report)

// Mississippi Lawmakers Take Steps To Distinguish Alternative Medical Marijuana Measure From Activist Version (Marijuana Moment)

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