By John Payne
Today is April 20, or 4/20, which has been observed as an unofficial holiday in the cannabis community for as long as I can remember. (Although the term’s origins probably are not what you think.) That is as it should be. Every community needs time for celebration, and it’s a wonderful time of year for a party in Missouri’s mild spring weather.
However, I hope that you will do more than celebrate this year. I hope you will remember the injustice of the 20,000 arrested for cannabis every year in Missouri, the inhumanity of denying medical cannabis patients their medicine, and the tragedy of Jeff Mizanskey, who is sentenced to die behind bars for a non-violent cannabis offense.
I hope that you will remember those wrongs inflicted upon us by cannabis prohibition and take action to change them! Here at Show-Me Cannabis, we are hosting a myriad of events across the state that will allow you to celebrate the occasion and help end cannabis prohibition:
- The festivities kick off in Kansas City, where the Phantoms of Kansas City will be hosting a Party to End Prohibition to benefit Show-Me Cannabis. The event will take place at Stageport in the Crossroads (208 W 19th Street) on Friday, April 17, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here for $10.
- On Saturday, Springfield NORML will hold their Second Annual “You Don’t Have to Be a Toker” Poker Tournament at the Front of House Lounge (322 South Avenue) from noon to 6:00 p.m. There will be a $35 contribution to buy in to the tournament, and first place will receive a $200 gift card.
- After the poker tournament on Saturday, continue the celebration with Springfield NORML at The Outland Complex at 8:00 p.m. This 4/20 Celebration will feature 9 local bands with lots of great items for silent auction to support reform efforts. Admission is only $10. Find out more on Facebook!
- In Saint Louis, we are hosting the Crawl for Cannabis on Cherokee Street on both Sunday, April 19, and Monday, April 20. The Sunday event kicks off Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. with brunch at Yaquis, and then Monday things start at 6:00 p.m. and end up with a concert at 2720 Cherokee from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.Join the Facebook event page here, and purchase tickets for the crawl on our website for $15 general admission and $35 VIP here!
- In Columbia, Mid-Missouri NORML will spearhead a day of action at the state Capitol on Monday to support clemency for Jeff Mizanskey. They intend to be in the building from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Those interested in helping should contact Josh Chittum at [email protected].
- Also on Monday, April 20, Springfield NORML will help beautify their city by cleaning up trash. If you’d like to join, meet at the trailhead on the corner of National and Sunset at 5:30 p.m. You can RSVP on Facebook here.
- Later that evening, Mid-Missouri NORML will host “Blues Goes Green” with performances by Southern Pride and Tiedyed at The Bridge at 1020 East Walnut. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m. on 4/20, and the live music begins at 8:00. Entry is free, but be prepared to bid on auction items to support your Mid-Missouri cannabis reformers! Join the Facebook page here.
Even if you can’t make it to any of the events, you can commemorate the day by making a contribution, which will have a triple impact! Earlier this week, police chief and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition speaker Tony Kirk generously offered to match all contributions through 4/20 up to $1,000. Since then, another contributor has agreed to match Tony’s match, so for each dollar you give, they will combine to give two dollars!
I am going to make it my goal to find two more individuals willing to match up to $1,000, so that we can raise $5,000 by the end of the day on April 20. But to make that work, we need supporters like you to contribute $10, $25, or $50 so that we can take full advantage of these matching offers!
You can also contribute in whatever way you would like. You can contribute specifically to our initiative efforts.You can contribute to research into subjects such as drug task forces and the economic costs of prohibition by giving to our sister organization, the tax-deductible Show-Me Cannabis Foundation. You can contribute through PayPal or BitCoin on this page. And, as always, you can make a monthly pledge of $5, $10, or $25 that we will count as five times the value of a one-time contribution.
People celebrate the freedom to live their own lives as they see fit on 4/20, but obviously that freedom is incomplete in this country. If you want to strike a blow for individual liberty on this unofficial holiday, I urge you to do that (at least in part) by making a contribution now!
Source: Show-Me Cannabis
