By John Payne
We will host our Repeal Day Party this Friday, December 5, at the Mad Art Gallery at 2727 S. 12th Street in Saint Louis. December 5 is the anniversary of the end of alcohol prohibition, a.k.a. Repeal Day, so it will be a 1920’s themed party with an open bar, and jazz and blues performed by Miss Jubilee. Plus, the venue was converted from an art-deco jail and police station, so it’s actually a place where they jailed people for violating alcohol prohibition.
The venue also serves as a reminder of the human rights violations at the heart of prohibition. Currently, 20,000 Missourians are arrested for cannabis offenses every year. These people suffer criminal sanctions and a lifelong criminal record that will hurt their chances of getting a quality education, securing gainful employment, and even finding a decent place to live.
That evening, Show-Me Cannabis will also be honoring the late Representative Rory Ellinger — a person who understood these problems and fought valiantly to ameliorate and solve them. We will present Rory’s family with the first annual Rory Ellinger Award, which will hereafter be awarded to the person who best personifies Rory’s legacy by pursuing criminal justice reforms with courage and perseverance.
We hope you will join us this Friday, and you can purchase your tickets for the event here. General admission tickets cost $65 with VIP tickets available for $100. The VIP event will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a reception and heavy appetizers. At 8:00 p.m., general admission ticket holders will join the party. Then, the award ceremony will begin at 8:30, followed by the music of Miss Jubilee at 9:00.
This will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our progress with your fellow reformers. I hope that I will see many of you there!
