Although the outcomes of House Bills 63 and 1365 are ambiguous at best given the naturally constant uncertainty of the Texas Legislature, the extensive continuing activism surrounding the cannabis legal reform for Texans is anything but uncertain. Thousands of individuals from every race, nationality, gender, religion, military branch and/or political party came out in droves to Austin and presented their vocal, and oftentimes deeply emotional, support of the cannabis-related measure while calling offices, distributing vital information and keeping countless more in the loop. Regardless of the outcome of the 2019 Texas Legislative Session, this session has without a doubt acted as a supercharged catalyst for cannabis activism throughout the state.
Across The Lone Star State for several years now, many of the Texas chapters of National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws (NORML) have hosted a Marijuana March; a march where advocates march across a defined number of blocks across their respective cities and meet at an endpoint. An event where thought-provoking speakers tell both their stories surrounding the benefits they or another loved one received with cannabis, but also personal hardships faced due to their usage of the plant.
This past weekend, Corpus Christi NORML hosted their annual Marijuana March while the Texas Cannabis Coalition hosted the Houston Marijuana March. Both were a resounding successes and even further cement how cannabis legalization across Texas is a truly bipartisan issue. One that the overwhelming majority of the state agrees upon.
“With the monumental amount of public support, as well as the increase in our legislators’ support for reform,” said Corpus Christi NORML deputy director William Shelley, “it is incredibly irresponsible for the few hard line holdouts to deny both the will of the constituents who put them in office as well as the men and women whom they must work with in the Legislature to have a functioning state.”
As nothing in Texas is truly considered “statewide” until it travels north to the mammoth metroplex of Dallas-Fort Worth, the Marijuana March will be arriving to the North Texas metroplex this weekend. Hosted this Saturday, May 11th, at Fort Worth’s Burnett Park by DFW NORML, the event will feature a dozen speakers, all of whom magnify the truth of the vast cultural and ideological diversity of cannabis advocates, proving the undying solidarity among advocates.
The messages of each speaker range from horror stories of having to become a medical cannabis refugee to stories of inspiring political activism and even discussions about implementing policies that would right the many wrongs committed by the War on Drugs. Even with their differences, all the stories revolve around the clear facts of cannabis’ well-researched benefits, and the life-changing effects the plant can have. All while subtly touching on the failures of prohibition.
Among the dozen speakers, the DFW Marijuana March will be graciously awarded a visit by the founder of the entire national advocacy group of NORML in 1970, attorney Keith Stroup. In cannabis advocacy and criminal reform history, Mr. Stroup is a living legend, having served for decades as the Executive Director of NORML, Executive Director of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and a recipient of High Times’ Lifetime Achievement Award.
The great importance of the Marijuana Marches in Texas continues to be as irrefutably evident as the medical benefits of cannabis. Without exception, it’s utterly ridiculous, and frankly, inhumane that law-abiding citizens face criminal prosecution because of which natural alternative they use to treat their conditions. As a nation of people that generally cherishes the lives of future generations, depriving our nation’s heroes and children of their medicine, which has clearly been effective, because you happen to disagree with it politically, is a straight up sociopathic move towards groups that shouldn’t have to suffer anymore.
And needless to mention, spending several millions in taxpayer money annually on this embarrassing, decades-long clusterfuck known as “The War on Drugs” and prosecuting cases of “perpetrators” caught with 50 bucks or less worth of cannabis is a worse and even more useless financial investment than purchasing a ticket to the inevitable Fyre Festival 2.
Lt. Gov Dan Anslinger (Patrick) is on a legislative warpath to destroy all cannabis-related bills and is the political reality. Yet even if the worst happens, the thousands of bipartisan advocates that attend Marijuana events across the state is evidence of the unwavering support the Lone Star State has behind cannabis legalization. We are witnessing the last days of prohibition.
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