Saturday 3rd August saw the Berkshire Cannabis Community come together to host a peaceful protest picnic at King’s Meadow, Reading. Hundreds gathered throughout the day to light up, stand up and raise awareness for the need to legalise cannabis in the UK for both recreational and medicinal purposes.
A cloudy haze suspends itself over a crowd of chilled and chatty supporters as the protest unravels soon after 1pm. Music begins to play through a suitcase sound system as we see the arrival of more and more groups throughout the afternoon; friends, families, men, women, young, old, passers-by, non-consumers, those who consume cannabis for medicinal purposes and those who appreciate it recreationally. Surely if this diverse group of several hundred people can come together and smoke marijuana peacefully and responsibly in a public environment, does this not prove that there is indeed a place for the safe consumption of cannabis within our society?
The communal effort and mutual desire for change ensured a friendly and relaxed atmosphere from start to finish. As protesters gathered in groups sharing joints, pipes and stories, it was clear that this was the place to meet open-minded, compassionate and liberal individuals who all want to play a part in the movement that will one day see the legalisation of the plant that brought us all together.
Two police community support officers did make an appearance in the early hours of the afternoon, but allowed the protest to continue without intervention despite the blatant illegal activity, and even complimented the organisers on Henry, a male hemp plant acting as mascot for the day. It does beg the question; if authorities have no problem with a few hundred people smoking weed in a park on this day, why is there a problem with us doing it every other day?
The weather was beautiful for the most part; the sun was shining and the sky was bright, however there was a brief spell of rain which very nearly jeopardised 4:20. As protesters desperately tried to roll up in time for what would be the highlight of the day, others huddled around in an effort to shield the joint from the attack of wind and rain – a necessary team effort. Luckily at 4.19pm, as if by magic the rain stopped, the wind stopped, the clouds departed and the sun continued to shine brightly just in time for 4:20 and the rest of the afternoon.
A particularly interesting aspect of the event was that several non-consumers had travelled to the protest specifically to approach organisers for advice of how cannabis could be used to help treat their friends or family members suffering from severe illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. While it is fantastic that the UKCSC is seen as a port of call for reliable advice on the medicinal benefits and uses of cannabis, it shows that there are a lot of people in need of this education throughout the country, who have perhaps exhausted all other means of pharmaceutical and what are considered ‘conventional’ methods of treatment, but are now left to their own devices by our government’s health system. This is a prime example of why our country’s drug laws need to be reformed.
It’s fair to say the protest was indeed a great success, proving that cannabis smokers are normal, friendly and peaceful people who do not cause any harm to society in exercising their rights. The success of the day has already led to the organisation of further protests, including another Berkshire Protest Picnic on 7th September 2013 at Kings Meadow, Reading and details will follow for similar events to take place in Birmingham on 31st August, Devon on 24th August and soon to follow in Hampshire and Sheffield in the very near future. Please come along and show your support; if we don’t come together to stand up for what we believe in, how can we expect anything to change?
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