After the recent success of the Cannabis Social Clubs all across the UK in recent weeks and months, it is no surprise that Leeds, West Yorkshire has been organising its own public protest, Saturday 28th September 2013, Hyde Park.
By a stroke of luck and nothing else, it just so happens that this Saturday, the 28th September 2013 falls on the 88th anniversary of the 1925 Dangerous Drugs Act. The Independent Drugs Monitoring Unit (http://www.idmu.co.uk/) says “There were no British domestic reasons, no lobbying for or against prohibition, and no Parliamentary debates.”.In just a few days Woodland Moor (more commonly known as Hyde Park) will be, for one afternoon, the home to Leeds Cannabis Social Club’s Peace and Pot in the Park.
I wonder if Leeds, West Yorkshire and the United Kingdom can pull together on this day to put to rest 88 years of oppressive, unfounded drug policy. Will Saturday be the day that British media accepts that we as humans have a right to medicate or recreate with the cannabis plant? Only time will tell. What we can do to ensure positive coverage is unite and organise, which will enable us to reclaim our freedom together. If there’s one community I’d put faith in pulling together in a time of crisis, it’s us. What better place than here? What better time than now?
There are a few aims of the day. Firstly we aim to dispel public scepticism. We must be as welcoming, thoughtful and considerate a community as I know us all to be in order to demonstrate our ability to be well integrated into society. Equally, as there is the possibility of media coverage it is crucial that everyone does their bit in picking up litter and being respectful to those other members of the public who may not yet understand why it is the cannabis community is not complacent when it comes to it’s civil rights.
The second aim is to welcome many of the new students to Leeds (and indeed the locals), as this is a tremendous opportunity for us to gather further momentum as we leave this summer and continue through to 2014.
Another important aim is to be visibly respectful and tolerant of any police presence in order to confirm what many police are already understanding as a huge waste of the police budget. There may of course be less understanding policemen and women, but I do believe if we engage them, respectfully and cautiously, with positive and friendly discussion about the matter and advise them of organisations such as LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) we can help to encourage others to see sense.
I am a young comrade on the cannabis scene, but it seems to me that the realisation of cannabis as a necessary and incredibly efficient medicine is long overdue. Through this cause I have met so many nice people and sadly many of them have some debilitating illnesses and conditions which they find cannabis treats best. From Crohn’s, MS and epilepsy to Autism and even the phantom pains felt by amputees… alcoholics, people with eating disorders and how could we forget the AIDS and Cancer patients. To me it is abhorrent that this medicine is withheld, but not only withheld it is criminalised, demonised and ostracised. Families have been brought to ruin as a result of prohibition. It is testimony to the power of cannabis propaganda that the family of a sick person may be willing to outcast them because of their choice of medicine. Because this plant is ‘illegal nature’.
I look forward to seeing as many as possible of you there, everyone is welcome and it will surely be a very enjoyable day.
The event is all afternoon, so I look forward to seeing you all from between 1 and 2pm onwards.
By Sam Armstrong
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