Pubdate: Tue, 20 Apr 2010
Source: Denver Daily News (CO)
Copyright: 2010 Denver Daily News
Contact:  http://www.thedenverdailynews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4274
Author: Kristin Pazulski, DDN Staff Writer

PRO-MARIJUANA RALLY SPARKS UP TODAY

420 Rally Is Celebratory, but Medical Advocates Will Be There to Educate

Traditionally April 20 is known as the stoner holiday of the year, 
and in Colorado marijuana advocates celebrate with the annual 420 
Rally in Civic Center Park. But despite the celebratory aspect 
surrounding the day's events, some medical marijuana advocates also 
see the event as a venue for advocating for the professional and 
medical side of marijuana use.

"For many years (the rally) was simply a smoke-out, but now it has 
become more focused on the advocacy," said Brian Vicente of Sensible 
Colorado, an advocacy group for effective drug policies. "It's become 
an opportunity to educate people on medical marijuana use and laws."

Miguel Lopez, the rally's organizer, said the rally will follow the 
guidelines for a professional public assembly, with a benediction, 
keynote speaker and closing.

"The rally fits around professionalization," he said. "We are an 
official assembly."

Andy Cookston, owner and operator of Cannabis Medical Technology at 
762 Kalamath St., said he still sees the rally as more of a party.

"The convention was more of a T-N-A event ... and to me the 420 
events will be the same," said Cookston, referring to the Colorado 
Cannabis Convention held earlier this month at the Colorado Convention Center.

Cookston would like to see legislation focus on the difference 
between medical use and recreational use. He said that the businesses 
cropping up to support recreational legalization should be 
distinguished from medical use supporting businesses.

"It would be real nice to get some clarity between medical use and 
420 type people," he said. "420 events just remind me of people that 
support marijuana in general. There is nothing wrong with that, but 
our push is for marijuana for medical purposes."

Kayvan Khalatbari, one of the owners of Denver Relief at 1 Broadway, 
is letting people know that the event should not be about getting 
stoned but about advocating for medical purposes by cleaning the park 
during the event. Tomorrow Khalatbari and about 30 of his patients, 
dubbed the "Green Team," will wear green shirts and carry green trash 
bags while cleaning during the rally.

"The rally is really based on marijuana use in general, and more on 
the recreational side of it. But (marijuana use) is not just about 
drugs, it's about wellness," he said. "As the Green Team, we want to 
say that we're not all out here to smoke and degrade the space."

Khalatbari said there are businesses that are "forgetting" the core 
values of marijuana use, like helping people with illness and pain.

"Wellness is an all encompassing thing," Khalatbari said. "Some 
people are just in it for the business. But there is no reason to 
bastardize and commercial it."

Today's rally is set to begin at 9 a.m. with DJ Ricky and ends at 6 
p.m. There will be live music throughout the day, as well as speeches 
by Larry Frieling, a former judge and current speaker for Law 
Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP); Warren Edson, author of the 
state's amendment regarding marijuana use; and Lopez.

"The last event was definitely a lot bigger, and they definitely 
tried to make it more professional event, and I see a continuation of 
this," Cookston said.

"You are going to have the usuals. You'll have the kids there to have 
fun and smoke, but you'll see a lot more professionals this year than 
in the past," Khalatbari said. "They are making it known that it's 
not just stoners and kids that are using marijuana."

For more information about today's rally, visit www.myspace.com/420rally
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake