Pubdate: Thu, 20 Apr 2017
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2017 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/send_a_letter
Website: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Martin Cash
Page: A3

FROM PROTEST TO PARTY

With legalization on the horizon, today's 4/20 gathering will be a
celebration

For as long as anyone can remember, the annual 4/20 gathering at the
Manitoba legislature grounds was about protesting the country's harsh
marijuana laws. Police would be out in force to keep an eye on a
rag-tag group of stoners, rarely arresting anyone unless things got
out of hand.

This year's event, which begins at noon today, has a much more
celebratory tone since legislation is in the works to legalize the
recreational use of pot.

The police will be escorting revellers on a "Med-Man March" through
downtown, to the Forks and back to the legislature.

There's going to be more of a mainstream street festival feel to the
4/20 event, including plenty of munchies available from more than a
dozen street vendors and food trucks.

Similar events are being held Thursday in every major city in North
America, Europe and elsewhere around the world.

Thaddeus Conrad, the founder and president of Manitoba's own MedMan
Brand, says it is the largest non-organized protest event in the world.

This year, on the eve of legislation that will make Canada the first
G8 country to legalize recreational marijuana, there's going to be a
full-scale party. Steven Stairs, a Winnipeg-based marijuana advocate
and long-time president of the Winnipeg 4/20 organizing committee,
said the fully permitted, police-escorted event is going to be an
example for other cities across the country.

"It sounds like a cliche, but this is going to be be bigger and better
than ever," Stairs said. "I am very proud of what the city has
accomplished. We are leading the way in working with community groups,
different levels of government, the police and the community as a whole."

Marijuana enthusiasts and accompanying vehicles will meander their way
from the legislature up Memorial Boulevard to Portage Avenue and
across to Main Street, into the Forks, back onto Main Street and back
down Broadway to the legislature.

"This is going to be a one-of-a-kind 4/20 event approved and accepted
by the community," Stairs said. "They don't have this kind of thing
across the country."

Unlike past years, Stairs has lined up more than 30 sponsors and
raised more than $3,000 - about half of which will go toward parade
insurance. There will be about 20 street vendors and a party at the
end of the day at the Central Hotel in Transcona.

Clearly the high spirits have a lot to do with recent Cannabis Act
legislation tabled in Ottawa - legislation that will provide regulated
access to recreational marijuana.

Conrad, whose marijuana seed and specialized fertilizer company based
in southern Manitoba is sponsoring the Med-Man March, said, "I would
definitely say there is a paradigm shift happening with marijuana
these days - 100 per cent."

Delta 9 Bio-Tech is one of the first-time sponsors of the event. The
city's first licensed medical marijuana producer has meticulously
adhered to the regulations and expectations of Health Canada and is
devoted to its patient clients, including offering generous
compassionate rates for low-income medical marijuana users.

But Delta 9 co-founder John Arbuthnot said he is also looking forward
to the prospects for his company following the legislative changes and
wanted to show his support for 4/20.

"We're very impressed with the work the 4/20 organizing committee has
done," Arbuthnot said.

"They have put together a professional event with ground rules for
vendors who are licensed and insured, like no selling marijuana
products. This year with the lead into legalization, it seemed like
the time for us to start to participate."

However, in keeping with the protest tradition of 4/20, organizers and
sponsors can't help but feel obliged to keep pushing for more.

Arbuthnot said that alcohol laws have evolved for more than 100 years
so it should be expected that there will be tweaking of the marijuana
laws.

"We want to acknowledge the success we have had so far but we can't
step too far away from where our origins lie," said Stairs.

He said there are still issues to be concerned about when it comes to
how provincial regulations will unfold.

"But for the longest time 4/20 has been like a stalemate," he
said.

"We would show up, do our thing. Show up the next year... but not a
lot of progress. But the last few years with the medical marijuana
fight and the legalization coming we have really taken the opportunity
to take all this pent-up frustration and angst and formulate it into
some really concrete steps to achieve goals that are happening."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt