T
The420Guy
Guest
Nineteen-year-old Mary Thompson was married about a month ago and is
expecting a baby.
This would be one of the happiest times of her life, she said, if not for
one thing. Her new husband -- she calls him "a prisoner of the drug war" --
has been in jail for the last three weeks.
"I'm here to educate people," she said. "It's our God-given right to have
marijuana legalized."
Thompson joined about 250 people Saturday at Freedom Fest -- a celebration
of marijuana sponsored by The Hemp Coalition and several other
organizations. The event began with a parade down Central Avenue followed
by a festival in Roosevelt Park, which featured music, food and other events.
Hemp Coalition spokesman Ben Tucker said Freedom Fest was part of a
nationwide May 5 celebration and campaign for marijuana legalization.
"It's to get people to take notice of the freedoms we don't have, and to
remind them that there's still a struggle," he said.
Most of the attendees said they were there to support campaigns for the
legalization of marijuana.
"I think it gets a bad reputation because people associate it next to
heroin and cocaine," 19-year-old UNM student Daniel Patron said. "Alcohol
and tobacco have caused so much more damage. The government has wasted
billions on this drug war and hasn't accomplished anything."
Thomson said her husband has been in the Bernalillo County Detention Center
since a urine test turned up traces of marijuana. He is on probation for a
previous arrest for receiving stolen property.
She said he had turned his life around after the arrest and used marijuana
to ease the pain of a case of walking pneumonia.
"He had just started a new job -- he was totally humbled and wants his life
back," she said. "He's never done anything violent or hurt anybody."
Many at the event said they supported Gov. Gary Johnson's drug policy
reform proposals, which include decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.
Johnson has been sharply criticized by lawmakers who disagree with his
assertion that the drug war has failed.
Police kept a visible presence at the event but had not issued any
citations as of Saturday afternoon, said APD Sgt. Les Brown. He said event
organizers had secured permits for use of the park, but police would not
tolerate blatant drug abuse.
Newshawk: Freedomtoexhale.com
Pubdate: Sun, 06 May 2001
Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)
Copyright: 2001 Albuquerque Journal
Contact: opinion@abqjournal.com
Website: The Albuquerque Journal
Details: MapInc
Author: Andrew Webb, Journal Staff Writer
expecting a baby.
This would be one of the happiest times of her life, she said, if not for
one thing. Her new husband -- she calls him "a prisoner of the drug war" --
has been in jail for the last three weeks.
"I'm here to educate people," she said. "It's our God-given right to have
marijuana legalized."
Thompson joined about 250 people Saturday at Freedom Fest -- a celebration
of marijuana sponsored by The Hemp Coalition and several other
organizations. The event began with a parade down Central Avenue followed
by a festival in Roosevelt Park, which featured music, food and other events.
Hemp Coalition spokesman Ben Tucker said Freedom Fest was part of a
nationwide May 5 celebration and campaign for marijuana legalization.
"It's to get people to take notice of the freedoms we don't have, and to
remind them that there's still a struggle," he said.
Most of the attendees said they were there to support campaigns for the
legalization of marijuana.
"I think it gets a bad reputation because people associate it next to
heroin and cocaine," 19-year-old UNM student Daniel Patron said. "Alcohol
and tobacco have caused so much more damage. The government has wasted
billions on this drug war and hasn't accomplished anything."
Thomson said her husband has been in the Bernalillo County Detention Center
since a urine test turned up traces of marijuana. He is on probation for a
previous arrest for receiving stolen property.
She said he had turned his life around after the arrest and used marijuana
to ease the pain of a case of walking pneumonia.
"He had just started a new job -- he was totally humbled and wants his life
back," she said. "He's never done anything violent or hurt anybody."
Many at the event said they supported Gov. Gary Johnson's drug policy
reform proposals, which include decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.
Johnson has been sharply criticized by lawmakers who disagree with his
assertion that the drug war has failed.
Police kept a visible presence at the event but had not issued any
citations as of Saturday afternoon, said APD Sgt. Les Brown. He said event
organizers had secured permits for use of the park, but police would not
tolerate blatant drug abuse.
Newshawk: Freedomtoexhale.com
Pubdate: Sun, 06 May 2001
Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)
Copyright: 2001 Albuquerque Journal
Contact: opinion@abqjournal.com
Website: The Albuquerque Journal
Details: MapInc
Author: Andrew Webb, Journal Staff Writer