Beyond The Broken Spectrum

I have often wondered exactly what the date and the number 420 stands for. Where did it originate from and for what reason was 420 chosen? The Huffington Post presents a good article about the origins of 420.

Many of us celebrate 420 each year, but I feel like its starting to become like other holidays where we lose focus on the issue at hand that brought us together in this first place, and instead just celebrate and party because of the occasion instead of the cause.

I don’t mean to preach, but perhaps everyone should be putting in more effort towards reaching the goal of the legalization of marijuana everywhere. Legalize it, regulate it, tax it fairly, and this will effectively solve several of our problems. That’s what I say

We all need to go out and show people the facts to help educate people about the amount of safety involved in using marijuana compared to other drugs, even those that are legal. We need to show people that marijuana isn’t taboo and isn’t dangerous.

It’s a tall order, but legalization is coming. It will come a lot sooner though with everyone using their time to help properly promote the cause in a professional manner. Many wonder what they can do to help out, some even feel they have no way of helping out at all. This simply isn’t the case. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge with others, you never know who you might meet and become a person of education for another about the uses of marijuana. The more people you educate, the more people there will be that are able to educate others.

There are some simple ways to get involved an help out. One of the best and easiest ways to do this is to find a piece of clothing or jewelry you’d like to wear on a daily basis that is marijuana related. Wear it everywhere, save for work, with pride. Slap a 420 or marijuana leaf decal on your vehicle if you want to go big. You’ll get some odd looks and looks of disapproval, but fear not, the first amendment guarantees you your right to your platform of marijuana legalization. These people that would look down on your simply do not have the information that you possess, which is why you’re out there in the first place, to educate and promote. By bringing images of marijuana into public settings, you are helping to get the ball rolling on legalization. This presents a good conversation starter should anyone around you decide to bring up your promotion of marijuana. Learn the facts and know how to dismiss the myths that many people believe to be true, and you will have become a true asset to the legalization movement.

Join a local organization or start your own. Starting your own organization is far fetched for most people, but if you have the will to do it, you should go for it. Luckily though, chances are you won’t have to start your own organization as there is likely to be a local chapter of The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, NORML for short, near you that you can seek out. Don’t be nervous about joining a group of people you’ve never met before. These people are some of the nicest and open minded people you will ever meet, and you will benefit from being in contact with these people. This is the best way to get involved in local affairs and rallies and make an impact on your community.

Take it to the internet! The internet is one of our most valuable tools in promoting the legalization of marijuana. Facebook, Myspace, and many other social networking sites are great places to get started. There you will be able to join pro-marijuana groups and find like-minded people that you can meet and collaborate with. Use your little piece of the web to raise the subject of marijuana legalization and get people talking about it. Make sure that your profiles on these sites have marijuana related information that is prominently displayed for people to see. If you really want to get involved, start your own unique group on a site such as Facebook and/or begin blogging about the subject. There can never be too much of this.

Flyers are your best friend. They’re cheap and easy to distribute, especially if you can find a friend or two that is willing to help you out. Develop a flyer that will get people’s attention and direct them to a local organization, a future rally, or a website. Find a nice, sunny day when no rain is expected, and head to places you know will have a lot of parked cars. It would be better if you could find a place to set up shop to actually hand the flyers to people and be available to talk to them about it, but it is far easier and faster to canvas a parking lot and slip flyers under windshield wipers. Be mindful of where you do this, as some businesses frown on this practice. You won’t get in trouble for doing this at some places, but if they see you, they may ask you to leave. Simply comply and move on to your next destination, its not a big deal. Just be prepared the next time to be a bit more stealthy at those places.

Rally and protest. Pick a nice day, find a busy street or intersection, and bring your sign. The more people the better. As long as you aren’t causing any trouble, you have every legal right to be there holding up your sign to oncoming traffic. This is cheap, easy, and can be a great experience. Remember to bring a camera to document your adventures.

Register to vote, get your family and friends registered to vote, and vote! We need your support on election day in order to elect pro-legalization politicians and in order to pass referendums. You may feel that your one vote is insignificant, but that simply is not true. Not only is your vote one of the many needed that will be cast alongside your fellow supporters, but it leads by example and gets your friends and family interested in voting. Voting matters, and it is one of the biggest factors in the legalization movement. Not to mention it is also one of the easiest things you can do to help support the movement.

Write a letter. It doesn’t have to be spectacular, it just needs to convey the point of marijuana legalization. Write a letter and send it to your state representatives and federal representatives, as well as the local newspapers. By writing a letter, you are no longer the useless, silent majority. Writing letters helps the cause advance by leaps and bounds.

Remember to be professional in all of your legalization endeavors. Nothing disconnects people from the message you are trying to deliver like a sloppy, unprofessional approach. Ensure that your spelling and grammar is proper so people aren’t turned off by your lack of communication skills. Don’t seek to offend anyone, that includes not using any profanity or derogatory remarks. You must remain polite at all times, rise above those who would seek to bring you down. There are so many groups, movements, and people out there that fail to realize just how much damage they do to the movement when they promote legalization but fail to abide by these guidelines. Don’t give the opposition the chance to label you as just another idiot pothead.

Back to the subject of 420, don’t let it be just another day! If you don’t physically get out to promote the movement at all during the year, at least reserve this day for it.  On April 20th of each year, plan to do something to promote awareness of the movement. The impact of your actions will be far reaching, likely more than you will ever know. Legalization is on the horizon, but doing nothing to help is as bad as being in the opposition, and if they have it their way, one of the safest drugs available will continue to be outlawed, and people will continue to be persecuted for their use of a substance that is far better for society than the current legal drugs available.

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Tags: 420, Activism, legalization, marijuana

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 at 12:28 pm • Activism, Drug Related • RSS 2.0 feed