Cannabis lovers from around the world have united to try and get their drug of choice legalized. The 15th annual Global Cannabis March took place over the weekend in over 250 cities across the planet.
One of the biggest marches to take place was in Portland, Oregon, which managed to attract hundreds of activists.
Marajuana lovers across the state are collecting signatures for two 2014 ballot measures, including one to legalize the use of recreational marijuana for adults. The state voted against legalizing cannabis in 2012.
Users of the drug want Oregon to adopt laws similar to those in Washington and Colorado, where marijuana is legal for recreational use.
On my way to #portland for the #GlobalCannabisMarch - marching and speaking for our right to grow, possess and use #cannabis however we want
— CannaDad (@CannaDad) May 2, 2014
“All we want is the freedom and sensible regulation,” said Paul Loney, who is a medical marijuana law expert and a spokesman for the Oregon branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
He says that if the drug is legalized, it will be less expensive and they will be able to learn from the mistakes of others. “We’ll design the price structure to wipe out the black market, so our initiative is written specifically to avoid those kinds of pitfalls that they’re experiencing in Washington and Colorado,” Loney added.
There was a party atmosphere in Portland with musicians playing, people singing, kazoos humming. It was a colorful and entertaining time for one and all.
Even the local police seemed somewhat amused by the cannabis supporters en masse, as they held back the traffic and let the crowds walk through the rain soaked streets and intersections.
Hit the Streets and share your Herbal Pride! The LA #GlobalCannabisMarch 2014 will be on May 3rd @CannabisCulturepic.twitter.com/vOkUIgmvTQ
— Patrick Moore (@DrMesmer) April 17, 2014
The march was not just in Portland, but also in over 250 cities across the world, where people were looking to try and legalize the use of the drug.
Activists made use of social media to try and advertise their planned marches, with Facebook and Twitter being popular.
Medellin in Columbia saw a huge turnout for the Global Cannabis March. 2013 was the first year that the city held the even and there were thousands on the street for the event a year on.
Colombia and Latin America have some of the laxest marijuana laws in the world. Possession of up to 20 grams of cannabis is legal in Columbia.
The Global Marijuana March has become something of a tradition in the German city of Frankfurt. Users of the drug have met on the first Saturday of May since 1999 to try and get it legalized.
Around 200 turned up on this occasion and they are determined to get the German government to allow full recreational use of cannabis and will not settle for anything else.