MARIJUANA FESTIVAL EXAMPLE OF PEACEFUL MARCH

I had the pleasure of attending the 36th annual Great Midwest
Marijuana Harvest Festival in Madison, Wisc. on Oct. 9th.

I was there primarily to talk about medical marijuana during a rally
at the steps of the capitol building.

The procession to the rally site was about a mile through town and
consisted of several hundred people demanding equal rights for
cannabis consumers as well as medical marijuana rights for seriously
ill and dying Wisconsin residents.

Although there was a whole weekend of music, speakers and vendors of
a wide variety of things to purchase of the legal nature, it was the
mile-long march that offered the best lesson about marijuana
consumption and its consequences.

The walk up State Street took place at 3 p.m.

It was a permitted event, and quite adequately monitored by the
Madison Police Department.

It was viewed by hundreds of ordinary people out for a Sunday
afternoon of shopping or eating.

It could have just as easily been downtown Red Bank, except for the
fact that many in the crowd, including myself, were consuming cannabis.

As it happens every year, the police do not arrest anyone and the sky
does not fall down.

Women and children don't run away screaming and mayhem does not take place.

Because alcohol is not being consumed there are no fights.

As reported in the newspapers the next day, there were no complaints
and no arrests.

Hundreds of people smoking marijuana in the middle of the road and no
complaints?

Imagine how much easier and cheaper for law enforcement it would be
if there were hundreds of people smoking marijuana in the privacy of
their own homes with no complaints and no arrests.

JIM MILLER

Toms River