MADISON EMBRACES MARIJUANA

Not only is the Mad City a drinking town, it's a smoking town, too. Any
local pothead knows the weed here is plentiful and - at $50 a bag - is
generally superb. Though other cities might outrank Madison as the nation's
stoniest, Madison has embraced marijuana culture in ways that ought to be
celebrated.

For 28 years, thousands have gathered on Library Mall each October for the
Midwest's largest marijuana rally. The rally has brought to Madison many
notable speakers who have lashed out against government and popular media
demonization of marijuana, energizing the crowd prior to the march to the
Capitol lawn.

Likewise, our local government largely agrees with the thousands of Dane
County residents who've shown support for marijuana reform. At least half
of our city alders support some form of decriminalization. In fact, General
Ordinance 23.20 states up to 112 grams (a quarter pound) of weed can be
legally possessed on private property. However, you face a $100 forfeiture
for possessing the same amount on public property.

Remaining faithful to Madison's fighting spirit, several area groups for
years have actively lobbied the government to reassess its drug policies.
Groups like the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and
Students for Sensible Drug Policy have Madison chapters. Both groups are
always seeking a few good foot soldiers to aid them in their fight against
the government's war on marijuana.

In addition to these groups, Madison has also nurtured the homegrown Is My
Medicine Legal Yet?, founded by Madisonian Gary Storck. Born with glaucoma,
Storck has been a long time advocate of medicinal marijuana. You can read
why on page XX.

Arguably, it's the mundane things that make a place what it is. Home to at
least three "tobacco accessory outlets" and a variety of other stoner
novelty shops, many underestimate contribution of these places to fostering
a healthy sense of community for those who compose Madison's marijuana
culture. On April 20 - the national holiday for stoners, according to Rick
Cusik, editor of High Times magazine - you can catch a special showing of
the film Grass. For show times and location, check out Best Bets on page XX.

Though Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard probably won't attend
the Grass showing, the county's top cop has liberalized the county's
marijuana laws. As DA, Blanchard has resolved minor possession cases with
fines rather than criminal prosecution. He has also raised the legal
possession weight from seven to 25 grams.

Unfortunately, Madison police aren't always as hip. With discretion to
charge possession suspects under local, county or state law, Madison police
officers too often employ the latter, more stringent state laws to the
umbrage of some local activist groups.

In 2002, Progressive Dane's Drug Policy Taskforce called on Madison police
to begin respecting the letter and the spirit of Madison's General
Ordinance 23.20. "Law enforcement priorities are a local decision and the
people of Madison have made it clear that marijuana prosecution is
extremely low on our list of priorities," the taskforce wrote.

Fortunately, Madison's cultural sensibilities tower above the haze of
convoluted politics that often cloud the marijuana debate. While stoners in
Madison have it generally good, this is not to say all is well. According
to the U.S. Justice Department, more than 700,000 of America's estimated
14.6 million weed smokers are brought up on marijuana charges each year. In
2000, 15,578 Wisconsinites were brought up on possession charges.
Nationally, at least 10,000 people are currently serving jail or prison
sentences for growing, selling or possessing pot.

Culturally, America appears ambivalent toward marijuana. Countless songs,
films, television shows and comics have spoofed the stoner as a spaced out,
harmless and comical element of society, yet the government has
persistently tossed pot smokers into a life-altering matrix of legal
quandaries. But we aren't here to debate this issue specifically. This
week's 4:20 Special is simply a recognition to the marijuana culture that
the citizens of Madison have seemed to embrace.

Happy 4:20!