EAST COAST HONEY POT Preston Peet
MARIJUANA ACTIVISM IN NEW YORK CITY There are numerous organizations working in NYC to reform marijuana laws today, networking with other activists, and reaching far more communities than ever before. The driving factor for many is not solely human rights or justice, but also a rather distinct “how can we cash in on this legalization” vibe. No longer the purview of the strictly tie-dyed, long haired radical, today the marijuana activist’s image is more likely that of a clean-cut capitalist and entrepreneur. “I was going to lead marijuana activists and supporters in the Gay Pride March in June,” says Arlene Williams, better known as Ganja Granny. At 80 years of age, standing just barely five feet tall, she still cuts a striking figure at protests and events. “I kept telling my doctors in the hospital that I had a prior engagement. They not only got me out in time, but three of them marched in Gay Pride along with us.” Williams works non-stop all over the globe to reform the public image of marijuana with her Green Ribbon World and the International Grannys Association. She observes, “Here, people are not so together. In other countries, people manage to put their differences aside. [Americans] too often have their own agendas. We need new blood, new ideas. We need this new generation. We have to do it together. It’s time for the younger people, and they are doing it. Health issues have slowed me down in the past four years, [but] I continue to travel internationally and encourage supporters to join established reputable organizations, to contribute in 60 | HONEYSUCKLE MAGAZINE
any way they can to legalize cannabis around the world and especially in New York.” This writer’s first-ever cannabis assignment came from High Times magazine and concerned the annual Million Marijuana March in 1999 (today known as the Global Marijuana March). At the time, some heated debates ensued between marijuana policy reformers and activists about the effectiveness of loud, raucous street parades and protests, as opposed to putting on a suit and tie and lobbying the government directly. Not only that, but what exactly reformers wanted was in question as well. Was outright legalization of marijuana the goal? Or should activists focus solely on medical marijuana, as its eventual legalization was more likely to be implemented? “Things have changed,” says Steve Bloom, editor at Freedom Leaf magazine and Celebstoner.com. “The focus used to be Cures-Not-Wars and Dana Beal (founder of the ongoing yearly Global Marijuana March events), but now there are many more organizations, more groups putting on events. Many are trying to get in on the business front, NYC being the business capital. New York doesn’t have a ballot initiative, so we’re still at the mercy of the legislature.” Citizens of New York do not have the option to vote directly whether or not to legalize marijuana, instead having to rely on their representatives in government to do it legislatively. “But there’s not a lot of business opportunities yet in New York,” says Bloom.
“The crowd has gotten younger. It’s not so much just older white guys. I’ve seen a lot of progress in the last three years.” Women Grow, founded in 2014, is a glaring example of just how much things have changed. A national organization that stresses women’s place in the marijuana business world, the group holds a variety of monthly events in 35 cities around the U.S. and Canada for both men and women. At these meetups, newcomers to the movement are introduced to entrepreneurs, speakers and others already knowledgeable about the marijuana reform movement and the cannabis trade. “I feel activism is evolving,” says Tanya Osbourne, Market Leader for Women Grow NYC. “The Freedom of Expression movement has come to join with the new advancements in medicine acknowledging what we have always believed, that cannabis is medicine. The movement is being led by those who see cannabis as a strong and profitable vehicle for entrepreneurship. We must make it fair and accessible for all people. We are at the point where cannabis activism has voices from many demographics and communities, from long-time supporters to Millennials. The voices are loud and growing: from women who want equality, parents who want access, people of color who want fairness and inclusion, from the medical community who want new advancements, and entrepreneurs who want opportunity!” With the passing of the Compassionate Care Act in 2014, medical marijuana is today legal in New York,
