May 5th
When Flash arrived inside the BC Marijuana Party headquarters @ 307 West Hastings Street,
David Malmo Levine was already filling the green and white balloons with distinctive pot leaf
our Federal Leader Boris had sent which indispensible volunteer Jill figured out how to get off the ceiling .
Candidates and volunteers tied strings to them and loaded them into vehicles. The BCMP truck
was decorated as a functional float with speaker system, and carried the heavier banners, flags
and signs from the pot people at the BC Compassion Club. An ancient artifact that had seen
better days, “Uncle Scam,” a huge paper mache’ skull top hatted with the stars and stripes, would
not fit on the truck, so Flash, Imagine, the blond girl from Blunts, Tim, a pot-tv camera man,
and the couple from the bookstore, took the reformed shopping cart with hoards of a balloons tied to it ,in their own Mini Parade
and caught much attention.
That turned out to be a precursor to what was to occur that day, as the group made its way several
blocks through the downtown core to the art gallery steps, where pot people were already
assembling and David Levine had already begun his “safety speech. ” Levine warned the happy
crowd to stay close together, and to hug anyone -- en mas -- whom the police dared to attempt to
arrest.
The music of the colourful band with their clownish costumes, horns, drums, and whistles took
up the attention of the crowd as more tokers abounded. Joints lit up everywhere as Good
Samaritans passed out joints to those who asked. After passing out balloons and leaflets on the
stairs and puffing a few along the way, Flash took hold of one of the large banner signs “ End
Prohibition - Stop the Drug War ” and took up position behind the band of jesters as Levine
called out “shall we March ” and the crowds roar indicated it was time. The BC Marijuana Party
float was brought around into position the police stood by and controlled traffic the band struck
up a chorus and the march had begun .
It’s to be noted that cars are not allowed to even honk when going through the overpass between
the provincial court house buildings. This did not deter the raucous crowd that was now forming
on Burrard .The Band and Flash and the Banner were overtaken as revilers rushed pass anxious
to get to the echo chamber between the two court building and hoot and holler with all their
might. The movement of the marchers was halted there as the float was brought front and centre
and David Levine broadcasted a condemnation of piss tests, treatment and counselling for
persons caught for possession and warned of the fascist nature of Drug courts, such as they have
in Portland Oregon and Toronto .He warned everyone to be wary of drug courts coming to
Vansterdam and to be there when it comes time to defend against them .
Then in protest of the American driven war on drugs the band struck up again and the march
continued along the major streets cheers echoing off the tall buildings on either side taking up
both sides of the street estimates have it at 500 or 1000 happy Hempsters . Tears of joy stung
Flashes eyes ,or maybe it was the sweet sativa passed to him ,but his heart fully leap with joy
born of freedom and liberty and he grinned from ear to ear he could not stop smiling . He did not
care if his arms ached or wind blew against the terrific banner he was carrying he would not let it
down for it was with great pride that he carried it .
When they arrived at the American Embassy, the police were lined up in their yellow jackets,
stepped aside to everyone crowd into the garden space next to it a perfect alcove to fit a few
hundred protesters. Most people remained as David once again picked up the microphone and
announced they were staying, and that there was a band and guest speakers .
The first guest speaker was none other than the chief policy advisor of the BC Marijuana party
himself Dana Larsen who spoke quickly and passionately about the war on marijuana users in BC
and urged Canadians to” just say No” to the US war on drugs and overgrow the government .
.He was followed by a passionate Richard Cowan, who emphasised the role of the UN in the war
on drug users and urged Canada to “just say No “ to the UN.
Chris Benet then spoke and pointed out the common use of cannabis in ancient religions and
world cultures and in the Bible. “When I was naked you clothed me with hemp , when I was
hungry you fed me with hemp seed rich with proteins and essential oils , and when I was sick and
dying you were there to console me when no one else was” he recited and Flash had to wipe his
dampened eyes again before he took the podium and pointed out that if everyone who smoked
pot or could see the benefits from its industrial uses got out and voted then politicians would see
that it is Mainstream.
Billions of dollars could be brought out from underground and become part of the mainstream
economy .He asked them all for there support in the coming election and by the response from
the crowd he believed he got it .
Some of the people were already leaving and it was time for the rock/punk/techno band to grab
everyone’s attention. David announced it was nearly 4:20 so two transvestite nurses were given
what was left of the 4000 joints personally donated from Marc Emery’s personal stash that Dave
had stayed up all night rolling.
Dave named off the 4 exotic strains they had come from two of which were powerful sativa so
sticky his fingers stuck together and so dry it crumbled and didn’t need a bud buster People in
the large crowd put up there hand if they hadn’t had a toke passed them until everyone and their
neighbours was satisfied that they had had a few tokes that for the novice was all that you
needed.
The speakers continued with the likes of Marc Emery condemning police violence on peaceful
pot growers and smokers, and Renee Bojee speaking to urge people to write in support of herself
and tod Mccormick
http://www.todmccormick.com http://reneeboje.com Two or three of the candidates spoke and Richard who had been memorising and writing his
speech for weeks finally got a chance to address a live crowd for the first time and remembered
every word..
The crowd was getting smaller all the time and Flash worried that with less people, the police
might move in to make arrests. Then he looked up and THEY WERE GONE. The police had left
the last diehards to dance and smoke even more pot outside the embassy as the brightly wigged
band belted out such tunes as “someone pooed in the stairwell. “
David made a deal to hand out the last of the joints if everyone would pick up a piece of litter
before they left and Geo won a bong from puff pipes for the best stoner joke and other prizes
were handed out for best reasons to vote for the BCMP
John Gordon
http://www.bcmarijuanaparty.ca/c_john_gordon.htm Vancouver- Kensington .
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