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IS IT POT, OR IS IT NOT?

JOIN US ON 4-20 FOR A LEGAL PROTEST AGAINST MARIJUANA PROHIBITION

University Needs Reminding that it is a Place for Free Exchange of Ideas and The First Amendment Still Exists

Gonzo urges his followers to join him on 4-20 in Boulder to comemerate the annual marijuana law protest at the University of Colorado, formerly an institution of learning and now an institution for brainwashing and coercing compliant future workers.

Back in the 60's, when I was one of Boulder's ubiquitous pot lawyers, even the most obtuse politician or hawk knew the protests against the War in Viet Nam and concomitant draft-card burnings were actions defined and protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.  That is what made the political opposition to the protests so angry and irrational. 

The student protests were staged, publicized and watched by all.  Both sides to the debate knew and accepted the concept of protected speech, no matter how much a pain in the ass the student demonstrators were.  If students were dumb enough to leave campus to burn a draft card, they knew they could get arrested. However the CU administration always refrained from anything even remotely interfering with free speech and exchange of ideas.  The school was state funded in a reasonable way then and students weren’t exploited and bled dry by fees and costs.

HOWEVER, the present administration of the University of Colorado wants no free exchange of ideas or policy discussions about the wisdom of the expensive, corrupt Drug Wars.  Instead, they opt for zero tolerance and totalitarian control over the students who would dare to question the wisdom of the the War on Cannabis, the longest running war in US History.  I wouldn’t expect an administrator to be bright enough to evaluate policy or wisdom of drug laws, or, with their recent exorbitant raises, be qualified to judge on the morality of the Drug War, its costs and consequences.

However, I would expect that they had at least an elemental knowledge of the Constitution and a respect for the concept of participatory government. I guess I was wrong. This year, the CU administration has told students that they are going to crack down on student protesters who decide to partake in their favorite weed in public on 4/20. Year after year, for at least the past 20 years, students have peacefully assembled on campus on 4/20 to fire up at exactly 4:20pm as an annual protest against marijuana laws. Very few arrests were made and there was no violence or any other trouble on the part of the protesters.

But this year, CU Chancellor Philip DiStefano has threatened to have police issue tickets to all of the over 10,000 protesters who decided to light up annually on 4/20 in Norlin Quad on the CU campus. Campus police will be joined by Boulder police, and also law enforcement from neighboring cities like Lafayette to accomplish the enormous task of shutting down the 4/20 protest. CU has said that they will post the names of all students ticketed for marijuana possession on the Internet, threatening the future jobs and careers of 10,000 CU students. All because students decide to exercise their First Amendment rights and protest for a few minutes on 4/20 at 4:20pm.

So, with much trepidation and hesitation, I have decided to urge my people to Special Action.  I would hope that everyone who reads my writing attends the University of Colorado event and join with us in partaking of "Gonzo First Amendment Weed" (G'FAW) on 4/20 at 4:20pm on the Norlin Quad on the CU Campus in Boulder.

I cannot and will not advocate or advise anyone to break the law, which is why I am touting Gonzo Weed.   Gonzo Weed is post-modern in nature in that it can be anything you want it to be.  Anything, that is, except organic substance which contains THC, or, in other words, marijuana.

What exactly is Gonzo First Amendment Weed, you ask? It is special mixture of legal herbs, hand-rolled in a tobacco rolling paper, coincidentally resembling a "joint" or marijuana cigarette. It is "symbolic marijuana", legal to possess, puff and pass. Gonzo Weed will be hand-rolled by political activists and Yippies tired of perpetual drug war and the funding of the police state. 

It will create a cloud of smoke just like real cannabis would, and will likely burn the administration, because the students will have found a way to have their protest without getting ticketed for marijuana possession or use.

How will police tell the difference between real marijuana and Gonzo First Amendment Weed? It will be difficult to tell by look, taste or touch. Police have a "presumptive" field test for marijuana, but it tests for a natural substance found in many legal plants known as Resorcinol, not actual THC.

Does Gonzo Weed contain Resorcinal? Perhaps.  We are not revealing the secret formula.  Thus, when an arrest is made or a ticket given, the State must be prepared to do a forensic analysis of the substance to base the prosecution.  If it is not Cannabis, the Police and maybe others will subject themselves to a herd of lawyers, frothing at the mouth to sue for false arrest or civil rights violation.

The more the merrier.  The world should know that there is a strong movement for not only for legalization, but judicial and prison reform in general.  The people from the “Occupy Wall Street” have demonstrated that people pay attention.  My favorite vision is of the man in uniform shouting at the police, saying, “There is no dignity in this!!”  Those assembled on 4-20 should use this as a lantern to guide the political action.  There is absolutely no dignity in any police activity directed at the free assembly of peaceful protesters, and they should be told that repeatedly.  Invite the police to join the protest.  Give them a flower.  Demand that they discord the symbols of repression such as guns, clubs and Tasers.  Video-tape it and tell them “The whole world is watching.”  Love one another and enjoy the day, then write a politician and tell them to try thinking and acting for the people, and not for the police state.

Gonzo needs volunteers! If you would like to help Gonzo distribute legal Gonzo Weed on 4/20 at the CU Campus in Boulder, please let me know you can help by email. I am an old man, not up to the physical task of helping protect your First Amendment rights. You've got to help too.

Contact me by email if you can help: gonzo@yippies.org

Then meet me in the Norlin Quad in front of Norlin Library at 4pm on 4/20 to protect your freedom to peaceably assemble.

Dennis Blewitt, attorney (retired)

Founder, Boulder Committee to Protect the First Amendment

Camera Article

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_20315090/cu-boulder-police-will-ticket-marijuana-smokers-at?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com