TERRACE, BRITISH COLUMBIA — On Saturday April 20, activists and cannabis enthusiasts will gather in cities across Canada, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax and Yellowknife. It is hoped the events will be a watershed moment for cannabis law reform as Canadians seek to follow their American counterparts and end the social injustice of cannabis prohibition.
This year, the annual nationwide 420 celebrations are entirely sponsored by lottery winner Bob Erb.
When Bob Erb started buying lottery tickets in the early 1970s, ending the war against cannabis may have seemed more likely than hitting the jackpot.
On November 2, 2012, four decades of playing the lottery paid off: Bob Erb won a $25,000,000 jackpot. Two days later, Canadian laws regarding cannabis changed too as mandatory minimum sentencing for cannabis offences came into effect.
To some, winning the lottery would mean retiring from a life-long career of cannabis activism. But to a man who describes the criminalization of cannabis as the "biggest social injustice" of his lifetime, the money meant a chance to do more.
Bob Erb has championed social justice issues, including cannabis law reform, for decades. He has seen firsthand the harm and waste caused by cannabis prohibition, and has set about making change. Particularly, he has tried to create change from within: in 2001 he ran as a Marijuana Party candidate in the BC provincial election and the following year he ran for mayor. Both times his message was clear: its time for a change on cannabis.
Looking to the future, Bob has pledged one million dollars to fund national campaigns to end the criminal prohibition of cannabis and enact positive regulations regarding use, production and consumer safety. His goal is to see a pro-reform party elected in the next Canadian federal election.
So far, Bob Erb's contributions to the cannabis reform movement can be felt nationwide. In February he had a conference in his hometown of Terrace, BC. The conference brought together activists and policy experts from across Canada to discuss strategy for the future.
As a result of the conference, Bob committed one million dollars to legalize cannabis in Canada and pledged support to various reform organizations including Sensible BC, the NORML Women's Alliance of Canada, NORML Canada, Stop the Violence BC and the 420 rallies.
This Saturday, tens of thousands of Canadians will gather from coast to coast advocating cannabis law reform. Hopefully, individuals will feel part of something bigger than themselves or the local rally they attended.
Bob Erb's generosity has jump-started a national campaign to elect a new government ready to undertake modern approach to cannabis regulation. Advocates are confident cannabis law reform will be an issue in the next federal election. This year's 420 rallies will be a call to voters and the beginning of a movement in the name of Bob Erb.
Duuude.
Money well spent.
How fitting would it be: Bob Erb for Herb...
...No, but seriously. I think this is something very honorary...He is truly a man of the people. Because cannabis prohibition is a social injustice along with many others, and he is one of a few with the stones (get it?) to put his money where his mouth is on the issue. Hats of to the man!
With many governments softening the law enforcement on marijuana I think Bob should have donated to other more desperate causes. But maybe in Canada things are in better shape than over here so I guess its okay.
awesome!..you're right reggie,it is a social injustice.
The laws do more harm than the actual product sad to say.
This dude is cuckoo for weed.
u mad bro?
Next up, let's do away with speed limits, stop signs, traffice lights, and anything else with which I disagree.
Great Idea!!
We should have an autobahn in the united states!
But traffic lights, I love them. Everyday there is a new one. They are on almost every corner. I feel safer.
I cant wait until they just put up fences and use cattle prods.
No speed Limit in Germany!
Crétin!
I don't think the Justice system agrees with you. lol.
Perhaps arresting ANY criminal is a "social injustice"?
Indeed
Just a little bit.
Or, you know, allow people the right to petition their government when they disagree. That's fundamental.
And obviously you recognize that traffic laws aren't even a decent comparison to drug laws.
Actually if you take two seconds to think before speaking you'd realize how dumb that is.
First of all the "justice system" is a collection of individuals, and secondly, many within it recognize that crowding the system with people who smoke pot is costly, not practicle and unfair.
Honestly sticking people through the criminal justice system for marijuana is such a silly notion. Imagine if we did that for EVERYTHING that was bad for you. And obviously it's quite a hypocritical.... to talk about freedom and then crowd our justice systems with people who are commiting a "victimless crime." But that's the reason things are changing. Marijuana prohibition is harmful, and only those who refuse to look it at it objectively disagree.
Although this is in Canada (The BC, on top of that.) The attitude in the US is changing, as well.
No...just for folks who toke.
You have to admit that for something that makes you laugh and
has no lethal dosage,it does seem like alot of hoopla over nothing.
That's right. Meanwhile, it's legal, if you are old enough, to smoke or otherwise use tobacco though it's effects have proven to be harmful, while marijuana at least in some cases has shown to have medicinal value, yet it is illegal. It shows government's aren't run with intelligence or compassion, but with strong, influential lobbyists throwing money at selfish, ignorant politicians to fund their campaigns.
I guess I am the ony one who is appalled by this donation.
No, several of us are appalled too! I knew someone who used marajuana regularly, since mid-teenage years, each week for several years. One evening, he was tired of walking, so he reasoned it a good idea to enter a bulldozer he passed parked at the side of the construction site road, and drove himself towards home. The police noticed him driving without lights at midnight and arrested him.
Here was a kind, middle-aged, relaxed man; however the marijuana had done it's harmful work in injuring many of his brain cells. Talking to him was similar to talking to a uneducated, distracted, middle-aged teenager! Many people felt sorry for him, but knew that he could have hurt someone many times (including himself) via his 'self-inflicted-brains-lacking-continual-condition.' Once a person's brain cells are mainly destroyed, there isn't anything that can be done to instill intelligence.
During the past few days, we have been hearing how the younger "Boston Marathon Bomber" and "Boston suburbs homemade grenades tosser" used to relax via marijuana use. Now it is quite evident that as a result of the years of his using marijuana his personality, thoughts, and actions had recently taken a HUGE turn for the negative. This senior teenager's brain became so numbed and addled, that he was easy for his older brother to influence into joining killing and hurting many people.
Finally, it is true that no country's government be sending people that are using marijuana and haven't hurt themselves or anyone else, to high costing prison or jail. However, the offender's negatives effect behavior should be dealt with in an effective and helpful to them self and society way. For those folks who are terminally ill, and aren't going to leave a bed or house or room, perhaps daily brain cell damaging prescription marijuana and/or morphine is fine though.
Thank you for seeing the humor in my comment.
If Canadians had to pay 30% of their winnings in federal taxes, you wouldn't see this type of donations.
I agree. The few times in "academia" that I knew of students involved in this, they were poor students with bad attitudes.Everyone of them dropped out of school or could not hold a job. I also saw a few top students get involved with this stuff and it is a myth they they can do drugs on the side and still be a good student and have goals. I can see if someone is dying of cancer and needs it but that is an extreme situation.
I am not sure the older Marathon bomber did all the influencing though. I think the youngest one is just as calculating.
I hope there's not a big shootout there like there was in Colorado the other day when all the potheads got together.
I forget how many people got shot.
And I hope there's no crazies bringing bombs like that Boston pothead did either.
Peace and love, man...
Far out...
Groovy...
nope! Add me to your list of nahsayers. The moment we "soften" and "accept" this "drug" as par for the course, we shall escalate to allowing cocaine, morphine and other mind altering drugs to be Supermarketed.
Drugs are for those who cant handle reality.
Medication is for those that are in need of getting well. A big difference.
I think Americans can accept the thought of legal pot easier than the thought of seeing the lunkheads who smoke it.
Why are most of them so dammed annoying looking?
I always picture a dirty-looking white guy with filthy, matted dreadlocks wearing a filthy poncho with a stupid look on his face.
And please, for anyone who knows dedicated potheads, don't tell me you don't notice how slow and addlebrained and lazy they are or become.
The only time they show any drive or ambition is when they gather to protest something by breaking windows and leaving huge piles of their filth and garbage everywhere for someone else to clean up.
Or when they come out to vote for a fellow pothead.
Why don't you have another jack daniels? That's good for your liver and brain. And then then do some driving. Alcohol before driving is great. It loosens you up. Makes you more relaxed. And smoke some cigars or cigarettes, those are good for your lungs. It's great that we have alcohol and tobacco legal, they aren't at all damaging to a person's health or to soiety at all like marijuana.
Uh-oh, I smell filthy matted dreadlocks.
Observe as I try to communicate with it: Hey man, like wow, groovy man. Trippin... Do bongs man... far out... ganja... munchies...