The market begins!
In 2015, Justin Trudeau was elected on the promise he would "legalize cannabis day one". A group of independent activists in Vancouver, disturbed by the recent Cannabis Day 2015 police violence, began a peaceful and public cannabis farmers market.
Here's a graphic I made and shared at the time:
We all wanted a "free and fair" market, so I defined it in a graphic, which has been widely shared:
After a few months, it became clear the public supported our activism, while the local police weren't sure how to deal with the situation. As the "legalization" delays continued, the market grew each month.
Growing pains
Without any formal organization, leadership, budget, or plan, the grassroots market grew. It remained peaceful, and a source of healing and joy for the community. Most Vancouverites, even non-users, appreciated (or at least tolerated) the farmers market.
As raids and arrests continued in Eastern Canada, we protested in solidarity. I cautioned that we would be next:
Here's a photo of half of a typical summer event:
20 or more vendor booths, most with a variety of high quality cannabis products, was a normal event. Live acts would play, and there would be giveaways and activist speeches. A sense of community developed among the activists involved.
We even began holding the market weekly, due to overwhelming public demand. But with the increased success came an increase in attention from the powers-that-be.
Operation Apprentice
With local media's help, the City of Vancouver and VPD manufactured a few small news stories in December 2017. An undercover agent (who was 17) was UNABLE to purchase cannabis from activists, but CTVnews still suggested minors were probably purchasing cannabis. The VPD then misquoted the lie, and eventually it became "the market has to be shut down to protect children and the public".
Several peaceful activists were injured and traumatized in the violent police raids over the coming weeks. Operation Apprentice cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, and yielded nothing more than a few bags of weed, a baseball bat, some brownies, assorted glassware, signs, and folding chairs.
What the evil prohibitionists, who keep hurting us and stealing our medicine and equipment, don't realize is that we aren't doing this because we want to. We HAVE TO do this. We aren't kidding around, we're not profiteers, we're not people who have problems with authority, we're not slackers who just want to protest. We're patients, or we love a patient. We're moms and dads, we're little old grannies baking brownies, we're family operations who have been cultivating special genetics for decades, we're activists trying to improve our world.
We're driven to do this. We can't even stop OURSELVES. How then do you think YOU will be able to stop us?
We're saving lives, we're healing ourselves and others, we're healing this community. It's safe, the public loves us, and we WILL continue this important activism until cannabis prohibition is gone!
See you this Saturday, March 3rd 2018, at Robson Square in the heart of downtown Vancouver BC Canada.
Here's my latest sign, almost ready:
Thank you for reading my words, and for helping to end cannabis prohibition!
DRutter