4.20 party to offer higher education

JOBURG – A few thousand people are expected to descend upon Maboneng Precinct to celebrate cannabis together with Julian Stobbs and Myrtle Clarke, aka the “Dagga Couple”.

Stobbs said the 20 April event was to promote solidarity among South Africa’s cannabis users.

The party will also raise funds for the couple’s quest to challenge laws prohibiting the use and trade of Cannabis Sativa (dagga) in South Africa, in the Constitutional Court.

This will be the couple’s second party, and will feature local bands, a restaurant and cash bar, and a small market that will sell “all things cannabis, except cannabis [itself]”.

“It’s about networking, raising awareness for this amazing plant, and attracting the attention of [journalists] who write about such things, thereby spreading the word,” he said.

“[It’s] a place where [people] can share their experiences and discuss an exciting future of cannabis liberalisation. We tap into a complete cross section of South Africa, just as the plant does. It is a rainbow crowd of old, young, black, white, straight, gay, smoker and non-smoker alike.”

The main stage in the street will feature live music from 11am until 10pm.

“We have a graffiti wall that we haul everywhere we go. It’s a 50m-long mural that we hope will become the wallpaper of a permanent cannabis exhibition in the Maboneng area,” said Stobbs.

“Our extensive cannabis exhibition is coded with augmented reality for smartphone users to download and share information.”

He said that last year’s party, with its 1500 attendees, surpassed their expectations, and that Maboneng Precinct had offered them a warehouse to cater for even greater numbers expected to attend this year.

Stobbs said he wasn’t concerned about the police.

“If the police care to pay us a visit, they’ll see a street party of gentle people enjoying each other’s company and a dozen live bands for R50. We don’t condone smoking cannabis in public,” he said.

“Last year… the security guards asked if they could go home early because there wasn’t a sniff of trouble or aggression — as you’d expect.”

The couple hope to demonstrate to the court that the legalisation of cannabis would not cause societal disruption.

“The enforcement of dagga prohibition clogs our courts, creates unwarranted criminal records, and costs taxpayers millions every year. The roots of prohibition lie in racism, and it leads to organised crime,” he said.

“The legalisation of dagga — it was only banned 100 years ago — would develop the industrial cannabis industry, creating jobs in the fields of agriculture, bio-fuels, textiles, building and medicine.”

Details: www.daggacouple.co.za