by Ian | Sep 25, 2009 |
Thanks to the Keene Sentinel’s Casey Farrar for this story:
What began earlier this week with two friends smoking marijuana in Keene’s Central Square has become a steadily growing group that drew a crowd of more than 70 people Thursday afternoon.
Some of those gathered called themselves protestors for the legalization of marijuana, others said they just showed up to join in and smoke marijuana. Several said they plan to be back on the square this afternoon — at 4:20 p.m.
The number 420 is used in the drug subculture to represent marijuana smoking.
The crowd Thursday began trickling in shortly after 4 p.m. Several people carried handmade signs in favor of legalizing marijuana with phrases such as “My body my choice: Legalize drugs,” and “Leaf Us Alone.”
At 4:20 p.m., (more…)
by Ian | Sep 25, 2009 |
It’s happening again today at 4:20pm! Thanks to Melanie Plenda at the Union Leader for this article:
KEENE – With the flick of a Bic and the bull-horned battle cry of, “Smoke ’em, if you got ’em,” nearly 75 people gathered to protest drug laws by lighting up, once again, in downtown’s Central Square. Marijuana rights advocates have been gathering daily for the past week each day at 4:20 p.m. to smoke pot in protest of drug laws. The number 420 is a code used by police officers to indicate the presence of marijuana.
Yesterday afternoon was no exception, but the crowd was much bigger in the wake of a New Hampshire Union Leader story that ran Thursday about people gathering to smoke on the square
Dozens of people streamed into the square and set up camp until precisely 4:20 p.m., when several members of the group could be seen lighting what appeared to be marijuana cigarettes and glass pipes and passing around brownies they said contained marijuana. (more…)
by Ian | Sep 25, 2009 |
Thanks to WKBK’s newsman Brad Ryder who filed this report on yesterday’s public smoke-out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9E3kLiGNag
Will the crowd grow for today’s event? Time will tell.
Get 111+ reasons to move to Keene!
by JJ Epic | Sep 24, 2009 |
The announced cannabis smoking event went as planned with no intervention from the state. As many as a hundred people showed up at Central Square in Keene to live as free men and women. Many cameras and cigarettes were seen in hands of an upbeat crowd of people. The smell of marijuana wafted in the air for a few moments here and there as I passed through the throng.
In between fits of laughter and cheering, people were heard pointing out the Keene Police cruisers circling the center. Officers did not step upon the center but instead stayed on the street and were seen talking with activists and locals; no arrests were made or summons handed out. Reporters were on hand from both the Union Leader and the Keene Sentinel as well as a video crew from the Obscured Truth Network.
This event is scheduled to take place everyday at 4:20pm.
by Ian | Sep 24, 2009 |
Apparently my information was a little incorrect yesterday. It was the Union Leader, not the Sentinel that sent a reporter to cover the mass smoke out happening at Central Sq. Though the Sentinel is now aware and reporter Anika Clark called this morning to comment on a story she’s writing for today’s Sentinel. Thanks to the Union Leader’s Melanie Plenda for this story:
KEENE – As city councilors debate a resolution to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, a small group has quietly taken matters into their own hands — lighting up on Central Square.
“Every day at 4:20 p.m., we get together to smoke pot in the square,” Noah Wood, 19, of Keene said yesterday. “Everyone smokes it. Well maybe not everyone, I’m sure, but a lot of people smoke it and so why keep it a secret? Why keep it illegal? It should be out in the open.” (more…)
by Ian | Sep 18, 2009 |
Bravo to Pam Slack and the rest of those who voted for marijuana reform at the city council meeting last night.
To those who opposed it, please note there is nothing wrong with the city council working toward hurting people less often. If they must exist, that behavior seems totally appropriate to me.
The city council hires and fires the city attorney, clerk, and manager, from my understanding. The manager hires and fires the police chief. Seems clear to me that the council could hand down a do-not-enforce or at the least a lowest enforcement priority policy to the police chief (who seems like a reasonable guy from my recent breakfast with him). That would actually accomplish significant decriminalization in a fairly short order (as opposed to Fred Parsells’ suggestion of a “substantial” fine, which would continue to harm peaceful people) resulting in many Keeniacs no longer having to be afraid of being caged for enjoying recreational or medicinal cannabis consumption.
I support steps in the right direction, but there’s no reason that this can’t be done in one step. Imagine the city council people saying this to the police chief: (more…)
