Activists say they are tired of lack of progress on marijuana reform in PA. “It’s time to pedal forward.”
By Kenneth Lipp
Nikki Allen Poe, Vanessa Maria (East Coast Cannabis Coalition), Mike Whiter, and the Panic Hour gang, more or less, are bringing Smokedown Prohibition – the protest against marijuana criminalization that fogged Independence Mall about a half dozen times in 2013 – back, to Love Park.
In Smokedown Prohibition 2.0, which Marine veteran, activist, and photographer Mike Whiter emphasizes is “not about getting stoned,” Philly area activists are targeting the PA legislature, to push them to pass effective medical cannabis legislation.
They want to see PA Senate Bill 3 passed (short title: An Act providing for the medical use of cannabis in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania), which Vanessa Maria says is blocked by Republicans in the legislature who are “backed by pharmaceutical companies.”
The bill itself goes a long way toward creating a legalization regime in the Commonwealth, establishing certification and licensing systems for growers, prescribers, and dispensers, and an electronic tracking system for qualified patients.
[youtube https://youtu.be/mvtEtz1gjHU]
Whiter is particularly encouraging veterans like himself, who may be struggling to deal with service-related disabilities, and getting no help from pharmaceuticals provided by VA doctors. Mike smokes pot for his PTSD and other health-issues related to his service in multiple combat tours, and he’s said on multiple occasions that cannabis has saved his life.
I’ve covered all of these, they’re always fun. I’ll be there to cover this one.
Smokedown Prohibition is July 10th at 4:00 PM, Love Park (1600 JFK)
The Philly Declaration 
