Revival a reform-oriented event

Since 1997, Joplin NORML's Cannabis Revival has entertained and distributed information about cannabis and cannabis laws.

"It's a reform-oriented event so we're trying to inform people in a fun atmosphere about marijuana law reform and show them that, as a citizen, they can get involved," said Kelly Maddy, president of Joplin NORML.

Maddy said the aim of Cannabis Revival is to inform people about marijuana laws and what people can do in regards to changing the laws.

"We arrest upwards of 800,000 people a year for marijuana yet 40-45 percent of people have used it," he said. "It just doesn't make sense to continue to arrest people for something that isn't going away."

There will be several bands and speakers at the event. Among them is Amber Langston, outreach director for the Midwest, Southwest and international chapters of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP).

Langston was campaign manager for the medical marijuana and medical marijuana decriminalization initiatives that passed in 2004 in Columbia, Mo.

"We don't encourage or condemn drug use," Langston said. "We just want to reduce harm associated with drug use. SSDP is a grassroots organization for students who believe the war on drugs has failed."

Langston said politicians wage the war in the name of the youth, but in their absence, the SSDP plays host to the voice of the youth.

Another speaker will be Mason Tvert, executive director of SAFER and co-author of Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People To Drink?

"We need to change the way people think about marijuana," Tvert said. "Thanks to our government's extensive misinformation campaign, too many people still think marijuana is too harmful to make legal, yet every objective study on marijuana has concluded that it is far safer than alcohol."

"Why on Earth would our government prefer people use alcohol - a substance that contributes to overdose deaths, domestic violence, sexual assaults and other acts of violence - instead of marijuana, which has never been found to contribute to any of these problems?"

Prior to Cannabis Revival, Tvert will be speaking at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10 in Cornell Auditorium.

Despite negative associations of marijuana, NORML seems to have a positive relationship with Joplin officials.

"We hold benefit shows to get permits for the park," Maddy said. "We've worked really tightly with the city this year. We had a meeting with the chief of police. We had meetings with the parks director. All of our permits were approved. It's a real good relationship with the city. All of it went over real well with them."

The event will be held on Sept. 12 in Landreth Park.