The marches are an important event in the calendar of any pro-cannabis / anti-prohibitionist for many reasons. Firstly, having us all demonstrate together on the same day shows a sense of unity which is often lacking in the cannabis community. One only has to look at the number of like minded groups on Facebook or the rest of the internet to see how many people are singing the same hymns but from different sheets. Just off the top of my head we have The Legalise Cannabis Alliance (recently re-branded as CLEAR), NORML UK, 420 UK, Frank-Dont-Know-Jack, as well as a number of different marijuana tea party groups and events. All of which are perfectly respectable organisations, as far as I know, but it's just a shame they're so scattered. Having a march brings us all together, and not just in an online forum where words get misconstrued. It's a great way of opening doors between groups, and sharing skills, information and let's face it, tactics in what is an ongoing battle. It also lets people know that there is a movement, there are organisations working hard to get the issue legitimised and that they're not alone in the struggle.
The other unmissable benefit is the impression these events can give to the spectator. Seeing that several hundred or (said wishfully!) several thousand people in your home town feel passionately about the issue to take to the streets and march, chant and rally their way through town may change a lot of minds about the subject, or at the very least get people thinking and talking. This alone in the UK is a step forward. The nature of the protests can also be a bit of a surprise to people - obviously there's a lot of tie dye, dreadlocks and green smoke, but the chirpy, fun loving, non-anti-social nature of the protest is a breath of fresh air compared to what's seen at a lot of marches and protest.
Following the above, if we here in the UK can make the protests big enough, it pretty much guarantees some media attention and hopefully some words of reason printed or (again, said with a hint of wishfulness) broadcast, from the mouth of someone that has a clue what they're talking about. This can get the "on the fencers" who are crucial in this debate, to understand not only the truth about the alleged harms caused by the plant but also the wider picture of the costs of cannabis prohibition and the harm it causes. These marches do bring media attention in the States and Canada, which in turn leads to TV debates. This is the step forward we're crying out for in this country.
So, take a look at the websites below and find you nearest Million Marijuana March, or if there's nothing close enough, start your own. As the organiser of the Cardiff marches, I have to say it's really not that hard: Start a Facebook group, invite everyone you know and post it on every pro-cannabis group, forum or website you can find. Then, just keep emailing the members to invite their friends etc. You'll be gobsmacked by the number of people getting in touch to offer help. Get some flyers made (you'll no doubt have loads of offers from people willing to design them for you) and get out to club nights and gigs flyering, stick them in pubs, coffeeshops and anywhere you can. My event has grown to almost a thousand in less than a month and I'm no one special!
This year, organisation for Leicester, Cardiff, and Birmingham is well underway, as well as a 420 event on April 20th in Hyde Park, London, so get involved and get the UK stuck into the struggle!
http://cures-not-wars.org/wordpress/
http://www.globalmarijuanamarch.com/ (this one's currently down, but keep checking)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Marijuana_March
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137598619602596
Birmingham - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=166824986679996
Cardiff - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198100900217983
Leicester - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156375064417650
London 420- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=149182248470105
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