As we hit the ground running in this new year, we feel it in our bones that things are finally coming together.

The first date on our calendar is the Global Forum of Producers of Prohibited Plants to be held in Heemskerk, The Netherlands from 19 – 22 January. Hosted by the Transnational Institute, Fields of Green for ALL is part of the steering committee that is reporting to officials at the “drug” event of the year, UNGASS 2016 to be held in New York in April.

With delegates from Mexico, Columbia, Peru, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Morocco, Myanmar, Bolivia and The Netherlands, it is our duty to report on Cannabis prohibition in SA. Our main focus will be on the aerial spraying that has been devastating rural communities over the last 16 years. This is the aspect of prohibition that makes us the most angry and has fuelled our fight since the beginning. After visiting affected communities in February 2015, we made a short documentary entitled “Police in Helicopters” and we leave for Amsterdam tomorrow armed with updated footage of the situation in the Eastern Cape and a full report to present to the forum. We are grateful to the TNI for sponsoring our tickets and a chance to give a voice to the plight of our rural farmers.

When we return from Europe it will be full steam ahead for the Cannabis Culture event of the year. Weedstock in the Cradle is a three day music festival to be held on the outskirts of Johannesburg on the weekend of 29 – 31 January. This is a fundraiser for The Trial of the Plant and we are very excited to present over 50 bands, DJs, comedians & artists in a beautiful highveld setting. Tickets are only R250 for 3 days including camping and available online from Ticibox.

We start the year as we mean to go on… Using every opportunity to shout louder and louder about the injustices of Cannabis prohibition. Thank you to everyone who has made it possible for us to come this far, keep the support rolling in, we have loads of exciting events and projects to keep us all busy until the day we no longer have to look over our shoulders, until the day when we are free to use this plant for whatever reason we choose. Fields of Green for ALL!