Our South African Constitution is working and our judiciary is strong. This has been said many times over the last 24 hours as we wait to see what the ruling party is going to do about our sticky-fingered president. Amidst the political spin there is hope for the Constitutional challenge at the centre of our universe. Over the years there have been many whisperings about how the government or “big pharma” or some other sinister force is going to derail our efforts. Yesterday’s Constitutional judgement has given us hope that our arguments and evidence will be heard by judges with integrity.
March has been a busy month as we work our way around a period of “limbo” following the postponement of The Trial of the Plant in February. As mentioned in our February blog, we still need to be “trial ready” as soon as possible so that the court may allocate the first available date for a special trial, that is a trial that will last longer than 10 days. Our legal team is working with the office of the Deputy Judge President in Pretoria and, once again, we reiterate that WE DO NOT HAVE A DATE YET. In the meantime, we are progressing well on the ‘discovery’ stage of our preparation for court. This is where we outline each and every detail of the evidence to be presented to the court. The first round of evidence has already been submitted and we are working on filling in the gaps and consulting with the various experts as to the finer details.
All of our evidence needs to be in keeping with our original pleadings. Those are contained within our original affidavit, which you can read here. It is strange for us to go back and read what we wrote almost 6 years ago. While our argument has become much more sophisticated and informed over time, the essence of what we wrote remains the same. It is important to note that there are a finite number of objections to the legalisation of Cannabis worldwide. This Huffington Post article sums it up. The foundation of our argument remains our human right to sovereignty over our bodies.
“Drug users need treatment” says president Obama, “Not so fast” says Dr Carl Hart
Cancer Expert Dr Donald Abrams sets the record straight: Can Cannabis cure cancer?
The expert witnesses for The Trail of the Plant are busy professionals who are contributing to the broader debate all the time. Over and over again, the bog standard arguments for keeping Cannabis illegal are being refuted by renowned scientists.
Our annual DDay 4.20 street party is only 2 weeks away. We have been reluctant to announce the finer details before all permissions were in place but everything is set and here we go… We invite everyone who supports legal Cannabis in the greater Gauteng area to rock up and rock on! We know that some people have already made arrangements to travel from far and we look forward to a constructive and grooving day out in downtown Jozi…. , Bring the naysayers, bring your Cannabis questions, bring your parents!
For our Cape Town supporters, the annual Global Cannabis March is coming up on 7 May. Join the group on Facebook, start making your banners and dusting off your best weed wardrobe. If you, your business or organisation would like to help with the setup of the event in exchange for great exposure and publicity on the day, please contact Jo at Bongalong – proudly South African, hand crafted art bongs.
Did You Know?
The Dagga Couple’s petition for the re-legalisation of Cannabis in South Africa is sitting on 21208 signatures. Why, when we know that we have at least 50 000 solid, dedicated supporters, is that figure still so low? Just imagine what we could do if we get 100 000 signatures by the time The Trial of the Plant starts in court! Please share far and wide, this petition will continue to run until we are finished in court and it is time for parliament to change the law.
If you are arrested on a Cannabis charge in South Africa you can apply for a stay in prosecution pending the outcome of The Dagga Couple’s case. This is called JoinThe Queue and is by no means the easy option but if you decide to do this, your decision will be one of the most valuable contributions you can make towards the legalisation of Cannabis in South Africa. We are pleased to note here that, together with The Dagga Party, there are 30 stamped stays in prosecution in place. These orders have been stamped by the Western Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Pretoria High Courts. We are experiencing challenges in the Johannesburg and Eastern Cape High Courts but we will persevere to increase the numbers of accused “in the queue”.
The Green Network, Fields of Green for ALL’s member forum, is growing by the day. Our members consist of green warriors from all walks of life. While social media plays a very important role in changing perceptions, it is not the platform for serious discussion. The Green Network is the next level as The Trial of the Plant draws closer. If it’s funny memes you’re after, this is not the place to be but if you are interested in contributing to the conversation in a real and meaningful way, please consider joining. Your annual or monthly donation will go a long way to helping with day to day running costs and the ever-increasing budget for the trial.
There is widespread anticipation in international drug policy circles for the upcoming UNGASS conference in New York, starting on 19 April. With a healthy dose of scepticism, Fields of Green for ALL has been active in preparations to make sure that South African Cannabis legalisation efforts have a voice. Members of The Green Network have joined us in the discussions, debates and petitions that have taken place over the last 18 months. The most exciting aspect of this event is that all the NGOs, government representatives, policy makers, movers and shakers will be in one place at one time. The side events will be the place to network and garner support and exposure for The Trial of the Plant. Fields of Green for ALL’s application for funding to attend is in its final stages so hold thumbs, our South African story might just get to travel a bit further abroad!
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