20 Years of the Global Marijuana March

During the month of May, with the spring in full swing, a special day is celebrated in cities around the world to both advance a cause and to celebrate at the same time. As on other occasions, since its inception two decades ago, the Global Marijuana March in Spain brings together the voices of all those demanding that the State back a parliamentary process at the national level for the comprehensive regulation of cannabis.

Four platforms have allied to jointly convoke the Global Marijuana March in Madrid (MMMM2016): the Madrid Association for Cannabis Studies (AMEC), the Federation of Cannabis Associations (FAC), Responsible Regulation (a State entity composed of different groups and companies associated with marijuana) and the Madrid Federation of Cannabis Associations (MADFAC).

On the event’s website its organizers indicate that the March was conceived and planned in such a way that attendees can enjoy a festive atmosphere while also making their voices heard. Therefore, the route will feature several floats, featuring live music by artists such as Jimboman, Lion Sitté, and DJs like Chronic Sound and Silly Tang.

Buses will also be chartered, to leave from different cities so that people from all over the country can be represented at this year's event. All those boarding them will get a special package, with a t-shirt, whistle and grinder, in order to celebrate the occasion as it deserves to be.

The March will cross the heart of the capital, starting out at the Plaza de Neptuno, making its way along the Paseo del Prado and Gran Vía, and ending in the Plaza de España. Off the streets, the day will also be celebrated through the use of screens. By adding the hashtag #YoPlantoMiSemilla (IPlantMySeed) on the social networks, all those who so wish may share with others their experiences on this special day.

The organisers argue that repressive and punitive cannabis consumption policies have failed, so the political class ought to take action and change its strategy. They also believe that we should move towards comprehensive and legal market regulation, with an emphasis on education, consumption prevention, and risk reduction.

The GMM in the rest of the world

Far from being a local event, the March is held at the same time at the international level. In fact, it is one of the few celebrations to be held more or less simultaneously all over the world. While in some countries it has already taken place (for example, in Colombia it was last May 3), in others, such as Spain, the party is yet to come.

Also known as the Million Marijuana March (MMM), this concentration for cannabis began in 1999. Since then hundreds of thousands of people have participated, in more than 829 cities in 72 different nations, championing the marijuana culture as a personal lifestyle option.

For example, the MMM in Toronto (Canada) represents one of the world's largest marches, attracting more than 30,000 defenders of medical and recreational cannabis to the city centre. The crowd gathers behind Queen's Park before the parade at 2 pm. The celebration, always of a peaceful nature, has never seen an arrest in its history, and is considered one of the city's most popular springtime events, generating millions of dollars for the local economy.

In addition, this year Canadians are in luck, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he will introduce the relevant legal changes to decriminalise and legalise the use and sale of marijuana over the next year, thereby turning the nation into the G7’s first to allow the widespread use of cannabis amongst its citizens.

In another, more remote location, Australia, this March has even more festive connotations. For example, on May 1 thousands of people attended the annual Mardi Grass festival in Nimbin, New South Wales, a popular three-day celebration to protest the cannabis reform law being debated in the country's parliament. This festival featured its very own Global Marijuana March.

Mardi Grass is an annual festival that has been running for 24 years in Nimbin, a town in northern New South Wales, the self-proclaimed capital of cannabis in Australia, well known for its promotion of marijuana. Now many residents see in grass a new, burgeoning sector that the Government intends to restrict to only medical or scientific use.

In Germany they also have a lot to celebrate on May 7. In this country the GMM is carried out under various slogans (Hanftag, Cannabiscultour ...). In 2013 12 German cities officially participated for the first time. In 2014 the number rose to 16, and this year they already have more than 30 registered. This rapid development shows that in Germany the issue of cannabis can no longer be dismissed, and the political sector is under pressure, as evidenced by the fact that this past Wednesday, Germany announced that it plans to legalise the medical use of cannabis in 2017. To this end, at the last Council of Ministers a bill was presented to allow its use for seriously ill patients who no longer have other therapeutic alternatives. And health insurance companies will cover costs if patients cannot be helped in any other way.

As can be seen, in Spain and all over the globe, in all those countries whose residents have something to say about cannabis, the Global Marijuana March has already become an event that draws masses upholding the cause of legalisation. And who are eager to celebrate.

The signs in each city leave no doubt: global society is clamouring for change. It remains to be seen whether it will finally be listened to.

In Lima:

In Copenhagen:

In Rome:

In New York:

In Paris:

In Tokyo:

In Dortmund (Germany):

In Heidelberg (Germany):