Thousands of People Take to the Streets in Brazil in Support of Marijuana Legalisation

Possession, growing and consumption of marijuana are banned in Brazil. Therefore, last weekend, thousands of people protested in the streets of São Paulo in order to request for the plant to be legalized.

The event, known as the “Marijuana March” took place peacefully on the main streets in the city. It started at the Art Museum and made its way into the city centre, going down Paulista Avenue, one of the most important roads in the capital.

According to Police calculations, the event brought almost 4,000 participants together (although the organisers were hoping to get 10,000), especially young people, who held banners with messages in favour of the depenalisation of cannabis. Among them, it was possible to read messages such as “Legalize Now” or “Dilma, Legalize”, in reference to the Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff. Also, as the protestors marched, they held up an enormous (and fake) six metre long cannabis cigarette.

All of this was accompanied by a party atmosphere, with Batucada music, colourful flags and a strong smell of cannabis that followed the crowd until the end of the route without any incidents, which is why the security forces preferred to keep a certain distance from the attendees. “It is peaceful, there is no need for us to be in the middle of it, we want peace and love”, said Castro, the lieutenant in charge of the march.

Currently, the country is processing various draft bills with the aim of legalising the consumption, growing and possession of marijuana. One of them, the result of a popular initiative, proposes that cannabis should be considered legal in the same way as tobacco and alcohol and that its consumption should be governed by the same rules.