Cannabis supporters affiliated with the Green Sensation group are to hold a protest at the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) tomorrow as part of a day of activities urging the government to decriminalize cannabis and permit its use for medical treatment.
Green Sensation said in a statement yesterday that the theme for this year’s event is “End the War on Cannabis,” as it aims to open a dialogue with ministry officials to stop discrimination against cannabis users.
The protest is scheduled to begin at 10:30am in front of the ministry in Taipei.
Photo courtesy of the Yunlin District Prosecutors’ Office
Group spokesman Chung Ho-yun (鍾和耘) said the protest would launch a series of pep rallies, workshops, speeches, fun competitions and musical performances, along with a street market at Liberty Square (自由廣場), next to the National Concert Hall.
The events aim to see Taiwan join a worldwide movement marking “420 International Weed Day,” Chung said.
Green Sensation’s petition for cannabis to be legalized for medical use in Taiwan has garnered 12,000 signatures, Chung added.
“Statistics from the ministry show that Taiwan has about 100,000 people who use cannabis, so Green Sensation members believe that the ministry is unfairly persecuting them by citing wrong data and enforcing outdated laws, which has detrimental effects on the livelihoods of these 100,000 people and their families,” the group’s statement said.
The group urged the Taiwanese government to follow international standards by permitting 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol in cannabis products, similar to the US and other countries.
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