Russians Plan Rally for Cannabis Legalization

MOSNEWS, Russia
04/18/06

Activists of the Cannabis Legalization League have sent an open letter to the prefecture of Moscow’s central district asking to allow the Cannabis March on May 7.

The league members have been attempting to join the World Cannabis March for three years. The Moscow authorities ban the march every year, but the marchers try to hold it despite the ban, after which police detain them. Last year, the marchers also handed out leaflets in the crowd with information about cannabis.

The activists, quoted by Ekho Moskvy radio station, have said they would hold the event in any case.

Deputy head of the Federal Drug Trafficking Control Service, Alexander Mikhailov, has called this march a “provocation” and predicted it would be banned this year as usual.

A member of the league’s organization committee, Sergei Konstantinov, said the authorities could not ban their march because the marchers did not need permission, they were required only to inform the authorities of the proposed event.