Throngs of people gathered in the Amherst Common Saturday afternoon for the 16th annual Extravaganja. The event, organized by the University of Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition (CRC), is centered on the message that the social cost of the war on drugs outweighs the benefits, and drug laws, specifically those pertaining to marijuana, need to be changed.
"We made the laws, and we can change them," said John Werner, the president of the UMass CRC, to the crowd.
Werner cited some of the problems marijuana laws cause college-aged people. A law in Massachusetts states that if a student has a single narcotics offense on record, he/she is ineligible for financial aid.
"People are being kept out of college for small infractions," Werner said. He said that when people are jailed for marijuana offenses, it's harder to find a job when they're released. In turn, this may cause them to turn to crime.
The laws also take resources away from combating more dangerous drugs.
"I think there are drugs that are dangerous, and marijuana is not one of them," said Werner. "No one has ever died from a marijuana overdose."
The CRC is also focused on changing the policies on the UMass campus.
"There's a huge problem with cops in dorms," said Werner. "There's a skyrocketing arrest rate." According to Werner, at UMass any student caught with marijuana is suspended immediately, which severely interrupts academic work and leaves a stain on the individual's record.
Political activists also spoke at the event, including George Phillies, a 2008 presidential candidate under the Libertarian party ticket. He spoke vehemently against the current administration.
"They hate America, they hate our bill of rights. Vote Libertarian and lets clean them out," Phillies, who advocates drug reform, said. He also touched upon the government's ability to listen in on telephone conversations and monitor internet activity.
"If you want to end the war on drugs, people spying on you on the street on your phone and on the computer, vote Libertarian," he said.
Extravaganja was also a memorial for the founder of the UMass CRC, Aaron Wilson, who died last December. Wilson was responsible for starting the first Extravaganja in 1991.
When the first Extravaganja was held, there was conflict with the local police. But this past Saturday the presence of police was low-key, except for an official checking the parking meters. No arrests have ever been made for smoking marijuana on the Common during Extravaganja. But police have arrested those caught distributing marijuana or drinking alcohol during the event.
On Saturday there weren't any problems with this. The weather allowed a successful turnout - full of people dancing to the music and enjoying what various vendors of fabrics, tea and other sundries had to offer.
"We've been plagued with bad weather in the past and have drawn like 300 people," said Werner. "But on a day like today we could draw a 1000, but people come and go so it's hard to say."
Wes Rahn can be reached at weswrong@hotmail.com.
