[Peace] Annual drug policy festival and exposition on Quad this Wednesday!

[danielle at illinoisnorml.org]

I forgot to ask for official AWARE sponsorship of this event, but please trust
me that many of the informational displays at this event will be of interest to
you!  In particular, we will have copies of Human Rights Watch reports about the
War on Drugs, and other info about racial disparities in the criminal justice
system...


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE until April 20, 2005

Contact:
Ryan Allured
University of Illinois Chapter – NORML & SSDP
305 N. Lincoln Ave. #301
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (630) 544-8537
rallured at gmail.com
www.uiucnorml.org

Marijuana Myths Dispelled at the 8th Annual Hash Wednesday on April 20, 2005

Urbana, IL – April 20, 2005 – Hash Wednesday, sown from the seeds of
celebration, proves also to be a day of education and unification.  This year
the event hosted by the UIUC chapters of the National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP)
will feature information booths and activities discussing the many facets of
America’s war on drug-users.

Issues will be presented and discussed by members from the UIUC Chapters of
NORML and SSDP as well as the state of Illinois chapter of NORML.
Representatives from campus and community organizations will be present to
extend the issues further into the community, including: the university chapter
of the American Civil Liberties Union, Student Peace Action, Campus Greens, CU
Citizens for Peace and Justice, and Amnesty International.

This large-scale event will awaken the importance of America’s drug policy in
everyone’s lives.  Students and community members will benefit from information
on student drug testing in schools, racial disparity in prisons, the Higher
Education Act, and medical marijuana, and industrial hemp. “Everyday Americans
suffer from the Drug War whether they realize it or not, be it from the
violence that prohibition fosters to the alarming rates that we incarcerate
African-American males for drug offences to the suffering of the sick and dying
because they have been refused necessary medicine.” – Frank Nardulli, Ideal
Reform

Hash Wednesday has been around since the ninteen-seventies, but this is only the
third year UIUC NORML/SSDP has been around to organize. “We are really striving
to build on the success this event has had in the past two years,” says Ryan
Allured, President of UIUC SSDP.  “With issues justice and legal disparity
taking precedence this year, now is the time to bridge the gap between the
cities of Urbana and Champaign and the campus. Now is the time strengthen the
fight of the whole community!” For more information about this day check out
the UIUC NORML/SSDP website at www.uiucnorml.org.

Organized events for Hash Wednesday including information booths, pinata
contests, a raffle, a silent auction, trivia games, sketches, and spoken word
will begin at 11 am, but feel free to come early and stay late for information
will be shared all day!

For more information: www.uiucnorml.org
Contact: rallured at gmail.com
Phone: (630) 544-8537
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