Rally on 4/20

        The second annual Midlands Marijuana March will take place in Columbia this Wednesday April 20th on the State House grounds in order to raise awareness of the benefits of cannabis and industrial hemp. .
The event will be held from 12 to 6 P.M. and is being hosted by local organization Columbia Norml, which is an acronym from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The event will include performances from local comedians musicians, as well as speeches from both legal professionals and citizen advocates from the state.

One of the performers at the Midlands Marijuana March will be local rap group Risky Business. His provocative lyrics, which frequently mention the drug in question, got him noticed by Norml.
Taylor Gibson, the front man and lyricist of the group, said that Norml contacted him through email, asking him if he would like to support their cause. “I was like, ‘Uh yeah, of course I want to do this,” said Gibson. “I don’t know anything about the economic benefits of legalizing marijuana, but I know that my life would be a whole lot easier if the government gave it the a-okay.”
Popular arguments in favor of the legalization of marijuana include increased revenue for the government from taxes, less spending in the judicial system for marijuana related crimes, and the growth of marijuana as a cash crop. According to Columbia Norml’s Facebook profile, the organization believes that the legalization of marijuana will create numerous economic and employment opportunities for South Carolina. Norml’s mission as an organization, according to their website, is “to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.”

Third year University of South Carolina student Megan Elledge will be one of the many USC students who are going to the State House Wednesday afternoon to support Norml’s cause. “I don’t even smoke pot, or do any other kind of drugs. I don’t even smoke cigarettes! But, I do believe that the government should legalize the stuff,” she said. “People are doing it anyway, whether it’s legal or not. The government may as well capitalize on it, since it needs the money.”
The Dubber, Sun-dried Vibes, and Rootsman Rebel are among some of the other music groups performing at the rally.
Smoking is not allowed on the State House grounds, but the coordinators of the 2nd annual Midlands Marijuana March are encouraging attendees on the event’s Facebook page to “puff, puff, pass then come out and have a blast with us and legalize it!”