27 Years Ago Was the First Hemp Parade...

and I was there with a friend to finally put an end to the injustice long committed here, through democracy. We traveled with a group the evening before and overnight to Berlin, arriving early morning at Alexanderplatz where we first got breakfast.

After returning from a walk, we noticed the parking lot next to Alexanderplatz had filled with parade floats. Everyone was busy preparing their float for the upcoming parade and testing their respective sound systems. Amid this bustling activity, a cheerful atmosphere unfolded that created an unforgettable experience while painting a vivid picture of cannabis culture. I would like to share a special event with you here:

An older skinhead, fully geared, approached a group of punks. One of the punks noticed him and, along with some others, took a defensive stance. Their posture was defensive, as they seemed surprised but peaceful. The skinhead simply said, "You have a bong, and I have material. Let’s smoke together." The punks embraced him, and everyone celebrated together. They not only set aside their differences temporarily but also used the shared smoking to calmly discuss their differing views.

When our parade float started moving, I could hardly believe it was really okay to take out the bong and start preparing the mix. But an organizer assured us that it would be tolerated that day. A woman over 50 watched as I began and threw a piece of hash into the bowl, asking to prepare a head for her as well. I, then young and fascinated, kept mixing until the float suddenly stopped. Through a slit, I saw two police officers looking at me, then at the mixing bowl and bong my friend had already prepared. In a long moment of silence, I awaited a reaction – but when the float moved on and the police did nothing, a feeling of relief began that I felt for the first time like this.

There we stood at the Brandenburg Gate and millions of people were celebrating this wonderful plant; the entire Tierpark was full, and groups of very different people sat together everywhere to smoke jointly. For me, that was an event like Woodstock, it was touching. I later stopped smoking when I studied again and then started my own company because society simply did not want to accept it yet. Now, last night, when I saw the first videos from the Brandenburg Gate on X, 27 years later, and saw another huge crowd celebrating decriminalization with a mood like the fall of the Berlin Wall, tears came to my eyes. Even now as I write this, I am moved again. An even greater feeling of relief. Finally, a piece of freedom for cannabis culture in Germany!

Today, after 27 years, cannabis has finally been decriminalized, and we — by "we" I mean the Weedmob (more below) — are on the right path to truly educating through the full legalization that we strive for. Here is a bit about the history of the Hemp Parade:
The Hemp Parade 1997, the first of its kind, was a significant event that, with the chant "Legalization now!" and the vision "With hemp into the future," aimed to highlight the cultural diversity and ecological potential of hemp. It took place in front of the Brandenburg Gate and combined music, political speeches, and a market for hemp products to educate about hemp’s diverse uses and demonstrate for its legalization. This event marked the start of a long movement that ultimately led to the decriminalization of cannabis. More about this historic event can be found on the official Hemp Parade website.

In the past, I wished to be more active in the movement, but life led me on other paths. However, for several weeks I have been more engaged again and have been a member of the Hemp Association since the beginning of the year. To clarify that real people stand behind our commitment, I used my real name for email campaigns, as it was mistakenly assumed they were bots. I am also active on the platform X, Twitter’s successor. This platform is not subject to censorship like others; instead, it even offers a well-functioning possibility to rate and comment on misinformation. You can find us there under the hashtag #Weedmob. The Weedmob includes many activists, including the Hemp Association, youth judge Andreas Müller, CSCs, and many individual activists. We are currently expanding our engagement to other European countries, especially France and Austria at the moment. Anyone who wants to contribute or just passively participate and get informed is warmly welcome to join us!