Earlier this week we told you about the “Overgrow The Government” movement and their plans to hold a rally in our nation’s capitol on April 20th, 2011 to demand the legalization of cannabis. The Facebook page for the event can be found here.

We had a conversation with the leader of the movement and organizer of the rally, Jason aka “Stick Man.” That conversation is printed below.

Be sure to spread the word about the rally on Facebook of course, but don’t neglect other social networks like Twitter and the dozens of cannabis-related social sites that are cropping up all over the net. Let the truth of cannabis be spread far and wide.

The 420 Times: How close do you think you can get to 1 million people?

Stick Man: I think the numbers at the protest now depends on everyone coming together to help us get the word out! A million was more a proverbial number. I truly feel that it is a reachable number with the right cooperation!

420: How worried are you about competing with the other 4-20 “smokeouts” and other events around the country?

SM: We don’t want to compete with any of them. I don’t think we are the same type of event. We want this to be a loud, well covered protest that tells the Federal Government that it is time for the end of prohibition! “Smokeouts” are typically more of a passive event, and I feel that it’s time for all of us to use 4-20 for something more! That’s what Jack would want!:)

420: Why should people make the trip to D.C. instead of attending a local celebration?

SM: I feel that people should come to DC because of what I said above. The majority of Americans now know the facts about cannabis and feel prohibition should end, yet the government continue to pump rhetoric and propaganda to the masses. This is something that needs to end on a Federal level and the only way that will happen is if we all leave our organizations for a day and come together in DC as one, in huge numbers to show them what we stand for! Local work is also very important but it’s something that most of us do on a daily basis! We now need the Federal Government to take us seriously and reflect this in their work in DC! It’s time that they work for us again!

420: Do you have any special speakers lined up for the event? If not, who would you like to see speak at the rally?

SM: We do have four or five people interested in speaking. I would like to keep that under wraps for now. In the next two weeks we will be finalizing our permit, completing our website, and then we will finalize speakers. We should be announcing them by the third week of February.

As I’ve said many times before, the federal government can hang the threat of prison over every medicinal grower, caregiver, and dispensary operator no matter how well written their state’s medical marijuana law is. The DEA holds complete power over cannabis policy in this country, and until that changes, none of us are free.

Stay with The 420 Times for all the latest information on the rally in Washington D.C. this April.

- Joe Klare