Madison NORML

23.20 factoid

On April 5, 1977, Madison voters passed Question 6, "Regulations concerning marijuana and cannabis," which became Madison General Ordinance 23.20, dealing with personal and medical use of cannabis, with over 60% of the vote.

FOR: 40,681 -- 60.6%
AGAINST: 26, 432 -- 39.4%
TOTAL: 67,113 -- 100 %

To both commemorate and celebrate this historic event, Madison NORML is planning an event that promises to be unique, educational and fun. A commemoration of the effort that went into passing Ord. 23.20 in April 1977 and its two sister advisory referendums in Nov. 1976 ballot. A celebration that it remains on the books today, a tribute to an era that while simpler, was much wiser when it came to cannabis. So, on Thursday, April 5, 2007, we’ll be throwing a party at the Escape Java Joint & Gallery at 916 Williamson St. on Madison’s near East side!

Hosted by Lee Rayburn, ex of the Mic 92, now with WillyStreetMedia.Com click here, the event will kick off at 7pm. We’ll start things off with a quick overview of how 23.20 and its companions got on the ballot and were passed, followed by a short community discussion. Then, we’ll celebrate with some cake and the music of the Special Dank Midnights, playing some acoustic cannabis tunes. SDM, composed of members of the late band, Groovulous Glove, will be making their debut. This is a free event, and we hope you’ll enjoy some of Escape’s fine beverages and snacks while you are enjoying the event.

Some of the major players from that time are unavailable, such as the late County Supervisor Dean Kaufler, who led the signature drives along with former Madison alder Roney Sorensen, who we have been unable to reach. Others, were invited but unable to attend, including former Police Chief David Couper, now an Episcopal priest, former State Rep. David Clarenbach, both who said they would attend "in spirit", and former Mayor Paul Soglin. We are hoping that other members of the community who lived in Madison during the 1970’s will attend and share their recollections of this historic time.

Here’s a link to the event flier Download file! See you at Escape on April 5th.