Protesters in São Paulo call for marijuana legalization.

Daniel Mello
Reporter from Agência Brasil

Sao Paulo - Artistic interventions and lectures opened the Marijuana March, which brought together this afternoon (8) demonstrators in favor of legalizing the drug in the open space of the São Paulo Art Museum (Masp), in the central region of the city. Carrying a giant marijuana cigarette, the group closed three lanes of Avenida Paulista and only one remained open to allow buses to pass. Shouting “Hey police, marijuana is delicious”, the protest continued towards Praça da República, where an extensive musical program is planned for the evening.

The march organizers estimate that up to 5 people participated at peak times, while Major Élcio Góes, responsible for the 150 Military Police officers who accompanied the demonstration, said he would only provide a crowd estimate at the end of the protest. By closing important streets and avenues, such as Augusta and Consolação, the march, in Marcos Magri's opinion, achieves one of its objectives. "The main objective of a street demonstration is to have an impact on society," he said.

The discussions raised by the protest were represented by various autonomous organizing groups, such as those against psychiatric hospitals, religious groups, medicinal groups, psychedelic groups, and groups against compulsory hospitalization. The pamphlet distributed by the organizers of the event listed mass incarceration, state violence, and corruption among the problems caused by the illegality of the drug.

The model follows the idea that drug policy in Brazil encompasses various issues, explains one of the representatives of the feminist bloc, Gabriela Moncau. "We believe that the State unduly interferes with the bodies of citizens," she says, drawing a parallel between the right to use narcotics and the right to abortion, one of the feminist causes. Gabriela also highlights that drug trafficking is the leading cause of women's imprisonment, and that incarcerated women often face worse situations than men. "Many are in prisons that were formerly for men and haven't been adapted; they have urinals in the bathrooms," she exemplifies.

Housewife Ellen Yamada brought her two-month-old son, Caio, to participate in the demonstration. "I'm here to show my outrage at the illegality of marijuana and the legality of things that are much more harmful and are sold normally, like cigarettes and alcohol," she said, emphasizing that she considers this type of contradiction a hypocrisy of society.

History students Lívia Filoso and Rhana Nunes attended the protest primarily to see the lecture by Professor Henrique Carneiro, who teaches both of them and spoke at the beginning of the event. Despite their shared motivation, the two have differing opinions on the ideals of the march, which this year had the slogan "Prohibition kills: legalize life." Rhana doesn't believe that the legal sale of drugs will reduce trafficking. "If people could grow their own, I'd be in favor. But it's a lot of work, they'll continue going to the favelas because it will be cheaper," she said, comparing the sale of drugs to that of counterfeit goods.