Demonstration in favour of cannabis legalisation takes place in Budapest
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The Curia of Hungary, also known as the Supreme Court, has overturned the police's decision to ban the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP) from holding an event in capital Budapest's Madách Square.
At the Million Marijuana March event, MKKP co-chair Zsuzsanna Döme argued that alcohol and designer drugs cause much greater social harm, yet the government criminalises the usage of marijuana by young people.
Activists gave a presentation on an effective and smart approach to drug policies, illustrating the effects of various mind-altering drugs.
"Users are very demonised. There is no understanding of how they get there, but there is no safety net to help them," said one participant.
"It's a topic that we really don't talk about in the right way. It would be better to change it, even in small steps," added another young person at the event.
The Two-Tailed Dog Party is undertaking its 'drug war' in an unusual way: "We have targeted the addictions of our political, economic and cultural elites. As you can see here, power, public money, obscene language, pornography, alcohol, real estate, luxury, propaganda, fatty foods and, of course, the tovarish Putin," Ferenc Somody, a political candidate for the MKKP, explained to Euronews.
The police had banned the planned event, citing an amendment made to Hungary's Fundamental Law which tightened child protection policies and drug security.
On 14 April, the Hungarian parliament enshrined a zero tolerance policy towards drugs in the amendment. The country's Fundamental Law also states that the production, consumption, distribution and promotion of drugs is prohibited.
The MKKP has appealed the decision, arguing that the police's decision to ban marijuana was taken prior to the Fundamental Law's amendment. The Curia concluded that an event cannot be banned on the basis of a law that had not yet been adopted.
The Million Marijuana March, also referred to as the Global Marijuana March, is an event held all over the world. In many countries, the event is held on 20 April, a reference to the term 4:20, which is cannabis culture slang for marijuana consumption. The use of cannabis, which is considered by many to be less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, has been decriminalised or legalised in a growing number of countries in recent years.
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