For nearly a decade, weed warriors WILL STOLK and ALEC ZAMMITT have been at the forefront of cannabis reform in Australia. From spearheading innovative campaigns to cheeky pot stunts, we take a look at their fight to legalise marijuana Down Under…
April 20 has been hailed as the High Holiday by cannabis culture, with individuals from around the world lighting up their joints, eating their brownies and participating in the most amount of weed smoking that happens every year. The term “4/20” as a symbol of cannabis culture originated in the 1970s with a group of high school students in Marin County, California, known as the “Waldos”. They made a code to meet at 4:20pm to smoke and go out on a quest to hunt for a patch of cannabis that was planted by a member of the Coast Guard, who thought it was too risky to harvest.
Eventually, this became a code they would use to talk about smoking or anything cannabis related. The phrase exploded in popularity through the Grateful Dead community in the late 1980s and early 1990s, evolving from a time of day to a date – April 20 marked globally by gatherings and events. The evolution of 4/20 has been from one of pure consumption to a day to call for change to the legislation and perception of cannabis.
THE VANGUARD OF CANNABIS REFORM
Stolk and ZammitT’s journey
In the realm of cannabis activism in Australia, two names stand out for their unyielding commitment and innovative approaches – Will Stolk and Alec Zammitt. Stolk, originally a professional skier, and Zammitt, a graffiti artist, found common ground in their passion for cannabis reform. Their journey began individually, with Stolk’s ski career and Zammitt’s artistry inadvertently setting the stage for their future activism. Their paths came together as they recognised the need for a dramatic shift in the public and political perception of cannabis in Australia. Together, they embarked on a series of high-profile stunts to challenge the status quo and spark a national conversation about cannabis legalisation, even putting their freedom on the line in the process.
FROM HOLLYWEED TO THE OPERA HOUSE
Signature activism stunts
Due to the illegal nature of cannabis across cultures and societies, activists around the world have employed creative and headline-grabbing stunts to help bring attention to the plight of the cannabis plant. In a world where attention is a currency, getting eyeballs to look means gaining traction for whatever cause you champion. The people who put their freedom on the line to make statements regarding cannabis’ legality are the individuals who are memorialised in cannabis culture.
One of the most iconic cannabis stunts in history is the 1976 “Hollyweed” sign alteration in Los Angeles, California where Daniel N. Finegood used tarps to transform the legendary Hollywood sign to “Hollyweed”. This stunt was re-enacted in 2017 by Zachary Hernandez, who decided to pay homage to the original stunt 41 years later.
In June of 1996, actor and cannabis advocate Woody Harrelson planted four hemp seeds in an effort to protest Kentucky’s archaic laws that didn’t distinguish a difference between hemp and cannabis. Harrelson informed the police of what his plan was and was promptly arrested for cannabis cultivation after putting the seeds in the ground.
In 2016, activist Dana Larsen launched the campaign “Overgrow Canada” which was an effort to give away 1 million cannabis seeds to Canadian citizens in an effort to push for legalisation. Armed with millions of seeds and 40 volunteers, the campaign planted cannabis all over the country and gave away an astounding 2.3 million seeds.
Whether it be The March for Science, The Boston Tea Party or even The Protestant Reformation, history has been shaped and molded by the actions of a few bold people who wanted to challenge the status quo. Stolk and Zammitt’s actions are helping push the envelope on Australian cannabis policies and will help to pave the way for Australia to participate in the global cannabis market.
CHRONICLE OF ACTIVISM
Stolk and ZammitT’s campaign timeline
With nine years under their belt in the realm of cannabis legalisation stunts, Stolk and Zammitt have established a reputation and a career for championing the cause they care about: Cannabis Reform. Stolk and Zammitt’s activism aimed to make bold statements that forced people to think about their country’s relationship with cannabis, much like the other individuals listed above who played their parts in the cannabis activism arena. Here’s a timeline of the work Stolk and Zammitt have done throughout the years:
2017: HYDROPONIC STOREFRONT ON WILLIAMS STREET
On April 20 2017, a storefront on the busy Williams Street was filled with a hydroponic cannabis grow setup with the phrase “Who are we hurting?” as the store’s name. Police were called to the scene and nothing was done about the situation since no laws were broken.
2018: CANNABIS PLANTS ALL OVER SYDNEY
As a performative art piece to normalise cannabis, the Who Are We Hurting? team placed fake cannabis plants throughout Sydney City during the Hemp Health and Innovation Expo. The duo teamed up with the expo to launch this stunt.
2019: MARTIN PLACE CANNABIS CHRISTMAS TREE
Eager to make a statement, Zammitt and Stolk erected a nine-metre-tall statue of a cannabis plant in the heart of Sydney city at Martin Place, in an effort to send a message to the Australian government too big to ignore.
2020: PRIME MINISTER CANNABIS DELIVERY
On April 20, 2020, Stolk and Zammitt delivered a prop pound of cannabis to Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a “peace offering” for the War on Drugs, along with a letter requesting that he legalise cannabis once and for all.
2021: TAX REVENUE STUNT
The Who Are We Hurting? team partnered with Jenny Hallam and other groups to stage a performance art piece at Parliament House in Canberra. They presented $420,000 as a symbolic figure representing the costs of cannabis prohibition enforcement and potential revenue from a legal cannabis market.
2022: SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE CANNA LEAVES
Zammitt and Stolk’s Sydney Opera House stunt has probably been the biggest one that has shaken up the news globally. On April 20, 2022, the pair projected dancing cannabis leaves on the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, putting them up as a call to reform policy in Australia. The duo used high-powered laser beams to project the phrases “Who are we hurting?” and “420” and cannabis leaves across the Opera House. They were promptly arrested afterwards and have recently been vindicated of all charges – a massive win for the Australian cannabis community.
2023: Military Convoy For Medical Cannabis Drivers
Ready with a convoy of armoured vehicles, including a tank, the collective rode through Sydney’s streets, serving as a symbolic battering ram against outdated drug policies around driving under the influence of cannabis, showing their talent for blending protest with performance art.
By Nigel Despinasse
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