Honk for Weed downtown to support the cause

Anyone driving downtown in front of the Lucas County Courthouse Wednesday afternoons will see a group of protesters dressed in green.

They are members of an organization known as Honk for Weed.

They have been on the same street corner every Wednesday since Matthew Green and others started protesting May 1, 2010. They believe that Ohioans should have the right to grow, purchase and ingest marijuana for the relief of a variety of discomforts, be they mental or physical.

"Marijuana is a very good medicine, not to mention the drug war is taking away money from our economy and causing animosity between the people and their government," said Edward "Wild Bill" Kleppinger, owner of 632 Main hemp shop and an original member of Honk for Weed.

Kleppinger said the organization believes that if a medical system was instituted in Ohio, it would be beneficial in many different ways, saying it would make for a wealthier, happier and healthier Ohio.

Honk for Weed does not just rally on the street corner; they have been involved with attempts in Ohio to push for a medicinal program. Kleppinger said they helped collect signatures for the Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment which was delivered to the Attorney General's office on July 27. According to the Ohio Attorney General's website, the document was sent in with 2,167 signatures, 1,000 of which needed to be verified before they could review the language of the referendum.

However, only 534 signatures could be verified. According to letfreedomgrow.com, medicinal marijuana has been proven to help with several different illnesses including nausea, chronic pain, asthma, cancer, glaucoma, bipolar disorder, depression and many more. Kleppinger said he would utilize medicinal marijuana for the pain in his torn Achilles tendon and to balance his moods.

"All marijuana use is medicinal in some way," Kleppinger said.

According to him, whether it is used to relieve pain or to make life a little more bearable, it has medicinal qualities.

According to medical-marijuana-states.com, medicinal marijuana programs have been instituted in 16 states and the District of Columbia.

Michigan is the 13th state to institute a medicinal marijuana program and has already registered approximately 96,000 patients since 2009.

In Kleppinger's eyes, people drive away with a sense of pride, making them more likely to go out and join a group in their community or to vote on upcoming legislation.

"When they drive by and honk, not only does it make the protesters feel good and give them energy, but it changes people from someone who can't do anything, into someone who can," Kleppinger said.

Kleppinger said Honk for Weed has no plans on slowing down, at least not until medicinal marijuana in permitted in Ohio.