When I was approached by Cody Blackbird about performing at this event, I felt a relief I had not anticipated before. Throughout my life, growing up in South Dakota, the idea of any form of cannabis, even pop culture on it, was outlawed. Sure, all my friends and cousins smoked, but overall to associate with marijuana was a sentence for some sort of demonization. Therefore, you don't find as much advocacy in the state (at least in my eyes), unless its taken as a joke, or something from shops who obviously would benefit from legalization anyway. Though, I gotta admit, it is a breath of fresh air to experience store-going without judgment.

Cody understands, a relative of mine, just how important it is not just to have weed legalized for the sake of pot. For me, and many like us, it's a severe justice we hope for our relatives, friends, idols, even enemies who have been placed into the system from this state's overreaction. We have so much meth, murder, suicide, depression... so many issues in this state (regardless of COVID), to me it should only be blatantly evident that Noem and her supporters care more about oppression than the actual well-being of the whole state. It's clear who greatly deals with the punishments of these make-believe laws and prohibitions: those who can't afford to hide.

Those unaware of alternative testing methods, the tips and tricks: they fall victim to this. Whereas college-goers, the wealthy with private lands and family homes get to "experiment" and enjoy "safely". I remember VIVIDLY - being fearful of college expulsion, of excessive charges, even being so far away from South Dakota. It felt like my life was on the line, because I knew that I would be persecuted harder than the next, expected to be guilty harder than the next. So I stayed plum sober through most of it. I walked one night back home, and the common conversations I'd pick up on from the sidewalk would often include, "Yeah, so that night we did X drug, then smoked Y, then we drank some Z and took a little W to take the edge off." - I was fuming. Nothing felt fair, in that regard.

It boils down to creating a hierarchy of privilege. Do you know how many across the board of South Dakota's employment line just use horse-piss and it's fine? They keep those jobs, but not everybody has that luxury, even if the formulas are sold on the rez. All for things that are just going to eventually become legal, anyway. Idk, the arguments go on....

I'm really glad to be able to make my statement/musical stand with the artists here on this event. My parents are fans of some of these ppl, let alone me, and that's a first in my line of work. Thank you Wopida tanka Cody, and the whole Freedom We're On It team. Here's to the end of a prohibition and the return of privileges and opportunities to some of the people who need and deserve it.