Martin Condon, Cork weed activist, is planning a Christmas cannabis market in the city.
He hopes it will be similar to an event held in Dublin at the weekend where the Major Group for Cannabis Reform hosted “Ireland’s first indoor cannabis market and social lounge.”
A Cork cannabis activist is planning to bring a Christmas-market style event to the city for growers, dealers and users to come together, sell their products and enjoy social cannabis consumption.
Cork man, dad-of-two, podcast host and avid cannabis campaigner Martin Condon is looking to organise an event that he says aims to raise awareness that “the criminalisation of cannabis is wrong.”
Martin, who has been campaigning for over 10 years to legalise the drug said the Christmas market “will facilitate the sale, showcase the skills of growers, and allow the community to enjoy each other’s company.”
He hopes it will be similar to an event held in Dublin last weekend where the Major Group for Cannabis Reform hosted “Ireland’s first indoor cannabis market and social lounge.”
Martin was there at the invite-only event and described around 200 people selling and buying illegal drugs, and enjoying some weed and music in an upstairs lounge. On sale were a host of products including weed, hash and edibles.
Martin even livestreamed part of the day to online viewers, with video footage showing him purchasing €50 worth of hash on camera and a clip of a standard leaf blower turned into a makeshift weed cannon, fogging the lounge with cannabis smoke.
For the Cork market, Martin said he wants to encourage “home-growers” to show their wares, rather than have mostly imported plants on display like was the case at the Dublin gathering.
“It was a good event,” he said, “and what I want for Cork would be similar, we’re looking into venues now,
“But I want to see more locally grown product, my only criticism would be that the lads in Dublin had a lot of imported stuff,
“There was no organised crime or gangs involved, none of that, and I want to keep it that way” he said, “But I want more home brands.”
Martin Condon said he expects a crowd similar to that of the Dublin event for his Christmas cannabis market in Cork.
Martin thinks having an event like this in Cork will help to “destigmatize” cannabis use, a practice which he says is far more common among “all walks of life” than many people think.
“My activism is to right the wrong of cannabis criminalisation, with users for years cast away into the shadows, and undo the harm and create a more accepting society.”
Martin’s activism has gotten him in trouble with the law and has a number of what he calls “civil disobedience protests” under his belt. The stunts have garnered him huge support, with thousands of Facebook followers backing his message of cannabis legalisation.
He planted cannabis at public locations, including outside Cork city hall. He sent hundreds of ‘joints’ to high profile politicians including TDs and President Michael D Higgins.
Next week, Martin is due before Cork city district court next week after “gifting” members of the gardai at Anglesea Street Garda station cannabis flowers on Valentine’s Day – a move he said was “to express my love” and “only a bit of craic.”
Ahead of his court date he said “The odds are evermore in my favour. The criminalisation of cannabis is wrong, look at US President Joe Biden, what he’s done in the last few days, pardoning those with drug possession charges – it only legitimises what we’re standing for, and I’m hopeful events like what we’re planning at Christmas will only bring more awareness.”
