« Rock The Bells (Tribe Called Quest) presales | Main | (the new) Bonde Do Role @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC - pics »
Posted in music | pictures on May 16, 2008
Medical Marijuana benefit @ Highline Ballroom, NYC - pics
photos & words by Chris La Putt
Nicole Atkins
Looking at the list of celebrities in this lineup made me very confused, but by the end of the night (May 14, 2008) I understood why they support the cause of medical marijuana.
The benefit was actually an effort to protect seriously ill patients who use medical marijuana in New York. Incidentally, the host committee and the guest list was made up of a number of Libertarians, Conservative Party members, as well as a handful of Republicans. State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno (R) was awarded for his continued effort in pushing this through NY legislation. I was disappointed though - he didn't actually accept the award himself. His Director of Public Affairs in NYC, Lisa Black, accepted it on his behalf because he had other business to attend to.
Montel Williams
Comedian Steve Marshall was the mc of the benefit that included an appearance by my favorite all-time MTV heroes/Libertarians Kurt Loder. Kurt took the stage and started by rattling off a number of statistics on medical marijuana. Up next, talk show host and Montel Williams gave an impassioned speech on legalizing medical marijuana and how much it helps with the pain for those seriously ill. Williams himself is afflicted with multiple sclerosis. He gave an award to Joel Peacock, a member of the Conservative Party who has been leading the fight to gain medical marijuana after a debilitating car accident in 2001 caused him excruciating pain. Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas introduced the only musical act of the evening,Nicole Atkins and the Sea (Nicole is also a fan of medical magic mushrooms). John Stossel closed the evening by telling everyone that he wants to legalize every form of drugs on the planet (well not really, but it was close to it).
More pictures from the night below....
Tags: Kurt Loder, marijuana, medical marijuana, Montel Williams, MTV, Nicole Atkins
Posted on May 16, 2008 10:27 AM
Leave a comment
Powered by Ajax Comments
« Rock The Bells (Tribe Called Quest) presales | Main | (the new) Bonde Do Role @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC - pics »
Comments (36)
i would love to nail her
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 10:44 AM
... you beat me to it...
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 10:53 AM
what, no tag for Montel?
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 11:00 AM
i heart nicole atkins
Posted by nazz nomad | May 16, 2008 11:05 AM
being at this thing must have ruled. i wonder if they served "cookies" and "tea"
also hell yeah medical magic mushrooms!
Posted by freakin_hippies | May 16, 2008 11:05 AM
Montel is a hypocrite. He's doing more to hurt this cause than anyone. Montel is the public face shilling for the prescription drug companies on television. The drug lobby is the most powerful force against medical marijuana, blocking legislation all over the country. Montel should get his head out of his ass (and wallet) if he expects to actually have a positive influence.
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 11:08 AM
dude...huh?
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 11:08 AM
farted
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 11:11 AM
I support medical LSD as well.
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 11:20 AM
I support nailing her.
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 11:51 AM
I'd hit... a joint
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 12:16 PM
>Montel is a hypocrite.
No doubt. But still -- imagine getting high with him?
RIGHTEOUS.
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 12:16 PM
Re: The next-to-last photo and the photo before that
They're hurting the cause of medical marijuana by linking recreational marijuana use to it.
Posted by John Q. Public | May 16, 2008 12:21 PM
hahaha - im a statistic, im a statistic!
1 of 39,000! sweet.
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 12:29 PM
39,000 arrests for misdemeanor possession???? Holy fuck, this is a disgrace. how much money and time were wasted on this bullshit. cops are fucking idiots for enabling this nonsense.
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 12:40 PM
Chris - stunning photos, you did an amazing job! These are among your best.
BV comments are among the worst on the net, but I especially feel disgust when I read people making supposedly silly remarks on whether they'd "hit" any female in any photo posted on this site. I don't know how any supposedly progressive music fan, as I (incorrectly?) assume readers of this blog might be, could create and contribute to an atmosphere of misogyny on a website built to support the scene they're a part of.
It might be just a silly joke, but if so, it's a really disrespectful and tired one - among all the other disrespectful and tired comments on this site.
Posted by lori | May 16, 2008 12:50 PM
So Lori, you say you're a progressive music fan?...
Posted by The loneliest King Crimson fan in the Universe. | May 16, 2008 12:58 PM
wow nicole atkins is like hot and stuff
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 1:00 PM
How much do you weight, Lori?
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 1:07 PM
I'd hit Daft Punk (literally).
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 1:17 PM
They're ageist, too, Lori. None of them said they'd hit Michelle Phillips!
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 1:20 PM
I'd hit John Stossel... upside the head!
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 1:40 PM
Best to ignore the idiot commentators Lori. Notice that the Daft Punk kids have left the house.
Posted by drewo | May 16, 2008 1:46 PM
"Best to ignore the idiot commentators"
You're one to talk, Drewo.
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 2:00 PM
i second lori ;)
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 2:22 PM
Montel looks sooo baked.
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 3:33 PM
"I'd hit John Stossel... upside the head!"
Dr. D beat you to it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stossel#The_Schults_incident
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 4:36 PM
Stossel's the best!
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 4:39 PM
"No doubt. But still -- imagine getting high with him?
RIGHTEOUS."
Truer words have rarely been written on BV.
Posted by adamvk | May 16, 2008 4:44 PM
kurt loder? does that fool still work for MTV? what is he, like 70 years old? still hanging with the "cool kids." rock on old man. its better to burn out than fade away
Posted by sam champion | May 16, 2008 6:23 PM
don't you mean "it's better to burn than fade away"
Posted by Anonymous | May 16, 2008 7:17 PM
it's so great to see a bunch of artists get together to benefit something really IMPORTANT
Posted by Anonymous | May 17, 2008 12:46 AM
I'd hit lori/12:50.
Posted by Anonymous | May 17, 2008 3:17 AM
The comments here are just disgusting.
Frustration and anger everywhere.
Posted by susanna | May 18, 2008 4:22 AM
O, Susanna! O, don't decry our comments.
Posted by Anonymous | May 19, 2008 12:16 AM
I'd hit Susanna.
Posted by Anonymous | May 19, 2008 1:18 AM