Some of our UK readers may be familiar with the masked artist, author and activist known as Outlaw. Some are even beginning to refer to him as the Banksy of weed. This mysterious figure is based in Manchester and is known for his political activism including his Overgrow The Government movement. Not only does this masked man fight for cannabis legalisation he has also been seen giving out essential items during the pandemic, giving cash to the homeless and handing out free weed. So let’s have a look at who this activist is, and what they could potentially do for legalising cannabis in the UK.
The Government
It is likely obvious to many in the UK that the current government is not the most popular in recent history. This is, of course, partly due to the way in which the coronavirus was dealt with. However, there has been a good deal of unhappiness brewing amongst the people since Brexit. The current attitude towards Westminster is generally negative, and I’m sure most of us know about the push in Scotland to be separated altogether. At any time of civil unrest, activists will likely begin to rise up and take centre stage. Outlaw appears to be such an activist.
Activism
Outlaw has appeared in the headlines for a number of stunts and viral videos. The most recent of which saw him handing out essentials in Manchester during the height of the pandemic. In the video, he goes from home to home blaring Bobby McFerrin’s hit Don’t Worry Be Happy from a van labelled “Free isolation essentials. Loo roll, sanitiser, bottled water. Mini grinders, raws, prerolls, bud.” Like some wonderfully altruistic and probably stoned ice cream man. He then proceeds to put essentials on peoples paths, making sure to keep his distance, and intermittently handing out little bags of bud in white envelopes.
Not only did he provide a home to home service, he actually set up in the middle of Manchester with a big green sign proclaiming “Free Bud”. He was arrested, of course, but not before handing out what some have claimed was £800 – £1000 worth of free cannabis. The video is definitely worth watching, it doesn’t take long after they erect the sign for a wide range of people to queue up for their free bud. Though this act is essentially just wanton public lawbreaking it is also true that it highlights that the social attitude towards weed is not necessarily the same as that of the government.
However, it is not necessarily fair to say that an activist being arrested is always due to lawbreaking. Outlaw’s previous large stunt involved him dressing up as Santa and handing out £10 notes to homeless people and rough sleepers in Manchester. This was partly as a reaction to the government retracting their promise to house rough sleepers in hotels during the harsher weather. Outlaw filmed the act and placed it on his Instagram, which somehow caught police attention. The masked Santa handed out Christmas Cards with the cash inside to a range of people who were sleeping on the streets. Many of them were visibly moved by the generosity and the caption of the video claimed that ‘giving could be one of the best things you receive this year.’ Outlaw also said that ‘If you can’t help 100 people, help one. We all know the government won’t.’ Though Outlaw was placed in the back of a police van it is stated that he was not arrested or charged. Not sure what they would have charged him with, but I suppose I’m not a lawyer.
During his time as masked Santa, he also bought toys for underprivileged children and gave cash to their parents to see them through the difficult holiday season.
Other/Charity Work
Of course, the last paragraph of his activism could be seen as charity work. However, it was also definitely a commentary on how the government has treated homeless people, especially in these unprecedentedly tough times. However, there are a few more subtle aspects of Outlaw’s charity work that I would like to delve into.
Outlaw’s Legal Service
One of the most frustrating aspects of our legal system is the clear advantage that those with money have after being arrested or charged. For anyone who cannot afford legal help, advice, or support, prison time is often a pretty safe bet whether or not they have committed a crime. This is especially true when we look at drug crime statistics and consider those who pay a high price for a minor offence and those who face a small fine for a much larger one.
This is why Outlaw created Outlaws Legal Service, a service that now has 1000s of solicitors involved who will provide free services to those who cannot afford legal aid. This not only covers police interviews and phone calls but can be used if they need to take the police to court for a civil case. This kind of support and representation may be vital for countless people in the UK who otherwise would have little to no legal help available.
News/Police and Court Corruption Files
On the website, readers can find a wealth of news stories about corruption in both the police and government. Of course, I am in no way claiming that Outlaw’s website acts as a reliable news source, but it is important to encourage independent thinking and criticism of the media and the government. Below this, you can also find a range of information on police and government officials who have been caught breaking the law and have been reported on. Again, this is simply to allow the public access to the stories and records that may not be as heavily reported on in mainstream media.
Essentially I am encouraging you to think for yourself and do not want to sway you in any particular direction. However, it could be that Outlaw is one of the many keys to this country moving towards any kind of legalisation.
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Photo by Anand Thakur on Unsplash