Chris Wright (activist)

Chris Wright organized the Minnesota Tea Party, a cannabis rights rally held on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol every September from 1987 to 2013.{{cite web | url=http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1289/a10.html?3860 | title=Grassroots Party Having Quarrel with City Officials: Security Requests Holding Up Permits For Sept. 16 Rally | work=St. Paul Pioneer Press | date=August 31, 2000 | author=Donovan, Lisa | quote=With or without the blessings of the St. Paul police, the Grassroots Party says it is prepared to hold a block party and march Sept. 16 in the name of legalizing marijuana. So far, event organizer and party chairman Chris Wright said he has been unable to get the proper city permits for the "14th Annual Minnesota Tea Party" because he has refused to comply with police requests to hire as many as five off-duty officers.}}

A political rally and music festival called Grassroots Gathering, organized by Wright in 1992, which was to be held on a private campground near Ogilvie, Minnesota, was cancelled by authorities citing incidents reported at the Weedstock festival in Wisconsin the previous year.{{cite journal | title=Judge blocks large Grassroots fest near Ogilvie | journal=Star Tribune | date=May 16, 1992 | author=Doyle, Pat | quote=Wright is running as a member of the Grassroots Party against Democratic U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo. Wright said the festival is intended to raise money for party candidates, and he accused authorities of blocking it to prevent speeches favoring legalization of marijuana. Slattengren said the Minnesota event was intended primarily as a rock concert, not a political rally. The flier makes no explicit reference to politics. The judge described the scheduled gathering as a sequel to Weedstock and a similar Wisconsin festival called Hempstock, held on Labor Day. }}{{cite journal | title=Judge nixes music festival near Ogilvie | journal=St. Paul Pioneer Press | date=May 17, 1992 | author=Associated Press | quote=Fearing a repeat of Weedstock '91, a judge has nixed plans for a Memorial Day weekend festival that promised live music by the Incredible Smoking Bongs. Kanabec County District Court Judge Linn Slattengren issued an injunction Friday blocking the festival, saying that organizers failed to obtain a county permit and that the expected gathering of more than 1,000 people posed a safety hazard.}}

Wright was arrested in 1996 for growing 41 cannabis plants at his home in Minneapolis. He appealed the conviction and lost. Wright argued that under Art. XIII, Sec. 7 of the Minnesota Constitution any person may sell the products of the farm or garden occupied by him without obtaining a license. The Minnesota Court of Appeals reasoned that product labeling, and other restrictions established previously, granted police authority to ban cannabis.{{cite web |title=State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Thomas Christopher Wright, Appellant, C4-98-179 |url=http://www.lawlibrary.state.mn.us/archive/ctappub/9812/c498179.htm |publisher=Minnesota Court of Appeals |location=File No. 96075200 |date=December 22, 1998 |access-date=June 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041221191909/http://www.lawlibrary.state.mn.us/archive/ctappub/9812/c498179.htm |archive-date=December 21, 2004 |url-status=dead }}{{cite journal | title=Right to peddle produce doesn't include pot, court rules | journal=Star Tribune | date=December 23, 1998 | author=Associated Press | quote=The judges noted that the state Supreme Court has previously upheld Minnesota's marijuana laws as a valid exercise of the state's police powers.}}{{cite journal | title=Court upholds state's marijuana laws | journal=St. Paul Pioneer Press | date=December 23, 1998 | author=Associated Press}}

Wright ran for U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district in 1988 as a Grassroots candidate. In 1998, Wright was endorsed by the Grassroots Party for Governor of Minnesota. He got 1,727 votes. In the 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election, Wright got 7,516 votes as a Grassroots candidate. In 2014, Wright got 31,259 votes for governor as a Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis candidate.{{cite web|title=Minnesota Election Results 1998, pp. 30–172 |url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/sessions/electionresults/1998-11-03-g-sec.pdf |work=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library |date=November 1998 |author=Minnesota Secretary of State |author-link=Minnesota Secretary of State }}{{cite news | title=2010 MN Governor Election Results | date=November 2, 2010 | url=http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/Results/Governor/69?officeInElectionId=1695 | work =Minnesota Secretary of State }}{{cite web | url=http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/09/10/governor-candidates-marijuana | title=Minnesota's candidates for governor divided on marijuana laws | work=Minnesota Public Radio | date=September 11, 2014 | author=Pugmire, Tim}}{{cite news | title=2014 MN Governor Election Results | date=November 4, 2014 | url =http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/Results/Governor/20?officeInElectionId=5525 | work =Minnesota Secretary of State }}

Wright was nominated by petition to run for Governor of Minnesota in 2018 as a Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis Party candidate.

In 2022, Wright resigned as chair of G–LC, a post he held for years, to seek Minnesota Legal Marijuana Now Party nomination for governor.{{cite web | url=https://www.southernminn.com/fairibault_daily_news/news/legalize-cannabis-party-to-police-bogus-candidates/article_f2257c60-cfd9-11ec-9054-0b0c11c1523f.html | title=Legalize Cannabis Party to police 'bogus' candidates | work=MinnPost | date=May 9, 2022 | author=Callaghan, Peter}}{{cite web | url=https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-marijuana-party-grapples-with-spoiler-label-in-swing-races/600172775/ | title=Pro-pot party ponders payback: New name proposed to turn tables on GOP over alleged '20 spoiler tactics. | work=Star Tribune | date=May 12, 2022 | author=Bierschbach, Briana | quote="I figure the more the merrier", said Chris Wright, who's running for governor under the Legal Marijuana Now Party banner. }} Wright was eliminated in the primary, receiving 48% of the party's vote.

In addition to legalizing drugs, Wright promotes using hydrogen as fuel.{{cite web | url=http://citycollegenews.com/2017/10/08/politicians-and-citizens-implore-minnesotans-to-legalize-marijuana-at-420-rally/ | title=Politicians and citizens implore Minnesotans to legalize marijuana at 420 rally | work=City College News | date=May 10, 2017 | author=Dickson, Janiese | quote=Chris Wright, who announced his candidacy for governor at the rally, dissented from the popular support of these bills, saying that they don't comply with Article 13, Section 7, of Minnesota's constitution. Wright's reasons are that passing a constitutional amendment would make it difficult to challenge in court and cheat Minnesota farmers of revenue. Article 13, Section 7, states, "any person may sell or peddle the products of the farm or garden occupied and cultivated by him without obtaining a license therefor." }}{{cite web | url=https://minnlawyer.com/2018/06/14/bar-buzz-pro-pot-ag-candidates-got-high-hopes/ | title=Bar Buzz: Pro-pot AG candidate's got high hopes | work=Minnesota Lawyer | date=June 14, 2018 | author=Featherly, Kevin}}

A founding member of the Grassroots Party in 1986, Chris Wright ran as their candidate, between 1988 and 2010, three times. In 2014, Wright and Oliver Steinberg formed the Minnesota Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis Party, and Wright has also run as their candidate several times, including:

• United States Representative from Minnesota's 5th congressional district in 1988
• Governor of Minnesota in 1998, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022
• State Senator from Minnesota's 63rd legislative district in 2020

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{refbegin|30em}}

• Associated Press (May 17, 1992). "Judge nixes music festival near Ogilvie". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Associated Press (December 23, 1998). "Right to peddle produce doesn't include pot, court rules". Star Tribune.
• Condon, Patrick (June 21, 2014). "[http://www.startribune.com/pot-activists-light-up-minnesota-ballot/264118731/ Pot activists light up Minnesota ballot]". Star Tribune.
• Davis, Don (October 4, 2010). "[http://www.grandforksherald.com/content/dayton-emmer-horner-not-only-minnesota-governor-candidates-ballot Dayton, Emmer, Horner not only Minnesota governor candidates on ballot]". Grand Forks Herald.
• Donovan, Lisa (August 31, 2000). "[http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1289/a10.html?3860 Grassroots Party Having Quarrel with City Officials: Security Requests Holding Up Permits For Sept. 16 Rally]". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Doyle, Pat (May 16, 1992). "Judge blocks large Grassroots fest near Ogilvie". Star Tribune, p. 1B.
• Gilyard, Burl (July 5, 1995). "Doobie Brothers: Grassroots Party members grapple with their budding political clout". Twin Cities Reader, p. 1.
• Mosedale, Mike (October 3, 2014). "[http://politicsinminnesota.com/2014/10/a-crowded-field-of-pot-advocates/ A crowded field of pot advocates]". Politics in Minnesota Capitol Report.
• Pecka, Benjamin (May 10, 2017). "[http://citycollegenews.com/2017/05/10/politicians-and-citizens-implore-minnesotans-to-legalize-marijuana-at-420-rally/ Politicians and citizens implore Minnesotans to legalize marijuana at 420 rally]". City College News.
• Pugmire, Tim (September 11, 2014). "[http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/09/10/governor-candidates-marijuana Minnesota's candidates for governor divided on marijuana laws]". Minnesota Public Radio.
• Scheck, Tom (October 21, 2014). "[https://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/10/21/holbrook-wright-governor-candidates Sharp focus, few votes for Cannabis, Libertarian governor hopefuls]". Minnesota Public Radio.

{{refend}}

• [https://mn.gov/law-library-stat/archive//ctappub/9812/c498179.htm "State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Thomas Christopher Wright, Appellant, C4-98-179". File No. 96075200: Minnesota Court of Appeals. December 22, 1998.]
• Callaghan, Peter (June 21, 2023) [https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2023/06/melons-rutabagas-marijuana-minnesota-constitutions-protection-on-peddling-farm-goods-gets-another-look/ "Melons, rutabagas, marijuana? Minnesota Constitution’s protection on peddling farm goods gets another look"] MinnPost

• {{official|http://www.votewright.org}}

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Category:1957 births

Category:Living people

Category:American cannabis activists

Category:American free speech activists

Category:Grassroots Party politicians

Category:People convicted of cannabis offenses

Category:Activists from Minnesota

Category:American political party founders

Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States elections