Grassroots Party

The permanent platform of the Grassroots Party was the Bill of Rights. Individual candidates' positions on issues varied from Libertarian to Green. All Grassroots candidates would end marijuana/hemp prohibition, thus re-legalizing cannabis for all its uses.

Jack Herer (1939–2010), author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes: Hemp & The Marijuana Conspiracy, was the Grassroots presidential candidate in 1988{{cite web |title=Minnesota Election Results 1988 |url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/sessions/electionresults/1988-11-08-g-sec.pdf |work=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library |page=18 |date=November 1988 |author=Minnesota Secretary of State |author-link=Minnesota Secretary of State}} and 1992.{{cite web |title=Federal Elections 92: Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives |page=9 |url=http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe1992/federalelections92.pdf |work=Federal Election Commission |date=June 1993 |author=Klein, Patricia A.}}

Grassroots Party ran candidates in every presidential election from 1988 to 2000.{{cite web |url=http://www.ballot-access.org/1996/allvotes96.html |title=1996 Presidential Election Results by State |work=Ballot Access News |date=October 7, 1998 |author=Bickford, Bob }}{{cite web |title=2000 Official Presidential General Election Results |url=http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2000presgeresults.htm |date=December 2001 |website=Federal Election Commission}}

In 1996 the Grassroots Party of Minnesota nominated Dennis Peron in the presidential election. In 2000, the Grassroots Party of Vermont nominated Denny Lane as their presidential candidate.

In 2012, the Grassroots Party nominated Minnesota businessman Jim Carlson as their presidential candidate.KBJR-TV (June 29, 2012) [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47989774/ns/local_news-duluth_mn/t/duluth-head-shop-owner-continues-presidential-bid/ "Duluth Head Shop Owner Continues Presidential Bid"]{{dead link|date=August 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, MSNBC. Retrieved July 9, 2012.[http://www.ballot-access.org/2012/07/07/grassroots-party-nominates-a-presidential-ticket/ "Grassroots Party Nominates a Presidential Ticket"], Ballot Access News. July 7, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2012.

The Grassroots Party was established in Minnesota in 1986, by Tim Davis, Derrick Grimmer, Oliver Steinberg, and Chris Wright, as an independent political party that focused on marijuana legalization. Derrick Grimmer, Ph.D., ran for Minnesota Attorney General in 1986. Grimmer received 16,394 votes.{{cite web |title=Minnesota Election Results 1986 |page=27 |url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/sessions/electionresults/1986-11-04-g-sec.pdf |work=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library |date=November 1986 |author=Minnesota Secretary of State |author-link=Minnesota Secretary of State }}

Founding member Oliver Steinberg, who was a Republican candidate for US Congress in 1984,{{cite web |title=Minnesota Election Results 1984 |page=4 |url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/archive/sessions/electionresults/1984-09-11-p-sec.pdf |work=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library |date=September 1984 |author=Minnesota Secretary of State |author-link=Minnesota Secretary of State}} had a background of violence discrediting the peace movement in the 1970s.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/05/12/archives/violent-actions-reported-rising-frustration-also-mounts-as-students.html |title=Violent Actions Reported Rising: Frustration Also Mounts as Students Clash with Police |work=The New York Times |date=May 12, 1972 |author=Darn, John |quote=The shooting in Madison occurred about 2:30 A.M., the police said, after hours of street fighting, when three policemen followed a car containing three students suspected of having planted Molotov cocktails near an insurance building. As the patrol car followed the car to the driveway of an apartment building at Dayton and Bedford Streets, eight shots were fired from the building, the police said. One policeman was wounded in the wrist, and the other two—including John Halford, who was hospitalized—were wounded in the shoulder. The police returned the fire and flushed five men out of the building with tear gas. A 22‐caliber and a .25‐caliber pistol were found. The man charged with three counts of attempted murder was identified as Oliver W. Steinberg, former undergraduate. The three occupants of the car were charged with conspiracy to commit arson. Bail for Mr. Steinberg was set at $55,000, and for the other three at $10,000. All are Madison residents.}} Steinberg was the Grassroots candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 1990.

The Grassroots Party of Minnesota (GRP) ran a full slate of statewide candidates in 1994 and won more votes than all other third parties in Minnesota combined.{{cite web |title=Minnesota Election Results 1994 |url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/sessions/electionresults/1994-11-08-g-sec.pdf |work=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library |pages=27–36 |date=November 1994 |author=Minnesota Secretary of State |author-link=Minnesota Secretary of State }}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1994/11/26/in-minnesota-joint-return-takes-on-a-new-meaning/97d0b95b-6d5f-45c3-9877-0d9e343b8a08/ |title=In Minnesota, Joint Return Takes On A New Meaning |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 26, 1994 |author=Brauer, David}} The Vermont Grassroots Party was formed in 1994.

Russell Bentley, a party candidate for US Senate in 1990 and US Congress in 1992 and GRP board member, was arrested on marijuana smuggling charges in 1996. Bentley was sentenced to five years in federal prison.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-monitor-russell-bentley/155197768/ |title=Man sentenced in marijuana case |work=The Monitor |date=August 10, 1996 }}

In Minnesota in 1996 the Grassroots Party split, forming the Independent Grassroots Party for one election cycle. John Birrenbach was the Independent Grassroots presidential candidate and George McMahon was the vice-presidential candidate. Dan Vacek was the Independent Grassroots candidate for US Representative (MN District 4).{{cite journal |title=On political fringe, with public funds: Grassroots Party stands on prostitution, adult-child sex push some members away |journal=St. Paul Pioneer Press |date=July 22, 1996 |author=Shaffer, David |quote=Has the Grassroots Party retreated further to the political fringe just as Minnesota taxpayers are beginning to subsidize it? At least some party activists think so, including party co-founder Oliver Steinberg, who recently was expelled in an ideological clash. ... "They say politics makes strange bedfellows," said Steinberg, who founded the party with two other pro-marijuana activists in 1986. "But I don't think the people who vote for the Grassroots Party or give their money to support it want to mix the politics of prostitution and pederasty."}}{{cite web |title=Minnesota Election Results 1996 |url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/archive/sessions/electionresults/1996-11-05-g-sec.pdf |work=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library |pages=34–40 |date=November 1996 |author=Minnesota Secretary of State |author-link=Minnesota Secretary of State }} In 1998, members of the Independent Grassroots Party established the Legal Marijuana Now political party.{{cite web |url=http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=12527 |title=Q & A with the Legal Marijuana Now Party of Minnesota |work=The North Star |date=April 20, 2016 |author=Brash, Jim |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510221357/http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=12527 |archive-date=May 10, 2017 |url-status=usurped }}

File:Minnesota Grassroots Party on April 15, 1991.jpg

In 1990, Ross Culverhouse, a computer programmer and Vietnam veteran was the Grassroots gubernatorial candidate. Oliver Steinberg was the party's candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Culverhouse received 17,176 votes.

Will Shetterly, a science-fiction writer and actor, ran for governor of Minnesota in 1994. He placed third out of six candidates.{{cite news |first=Will |last=Shetterly |title=Will Shetterly: Biography |date=2008-08-08 |url=http://shetterly.blogspot.com/p/biography.html |access-date=2021-05-02 |archive-date=2012-05-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527222351/http://shetterly.blogspot.com/p/biography.html |url-status=dead }}

In 2000, the party nominated David Daniels, an African American playwright/performance artist from Minneapolis, as candidate for the United States Senate. Daniels had a very small campaign budget and was only invited to speak at some events broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio and Twin Cities Public Television. On election day, Daniels received 21,447 votes.{{cite news |title=Hopefuls from small parties advocate big ideas |work=Star Tribune |date=October 17, 2000 |agency=Associated Press |quote=The third-party candidates running for the U.S. Senate may suffer from low visibility and virtually nonexistent campaign budgets, but a debate among those candidates Monday night showed they are not lacking in big and bold ideas. Their proposals ranged from ending the war on drugs to remaking society into one that is controlled by workers and farmers. The 30-minute debate, sponsored by the Minnesota Citizens' Forum and broadcast on Twin Cities Public Television. }}{{cite news |title=Bold ideas advanced by minor parties |work=Star Tribune |date=October 22, 2000 |agency=Associated Press |quote=Playwright and performance artist David Daniels wonders why two of his productions were shut down because of marijuana smoking in the audience. }}{{cite news |title=Minnesota Secretary of State, 2000 US Senate Election Results |date=2000-11-07 |url=http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20001107/ElecRslts.asp?M=S&R=S&P=A |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110153611/http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20001107/ElecRslts.asp?M=S&R=S&P=A |archive-date=2012-11-10 }}

In 2002, Grassroots Party co-founder and candidate, Tim Davis, joined the Green Party. Davis returned to the Grassroots Party and ran for United States Senator in 2012. Davis, in 2020, became chairperson of the Legal Marijuana Now Party Minnesota chapter.

In 2010, Grassroots candidate Chris Wright was on the ballot in the governor's election.

The last Grassroots Party candidates ran in Minnesota, in 2012.

Steinberg and Wright, in 2014, formed the Minnesota Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis Party. Davis and the rest of the Grassroots Party, from 2014 to 2016, merged into the Minnesota Legal Marijuana Now Party.{{cite web |url=http://www.citypages.com/arts/preaching-parking-and-profiting-life-just-outside-the-minnesota-state-fair/442372503 |title=Preaching Parking and Profiting: Life Just Outside the Minnesota State Fair |work=City Pages |date=August 31, 2017 |author= |quote=We used to be called the Grassroots Party, now we’re the Legal Marijuana Now Party }}

In 2023, Grassroots Party founder Oliver Steinberg testified before the Minnesota Senate Public Safety Committee, in favor of Senate File 73 to create a regulated commercial cannabis market in the state.{{cite web |url=https://www.kare11.com/article/news/politics/senate-panel-takes-in-marijuana-testimony/89-e9a16bbe-edcf-417c-ba57-67ca46827c5c |title=Minnesota Senate panel takes in marijuana bill: The Senate's Public Safety Committee heard testimony on recreational pot legislation for the first time |author=Croman, John |work=KARE-TV |date=January 26, 2023 }} Some scholars have credited Minnesota's marijuana political parties, including GRP, for the state Democratic Party championing cannabis legalization after 2016.{{cite web |url=https://www.startribune.com/how-minnesota-got-to-marijuana-legalization-politically/600230521/ |title=How Minnesota got to marijuana legalization politically |author=Labovitch, William |work=Star Tribune |date=November 27, 2022 }}

Derrick Grimmer, Ph.D., a founding member of the Grassroots Party, moved from Minnesota to Iowa in 1988 and formed the Grassroots Party of Iowa. Grimmer ran for Iowa State Treasurer in 1990 and received 15,745 votes and he ran for U.S. House of Representatives (IA District 3) in 1994 and received 2,282 votes.{{cite web |title=1990 General Election: Official Canvass Summary |url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/results/90s/1990gencanv.pdf |work=Iowa Election Results Archive |date=November 1990 |author=Iowa Secretary of State |author-link=Iowa Secretary of State }}{{cite web |title=1994 General Election: Official Canvass Summary |page=4 |url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/results/90s/1994gencanv.pdf |work=Iowa Election Results Archive |date=November 1994 |author=Iowa Secretary of State |author-link=Iowa Secretary of State }}

The Vermont Grassroots Party formed in 1994. Dennis Lane was their candidate for Governor of Vermont in 1994, and 1996. Bill Coleman ran for Lieutenant Governor in 1996, and again in 1998.

Joel Williams was the Vermont Grassroots nominee for Governor in 1998, and 2000.

In 1994, in addition to Governor, Vermont Grassroots ran candidates for U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Auditor of Accounts, and Attorney General. Robert Melamede was Vermont Grassroots nominee for U.S. Senator, in 1994, and again in 1998.{{cite web |title=Cannabis Advocate and Researcher 'Dr. Bob' Melamede Dies at 75 |url=https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/cannabis-advocate-and-researcher-dr-bob-melamede-dies-at-75/Content?oid=38092004 |work=Seven Days |date=April 25, 2023 |author=Picard, Ken }}

In 1996, genetic researcher and microbiologist Melamede, whose views promoting the curative properties of cannabis put him at odds with mainstream academia, was Grassroots candidate for U.S. Representative. Vermont Grassroots again ran a slate of candidates including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Representative, Attorney General, Auditor of Accounts, State Treasurer, and Secretary of State.

Three Vermont Grassroots candidates won five percent or more of the popular vote in the 1996 election, qualifying the Grassroots Party for recognized major party status in Vermont.{{cite web |title=Election Results Archive: 1996 General Election |url=http://vtelectionarchive.sec.state.vt.us/elections/search/year_from:1996/year_to:1996/stage:General |work=Vermont Elections Database |date=1996 |author=Secretary of State of Vermont |author-link=Secretary of State of Vermont }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In 1998 Vermont Grassroots ran a slate of candidates including gubernatorial candidate Joel Williams who received 3,305 votes (1.5%), and U.S. Senate candidate Melamede who received 2,459 votes (1.1%). Matthew Mulligan received 3,464 votes (1.6%) for U.S. Representative; Randy Bushey got 12,312 votes (6%) for State Treasurer; Steven Saetta got 6,345 votes (3%) for Auditor of Accounts; Dennis "Denny" Lane received 8,347 votes (3.9%) for Secretary of State and Sandy "Wells" Ward got 17,954 votes (8.8%) for Attorney General.{{cite web |title=Election Results Archive: 1998 General Election |url=http://vtelectionarchive.sec.state.vt.us/elections/search/year_from:1998/year_to:1998/stage:General |work=Vermont Elections Database |date=1998 |author=Secretary of State of Vermont |author-link=Secretary of State of Vermont }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In 2000 the Vermont Grassroots Party ran a slate of candidates with Ward leading the ticket as candidate for Attorney General, receiving 38,713 votes, or 14.7% of the popular vote.{{cite web |title=Election Results Archive: 2000 General Election |url=http://vtelectionarchive.sec.state.vt.us/elections/search/year_from:2000/year_to:2000/stage:General |work=Vermont Elections Database |date=2000 |author=Secretary of State of Vermont |author-link=Secretary of State of Vermont }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

The Grassroots Party of Vermont fielded candidates representing a mixture of liberal and libertarian views for over a decade. The Vermont Grassroots Party dissolved after 2002.

In 2002 one of the Vermont Grassroots state leaders, Joel Williams, became a member of the Libertarian Party of Vermont. The Vermont Marijuana Party was formed in 2002 by Loretta Nall and Cris Ericson.

Vermont Grassroots Party ran a full slate, including gubernatorial candidates, in 2002. Teresa Bouchard led the way as candidate for State Treasurer with 10,757 votes (4.8%).{{cite web |title=Election Results Archive: 2002 General Election |url=http://vtelectionarchive.sec.state.vt.us/elections/search/year_from:2002/year_to:2002/stage:General |work=Vermont Elections Database |date=2002 |author=Secretary of State of Vermont |author-link=Secretary of State of Vermont }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In 2016, musician and martial artist Marvin Sotelo ran for U.S. House of Representatives in California's 40th congressional district as a Grassroots Party candidate. In California the top two vote-getters in the primary advance to the general election. Sotelo did not make it onto the ballot.{{cite web |url=http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1270372 |title=Satanist Runs For Congress |date=September 14, 2015 |work=CNN |author=Toole, Edwardo |access-date=May 2, 2021 |archive-date=October 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007120811/http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1270372 |url-status=dead }}

File:1994 The Canvas Vol. III No. 3.jpg

The Canvas, the newsletter of the Grassroots Party of Minnesota, was published quarterly from 1991 until 1996. It reached a circulation of 5,000 printed copies.

The name of The Canvas was inspired by Webster's Dictionary definition of the word, which literally means "hempen."

From 1991 to 1994, The Canvas newsletter was designed and edited by Dan Vacek. During 1992, The Canvas was co-edited by Roger Gibian. In 1994–1995, Will Shetterly edited and produced The Canvas for several issues. In 1996, an issue of the newsletter was edited by Steven Anderson, and the last issue, published for the 1996 elections, was edited by Tim Davis.

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