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Tim Davis (activist)

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This article is about the cannabis rights leader. For other people with similar names, see Tim Davis.
Tim Davis
Personal details
Born
Timothy A. Davis

(1955-09-24) September 24, 1955 (age 69)
St. Louis, Missouri
NationalityAmerican
Political partyLegal Marijuana Now
Other political
affiliations		Grassroots (2010–2012)
Green (2000–2008)
Grassroots (1986–1998)
Socialist (1974–1984)
Yippie (1969–1972)
EducationMinneapolis Community and Technical College
OccupationWarehouse laborer
Known forCannabis rights activism

Timothy A. Davis (born September 24, 1955) is an American cannabis rights activist, cyclist, gardener, politician, writer, retired warehouse laborer, and disc jockey. A founding member of the Grassroots Party in 1986, Davis was their candidate for Minnesota Lieutenant Governor in 1994, and United States Senator in 1996 and 2012.[1][2]

Davis, who helped establish a Saint Louis, Missouri, chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in the 1970s, headed the Minnesota branch of the organization during the 1980s and 1990s.[1][3]

Early career

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Tim Davis’ activism career featured in 2015 NORML Tales comic strip

Tim Davis began his environmental activism career by taking part in the first Earth Day in April, 1970.[citation needed]

Davis volunteered for the Missouri chapter of NORML beginning in the mid-1970s, for more than ten years, until he moved to Minnesota.[3]

A talented public speaker, Davis worked as a radio disc jockey from 1979 to 1986. Davis interviewed medical marijuana patient Robert Randall, among others, in 1979, on KOEL-FM Radio.[4]

1980s–1990s activism

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Davis marching with NORML in the Minneapolis MayDay Parade, in 1991

Radio disc jockey career

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After earning a broadcasting degree from Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Davis worked as a disc jockey at WWTC-AM, in Minneapolis, from 1985 to 1986.

Grassroots Party

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Davis, a founding member of the Minnesota Grassroots Party, in 1986, had a role in the fight in 1988 to get the Grassroots Party into a booth in the coliseum at the Minnesota State Fair, which was staffed by volunteers during the 1990s. Davis was Grassroots Party chairperson throughout the 1990s, and was the party’s candidate for State Representative (District 59B) in 1990, Minnesota Lieutenant Governor in 1994, and United States Senator in 1996.[2][5][6]

Minnesota NORML

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Davis led the Minnesota chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws for over a decade, from the late 1980s until 2000s.[3]

2000s–2010s activism

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In 2002, Davis ran for U.S. Congress from District 5 as the Green Party candidate and received 17,800 votes. His campaign included reducing government military spending in order to raise public education funding, and removing influences corporations have over universities. Davis worked in the campaigns for Ralph Nader in 2000, and 2004.[7][8]

Davis was the Grassroots candidate for United States Senator in 2012 and received 30,531 votes.[9]

2020s activism

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In 2020–2023, Davis served as chairperson of the Legal Marijuana Now Party Minnesota chapter. Legal Marijuana Now candidate Adam Weeks, who was on the ballot in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, died four weeks before the November 3 election, throwing the 2020 election into chaos because a Minnesota state law said that if a major party candidate died during an election campaign, a special election would be held. Federal judges ruled that the election should go ahead, despite state law, so the name of the candidate who was nominated by Legal Marijuana Now Party to replace Weeks, was not on the ballot. Davis stated in a court filing that the ruling would disenfranchise Legal Marijuana Now Party voters, and later encouraged party supporters to cast their votes for the dead candidate, Weeks, in memoriam. Weeks got almost six percent of votes cast, in the three-way race.[10][11][12]

Davis told a reporter on Minnesota Public Radio that Legal Marijuana Now Party intended to run candidates for state and federal offices in 2022.[13] Davis entered the Minnesota State Auditor race in 2022 as a Legal Marijuana Now candidate, and received 87,386 votes.

Political views

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Davis voted Socialist in his first US presidential election, in 1976.

Personal life

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High school student council mayor, Davis, graduated from Roosevelt High School, in St. Louis, and Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

Davis, a retired warehouse laborer, worked as a St. Louis radio disc jockey during the 1970s―1980s. He resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his life partner Mary.

Political candidacy

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Davis has run as a Grassroots, Green, and Legal Marijuana Now candidate several times for various offices, including:

  • Minnesota State Representative, Legislative District 59B, in 1990
  • Minnesota Lieutenant Governor in 1994
  • United States Senator in 1996, and 2012
  • United States Representative from Minnesota's 5th congressional district in 2002
  • Minnesota State Auditor in 2022

Writings

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Davis has written letters and editorials for several publications, including “US Elects President Who Smoked Marijuana” published in 1993 in The Canvas, the Minnesota Grassroots Party newsletter.[1] During the US presidential election in the spring of 1996, Davis wrote, edited, and produced the last issue of GRP’s The Canvas, Volume V, Number 2, with the front page headline “Medical Cannabis Hero and Presidential Candidate Dennis Peron Comes to MayDay Parade on May 5th.”

References

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  1. ^ a b c Gilyard, Burl (July 5, 1995). "Doobie Brothers: Grassroots Party members grapple with their budding political clout". Twin Cities Reader. During a break in the conference, GRP chair Tim Davis leans on a wall to talk. Davis, who joined NORML in 1976, has served as chair of the Grassroots Party for three years. "I've been doing the marijuana issue for 20 years," says Davis. "I'm almost tired of talking about marijuana. ... In the last 10 years we have proved that we're not going to go away. ... What is the worst that can happen if you vote for a third party? They'll win."
  2. ^ a b Shaffer, David (July 22, 1996). "On political fringe, with public funds: Grassroots Party stands on prostitution, adult-child sex push some members away". St. Paul Pioneer Press. The party supports legalizing prostitution, and some party activists have rallied in support of hookers who work in Minneapolis neighborhoods, according to party President Tim Davis. ... Davis, a longtime party activist who is the Grassroots Party's candidate for U.S. Senate, dismissed Steinberg and Vacek as disgruntled former party members. He said Steinberg is a homophobic, "single-issue person" who had no interest in broadening the base of the party. "The legislature should get out of peoples' private lives," said Davis, who added that the party opposes government regulation of firearms, personal drug consumption, prostitution and sodomy. Davis said the party has no position on adult-child sex, but has encouraged discussion about the age of consent.
  3. ^ a b c Kahn, Aron (October 1987). "Marijuana backers keep issue burning / Controversy still alive". Star Tribune. And they say prohibition is futile, anyway, just as it was with alcohol. "They (the government) think they're cracking down, but all they're doing is driving the price up," said Davis, the 32-year-old president of NORML's Minnesota chapter.
  4. ^ Randall, Robert; O'Leary, Alice (1998). Marijuana Rx: The Patients Fight for Medical Pot. Hachette Books. ISBN 9781560251668.
  5. ^ Bjerga, Alan (October 30, 1996). "Grassroots Party high on ideas, growth". Minnesota Daily.
  6. ^ Minnesota Secretary of State (November 1996). "Minnesota Election Results 1996" (PDF). Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. pp. 34–35.
  7. ^ George, Libby (October 17, 2002). "Green Party holds education rally on Northrop mall". Minnesota Daily.
  8. ^ "Results for US Representative District 05". Minnesota Secretary of State. November 5, 2002.
  9. ^ "Statewide Results for US Senator". Minnesota Secretary of State. November 6, 2012.
  10. ^ Associated Press (October 6, 2020). "Legal Marijuana Now Party Names New 2nd District Candidate Following Death Of Adam Weeks". CBS Minnesota. News of Overby's nomination came in a court filing Tuesday in which Legal Marijuana Now Party co-chairman Tim Davis opposed a November election, saying a special election in February would give his party time to get issues before voters. ... Davis said in his court filing that if Craig were to succeed in having the election in November, voters for the Legal Marijuana Now Party and other third parties around the state would be affected. He said that without the special election, members of his party won't be entitled to elect Overby on the existing ballot.
  11. ^ Croman, John (September 25, 2020). "Candidate's death scrubs Minn. congressional race". WKYC.
  12. ^ "Marijuana Party Candidate's Death Is No Reason to Pause Election". Bloomberg Law. October 23, 2020.
  13. ^ Pugmire, Tim (February 23, 2022). "Legal cannabis parties weigh election year strategy". Minnesota Public Radio.

Further reading

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