"We have activists, lawyers, veterans, and everyday people like yourself," said Vanessa Maria, making reference to the speakers at the rally at Love Park for the legalization of cannabis which took place July 10, 2015. More generally, however, she was also referencing to the diversity of those in support of the legalization of the plant, which includes the East Coast Cannabis Coalition, for which she is a spokesperson.

N.A. Poe, activist and comedian, had a different take on the group of protesters. "Look, I look out at a lot of you, and you just smoke weed," he said. "But you're going to meet a lot of people today that use cannabis for a lot of different causes."

New Jersey resident Ricardo Rivera was at the rally and said that before his young daughter took medical marijuana she would have 300 seizures a day. Also in attendance was lawyer, activist and professor Michael Coard, who spoke to the crowd. "I don't need to preach to the choir," he said, "but let me just share some important legal information with you." He then went on to advocate that people join as many juries as possible and to use nullification, a legal action whereby states can nullify any federal law which is deemed unconstitutional. 

As veterans wearing kilts and holding American flags adorned with pot leaves instead of stars took to the stage, the protestors began to smoke marijuana, hoping, as Vanessa Maria had put it, that the "smoke would go all the way to Harrisburg."

Many of the people I approached during the event to be interviewed on camera declined. However, I happened to luck out with "Weedney Houston" a trans woman who is the star of some of the East Coast Cannabis Coalition's YouTube videos. 

"I think it's a great movement," she said. "It's something that needs to happen for the LGBT community, everyone just needs to have equality".