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.[10][11]
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.[7][12] The Minnesota Court of Appeals reasoned that product labeling, and other restrictions established previously, granted police authority to ban cannabis.[13][14]
Grassroots Party operated a booth inside the Minnesota State Fair throughout the 1990s; Amid occurrences of political violence in 2025, Wright recalled being confronted at the Grassroots Party State Fair booth by people who said he "should be shot" for expressing his opinion about legalizing marijuana; Wright continued defending American free speech, and condemned divisive politics, instead promoting political unity across the country.[15]
In 1998, Wright was endorsed by the Grassroots Party for Governor of Minnesota; He got 1,727 votes.[16] In the 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election, Wright got 7,516 votes as a Grassroots candidate.[17] In 2014, Wright got 31,259 votes for governor as a Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis candidate.[18][19] Wright was nominated by petition to run for Governor of Minnesota in 2018 as a Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis Party candidate and received 68,664 votes.[20]
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.[21][22] Wright was eliminated in the primary, receiving 48% of the party's vote.[23]
Wright was an organizer of 2023 Minnesota Legal Marijuana Now state and local conventions, with speakers and music by Paul Metsa and Kung Fu Hippies, that grew into a celebration rally on the capitol steps, April 29; During the event, state party chair Dennis Schuller said that federal prohibition laws against cannabis, overseeing implementation of the state's regulated market, and expungement of past criminal records, are among tasks that remain for Minnesota Legal Marijuana Now! Party.[24][25]
Political candidacy
A founding member of the Grassroots Party in 1986, Chris Wright ran as their candidate, between 1988 and 2010, multiple times. In 2014, Wright and Oliver Steinberg formed the Minnesota Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis Party, and Wright has also run as their nominee several times from 2014–2020, and as a Legal Marijuana Now candidate in 2022,[22] for offices including:
United States Representative from Minnesota's 5th congressional district in 1988
↑ Mosedale, Mike (October 3, 2014). "A crowded field of pot advocates". Politics in Minnesota Capitol Report. In gubernatorial bid, the Grassroots Party's Chris Wright is no longer such a lonely voice. Chris Wright is the gubernatorial candidate of the Grassroots Party, the pro-marijuana legalization party he helped to found in 1986.
1 2 Dickson, Janiese (May 10, 2017). "Politicians and citizens implore Minnesotans to legalize marijuana at 420 rally". City College News. 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."
↑ Donovan, Lisa (August 31, 2000). "Grassroots Party Having Quarrel with City Officials: Security Requests Holding Up Permits For Sept. 16 Rally". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 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.
↑ Doyle, Pat (May 16, 1992). "Judge blocks large Grassroots fest near Ogilvie". Star Tribune. 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.
↑ Associated Press (May 17, 1992). "Judge nixes music festival near Ogilvie". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 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.
↑ Associated Press (December 23, 1998). "Court upholds state's marijuana laws". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
↑ Associated Press (December 23, 1998). "Right to peddle produce doesn't include pot, court rules". Star Tribune. 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.
↑ Bierschbach, Briana (August 10, 2022). "Walz, Jensen easily score nominations; Candidates in the state's two pro-marijuana legalization parties went head-to-head on Tuesday". Star Tribune.
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