The online collective of hacktivists and computer programmers known as Anonymous have announced a plans to turn April 20th, a day celebrated by many as 'national marijuana smoking day,' into a day of political protest in order to push for the legalization of marijuana.

Operation Cannabis already has a blog, a Twitter hastag (#opCannabis), a Facebook page with 950 fans, and a YouTube video (see above). According to the minute-long video currently circulating the internet, Anonymous is asking anyone who supports Marijuana legalization to make their social media profile pictures and avatars green on April 20th.

A post on youranonnews.com calls for the Occupy movement to draw attention to the need for marijuana legalization on April 20th 2012. The message ends with a slight twist on Anonymous's classic sendoff:

WE ARE ANONYMOUS.
WE ARE LEGION for legalization!
WE DO NOT FORGIVE the crimes of the War on Drugs.
WE DO NOT FORGET our brothers + sisters locked up because of it.
EXPECT US.

Within the post, Anonymous lays out several key points that are used in most pro-marijuana arguments. It is common knowledge that both nicotine and alcohol are more addictive and more dangerous that marijuana. Anonymous also points to scientific studies that demonstrate Marijuana's ability to impede and even prevent the growth of cancer cells in humans. Keeping the plant illegal has caused a drastic increase in the number of incarcerated Americans who have done nothing else wrong and become a drain on society and the economy after being jailed for possession. Furthermore, the drug's illegal status has led to the creation of vast organized crime distributors, while if marijuana was legal it could be controlled and taxed by the government.

Over at opcannabis.wordpress.com, a manifesto brands the war On Drugs as a lie perpetuated by the pharmaceutical and prison industries. The post ends with an urgent call to action:

We are approaching the 11 billion dollar mark that the government has spent on the drug war this year alone and have put millions of nonviolent offenders behind bars. This is a true crime against humanity and needs to end! Saying cannabis is a dangerous drug and is not a medicine is NOT a noble lie....it is simply a lie!

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