The Grassroots Party was a political

third party Third party may refer to: Business * Third-party source, a supplier company not owned by the buyer or seller * Third-party beneficiary, a person who could sue on a contract, despite not being an active party * Third-party insurance, such as a veh ...

in the United States established in 1986 to oppose

drug prohibition The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances. An area has a prohibition of drugs when its government uses the for ...

. The party shared many of the progressive values of the

Farmer–Labor Party The first modern Farmer–Labor Party in the United States emerged in Minnesota in 1918. The American entry into World War I caused agricultural prices and workers' wages to fall, while retail prices rose sharply during the war years. Consequent ...

but with an emphasis on

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...

legalization issues, and the organization traced their roots to the

Youth International Party The Youth International Party (YIP), whose members were commonly called Yippies, was an American youth-oriented radical and countercultural revolutionary offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements of the late 1960s. It was founded on D ...

of the 1960s. The Grassroots Party was active in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

s of

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, and

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

. The party was most successful in Vermont, where they achieved major party qualification in 1996, a status which they retained for six years, until 2002.

Platform

United States Bill of Rights

The permanent platform of the Grassroots Party was the

Bill of Rights A bill of rights, sometimes called a declaration of rights or a charter of rights, is a list of the most important rights to the citizens of a country. The purpose is to protect those rights against infringement from public officials and pri ...

. Individual candidates' positions on issues varied from Libertarian to Green. All Grassroots candidates would end marijuana/

prohibition, thus re-legalizing

for all its uses.

U.S. presidential candidates

Jack Herer Jack Herer (; June 18, 1939 – April 15, 2010), sometimes called the "Emperor of Hemp", was an American cannabis rights activist and the author of the 1985 book '' The Emperor Wears No Clothes''. Herer founded and served as the director of th ...

(1939–2010), author of '' The Emperor Wears No Clothes: Hemp & The Marijuana Conspiracy'', was the Grassroots presidential candidate in 1988 and 1992. Grassroots Party ran candidates in every presidential election from 1988 to 2000. In 1996 the Grassroots Party of Minnesota nominated

Dennis Peron Dennis Robert Peron (April 8, 1945 – January 27, 2018) was an American activist and businessman who became a leader in the movement for the legalization of cannabis throughout the 1990s. He influenced many in California and thus changed ...

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.

Results in presidential elections

History

Early history

The Grassroots Party was established in Minnesota in 1986, by Tim Davis, Derrick Grimmer, Oliver Steinberg, and

Chris Wright Christopher Allen Wright (born January 15, 1965) is an American government official, engineer, and businessman serving as the 17th United States Secretary of Energy, United States secretary of energy since 2025. Before his appointment, he was th ...

, as an independent political party that focused on

marijuana legalization The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. The ...

. Derrick Grimmer, Ph.D., ran for Minnesota Attorney General in 1986. Grimmer received 16,394 votes. Founding member Oliver Steinberg, who was a Republican candidate for

US Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

in 1984, had a background of violence discrediting the

peace movement A peace movement is a social movement which seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war (or wars) or minimizing inter-human violence in a particular place or situation. They are often linked to the goal of achieving world pe ...

in the 1970s. Steinberg was the Grassroots candidate for

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

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. The Vermont Grassroots Party was formed in 1994.

Russell Bentley Russell Bonner Bentley III (; June 20, 1960 – April 8, 2024), also known as Texas (, pronounced "Tekhas") and the Donbass Cowboy, was an American pro-Donetsk People's Republic/pro-Russia figure in the war in Donbas and Russian invasion of Uk ...

, 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.

The Independent Grassroots Party

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). In 1998, members of the Independent Grassroots Party established the Legal Marijuana Now political party.

Minnesota

Gubernatorial candidates

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 Will Shetterly (born 1955) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel '' Dogland'' (1997). The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents. He won the Minnesota B ...

, a science-fiction writer and actor, ran for governor of Minnesota in 1994. He placed third out of six candidates.

Results in Minnesota gubernatorial elections

Minnesota elections

In 2000, the party nominated David Daniels, an

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

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 Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is a public radio network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, KNOW-FM, News & Information, KSJN, YourClassical MPR and KCMP, The Current, MPR operates a 46-station regional radio network in the upper ...

and

Twin Cities Public Television Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. (abbreviated TPT, trade name, doing business as Twin Cities PBS) is a nonprofit organization based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, that operates the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities' two PBS membe ...

. On election day, Daniels received 21,447 votes. In 2002, Grassroots Party co-founder and candidate, Tim Davis, joined the

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...

. 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.

2010–2014

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 The Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis Party (G–LC) is a political Third party (United States), third party in the U.S. state of Minnesota created by Oliver Steinberg in 2014 to oppose drug prohibition, cannabis prohibition. G–LC is a democratic s ...

. Davis and the rest of the Grassroots Party, from 2014 to 2016, merged into the Minnesota

Legal Marijuana Now Party The Legal Marijuana Now Party (LMN) is a political third party in the United States. The party's platform includes abolishing the Drug Enforcement Administration and legalizing hemp and marijuana. As of 2025, the party is formally recognized in ...

After 2014

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. Some scholars have credited Minnesota's marijuana political parties, including GRP, for the state Democratic Party championing cannabis legalization after 2016.

Results in Minnesota state elections

Results in federal elections

Iowa

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.

Results in Iowa state elections

Results in federal elections

Vermont

Gubernatorial candidates

The Vermont Grassroots Party formed in 1994. Dennis Lane was their candidate for

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...

in 1994, and 1996. Bill Coleman ran for

in 1996, and again in 1998. Joel Williams was the Vermont Grassroots nominee for Governor in 1998, and 2000.

Results in Vermont gubernatorial elections

Vermont elections

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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Loretta Nall is the founder of the U.S. Marijuana Party, which calls for the legalization of cannabis. She was a write-in candidate for governor of Alabama in 2006. History Nall founded the USMjParty in 2002. In 2005, she co-founded Alabamian ...

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%).

Results in Vermont state elections

Results in federal elections

California

In 2016, musician and martial artist Marvin Sotelo ran for U.S. House of Representatives in

California's 40th congressional district California's 40th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California, encompassing Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. The district is currently represented by . It was one of 18 districts that would ...

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.

Publications

''The Canvas''

''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,

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.

References

{{Minnesota political parties 1986 in cannabis Cannabis political parties of the United States Cannabis in Minnesota Cannabis law reform organizations based in the United States 1986 establishments in Minnesota Political parties established in 1986 Political parties in Minnesota Regional and state political parties in the United States Political parties in the United States State and local socialist parties in the United States

Platform

United States Bill of Rights

U.S. presidential candidates

Results in presidential elections

History

Early history

The Independent Grassroots Party

Minnesota

Gubernatorial candidates

Results in Minnesota gubernatorial elections

Minnesota elections

2010–2014

After 2014

Results in Minnesota state elections

Results in federal elections

Iowa

Results in Iowa state elections

Results in federal elections

Vermont

Gubernatorial candidates

Results in Vermont gubernatorial elections

Vermont elections

Results in Vermont state elections

Results in federal elections

California

Publications

''The Canvas''

See also

References