Ирвин Дана Бил: Мақтаушы, саяси белсенді және марихуананы заңдастыру күрескері

American social and political activist

Irvin Dana Beal (born January 9, 1947, in Ravenna, Ohio) is an American social and political activist, best known for his efforts to legalize marijuana and to promote the benefits of Ibogaine as an addiction treatment. He is a founder and long term activist in the Youth International Party (Yippies), and founded the Yipster Times newspaper in 1972. The Yipster Times was renamed Overthrow in 1978, and ended publication in 1989. In 1971, The New York Times referred to Beal as a "major theoretician and behind‐the‐scenes leader of the underground youth movement. ":Beal was described in interviews as a founder of several radical youth groups, including the Yippies, and as organizer of many "pro‐pot" demonstrations, such as the second annual smoke‐in and anti‐C. I. A. heroin march held in Washington July 4. His friends and associates identified Beal, who does not use his first name, Irvin, as one of the first movement writers to argue for a merger of political radicalism and the psychedelic life style Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, Yippie leaders who garnered national attention during the 1968 Democratic convention demonstrations, agreed in separate telephone interviews that Beal was an important figure in the movement. "He is a unique blend of a street person and a theoretician," said Mr. Hoffman. "His writings are far more important and impressive than people like me and Jerry Rubin." Mr. Rubin said Beal's writings "were a strong force in helping us understand who we are." Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Rubin said Beal's most important works were "Right on Culture Freaks" and "Weather Yippie," which were rèprinted in more than 100 underground newspapers in this country and abroad. The articles called for more militancy on the part of young radicals but criticized what Beal saw as the élitism and lack of humanity in the more violent radical groups. Dana Beal also helped organize some of the U. S. versions of the "Rock Against Racism" concerts.

The worldwide Global Million Marijuana March (GMM or MMM) event began in 1999 with Beal as the major organizer. both inside and outside of New York City, and has often been called "The Lenin of the Marijuana Movement". In July 1972 in Miami Beach, Florida Beal was one of the organizers of a Zippie led marijuana smoke in outside the 1972 Democratic Convention. Beal asserts that addiction is a disease that can be treated with ibogaine. Beal helped to organize the Boston Ibogaine forum held in February 2009 at Northeastern University. During the forum, he gave a presentation on the chemistry and pharmacology of ibogaine. Beal also participated in the Ibogaine Forum held at the University of Otago, New Zealand, on 5 and 6 September 2009, as well as a similar information session in the Netherlands in 2017. Beal also helped to organize the European Ibogaine Forum, September 2017 in Vienna.

In 2004, the infamous Yippie "headquarters" at #9 Bleecker Street in New York City (also Beal's home for decades) officially became the Yippie Museum and Cafe and was legally chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State at their March 21, 2006, meeting. Its stated purpose was to preserve the activities and artifacts of the Youth International Party. Beal served on the museum/cafe's Board of Directors. In January 2014, the 9 Bleecker Street building went into foreclosure. The old Yippie building was cleaned out and is now a boxing club called "Overthrow".

Beal was arrested June 3, 2008, in Mattoon, Illinois, about 170 miles south of Chicago on suspicion of money laundering. The Associated Press reported that he appeared before a judge on June 12, and was charged with obstruction of justice. He was released on $7,500 bail. According to The New York Times, police responded to a report of two women arguing at a restaurant. The 2 women were traveling with Beal and another man. Mick McAvoy is the first assistant state's attorney for Coles County, Illinois. According to the Times, "Mr. McAvoy said witnesses told the police that Mr. Beal had placed bags beneath nearby vehicles. Mr. McAvoy said the police found two duffel bags containing more than $150,000 in cash. At that point, Mr. McAvoy said, a drug sniffing dog was brought in to smell the bags." According to Beal's attorney, Ronald Tulin of Charleston, Illinois, the police said the money smelled of marijuana. Beal has always said that the money was en route to support an ibogaine based drug treatment clinic in Mexico. On August 6, 2008, Judge Richard Scott found probable cause for a jury trial for Irvin Dana Beal, 61, of New York City and Jesse Balcom, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland. The trial began in November 2008 on obstruction of justice charges, because it was alleged that Beal and his associate were hiding the bags of money in expectation that the police might search their van. The outcome of the trial was that Beal pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana possession and was fined $1,300. Obstruction of justice charges were dismissed. Federal authorities are seeking forfeiture of the money involved.

Dana Beal, Christopher Ryan, and James Statzer were arrested at 10:35 p. m. on September 30, 2009, in Ashland, Nebraska. Police claim that they were stopped because the conversion van they were in was driving erratically, and because the rear license plate was obstructed. Police allegedly found 150 pounds of marijuana in the van. All 3 faced charges of possession with intent to deliver and having no drug tax stamp. Ryan and Statzer were held on $100,000 bond each. Beal was held on $500,000 bond. According to the Omaha World Herald, Saunders County Attorney Scott Tingelhoff said that there was an effort on the web to raise Beal's bail. He had to raise 10 percent ($50,000) in order to be released. Beal was represented in his case by Glenn Shapiro of the law firm Schaefer and Shapiro in Omaha, Nebraska.

Dana Beal was arrested on Jan. 6, 2011 with 186 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop in Barneveld, Wisconsin. He and driver Lance Ramer of Omaha, Nebraska, were held on $50,000 bond each in the Iowa County Jail in Dodgeville. Authorities won't release the police report because Federal officials say it might compromise a national drug investigation which runs "from California to New York, with multiple locations." On September 20, 2011, Dana Beal was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. He was credited with 267 days already served for the time he was in jail. He was also sentenced to 2 1/2 years parole after getting out of prison.

On September 27, 2011, the day he was to be transferred to a state prison in Wisconsin, Beal suffered a heart attack. He had a double bypass operation a week later. Due to the health issues and costs Beal was released on bail while in the hospital. He was re sentenced on December 29. His prison sentence was reduced by six months. Beal turned himself in to the Wisconsin prison system on February 15, 2012, to begin serving his sentence. One week later he had another, minor, heart attack. The next day a stent was placed in a coronary artery. On December 10, 2012, Judge Mary Gilbride sentenced Beal to 4 to 6 years in prison in Nebraska. An appeal was filed. On 26 December 2012 Dana was moved from Nebraska back to Fox Lake Correctional Institution in Wisconsin. Beal and Statzer both entered pleas of not guilty. Beal was later released on bail. His lawyer had successfully argued that given age and health issues, he was not a flight risk. Statzer was also released on bail.

In 2023, Beal travelled to Ukraine to promote ibogaine treatment for war veterans. He was reportedly detained when returning to the US in September 2023. He was subsequently arrested in Gooding County, Idaho in January 2024, and held on $250,000 bail. As of March 13, 2024, Beal is free on bail, but not permitted to leave the US.

In Spring 2018, Dana Beal supported New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon, who spoke at the yearly New York City Cannabis parade in support of legalization.

In Spring 2021, Beal organized "Joints for Jabs NYC" in Union Square, encouraging vaccination against COVID 19:[On] April 20, volunteers organized by Mr. Beal, members of the group ACT UP and others handed out more than a thousand joints to people who could show that they were at least 21 and had received a Covid vaccine. A similar distribution is planned for May 1 to coincide with an annual May Day marijuana march held in Manhattan. As of October 2022, Beal was actively searching for a new home as well as a method of manufacturing Ibogaine in mass market pill form. On May 6, 2023, Beal gave a speech before the NYC Cannabis Parade, the first rally after a 3 year hiatus.