300,000 Attend Hemp Fest

The largest marijuana legalization rally in the world, Hempfest, is held annually on the third weekend of August at Myrtle Edwards Park on the Seattle waterfront. This free marquee event usually attracts well over 200,000 people in attendance and Hempfest ’08, Aug. 16-17, was no exception, if not the record—because the weather on the Seattle waterfront was perfect for a mass gathering! The total number of attendees might well have topped 300,000.

Saturday was blazing hot, or as blazing hot as it can get along the shoreline of Puget Sound. The sky was clear blue and the sun was very intense. As the afternoon progressed, it increasingly reflected off the water onto the crowd, near record amounts of fund-raising “Legalize It!” water were consumed by the crowd. This day was Seattle at its very best—and at its most tattooed—and at its most skimpily dressed.

Thankfully Sunday started off slightly overcast and a notch cooler, because by 4:00pm on the second day of the event, crowds in the 2-mile-long park were so thick that the density of the people on the pathways and the open spaces was virtually the same. The music and the message of marijuana legalization rocked continually all weekend long from the four stages set-up about a ¼- mile apart along the linear waterfront park. At each stage after each band finished playing, and as the next band was setting up, activists, such as myself, Rick Steves, Allen St. Pierre, Keith Stroup, and several other NORML board members, along with a boatload of other fine folks regaled the public about the 71 years of negative societal consequences from the prohibition of marijuana. This was the fifth Hempfest I was privileged to attend as a speaker. My speech topic this year was “America’s 20-millionth marijuana arrest is coming on 10/10/08”. I got to wail away at the bustling crowds on this topic from the three music stages over two days and I spoke at the Hemposium stage on “Abraham Lincoln, Hempster.” Hemp can now rightfully claim 3 out of 4 at Mt. Rushmore!

So, how does all this happen, how does this huge fun and glorious “protestival”, this FREE Hempfest come into being? Dozens of bands playing on 4 stages, dozens of speakers, seminars and demonstrations, put in front of hundreds of thousands people along the gorgeous Seattle waterfront, and ALL FOR FREE? How is this possible? The answer: Hempfest is one of America’s largest All-Volunteer Events! The bands play for free. The speakers speak for free. There are 54 crews, totaling about 1500 volunteers, some working year-round, that make this modern marvel called “Hempfest” happen, from permitting and planning months in advance to picking up the very last piece of paper when all the shouting’s over, it’s the Hempfest volunteers that make this incredible thing happen, and it’s been that way for all 17 years of Hempfest’s existence. The $200,000 for direct expenses, electricity, port-a-potties, etc, come from booth rentals, contributions, and water sales. But the real backbone of the enterprise, is the hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours, that is what brings this marvelous creation, Hempfest, to life each year. Virtually every volunteer I’ve ever talked to, tells me that their involvement, their participation in Hempfest, their contribution to making Hempfest happen is one of the most important things that they did that year. It’s pride. It shows. It shows everywhere at every level at Hempfest.

Three years ago while walking Hempfest, I came upon the command detail of the Seattle Police Department, four sergeants, a patrolman or two, and some important guy with scrambled eggs on his hat. As a grey beard, a former member of the state legislature, a board member of NORML, I stopped to thank them for serving and then quizzed this group on how this detail differed from patrolling the professional football or baseball stadiums with crowds of near the same size. The oldest sergeant laughed and said,“Patrolling Hempfest—a two day event—is like patrolling a Girl Scout picnic compared to dealing with the drunks at Safeco Field, 80 games plus a year.” The whole bunch nodded their heads in agreement. And the sergeant was right, because leaving the encounter only a few minutes later, in a particularly tight clutch of people, someone bumped up against me from the side, and we, immediately, almost instinctively, both apologized, and then moved on, both our good buzz and good nature still intact. Stoners get along, go figure. In the three years since then, I’ve talked to dozens of cops at Hempfest and they have all told me pretty much the same thing—the 200,000 plus stoners are so peaceful, that patrolling Hempfest, as a police detail, is seen by most police as almost a vacation day.

Saturday evening, after I’d gotten done speaking on the mainstage, my son, a family friend, and I were leaving the backstage enclosure. As we walked along the fence near the stage, there in our path was a blue-jeaned butt facing us, and as we passed, the owner straightened up slightly, it was Vivian McPeak, the Hempfest Director. He was picking up trash. Vivian, who had coordinated this huge army of 1,500 volunteers, working non-stop for weeks, was also in charge of the mainstage and had just introduced the band that was playing, had run outside with a trashbag on his free moment. As we walked by, I grabbed my son’s arm, pointed to Vivian, and said,“See, that’s the biggest boss of Hempfest there, picking up trash in the middle of his main stage shift. There’s true Leadership. He leads by example. Hempfest is not only one of America’s largest but one of its finest all-volunteer events.”

So, how many great bands and speakers can you take in the cause of cannabis legalization? How many semi-naked sun worshipers could one watch in two beautiful sun-drenched days? Hempfest is the best place I know of to come find the answer to these kinds of questions. So set your calendar, third weekend in August and I’ll see you at Hempfest ’09, and help us end marijuana prohibition. Come to Hempfest next year and volunteer, or just pick up a sack of trash on our way out, either way, the very act of volunteering warms that spot in your body just above your stomach and just below your heart, the seat of contentment, the seat of real happiness.

Thank you Hempfest for showing the way.

Article from www.norml.com
NORML Advisory Board Member and travel author Rick Steves addresses 100,000 @ 2008 Seattle Hempfest

By George Rohrbacher, NORML Board Member

http://www.youtube.com/watch...
http://www.youtube.com/watch...

Just loved Pinches and Colfax's response of how the county should be dealing with the 10,000 plant patches, instead of wasting time and money busting "mom and Pops" gardens.
Colfax relays that we should go back to reading the constitution. Pinches says that Measure G was to put the pressure on the large gardens, Measure B worries about the 6-25 plant gardens while 10,000 plant gardens are sucking the eel river dry, he says again " no I don't mean sucking the eel river down, I'm talking about these large gardens sucking the eel river dry". he futhers "were sitting here worrying about gardens of 6-25 plants while there are hundreds of 10,000 + plant crops"

Colfax says- "were not dealing with the 10,000 plant issues, were not dealing with the 5,000 plant issues, precisely because we have limits to what a county can do on those cases, so were picking on the mom and poppers, precisely with those who were out there during the last campaign talkin about save our local economy, I'm not sure if that is what is really about but the fact of the matter is whats happening, were going after the mom and poppers with 6-25 plants. If thats your idea of justice in Mendocino County today then I think we need to go back to reading our constitution."

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

"were not dealing with the 10,000 plant issues, were not dealing with the 5,000 plant issues, precisely because we have limits to what a county can do on those cases, so were picking on the mom and poppers, precisely with those who were out there during the last campaign talkin about save our local economy, I'm not sure if that is what is really about but the fact of the matter is whats happening, were going after the mom and poppers with 6-25 plants. If thats your idea of justice in Mendocino County today then I think we need to go back to our reading our constitution."

Watch Supervisors Response to Measure B Coalitions ideas of out lawing "the smell".
http://www.youtube.com/watch...

Long live The Hemp Fest!

Long live all great west coast festivals. Hope everyone makes it to Golden Gate Park this Saturday

I see MR HI is back with the Spam.

I AM LADY wrote:

I see MR HI is back with the Spam.

Yep. Spam, after all, is BIG in Hawaii.
_____
http://www.irs.gov/compliance/article/0,,id=1...
Follow the above link to report dope growers to the IRS. These dope growers do not pay taxes on their ill-gotten gains. Just like other organized criminals like Capone, these criminals can be prosecuted under Federal tax evasion laws.
Get a nice Christmas bonus! Help clean up the County from these criminals!
You can also report their criminal dope growing to the DEA here:
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/contactinfo.htm

You folks are relentless. I really do find it amusing!

Especially the part about all of us getting in a pile up on the GG bridge and falling into the bay. It was hella funny. Maybe you do have a sense of humor. Your only a couple snaps away from not hating everyone.

John wrote:

You folks are relentless. I really do find it amusing!

Relentless? If you say so.
I don't consider dealing with a lightweight doofus to be "relentless". Tedious? Yes. That would apply, no doubt.

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http://www.irs.gov/compliance/article/0,,id=1...

Follow the above link to report dope growers to the IRS. These dope growers do not pay taxes on their ill-gotten gains. Just like other organized criminals like Capone, these criminals can be prosecuted under Federal tax evasion laws.

Get a nice Christmas bonus! Help clean up the County from these criminals!

You can also report their criminal dope growing to the DEA here:
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/contactinfo.htm

John wrote:

You folks are relentless. I really do find it amusing!

I don't find any of this amusing. I don't find the crime surrounding this rampant greedy growing activity funny at all. To date I haven't seen any children shot, but thats not to say one won't be if they happen to be involved with someone that is a target. That harmless plant (used to be harmless) is bringing in corruption through the greed connected to it. The people you find amusing are dedicated to have this county cleaned up. I grew up here. I remember when pot wasn't harmful in this way. I also voted for 215 because my belief that it wasn't harmful. If the crime is out of it and children have responsible parents, it may be harmless again. It also connects our young people with meth in a way growers won't admit.

Federal legalization isn't what the commercial growers want, because that would take the money out of it. Read what's being written on both sides. They aren't talking about federal legalization because they would lose the profit that feeds the crime. All the states would need to legalize it to take the crime out of it. I sincerely believe those commercial growers are not wanting that nor will they march to legalize it. My goodness, where would their money then come from? The crime will continue unless it's eradicated or legalized federally. CALL DEA TELL THEM ABOUT NEIGHBORING POT GARDENS AND WHAT YOU SEE! I want the crime stopped. What's causing the crime needs to be eradicated.

from: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/science/09o...
OBSERVATORY
Marijuana Ingredient May Fight Bacteria

By HENRY FOUNTAIN

Published: September 5, 2008
Marijuana may be something of a wonder drug — though perhaps not in the way you might think.

Researchers in Italy and Britain have found that the main active ingredient in marijuana — tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — and related compounds show promise as antibacterial agents, particularly against microbial strains that are already resistant to several classes of drugs.

It has been known for decades that Cannabis sativa has antibacterial properties. Experiments in the 1950s tested various marijuana preparations against skin and other infections, but researchers at the time had little understanding of marijuana’s chemical makeup.

The current research, by Giovanni Appendino of the University of the Eastern Piedmont and colleagues and published in The Journal of Natural Products, looked at the antibacterial activity of the five most common cannabinoids. All were found effective against several common multi-resistant bacterial strains, although, perhaps understandably, the researchers suggested that the nonpsychotropic cannabinoids might prove more promising for eventual use.

The researchers say they don’t know how the cannabinoids work, and whether they would be effective as systemic antibiotics would require much more research and trials. But the compounds may prove useful sooner as a topical agent against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, to prevent the microbes from colonizing on the skin.

I AM LADY wrote:

<quoted text>
I don't find any of this amusing. I don't find the crime surrounding this rampant greedy growing activity funny at all. To date I haven't seen any children shot, but thats not to say one won't be if they happen to be involved with someone that is a target. That harmless plant (used to be harmless) is bringing in corruption through the greed connected to it. The people you find amusing are dedicated to have this county cleaned up. I grew up here. I remember when pot wasn't harmful in this way. I also voted for 215 because my belief that it wasn't harmful. If the crime is out of it and children have responsible parents, it may be harmless again. It also connects our young people with meth in a way growers won't admit.

I used to think you were Mongo's alterego and then I realized you were thoughtful and respectful about what you say. I just thought it was amusing when he said he wished there was a pile up on the golden gate and all the "growers" died or whatever. The plant is still harmless, the prohibtion and the criminals are harmful, I agree. I'm more on your page than you might think.

Ah. More pointless propaganda from the pro-pot dolts. I see.

-----
http://www.irs.gov/compliance/article/0,,id=1...

Follow the above link to report dope growers to the IRS. These dope growers do not pay taxes on their ill-gotten gains. Just like other organized criminals like Capone, these criminals can be prosecuted under Federal tax evasion laws.

Get a nice Christmas bonus! Help clean up the County from these criminals!

You can also report their criminal dope growing to the DEA here:
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/contactinfo.htm

300,000? Is that using the Million Man March math?

Anyone else old enough here to remember that one?

Ukiah_Mom wrote:

300,000? Is that using the Million Man March math?
Anyone else old enough here to remember that one?

Yes. At least those folks could count. They downgraded the numbers after tthe march.

These illiterate dopers just go right on pretending...

Ukiah_Mom wrote:

300,000? Is that using the Million Man March math?
Anyone else old enough here to remember that one?

um you mean the 40,000 man march?

Seattle Hempfest is known for its peacful gathering at the waterfront. They really do have that many people in attendance. Check the photos out and see for yourself.

www.hempfest.org

It is truly an amazing sight!

Where there's smoke, there's Hempfest
By CASEY MCNERTHNEY
P-I REPORTER
The festival Vivian McPeak and Gary Cooke visualized from day one was something like Woodstock, but their event had hundreds of thousands of people packed in a Seattle park celebrating a green leafy substance.
Even some of their friends thought the idea of a big party pushing for reform of anti-marijuana laws was half-baked.
"When we told people 15 years ago there would be 150,000 people coming to a protest festival with 60 bands from around the country all playing for free and the cops would smile, they didn't think it could happen," McPeak said. "It defied conventional wisdom."
But McPeak and friends have built the Seattle Hempfest -- an annual event started in 1991 -- into one of the largest drug-policy reform rallies in the country, if not the world.
To do so, McPeak has invested thousands of unpaid hours, living on disability paychecks for ailments he said he remedies with medicinal marijuana. Many on the roughly 700 all-volunteer staff are similarly dedicated to producing the free event Saturday and Sunday at Myrtle Edwards Park.
"Hempfest is about promoting the freedom to choose and human rights," said McPeak, the event director, unmistakable for his shoulder-length dreadlocks and array of pro-hemp attire. "There are elderly women and parents in jail for smoking marijuana.... We don't want responsible, otherwise law-abiding adults to be incarcerated for a marijuana offense."
Not all of the 150,000 people organizers expect at Myrtle Edwards Park over two days have the stereotypical stoner look. Cooke has short, brown hair; and though he's credited with helping found the event, people still ask if he's a cop.
Even one of Seattle's former top cops has thrown his support behind Hempfest.
"Hempfest consistently draws a wide diversity of people united around the idea that the prohibition of marijuana is ridiculous," said former Seattle police Chief Norm Stamper, who spoke at last year's rally. Stamper was scheduled to speak this year, too, but backed out this month because of a book project.
In 1987, McPeak formed the Seattle Peace Heathens Community Action Group, which ultimately grew to form the Hempfest organizing crew.
The group organized a Gas Works Park peace vigil in 1990, protesting the Gulf War. McPeak said drug advocate Timothy Leary came to visit, as did beat poet Allen Ginsberg during the six months it lasted. The protesters sang, meditated and one day invited a speaker from a marijuana law reform group.
But the speaker never showed. Cooke, who for months had passed out marijuana handouts on University Way, turned to McPeak.
"Let's put a pot rally together," McPeak recalls him saying.
As a result, Hempfest started in the spring of 1991 as the Washington Hemp Expo, drawing about 500 people to Volunteer Park. Attendance quadrupled the following year when it took the current name, and jumped to 5,000 people in 1993 -- a year that featured blatant marijuana smoking in the "Bong-a-Thon," but didn't come with major repercussions from police.
Police said about 60 people were cited for illegal marijuana use at the 1997 Hempfest, and about a third of that number were arrested at the event the following year. In 2001 -- the year Hempfest became a two-day event -- a West Precinct police commander told the Seattle P-I that there was only one arrest.
Police in the past have taken low-key approach to policing pot use at Hempfest.
A Seattle police spokesman said the department will have an "enhanced presence" this weekend for crowd control. But police aren't expecting anything worse than previous years.
Hempfest organizers estimated that close to 200,000 people came to the 2003 Hempfest in Myrtle Edwards Park, and they expect about 150,000 this weekend.
A former cocaine and heroin addict, McPeak doesn't advocate children smoking pot and says Hempfest isn't an excuse to get stoned in the park.