[Rhodes22-list] Hempfest

[Brad Haslett]

Rummy,

That was Dave's article but I agree.  Portland, OR is a close second to
Seattle.  I love both cities but probably couldn't live in either one for
long.  Portland wins out in my book because they have the world's best
bookstore, Powells, and Mary's Place, a strip bar just down the street from
our hotel.  Where else can you shoot pool, drink beer, eat a cheeseburger,
and watch the owner's daughter take her clothes off all at the same time?

Brad

On Mon, Aug 18, 2008 at 6:20 AM, <R22RumRunner at aol.com> wrote:

> Brad,
> With all the rain they get in Seattle it's now wonder they light up.
>
> Rummy
>
>
> In a message dated 8/18/2008 2:02:01 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> dwbrad at gmail.com writes:
>
> You  gotta love this city.  Here's an article from the Seattle  Post
> Intelligencer.  The last paragraph is the clincher.  Stan's  economic
> policies could be piloted here.
>
> Dave
>
>
>
> Last  updated August 16, 2008 4:13 p.m. PT
>
> Celebrating all things cannabis --  Hempfest draws throngs to Myrtle
> Edwards
> Park
> By MOISES MENDOZA
> P-I  REPORTER
>
> They poured into Myrtle Edwards Park on the Seattle  waterfront
> Saturday -- thousands of cannabis-lovers in Seattle to network  and
> celebrate their favorite green plant.
>
> Some listened to activists  discuss the benefits of medical marijuana.
> Others roamed the park looking  for the newest models of bongs.
>
> Yet more lounged about on the grass  listening to live music and openly
> smoking joints. Meanwhile, police  officers walked by impassively,
> tolerating the pungent odor of marijuana  smoke.
>
> "It's a beautiful thing, man," said 17-year-old Brad Taylor, who  said
> he was attending Seattle Hempfest with his friends for the first  time.
> "No one's hassling us, everyone here is totally into this  stuff."
>
> As Hempfest kicked off its 17th year in the Emerald City  Saturday
> morning, attendees widely agreed that it remains the country's  premier
> event for marijuana users. Though other cities host  similar
> celebrations, organizers say none are as large or important  as
> Seattle's version.
>
> More than 1,000 volunteers have been  accredited for Hempfest this year
> to deal with the roughly 100,000 people  who are expected to attend.
>
> And the list of special guests reads like a  who's who of the most
> prominent proponents of legalizing marijuana,  including a veritable
> parade of physicians singing the praises of the  drug.
>
> Among those scheduled to make an appearance were the leaders of  most
> of the country's big marijuana lobbying groups.
>
> Rick Steves,  the well-known Washington travel author and ardent
> marijuana supporter, was  among those scheduled to make an appearance.
>
> Though leaders are still  pushing the decriminalization of marijuana,
> organizers said this year's  Hempfest is different from past versions
> because industrial hemp, or  cannabis used for non-drug purposes such
> as paper or biodiesel fuel, is now  a big focus.
>
> "It's kind of our main thing because this country is  really missing
> out on how it can be used positively for everyone," said  volunteer
> Dale Rogers.
>
> Still many people seemed less interested in  industrial hemp or the
> intricacies of marijuana reform than figuring out  the best ways to get
> a nice buzz.
>
> Chris McClatchy said sales of  bongs in the tent where he was working were
> brisk.
>
> Several young people  gathered around, carefully studying the merchandise.
>
> "I mean, don't you  think we'd sell a lot of stuff at a festival like
> this?" McClatchy asked.  "Hell yeah we are!"
>
> The mood throughout the day seemed mostly jovial  and friendly, despite
> large crowds and the heat.
>
> Among the only  disruptions was a group of street preachers who stood
> carrying signs with  phrases like "Jesus is Lord" as they loudly
> condemned attendees as  heathens.
>
> Police monitored the situation -- at one point separating a  preacher
> and another man who were in a heated argument -- but said  the
> preachers had a right to be there because the park was a public  place.
>
> A Hempfest leader said the protesters show up each year and  added that
> a group of transsexuals were en route to frighten off the  preachers,
> something that also takes place each year.
>
>
> MORE  INFORMATION
>
> For information on Sunday's Hempfest lineup, visit the  website,
> http://hempfest.org/drupal/
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