Hempfest

"Hemp will be the future of all mankind, or there won't be a future." Jack Herer

By Michael Bachara, Hemp News Staff

Friends and family have confirmed that Jack Herer, known throughout the world as ‘The Hemperor,’ passed away on Thursday, April 15, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. Herer was 70 years old, and a dear friend to CRRH and THCF, he will be greatly missed.

"No other single person has done more to educate people all across the world about industrial hemp and marijuana as Jack Herer. His book is translated into a dozen different languages, it's a bestseller in Germany. His legacy will continue to inspire and encourage for generations to come. I honor his memory." Paul Stanford, CRRH/THCF

"He was one of my personal heroes." Madeline Martinez, Oregon NORML

"The one and only Jack Herer will be missed forever." Bonnie King, Salem-News

"No political or human rights movement in America has made it this far without eventually winning, it's just a matter of time." Vivian McPeak

By Michael Bachara, Hemp News Staff

It has been said that Vivian Mcpeak, Seattle Hempfest Event Director, is quite possibly the most inspirational speaker in the hemp movement, and this writer agrees with that consensus.

Vivian has the ability to energize a crowd like no other and has become a pillar of strength for those who demand their voices be heard regarding cannabis reform. There have been many fantastic and inspiring speakers throughout the years at the Seattle Hempfest from the iconic Jack Herer to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) founder Keith Stroup, but once you have heard Vivian speak, something about you is different; you feel you have become a part of history.

Farmers in the United States Want Hemp Now

By Michael Bachara, Hemp News Staff

This past August, the Seattle Hempfest Hemposium Stage hosted a panel of experts who held an intellectual conversation with the audience discussing the various uses of the hemp plant. This talented panel featured the speakers Steve Levine (HIA/Vote Hemp), Anndrea Hermann (CHTA), Adam Eidinger (Vote Hemp), George Rohrbacher (former Washington Senator/Farmer), Sue Kastensen (Dr. Bronner's) and Denny Finneran (Crucial Creations).

By Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Toby Nixon

Washington State -- Once again, the annual Hempfest drew tens of thousands to parks along Seattle’s waterfront this past summer. In its mission statement, the all-volunteer organization that produces the event says, “The public is better served when citizens and public officials work cooperatively in order to successfully accomplish common goals.”

We agree. That is why we, as a Democratic state senator and former Republican state representative, support Senate Bill 5615. This bill would reclassify adult possession of marijuana from a crime carrying a mandatory day in jail to a civil infraction imposing a $100 penalty payable by mail. SB 5615 was voted out of committee with a bipartisan “do pass” recommendation and will be considered by legislators in 2010.

The bill makes a lot of sense, especially in this time of severely strapped budgets. Our state Office of Financial Management reported annual savings of $16 million and $1 million in new revenue if SB 5615 passes. Of that $1 million, $590,000 would be earmarked for the Washington State Criminal Justice Treatment Account to increase support of our underfunded drug treatment and prevention services.

By Monica Guzman, Seattle PI Staff

Marijuana has long been classified as a dangerous drug with no medical benefits. But thanks in part to the work of a University of Washington medical student, a major medical association this week urged the federal government to reconsider.

"It's a huge shift on medical ideology," said Sunil Aggarwal, who's been studying the medical uses of marijuana for 10 years. "It's something I've been dreaming of since I was an undergraduate and found out that marijuana wasn't a horribly dangerous thing."

Since 1997, the American Medical Association has taken a hard line against the drug, endorsing its classification as a Schedule 1 controlled substance -- the most restrictive category -- and asserting its lack of medical value. Aggarwal's research, published in his dissertation and in two articles in the Journal of Opioid Management -- helped convince AMA members that the drug has potential.

By Michael Bachara, Hemp News Staff

Three events are taking place this weekend that give a glimpse into how far we have come in the fight for the freedom of Hemp and Cannabis. First, this Friday, August 14th marks the 500th episode of the show Cannabis Common Sense (CCS), the show that tells the truth about marijuana and the politics behind its prohibition.

Over the years, CCS has featured such guests as Josh Tickell, Filmmaker; Keith Stroup, Founder of NORML; Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of NORML; Madeline Martinez, Director of Oregon NORML; Russ Belville, NORML Outreach Coordinator; Elvy Musikka, Medical Marijuana Activist; John Trudell, Musician/Activist; Jack Herer, Hemp Activist; Dr. Tod Mikuriya; Dr. Phillip Leveque; Dennis Kucinich, US House of Representatives; Tim Pate, Musician/Activist; and more.

CCS airs Friday nights at 8pm PST live from Portland Community Media in Portland, Oregon (channel 11), also rebroadcast across Oregon, Washington, and Colorado, and brought to you by The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation (also the main sponsor of this weekend’s Seattle Hempfest— http://hempfest.org) and our political committee Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp (CRRH), advocating decriminalization of marijuana for medicinal, industrial, and recreational use. CRRH has developed a legislative model to legally regulate marijuana production and sales to adults called the Cannabis Tax Act.

By Hip Hop Press

This August marks the 18th annual Seattle Hempfest, arguably the largest hemp festival in the world. This year's Hempfest theme: "A Hempen Future," will put a focus on the year 2020 and the possibility of the legalization of cannabis in all forms, radically impacting our future environment, economy, food and fuel resources. In honor of looking ahead to the future, the event's organizers have chosen progressive urban artist, Shyan Selah, to headline the opening night (7pm - August 15th) of this "protestival."

Seattle's Hempfest has grown over the years from a small group of activists fighting for the decriminalization of cannabis to hundreds of thousands attendees, volunteers and experts speaking on everything from civil rights to what the hemp plant can do for health, the economy, and the environment.

Hoping to educate the public about how hemp can benefit people beyond recreational use, organizer Vivian McPeak, has made an effort to include everyone from former Seattle Police Chief, Norm Stamper, to travel expert Rick Steves as speakers in years past. In continuing his efforts to include diverse messengers from varied backgrounds in Hempfest, this year he's chosen international artist and activist, Shyan Selah, to headline the opening night.

McPeak first encountered Selah during last year's Hempfest, where Selah was invited to open for the 2008 headliners, Bone Thugs in Harmony (Mo Thugs).

For more information about Hempfest:

http://www.hempfest.org
http://www.myspace.com/seattlehempfest
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2213151845&ref=mf

Adam Eidinger, David Frankel, Jack Herer, Steve Levine, Chris Conrad and George Rohrbacher on hemp and cannabis.

http://hempfest.org