Festival turns up the heat on legalizing hemp.Byline: Serena Markstrom The Register-Guard EVENT PREVIEW Emerald Empire HempFest 2006 When: 4:20 p.m. to 10 p.m. today; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday Where: Washington-Jefferson Park, Fourth Avenue and Washington Street The following streets in the United States are called Washington Street:
It's a good thing hemp hemp, common name for a tall annual herb (Cannabis sativa) of the family Cannabinaceae, native to Asia but now widespread because of its formerly large-scale cultivation for the bast fiber (also called hemp) and for the drugs it yields. is such a strong plant, because it takes a beating and absorbs much of the bad publicity of the more potent, high-THC version of cannabis: marijuana. Of course, most hemp activists wouldn't mind if all forms of the seven-leafed plant were legalized. In 2004, organizers had to cancel the Emerald Empire HempFest when it couldn't satisfy the city's permitting process or afford insurance to have the event with camping on private land. The festival returned in 2005, but with much reduced attendance from its inaugural in 2003. Dan Koozer, the festival's executive director, said last year police told him, "If they weren't called, they weren't coming. We pulled it off and proved that we could do it." That required a zero-tolerance policy Noun 1. zero-tolerance policy - any policy that allows no exception; "a zero-tolerance policy toward pedophile priests" policy - a line of argument rationalizing the course of action of a government; "they debated the policy or impolicy of the proposed legislation" for any illegal activity, which volunteers will continue to enforce this year. Volunteers also will be riding around on bicycles to find parking spaces and regulate problem behavior, Koozer said. Koozer noted that the biggest challenge to having the event at Washington-Jefferson Park is the lack of parking. People are encouraged to travel any way but by automobile. Organizers hope the three-day event three-day event a competition in the pleasure horse sport comprising usually one day each for dressage, cross country and show jumping. will attract as many as 4,500 people. It has modeled itself after the successful Seattle Hempfest Seattle Hempfest is an annual event in Seattle, Washington, the world's largest[3] annual gathering advocating decriminalization of marijuana for uses including but not limited to medicinal, industrial, and recreational. , which bills itself as the nation's leading cannabis policy reform event and which attracted 150,000 people last year, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the event's Web site. For Eugene's event, more than a dozen bands and speakers will take the stage, and there will be vendors of hemp food and other hemp products, such as clothing and paper. Koozer said the objective is to educate the public to make the hemp plant more accepted in our culture. "It's pretty ridiculous to have a plant be against the law," he said. "It's not only a beautiful, but extremely use- ful." Bands will play continuously throughout the festival, which was deliberately timed to happen the weekend after the Oregon Country Fair The Oregon Country Fair (OCF) is a three-day fair that takes place yearly beginning on the Friday of the second weekend in July in Veneta, Oregon, approximately 15 miles west of Eugene, with an attendance of approximately 45,000 over the three day period, with attendance peaking . While bands are breaking down and setting up, speakers will give 20-minute presentations. There also will be a hemp fashion show. Koozer said no one will be turned away at the entrance for not paying, but a suggested donation is $2 to $5 to help pay off debts from last year's event, which finished in the red, and help the Eugene event stay viable. McKenzie Mist will provide free artesian Ar`te´sian a. 1. Of or pertaining to Artois (anciently called Artesium), in France. Artesian wells wells made by boring into the earth till the instrument reaches water, which, from internal pressure, flows spontaneously like a water. MAIN STAGE Today 4:20 p.m. - opening remarks by Executive Director Dan Koozer 4:30 p.m. - Oxcart 6:30 p.m. - Casual Fiasco 8:30 p.m. - Two Leg Lucy Saturday Noon - Opening remarks by Koozer 12:30 p.m. - Martin Williams Martin T. Williams (1924–1992) was born in Richmond, Virginia. He was a critic, specializing in jazz and American popular culture. He wrote for major jazz magazines, notably Down Beat, cofounded The Jazz Review 1 p.m. - Taarka 1:15 p.m. - J. Wail Kru' 2:30 p.m. - Bye Bye Chinook Chinook, indigenous people of North America Chinook (shĭn  k`, chĭ–), Native American tribe of the Penutian linguistic stock.
4:30 p.m. - Keenwild 6:30 p.m. - Dukes of Ted 8:30 p.m. - Sweet Island Thyme Sunday Noon - Opening remarks by Koozer 12:30 p.m. - Da Riggin' Warriors 2:30 p.m. - City Dreams 4:30 p.m. - Henry Turner & Flavor 6:30 p.m. - Almost Envious 8 p.m. - Closing remarks by Koozer |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion