http://dailydoobie.com/hempfest-seattle/
In its 22nd year, Seattle Hempfest is the largest cannabis event in the world, with a quarter million happy and blissed out people attending the protestival, one part festival and one part protest. Seattle Hempfest, which is free and open to the public. It is one of the most inspiring experiences a cannabis activist and enthusiast can experience. It’s a mile and a half long celebration of cannabis culture and a festival where people can safely consume marijuana publicly and enjoy a beautiful day in the park, with entertainment, a vibrant marketplace, food and food for thought.
The recent passage of Washington’s marijuana legalization law, I-502, had voters and cannabis enthusiasts ready for a public celebratory toke at Seattle Hempfest this year. Although it is still illegal to publicly smoke marijuana in Washington, within the safety of Seattle Hempfest, people smoked, vaporized and consumed cannabis. With great enthusiasm, people took hits from four and six foot bongs, and socialized with circles of friends or friendly strangers while passing around enormous joints. The overall effect was a peaceful and happy crowd. Seattle Hempfest is an event where people can safely consume marijuana publicly without fear of arrest and prosecution. As trivializing as this act may be perceived, public marijuana smoking is a form of protest.
The nonviolent protest is the heart of Seattle Hempfest. The roots of Seattle Hempfest began in 1991 as the Washington Hemp Expo. Five hundred people turned out to the event organized by the Seattle Peace Heathens Community Action Group. The Seattle Peace Heathens were a voluntary group of alternative cultural advocates who produced and promoted peace and social justice community projects. The Washington Hemp Expo touched a nerve in the community and the event grew exponentially every year.
By 1994, the growth of the event, now called Seattle Hempfest, was raising the attention and concern of local government and law enforcement, which had been turning a blind eye to the unpatrolled event. With the help of the ACLU, Seattle Hempfest was identified as a legitimate political rally, and not a “pot party” as detractors wanted to categorize it. Seattle Hempfest had a counter- cultural flamboyance, but was professionally savvy in negotiations with local agencies.
Seattle Hempfest has expanded from a one day event to three days. The crowd attendance has grown from 15,000 people to 250,000 people. All of this growth would not be possible without the planning and consistent effort of dedicated volunteers who have met the increasing logistical demands and more complex permit requirements with the city government. Over the weekend of Seattle Hempfest, the number of volunteers swells to over a thousand as all event activities are coordinated to keep everything running smooth and safe 24 hours a day.
Volunteer Powered Seattle Hempfest.
“There is no nation like donation”
This year, Seattle Police Department received praise and chuckles for handing out Nacho Cheese Doritos to people attending Hempfest. Affixed to the snack bags were informational and joke riddled stickers advising the festivalgoers some of the new marijuana regulations with I-502. Among the text was “This sticker is not a lawyer and cannot provide you with legal advice.” And “The contents of this package are as delicious as they appear”.
One key part of visualizing the annual political protest message of Seattle Hempfest is the event poster. Past images evoke and depict messages of peace, hemp agriculture, and awareness of nonviolent prisoners, public education, and idyllic scenes of future possibility. Poster images have captured the fundamental messages of political protest at Seattle Hempfest. This year’s poster uses a popular image for the federal government: the iconic Uncle Sam is passing a lighted joint in front of a glowing Emerald City. “I want YOU at the Seattle Hempfest” is what the headline reads.
Marijuana legalization has not been the only political destination for Seattle Hempfest. Previous years, a single protest message was crafted and presented to bring attention to different issues related to marijuana prohibition. To demonstrate marijuana reform has made a significant progressive step but has not reached its destination three protest messages were emphasized this year.
The first Seattle Hempfest protest platform is “eliminate marijuana from the Federal Schedule.” As you may know, the Federal Schedule is the federal drug policy that lists marijuana as a controlled substance and having no current medical use in treatment. Schedule 1 substances are legally defined as highly addictive and have the most restrictive laws regarding use, possession and distribution. Seattle Hempfest recommends going beyond moving marijuana from its current schedule status, and moving it completely out of the Federal Schedule. The reasoning for this is the two most widely consumed drugs, recreational alcohol and tobacco are both exempt from Federal Scheduling. Marijuana with its relative history of safety should also be exempt.
The second protest platform is “harm reduction.” Harm reduction measures usually includes efforts to change the impact in society of mass incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders and related injustices. Seattle Hempfest is shifting harm reduction to a personal level with a series of health pamphlets called, Cannabis Gut Checks. These pamphlets share information on recent scientific studies relating to topics of health and safety of cannabis use and depression, driving, health, lungs, memory, mental health, pregnancy and teens. The pamphlets candidly discuss the risks of cannabis use and provide the reader with additional resources for information.
The third protest platform is “voter power.” To harness the right in our representative democracy, Seattle Hempfest encourages voter registration. The Hempfest Voter Registration team members walk the festival with clipboards and knowledgably answer questions and help register Washington state voters. They assist voters with changes of address, register newly eligible voters who are turning eighteen, and field questions regarding the eligibility of convicted felons, who have recently been restored the right to vote in Washington.
Voter Registration at Seattle Hempfest
Political protest happens all day from the stages, the shouts of call and response engage the crowd as HEMP is repeatedly spelled out with a “give me an H, give me an E” In between band sets, notable luminaries from Washington, Oregon, California and Vancouver give encouraging, engaging and informative speeches.
Speakers include Seattle and Washington elected officials, activists, legislative advocates, lawyers, doctors, patients, writers, growers, and directors of national drug reform organizations. A longtime Seattle Hempfest favorite is Elvy Musikka, a medical marijuana patient, who since 1988 has received 300 joints a month from the Federal IND program.
Seattle Hempfest is an amazing and inspiring event for cannabis activists and enthusiasts. It is a focused cannabis reform rally, a gigantic celebration of culture and music, and a weekend where people are free to consume marijuana safely in public and enjoy a beautiful day on a waterfront park with a lot of smiling people. Seattle Hempfest is the largest cannabis event in the world and at its heart is the belief nonviolent protest can create positive change. You’ve got to see it to believe it.
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Product review of the Incredibowl m420 Deluxe kit below. Click the link to read the review in The Daily Doobie.
http://issuu.com/dailydoobie/docs/tdd_i10issue
What, exactly, is the Incredibowl? It’s not a vaporizer, it’s a pipe, or, as the company website describes, a “smoke injection system” (patent pending) engineered to filter and cool smoke, thereby reducing tars and enabling a more pleasant smoking experience. The manufacturer, Boulder, Colorado’s Incredibowl Industries, has won 13 Cannabis Cup awards for their innovative pipes.
The Mycroft Sherlock pipe is for consumers who enjoy pipes, and want the technology of the Incredibowl. The Incredibowl m420 Deluxe has 2 pipes in one kit. The Deluxe model has an m420 Incredibowl, a clear glass Sherlock style pipe called the Mycroft, and replacement parts (always nice to have on hand when needed!). Constructed with high grade and sturdy components, Incredibowls are designed for long term durability. The carrying case is a military grade smell proof hard plastic case with two latches. The m420 tube is clear shatterproof polycarbonate. The external part of the Incredibowl itself is made with high grade aluminum, which acts as “unbreakable armor” for the glass bowl inside, kept in place by FDA-approved high temperature O rings. The small container comes with spare screens, 2 sizes of gaskets and a glass bowl. And the kit comes with instructions. So how many stoners does it take to assemble an Incredibowl m420 Mycroft pipe? I was determined to figure this out. In this instance, it took three people. One person to miss the first step not mentioned on the instructions, another person to make a bunch of phone calls and a feminine voice of experience to point out the obvious.
Granted, most customers are not concerned with ruining a fresh manicure assembling an Incredibowl. In my case, one foul slip and the smooth pale pink coating on my nails could be compromised. Regardless of these personal high stakes, I couldn’t assemble the Sherlock on my own. The instructions seemed easy enough, only three diagrams to follow. Initially, I was trying to put both pipes together, which didn’t fit together, and didn’t look like the diagrams at all. The result was a Sherlock that looked really happy to see me. After a couple of phone calls, I discovered that the first step is actually disassembling the m420. That means rolling up the silicon gasket sleeve, removing the bowl assembly from the m420 shaft, and then following the diagrams. Insert the bowl into the Sherlock opening, roll the silicone sleeve over the edge and adjust the seating for an airtight fit. Then add a screen to the bottom of the bowl. It took a couple of pulls and gasket adjustments to get a good draw. At last, with everything properly assembled, I was the happy one!
Smoking an Incredibowl is a very engineered experience. It’s not pipe smoking in the old fashioned sense. First, “You light the bowl and create suction establishing negative pressure that draws the hot smoke into the Incredibowl.” Second, “smoke spirals in the nozzle which causes it to cool, allowing the tars to get more solid and sticky. The cooled smoke passes through a screen leaving the tars behind.” Third, “the cool filtered smoke then expands into the Expansion Chamber. When the gases expand, they lose energy, causing them to cool.” What is the difference between clearing the carb of a regular pipe, and clearing the Expansion Chamber of an Incredibowl? Usually smokers lift the finger covering the carb hole and continue to draw air. With an Incredibowl, “you pull the Bowl/Armor, opening the annular Purge Carb. The negative pressure in the Expansion Chamber causes cool air to rush in through the geometrically arranged carb holes 360 degrees around the entire circumference of the piece. The rush of air cools the smoke one last time and pushes the cool smoke quickly and smoothly into your lungs.”
Tight gasket seals are the key to enjoying an Incredibowl. It works great. Using a bud of a homegrown caregiver variety called Preston, I enjoyed the cooler smoke. It was easier on the lungs, I didn’t cough, and nothing felt harsh. I appreciate the design and ingenuity of the Incredibowl. It’s a solid and sturdy piece of equipment. Tech loving cannabis smokers will love this pipe too.
For pipe smoking, it’s my preference to use colored glass. After repeated use, some of the crevices and nooks on most pipes are hard to clean and the colored glass ultimately gives the eye something else to look at than the resin buildup. I was hesitant to like the clear glass because I was concerned it wouldn’t age well. The design of the Mycroft is simple, it looks super easy to keep clean with an alcohol bath and a few cotton swabs.
Another good feature in the Deluxe kit is the adjustable foam interior of the hard shell carrying case. The foam barrier is adaptable and the case has room enough to put a vial of cannabis and a lighter in with Incredibowl.
In summation, I highly recommend the Incredibowl. This is a high tech product with an innovative and effective design.
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Vaped, a California company, makes luxury vaporizers. The glass globe edition is a fill it yourself vaporizer. It retails around $90. In brief, it’s good, I liked it.
The whole package comes in a metal travel tin, with a metal pick tool, the vaporizer pen with a lithium ion battery, the glass globe with the refillable ceramic cup inside, a usb charger for the battery, and a one year warranty. In terms of portability, this vaporizer needs to be protected for travel, it is not as slender, compact and portable as other vaporizer pens. There is no additional storage space for jars or canisters, you might want to include in the travel tin. Also, the spacing in the travel tin doesn’t allow the assembled vaporizer pen to be placed inside.
Overall, there were not a lot of instructions or explanations. The instructions provided are pretty simple. Click it on, remove the mouthpiece, fill the ceramic bowl, replace the mouthpiece hold the button and inhale a slow even draw.
The vaporizer pen is 5 inches in length. The glass globe comes apart into three pieces, the mouth piece, the glass globe exterior, and the center piece. The plastic mouthpiece has a gasket seal at the base. It feels comfortable to use and doesn’t warm up with use like the glass. The glass globe makes this vaporizer not as discreet as other vaporizer pens, but the heating element and smoke is visible. The button is easy to locate and use.
The center piece attaches to the battery on one side and the other side has the ceramic cup with a heating wire across the top. The ceramic bowl is small, it appears to be designed for concentrates and not bud/flowers. Another clue this is exclusively for concentrates is the dab tool that comes in the kit.
I would prefer to have more information and care instructions for the ceramic bowl and the wire that crosses the top. It seems to be the most fragile and essential part of the unit. Is it ok to touch the wire with the pick tool? Do you put the concentrate on the wire or along the walls of the bowl? According to the instructions only the mouthpiece is removed when loading the ceramic bowl, so touching the wire is very likely because it is being loaded from above. If the glass globe is removed to add concentrates, it is possible to use the edge of the bowl to scrape the pick clean and not touch the wire. The latter application method means removing the glass globe and putting more wear and tear on the glass and the sealing gasket. I’m not really sure the best practice for product longevity, but I aimed to apply the concentrate on the inside of the ceramic wall and not touch the wire too much. A look at the website shows replacement nails are available in 5 packs, so the ceramic cup is likely to be a part that needs replacing.
I sampled three varieties of concentrates, 2 waxes and a BHO. They all worked well with the vaporizer. The glass filled up with smoke, and the flavors tasted hearty. Sometimes with vaporizers, the experience can feel too ethereal, when I find myself saying, “I think I might feel something, but I’m not sure”.
I like being able to choose what concentrates to consume. I don’t like being limited in choice by the replacement concentrate cartridges in other vaporizer pen models. People who want the same adaptability would be interested in this vaporizer pen.
In summary, the Microvaped glass globe vaporizer pen performed well. It is easy to use. It is less discreet and portable than other styles of vaporizer pens. The advantage of this vaporizer pen is being more adaptable to fill with your choice of concentrates.
]]>I love candy. I’ve enjoyed it since childhood. I’ve also enjoyed the benefits of the cannabis plant family for almost two decades. But I simply love candy, the chewy kind being one of my favorite types. What could possibly make chewy, gummy candy better? Adding hash oil! Besides being a cannabis consumer and candy lover, my day job is manufacturing colorful hash-infused treats for Dazys. I have an excellent knowledge base for a thorough review of flavors and product potency.
Mountain Medicinals Hash Gummies, made by Dazys, are the best soft candy edible. I love these soft, sweet, chewy pillows of hash candy loveliness. The gummies come in packages of four and are made with classic candy ingredients and fruit juices. Each one contains 20 mg of BHO hash oil extracted by Dazys sister company, Colorado Bubble Company. In some batches the hash taste is more noticeable. This variation results from recipe adjustments guided by CannLabs potency test results.
The six candy flavors are combined with 3 hash oil types, Sativa, Indica and hybrid. Blueberry and lime gummies contain Sativa hash oil. Cherry and orange gummies have Indica hash oil. Grape and tropical gummies are made with a hybrid hash oil. I have sampled all the flavors and my personal favorites are cherry and grape.
Edibles provide all the health benefits of marijuana without the adverse risks of smoking. The physical sensations are slightly different from smoking marijuana. The feeling resonates deeper, like a bass line, and lasts longer. Dosage is very important because an edible can also knock you out and leave you drooling. I’m never in a hurry to eat an entire edible unless I know I want to go to sleep. In small doses, marijuana relaxes me and helps me appreciate the everyday joys and blessings in my life. In large doses, I’ve had mild psychedelic experiences and fabulously sound sleep.
My standard dosage for Mountain Medicinals Gummies is one to two pieces, depending on if my stomach is empty or full. If I eat three gummies or the whole package, I often get cottonmouth and need to have a water bottle near me to quench my thirst. I only eat three or more if I know I’m safe, I’m not going anywhere and do not have any responsibilities or major decisions to make.
To test out the latest batch, I took a joy ride into the sunset on the new RTD light rail line, the W, one evening after work. I decided to eat two pieces. I ate the first gummy on the westbound station platform while waiting 10 minutes for the train to arrive. Thirty minutes later on the train, relaxing and feeling more comfortable in my body, I noticed my various pains weren’t so loud to me. As they faded into the background of my experience, with the glorious sunset unfolding over the fascinating scenery—familiar yet completely new—I was all smiles. What a lovely moment. The train passed above the highway on a monorail section to the last stop in Golden. Time to head back to Denver. As the light rail cruised over the highways and through Lakewood neighborhoods, I discreetly ate the second cherry gummy. Yum yum yum.
30 minutes passed in a state of blissful enjoyment as I took in the view. A young mother with two small children was sitting across the aisle from me. At one point, my eyes were drawn to the poster above this trio heralding the advent of the new line, in the shape of a bull’s head packed with imagery, including the train’s nose, something resembling an animal’s backbone probably meant to suggest a train track, and rounded boob-like mountains along the left edge. Feeling mischievous, I briefly considered asking this woman: “Do the advertising graphics seem boobalicious to you? Because I see a mountain range.” Tetons were everywhere, the graphics were spot on.
By the end of the light rail trip, I started feeling ravenously hungry, inspiring a dash to the comforts of home. I departed the light rail at Union Station, feeling great, and located my bicycle parked downtown. Riding through the city, enjoying the exercise and the spring breeze refreshing my spirit, I felt so free and amazed and alive. Nearing my apartment on High Street, I laughed as I peddled, wondering whether LSD discoverer, Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman, felt like this as he rode his bike home during his first experience on acid. Life is sweet.
Mountain Medicinals hash gummy candies are a handmade, fun to eat, and reliably potent treat.
Susan still enjoys making edibles but no longer works at Dazys.
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