Dear Lady Cannabis,  My question is inspired by a recent Denver Drug Policy Alliance conference panel, is the joint obsolete? Policy Geek

Dear Policy Geek, No, the joint is not obsolete. In the cannabis culture, several practical aspects of the joint make it enduring. For one, older cannabis consumers smoke joints because joints were the most common way of consumption. There were few ways to consume cannabis for some period of time. Second, joints are very portable. Roll a few joints and take them along with you. Third, joints can mimic cigarette smoking. In places with unnecessary prohibition, joints have been smoked in a similar fashion as cigarettes in public places. Lastly, joints are very disposable, when burned down to a small roach. Unlike, pipes or other smoking accessories, joints are lightweight and easy to conceal. Joints are great on the go for recreational fun.

In terms of consumption, smoking joints is one of the harshest ways to ingest cannabis.With the growing awareness and acceptance of medical use cannabis, the cannabis market has adjusted. Patients want the health benefits and the best way to get them is to reduce the harm associated with smoking. Smokeless alternatives are available at cannabis centers and use has increased drastically. Four years ago in Colorado, majority center sales were buds or flowers. Today, nearly half total purchases are edibles and portable smokeless vaporizers.

Nevertheless, the joint is a classic. Even immaculate hostess Martha Stewart has professed that she is a good joint roller. Continuously giggling in response to the question, Martha Stewart stated in an interview, “Of course, I know how to roll a joint, not that I ever do. We used to roll cigarettes, it’s the same thing”.

Dear Lady Cannabis, My regular optometrist is an older, established doctor. I get my medical marijuana recommendation from a different doctor. My regular doctor knows I use medical marijuana, but we’ve never had a conversation about it. How do I talk to him? Glaucoma Gordon

Dear Glaucoma Gordon, It is good you are informed and empowered. It must feel isolating to not have full support or understanding from your doctor when you have reliably and safely experienced the benefits from medical cannabis for years. To renew this discussion with your doctor, find the best way to introduce new information to him in a manner that respects his authority as a doctor. Find information sources that will speak to the doctor in his professional language, peer reviewed studies and articles in medical journals on glaucoma research and treatment. A week or so before your appointment notify his nurse and send the article. Mention you’re sharing a study related to your treatment and would like to sometime during your upcoming appointment to discuss the topic. This approach gives him a chance to read, respond and be prepared for a discussion and the topic won’t catch him off guard. Both you and your optometrist share a mutual concern for your health. Explain how you benefit from medical cannabis and tell him your patient experience. Write back with an update, please.

Dear Lady Cannabis, How do you make sense of the Pres. of A Basin taking ski passes away from boarders smoking? It’s part of ski culture, WTF! Boarding Brad

Dear Boarding Brad, Al Henchworth, COO of Arapahoe Basin ski resort, laid down the law on his October 19 blog; Al’s Blog and sparked a huge controversy among skiers. Al pulled a few patrons’ passes because they were publicly smoking cannabis. They are being used as an example to remind patrons it is illegal to smoke in public. The fury of response has helped shape the public conversation of what is reasonable and appropriate for cannabis use on the slopes. Many people voiced outrage over the harsh penalty.

Many people noted the hypocrisy of alcohol being so accepted with open consumptionnot only in the lodges but in the lift lines at A Basin. Many people were happy with the crackdown because not everyone wants to be around the smoke.

Cannabis smoking is part of ski culture. Instead of laying down the law and threateningto call the cops on this issue, as Al originally stated, A Basin needs to take a cue from Seattle Police earlier this year and put together a funny public gimmick to educate patrons to the law. Some clever giveaway with the PR messages- Have fun, we want you to enjoy the A Basin vibe. This is a reminder; public cannabis smoking is not legal. We ask for your cooperation and definitely do not smoke around children, in the lift lines at the top of the lift or the sides of runs.  A public message will go farther.

On the next powder day, the best way to be a more appropriate cannabis user on the slopes is go into the trees, not on a kiddy run and take a discrete smoke break away from minors and nonsmokers.

This version includes a Best of Vendors coverage with unpublished event photos.I Lo

Seattle Hempfest is the largest cannabis event in the world. This year’s Hempfest was the first since the passage of I-502, Washington’s marijuana legalization law, and a quarter of a million people came to celebrate. During the third weekend of August, with hot and sunny weather, Hempfest occupied a mile and a half of Myrtle Edwards Park in downtown Seattle. Within the safety of Hempfest, people smoked, vaporized and consumed cannabis in public. Occasional cooling sea breezes wafted along the beautiful waterfront, joining the hovering cloud of freshly smoked marijuana. With a hundred bands and a hundred speakers entertaining and informing from six stages, and four hundred booths of vendors and nonprofits to visit, there was plenty to see and do at Seattle Hempfest this year.

Sit on the grass and smoke some grass.

The grass in Myrtle Edwards Park is a comfortable spot for a smoking sesh with friends. Hempfest’s crowd was reveling in public pot smoking as people with 4, 6 and 12 foot bongs sat toking up with a little help from their friends. Others were walking around flashing their newly purchased pieces. Stony and relatively subdued, the crowd enjoyed the surreal and liberating experience of not having to publicly hide their appreciation of cannabis.

Marijuana tshirt at Hempfest.

The waves of people walking were decked out in fancy and casual hemp and pot leaf fashions. Wearing a pot leaf or cannabis message T shirts, or pot leaf accessories, is practically ubiquitous in this scene (my personal favorite T shirt message was “This veteran is medicated for your protection.”)  Other cannabis enthusiasts were decked out in bright necklaces, hats, sunglasses, scarves, socks, everything in their wardrobe adorned with pot leaves. Occasionally, someone was dressed in formal wear or fantasy fairy and animal costumes. Topless women sported pot leaf pasties and young families walked through the festival site with strollers.

Everlast jams onstage at Seattle Hempfest.

Boris and the Waterboarders protest with vicious humor at the Hemposium stage.

Samba music from Seeley Stage.

Listen to Music.

Area bands and musicians made up most of the musical entertainment at Seattle Hempfest. Bands played short sets and the genres were ever changing, going from reggae, to salsa, rock, punk, country rock, hip hop and electronica. Bellingham rockers Boris and the Waterboarders played songs of political protest and personal despair to the amused delight of the carefree crowd. Friday’s main stage afternoon acts were the Seattle Hempfest favorites, The Toyes, originators of song “Smoke Two Joints” and reggae groove house band, The Herbivores. Hempfest’s main stage featured nationally known acts Everlast and DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. Hiphop rock fusion artist Everlast played to a crowd of “the most stoners I’ve ever seen in one place”. The mellow crowd pumped their fists and sang along with notable songs, I Get By”, “What Its Like” and a record scratching version of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”.

Soft serve hemp ice cream served at Munchie Market

Corn on the cob dipped in hemp butter for Hempfest

Get the munchies and eat hemp food. 

There were plenty of food options to satisfy the munchies of everyone at Hempfest. Make it hempy by sprinkling on a tablespoon of Hemp Hearts, or order hemp protein powder added to a fresh fruit smoothie. Food booths offered typical festival food hotdogs, bratwurst, burritos, and French fries and meals with a hemp twist with hemp burgers, corn on the cob dipped in hemp butter or hemp coffee.

For dessert, fresh mini donuts, or scoops of Ben & Jerry’s and Baskin Robbins were tasty dessert options. Make it hempy with a waffle cone of soft serve hemp ice cream from Munchie Market.

Another snack option was provided by the Seattle Police Foundation. Seattle Police were giving away snack bags of Nacho Cheese Doritos with an attached informational sticker at Hempfest.  The stickers humorously explained the new regulations under I-502 with  funny reminders of “Don’t give, sell or shotgun weed to anyone under 21” and encouraged the crowd to enjoy Hempfest and “listen to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon at a reasonable volume”.  Warning, The chips are as delicious as they appear!

Seattle Hempfest attendees excited to get bags of Nacho Cheese Doritos from Seattle Police Department

The sticker attached to the Nacho Cheese Dorito given out by Seattle Police Department during Hempfest

Hemp fashion show

The daily fashion show was a Hemposium highlight. I co-produced Fashion with a Passion for Freedom featuring garments from established hemp clothing companies across the country and exciting pieces made by fresh design students at the Seattle based NY Fashion Academy., featuring stylish, well designed clothes from experienced hemp clothing companies. Hemp Hoodlamb, Earth Creations, Taos Hemp Company and Conscious Clothing shared the runway with innovative cannabis lifestyle garments created from four Seattle based NY Fashion Academy clothing designers.  Premium hemp fabrics were shaped into trim aprons and high society smoking jackets with inside pockets for carrying a now legal stash. Other innovative outfits, like hand painted hoodies and boldly colored and delicate hemp silk garments are redefining hemp in eco-fashion.

The bustling marketplace at Seattle Hempfest featured 400 vendors selling the gear and equipment required to consume, grow and live a cannabis life. These are the best hemp and cannabis lifestyle clothing options currently available.

HempMania, a fair trade and eco-friendly company since 1997, makes durable hemp bags and wallets for men and women. The wide variety of back packs, purses, market totes, wallets and accessory bags are available in pleasing earth tone colors and black.

Hemp bags for all at Hemp Mania!

Seedless Clothing was set up with a bright green booth and stacks of street art savvy t-shirts, shoes, hats, hoodies, jackets, belts, jeans and stickers. Seedless, a California based cannabis lifestyle clothing company, with its sprouting leaf logo is worn by the cool kids.

Love Seedless design zippered jacket by Seedless Clothing Company

I love Pot Lifestyle Clothing makes bold signature “I love pot” screen-printed T shirts and other fresh designs. They also carry green teddy bears with hidden stash pockets.

Popular teddy bears from I Love Pot Lifestyle

Urb Age Designs, is owned by Urb Thrasher, hard rocking DJ on 420Radio.org. Urb Age Designs has a variety of Rasta inspired screen-printed T shirts, barware, a Frisbee and disc golf line, and other lifestyle products to show off your love of the herb.

Urbage Design, an activist run business.

Kill Your Culture has clever pop culture brandalism images on soft fabric t-shirts, hats, bong pads, pipe coasters, ipad cases, and stickers. The irreverent images are stony and dabbed out version of characters we know and love like Darth Vader, Captain Crunch, Urkle, Frankenstein, and Keebler Elves.

Pop culture brandalism from Kill Your Culture

Good Life Roots is a Los Angeles based artist collective. Artists create original screen-printed T shirts and decoupage art on wallets, flasks and purses. The Good Life Roots crew then heads out on its summer vending tour going to a medley of festivals and markets throughout the season.

Good Life Roots, an artist collective with a seasonal vending calendar across the country

Seattle Hempfest merchandise booth In addition to being a general store, event merchandise sales is a fundraiser for Seattle Hempfest to cover the event production costs. This year’s event image, to celebrate I-502, was Uncle Sam passing a blazing joint. This iconic image is available on cotton or hemp shirts, posters and magnets.

The Hemp History Roadshow for college campuses had its informational hemp tutorial, open for education, showing the many applications for hemp in foods, building materials, fashion, body care, home goods and sporting goods. Visitors could see hemp in raw fiber materials, plastic composites, hemp food, and hemp clothing.  A small store of T shirt and hats and educational DVDs was on display in the hemp hut.

The Hemp Hut housed the Hemp History Roadshow display outside the Hemposium

Cannabis Culture 

Seattle Hempfest had some notable cannabis culture on display. The cross country  adventures of the painted psychedelic Further (original spelling “FURTHUR,”) bus driven by Neal Cassady, captained by Ken Kesey and boarded by psychedelic pioneers the Merry Pranksters was parked near Hempfest’s main stage.  This hand painted magic bus is part of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Furthur, at night Seattle Hempfest.

A fleet of Fishy Foods/ Label GMO foods/ art cars from Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps

Other art cars onsite was the Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps sponsored fleet of cars topped with giant fishy GMO frankenfoods. These fishy food cars came from WashingtonDC to Seattle for Hempfest to raise coast to coast awareness for labeling GMO foods and to educate voters on an upcoming GMO ballot issue in Washington.

Speakers, encourage, engage and inform the crowds in between band setups.  

Here’s a list of the notable hemp speakers at this year’s Hempfest:

Hemp educator David Piller of Hemp History Roadshow

Authors Chris Conrad (Hemp: Lifeline of the Future), and Todd Dalloto (The Hemp Cookbook: From Seed to Shining Seed)  

Hemp legislative advocates Steve Levine  Director of Hemp Industries Association and Vote Hemp  and Paul Stanford, Director of the Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp.

Business owners David Bronner of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps and Adam Eidenger  of Capitol Hemp.

Crowd favorites included legendary growers Jorge Cervantes and Ed Rosenthal and cannabis comedian Ngaio Bealum.

This year’s Seattle Hempfest was a liberating and fun experience, but beyond that, it was educational. For one magical weekend Seattle’s Myrtle Edwards park was alight with music, food, vendors, speakers, and endless opportunities to learn and appreciate the cannabis plant.

Seattle Hempfest 2013

http://dailydoobie.com/hempfest-seattle/

In its 22^nd 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.