This Weekend In Seattle: Earth’s Largest Weed Rally

[marmar]

This Weekend In Seattle: Earth’s Largest Weed Rally


Seattle, WA: Event organizers are expecting to break attendance records this weekend for the 21st annual Seattle Hempfest, taking place this Friday through Sunday at Myrtle Edwards Park along the downtown Seattle waterfront.

Hempfest has drawn crowds in excesses of 250,000 people over the three day ‘protestival’.

One of the main focuses of this year Hempfest is Washington’s legalization voter initiative, Initiative 502. Washington is one of three states this fall where voters have the opportunity to substantively reform their state’s cannabis laws, effectively ending cannabis prohibition. Oregon and Colorado voters also have legalization ballots this fall. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/hot-news-views/weekend-seattle-earths-largest-weed-rally

[Scootaloo]

1. Cue 250,000 pretending they have no interest in getting high

"It's, like, medicine dude. And rope! Have you ever cooked with hempseed oil? It's low in cholesterol."



More power to them.

[tama]

3. Hempseed oil is great

Tastes marvellous and the fat content is ideal for human consumption, but sadly does not preserve very well, that being only small minus.

[Scootaloo]

4. I'm aware

It just cracks me up how pro-pot advocates will extoll every virtue of the plant except for its primary use - getting baked. To hear many of 'em talk, nobody's ever even considered getting high off hte plant, ever, and it's all about revolutionizing the paper industry.

...Not that I have any doubts that pot legalization would have a positive impact on the paper industry...

[TeamPooka]

7. Prohibition is a failed public policy...

again.

[Scootaloo]

10. That it is

Like I said, it just cracks me up how often people pretend to have absolutely no interest in getting high off the stuff. They're not fooling anyone, and all it ends up doing is making it look like even the "advocates" think getting high is a bad thing.

It's not.

I support legalization of marijuana because i enjoy a recreational high. Hempseed oil and twine and god knows what else are just fine, but, really? I know what's up. You know what's up. Everyone knows. Stop pretending, and just say it. "smoking weed is enjoyable, and there's no reason for it to be outlawed"

[limpyhobbler]

13. I also find this activity to be most agreeable.

It would be even more so if it were legal.

Hey everybody needs a hobby.

[TeamPooka]

16. we could all start a club...

[JaneyVee]

21. Count me in.

[tama]

8. Duh,

even pro-pot advocates can have media strategies, I'm stunned.

And why would legalization have any impact on paper industry? What do you think we use for rolling now? If anything, all studies from various countries show that legalization or rather various degrees of decriminalisation lead slightly decreasing consumption of pot, together with curing many social ills that criminalisation directly causes.

In fact health enthousiasts generally advice against smoking paper and using instead vaporisators, oral consumption etc., or at least a bong.

[Scootaloo]

11. Well, the argument often goes like this...

"You know the real reason marijuana was outlawed, right?"
"Uh, moral prudery? Anti-Mexican racism? it smells like burning hair?"
"ell oh ell, no way dude, it's because the timber industry wanted to kill it!"
"Say what?"
"yeah! Hemp, you know, like the stems and stuff, you can use that to make paper, man! And it's cheap and easy to grow."
"Okay, so..."
"So the timber industry, they wanted nothing but wood pulp for paper, right? So they lobbied, and that's totally why weed is illegal!"
"Uhm. Okay."
"If we just legalized, man, paper would be so cheap!"
"Paper's already cheap."
"I know dude, paper would be even cheaper. though!"
"You smoke WAY too much weed."

Really, it should be enough to say "yeah, I enjoy getting stoned. It's a fun way to spend my time. WHat of it?" - Just come on strong with it, instead of prancing around the real reason everyone wants legalization. All the "media strategy" does is reinforce the notion that getting a high is "wrong."

[tama]

19. Hmm

Though you misrepresent the argument a wee bit...
... I do agree that first priority of cannabis advocacy in US should be lifting the ban against growing cannabis for seeds, fibre and energy.

IMO it's extremely important. Getting high is fine but it's not really a problem for anyone who wants to or needs to, free market, supply and demand have taken care of that. In terms of politics, social and environmental responsibility, biggest problem in US is the ban against industrial uses of cannabis, growing it for fibre, seeds and energy, not just for medical, spiritual and entertainment uses. The plant is so ideal for so many uses - seeds for nutrients, fibre for clothes, building, paper, etc., plant mass for energy, etc., agricultural soil improvement etc. that it is not exaggerating to say that it can solve whole lot of our problems and heal our society at large.

[Taverner]

17. I love getting baked!

Yes, it has medicinal uses. Yes, it is really, really, really, really, fun!

Some people don't cotton to it, I reckon...

But just like Colonel Angus, it rubs some people the wrong way...

[MagickMuffin]

5. Hemp Oil can go rancid rather quickly, however, it should be stored in the fridge

That is how I used to keep it when I could afford it. I ordered it by the case. It has such a great nutty flavor, I used it in any and everything just like olive oil. Hopefully things will turn around soon for us and I can once again include Hemp Oil in my diet. I also used ground Hemp Seeds in cookies and other dishes as well, again,

[tama]

9. Yeah,

but it goes rancid also in fridge relatively quickly and should be consumed relative quickly also that way. The problem is that hippies and hippie communities don't generally have lots of money and if and when they buy hemp oil, it's by bulk from some health food provider together with all the lentils etc. etc. Small affordable bottles from corner shop just still don't exist.

When I was very much into ecocommunities, I dreamed of building simple communal oil press to get self sufficient in terms of cooking oil. Self grown hempseeds in large quantities were always well available in those circles - mostly from legal EU accepted strains of course.

Very recently lots of people are getting into building their houses from hemp fiber and clay. It's ideal material for that use also.

And yeah, I know that growing hemp for fiber and seeds is still illegal there in US. BTW only country in EU that strongly opposed industrial hemp for their hysterical reasons was of course Sweden, but it couldn't stop that and according to EU single market laws has to allow hemp growing and products also in Sweden. Haven't checked for a while what is the practical reality there in that regard.

[musiclawyer]

2. May WA, OR, and COL end the WOD once and for all, Nov 2012

K & R

[TeamPooka]

6. also in Seattle this weekend - PBS is filming ANTIQUE'S ROADSHOW at the convention center.

there's a combo for you

[marlakay]

12. Heh all of us boomers from the 70's

Want to check out the good bongs made back then.....

[shanti]

14. good times!

wish i was in seattle this weekend

[Archae]

15. Best yet, get ripped and then go here.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8651471/

[JonLP24]

18. I miss the Seattle area

I wish I could go back one of these days.

[JaneyVee]

20. Where do I get tickets.