reprint courtesy of cannabisclinicians.org O’Shaughnessy’s • Winter/Spring 2008 —57— The World’s Biggest PC (Pro-Cannabis) Rally In what European country do people sion. A large percentage of people at No one owns the Hempfest, smoke more marijuana, per capita, than the Hempfest were in their 20s, work- there are no profits for anyone in the U.S.? ing at entry-level jobs. In a system that No, it’s not Holland, it’s the Czech enables very few to make a secure living, to take home. Republic. Travel writer Rick Steves this is reason enough for anxiety and threw that surprising fact into his talk depression. using less prescription medicine.” This Sunday at the Seattle Hempfest. He A decade ago at a hemp event you’d steady rise in the number of Californians had just come back from two months in see lots of classy-looking people in seeking approvals and doctors issuing Europe where, he said, “a joint causes draw-string pants. Now you see the them continues despite intermittent DEA as much excitement as a can of beer. It’s working-class youth in t-shirts proclaim- raids on growers and dispensaries. just not a big deal.” ing “Wake and Bake,” or “Jesus is com- Frank Lucido, MD, of Berkeley, Steves lives in ing, better roll another joint,” or “Harry recounted how he came to monitor nearby Edmonds, Pothead”(with a drawing of the young meetings of the Medical Board of WA, from whence wizard smoking one). California after being investigated (and he runs his flour- Memorable speakers included a ultimately cleared) by the board in 2001. ishing guidebook middle-aged woman named Nora Cal- Lucido had approved cannabis use by “a business. lahan, leader of the November Coalition, 16-about-to-be-17-year-old with severe Is there any which supports prisoners of the drug war. attention deficit disorder” who had been public figure in Rick Steves As Callahan tells it, “My brother was ar- having problems academically and so- America who risks more, career-wise, rested and charged in a drug conspiracy cially. Cannabis enabled him to get A’s by openly challenging the marijuana at the end of the 1980s. On words of and make friends. Lucido believes that prohibition? “I’ve got to be careful not ‘cooperators’ —snitches— he was con- doctors who conduct appropriate exams to overplay my hand,” he said, “but ev- victed in federal court and sentenced to have little to fear from the medical board erybody in public television knows what 27 years in prison. That’s when I found at this point. “I thank the doctors with I’m doing and they’re with me.” out that the phony war on drugs is a real low practice standards for taking the heat Satirist Gabrielle Lavalle The Seattle Hempfest —the world’s war on people, and has no chance at off us,” he said facetiously. prior to the Fest by organizing recycling biggest pro-cannabis rally by far— de- creating a drug-free America.” Several of the MDs in attendance, containers (which the city provides for veloped out of a 1991 vigil in a local including Lucido, Hergenrather and free) and trash dumpsters (which we park opposing the Gulf War. Opposition “We have a secret policing Greg Carter of Seattle, discussed the pay through the nose for), then a friend to the current catastrophe in Iraq was system in this country that formation of a new doctors’ group that of mine and I work like dogs through expressed at this year’s event by the very relies on snitches instead of would promote high practice standards the festival until the park is cleaned up. visible Ron-Paul-for-President crew. and continuing medical education pro- “Most crew leaders recruit their There was also a booth at which Fred doing real investigations. They grams. Sunil Aggarwal, an MD/PhD friends to help them out, and most crews Miller of Peace Action of Washington have quotas and have to make student at the University of Washington are perpetually short-handed. My situa- disseminated info about U.S. military so many arrests in order to agreed to help organize the group, which tion isn’t the best —after all how excit- spending. will be called the American Academy of ing can you make it sound to pick up Miller’s routine is called “Incred- keep their jobs.” Cannabinoid Medicine. trash? Hempfest relies on many walk-up ible Feats of Stupidity” and highlights —Nora Callahan At the end of a panel of lobbyists, Rob volunteers. ‘Here’s a shirt, here’s a bag, Pentagon programs such as the one that Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project here’s some gloves, now go out and pick provided landlocked Zimbabwe with Callahan described the recent murder commented on the recent defeat of the up trash.’ Many of these folks may live anti-submarine rockets. Miller’s partner, by Atlanta police of a 92-year-old Black Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment. The marginally, but they still want to help. I Gabrielle Lavalle, wore a little crown on woman whose house they raided on a tip measure would have de-funded DEA remember going home one year at 1 a.m. her blonde bouffant wig and a powder- on Saturday night, the ground covered blue dress with a sash across her chest in litter. It had all been picked up the that said “I Miss America.” next morning by an army of street kids. The 16th annual Hempfest was held On Monday and Tuesday we might find August 18-19 in Myrtle Edwards Park, people helping clean up the park who a mile-long strip of greenery along El- haven’t even been to the event. They see liott Bay. Vendors’ booths —this year what we’re doing and they just pitch in. there were almost 300— line a couple “Nobody is paid. Some of the bands of winding asphalt pathways. Tents and Panelists Debby Goldsberry of the Berkeley Patients Group; Chuck Armsbury, editor of get a travel allowance but it isn’t exactly stages are set up where the lawn widens. the Razor Wire, a prisoners’ journal; Nora Callahan of the November Coalition; Seattle princely. Lots of core members put in Speakers are interspersed with bands. attorney Doug Hiatt; and Rainee and Bruce Osman. The Osmans were busted for legal hundreds of dollars of their own money The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (which cultivation at their home in Kent, WA, based on information elicited by Washington State to make it happen. And the miracle is, had a booth offering subscriptions at a Patrol troopers from their 8-year-old daughter just after she had seen her grandfather each year it comes off and we leave the crushed by a truck. deep discount along with a free toolbelt) park as clean as we found it.” estimated the two-day crowd at 150,000. from a confidential informant. “We have raids on growers and distributors in the The Hempfest’s goals are explicitly It rained fairly hard for about 15 minutes a secret policing system in this country medical marijuana states. political. Vivian McPeak, a prime mover on Saturday and nobody paid it any that relies on snitches instead of doing Kampia’s MPP had donated to many a since 1991, quotes Gandhi: “‘First they mind. That’s Seattle for you. Sunday real investigations. They have quotas and Congressperson’s PAC to push Hinchey- ignore you, then they laugh at you, then there was a soft drizzle for most of the have to make so many arrests in order to Rohrabacher—they even paid odious they fight you, then you win.’” McPeak morning, then the sun came out. keep their jobs When my brother was ar- Bob Barr of Georgia $10,000/month— adds, “Hempfest exists so that they will The hemp-loving masses thronging rested I was changed forever. I will never but the costly effort failed to garner more never be able to ignore us, and its excel- through the narrow park were mainly trust the government again and that’s not than two additional votes. Kampia said lence comes so that they can not laugh young adults, so-called “recreational us- a good thing because the government that in the period ahead MPP would at us. We educate our attendees so that ers.” Jeff Hergenrather, MD, was struck is ‘mine’ and not trusting it is like not spend more money on “grassroots” as they fight with us, we will know how by how youthful and able-bodied the trusting yourself.” efforts. By which he meant picking dis- to win.” crowd seemed compared to the patients tricts in which Congressper-sons might Share kept the books he sees in Sonoma County. “The thing that has moved the be swayed, and then paying off “people Hempfest staff are still mourning the It’s unlikely that his colleague Tom doctors along is their patients.” like leading clergymen and college death of Share Parker, a super organizer O’Connell would have had the same presidents” to help sway them. who handled their finances for many take. O’Connell contends that young On the doctors’ panel David Bear- An Organizational Miracle years. She died of cancer in December adults who use cannabis regularly are man, MD, reported that there are now 60 No one owns the Hempfest, no im- 2006. The program stated, “Tall and self-medicating for anxiety and depres- MDs in the Santa Barbara area who have presario’s name is attached to it, there resolute, dreadlocked to the ground, approved marijuana use are no profits for anyone to take home. she dedicated her life to Hempfest. She by their regular patients, Funding comes from the vendors (a basic questioned every bill and secured most and three who will issue booth costs $420), sponsors who take everything we needed from insurance to approvals to patients for ads in the program, and $5 donations toilets.” Share kept time as well as the whom they don’t provide solicited at the entrance. Planning and books —she played bass for the Hemp- primary care. “The thing staging the event involves a miraculous fest house band, the Herbivores.

that has moved the doc- collective effort. photos: paul von hartman tors along is their patients, This glimpse of how it’s done whom they know are sick, comes from Peter Henry, the man telling them that marijuana in charge of trash removal: “Most of helps them. They’ve also the year, while the rest of the ‘core been noticing that many staff’ attend monthly meetings, I’m of these patients are doing off in my own world teaching high

The hemp-loving masses in Seattle, undaunted by drizzle. better although they’re school. I get involved a few weeks Copyright 2012 by Fred Gardner. All rights reserved. Address reprint requests to [email protected]