First! Where do I sign?

I agree... Prohibition causes nothing but Violence.. Legalize, Regulate, Tax(Not Decriminalization.. the Government cant Control/Regulate an illegal substance)... Legalization means Age Restriction to help keep it out of the hads of kids. Pot is worth more pound for pound than gold and it is almost free to produce, its a Weed so it Grows almost Despite you... the Demand Is there...We know now that pot isnt nearly as bad as Alcohol... and in a failing economy why not make some money on it. I would personaly like to see the money go to the Education system or Law Enforcement Get some more cops out there busting up the Real bad guys that out there shooting people... not the People getting high on their couch watching tv

The ACLU needs to take a different angle to persuade the Fundamentalist Rump in this state (Mormons included).
Frame the discussion as "the government's war against God's creation". Legislating against a naturally occuring plant is futile and immoral. If God doesn't want the plant around, he'll remove it "his way". If God wants that plant to stick around, eradication will never work.

You have to co-opt the small minded, as they cannot handle true reason.

@ Sir Vic: It can also be spun with conservatives as a "states rights" issue. They love that shit.

forgot to mention that both the California and Massachusetts legislatures currently have bills introduced to legalize, tax, and regulate cannabis

there will be no init. Takes tons of money - and some unity between factions.

the ACLU has no real teeth on the issue - or pl. explain why the legislature did nothing?

ACLU parades a lot, but, their strength is court, not laws in the making.

And, all truth be known, Washington State needs Washington state strategy, we are not Oregon or Mass.

Holden needed to tell us his former job was at the ACLU running the mj stuff as an assistant to Holcomb.

And, god, don't ever showcase Dem. politics by Hargrove, homophobic right wing ass. He is really to the right of most Republicans, yet proclaims as a Democrat to win elections in that district.

I’ve got an idea. If Hempfest marginalizes the movement so, why don’t you stop participating? Why come and act like you are relevant? Why come and grab a microphone and suddenly act like you contributed? Why not get the Stranger to run the initiative?

A tacit endorsement by the festival is made of you and your opinion by continuously allowing you to be part of the debate at the event and yet all you can do is shit on it. Tell you what, stay out o’ the ghetto this year bud. The ghetto has moved on.

We will support you with our “I ♥ derisive closeted potheads who are no longer relevant to the movement” tee-shirt.

Hello from the Patchouli stained ghetto! LOL. Guess you moved on uptown now, still got your ghetto pass?

Hey Dom, your article's nice, but I can't seem to remember much of it after hearing my one true labour of love referred to as a "patchouli-stained ghetto". (And weren't you a co-leader of said "ghetto" at one point in time?)

C'mon Dom, you know what an ad-hominem attack is right? Please save 'em for the DEA, ok?

And your assertion that the current discussion is wallowing at Hempfest may have been partly true a few months ago, but recently, I've seen nothing but a full-fledged flowering of discussion in even the big media..

Take this 7-on-1 flogging of Asa Hutchinson on CNBC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALc0wVFfI…

The PRESS are ganging up on Asa!! THE PRESS! Remember the press who used to pretty much pooh-pooh the legalization movement as a bunch of hippie potheads? Now Rob Kampia pretty much gets to sit back for most of the whole session, while CNBC correspondents pick Asa's propaganda apart piece by piece -- and even get Asa to admit that legalization is fiscally the best thing to do.

So anyway Dom, you really hurt some feelings out there by calling Hempfest a patchouli-stained ghetto. I know your snark is good-hearted at it's core, so I don't care. But for the others, I do hope you'll make amends.

Don't be a Stranger!

Your lifelong Hempfest "ghetto-buddy",
-Clint

Argh! Link FAIL in the last message.

The correct youtube URL is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALc0wVFfI…

Dom, I rarely smell patchouli at the fest and I should know cuz I don't like that smell. Beside most of the attendees are hip hop or techno youngsters, not so many hippies anymore. Keep up the conversation. Let's organize for the people's initiative to decriminalize pot.

"and the current discourse about pot is wallowing in the patchouli-stained ghetto of Hempfest"

Are you blaming yourself as an ineffective speaker in that ghetto? If you want to nudge people into action (which isn't the role of organizers of Hempfest: they provide the forum, you -as a speaker- provide the action), it probably doesn't help to call them all patchouli-stained hippies.

WOW! Dominic - How many years did you spend in the "ghetto" with all those patchouli stained hippies.....? I will do everything I can to make sure you are never invited back to speak at Hempfest. There is no longer room for your self importance, your negativity or your elitism at Hempfest.

i like this.

While yer at it, why not decriminalize Wine Theft??

i have one thing to say: the murders in mexico aka 'drug war' would be over overnight if we admitted drugs are being used and we might as well bring them into the light of day. ok maybe i have more to say. why is it that the media is framing us sending money and assistance to the mexican government because of fear of it spilling over our borders instead of admitting that the whole reason there is a war going on down there is because our drug war has spilled over their border?

I've been to a couple of HempFests, hell, I even registered to vote at one many years ago. It's a great community event, but it does have its limitations politically.

All those who rip on Dominic for his shot at the amateurish nature of HempFest need to understand how politics actually works. No war was ever stopped in this country because a group of high school students staged a walkout during second lunch. Likewise, federal drug policies aren't going to be changed because a bunch of white college age kids had a well publicized party. I stopped going to HempFest when it became clear it was just another stop on the festival circuit in Seattle, with Folk Life, Solstice, and Bumbershoot. Just a bunch of wasted & wasteful kids wandering around, checking each other out & trying to score. That's not a political force, that's summer camp.

Dominic is finally growing up, realizing that if you want to change the adult world, you have to start playing by their rules.

Perhaps then he should be active in say, drug policy as opposed to writing in the gay weekly ghetto.

Hempfest oh my god. I used to go to them all, now they are a joke. I remeber the days when they had pot plants to give away, bong hit contests etc. last time i went was three years ago, security was nine miles deep. people were searching everyone, and everything. purses and back packs turned inside out. pockets checked, pat downs. My freinds and i call it PIG-A-PALOZA now. between the cops, and the snitchy little staffers runnning around alternately begging for money, (I was solicited for money no less than 100 times) to people telling me i can't smoke here (it's not cool man!), I acutally had a staffer try to take my pipe away, and called a cop on his little radio for back up. we of course gave him a kick in the nut's and put him head first in a trash can like he deserved, Well you name it, its gone bad there. Hempfest is fucked plain and simple. It's no different than a trip to the puyallup fair, except there way more stinky hippies! (take a shower rope smoker!) Will i ever go again? No! Fuck you hemp fest!, a patchouli stained ghetto is a compliment, a shit smelling hippie, cop love fest is more apt.

My point exactly. If you don't like it; don't come. I think the 'fest can handle 2 less bigots.

hippie, please. one can support the movement and the ideals without supporting the fucking costumes and crafts. there's as much bullshit politics and hypocrisy backstage at hempfest as there is everywhere else. a zip-tied tie-dyed sheet behind a stage is lazy and cliche.

sincerely,
diggum

@ Sir Vic: Glad you got registered to vote at Hempfest. We still get hundreds of people registered every year. I beg to differ regarding your assertion that it's just another stop on the festival circuit.

We attract a WIDE cross-section of Amerciana. In that cross section are party-people. Is it wrong to work to educate and motivate them them regarding MJ law?

Hempfest is still a premiere meeting point for hemp activists around the country. You might consider spending some time at the Hemposium Stage if you go to Hempfest again. You'll get a chance to see the hard-working adults who are actually making a positive difference.

Initiatives I-75 and I-692, which are both LAW now, where heavily connected with Hempfest. Most people involved in the initiatives were also involved in putting on Hempfest in some way or another.

@ P.E.T.A: I find it hard to believe that a Hempfest staffer tried to take your pipe away. I can see a staffer warning you not to smoke in an area because you might get busted, but taking your pipe? That's not what staffers are there for.

As for security, the professional company we use, SCS, is there to prevent weapons, alcohol, and narcotics from entering the fest.
(They know, as well as you should, that pot is not a narcotic)

And if your story is true and you really assaulted a staff member by kicking them in the nuts and stuffing their head in a trash can, then you sir, should be doing some hard jail time for assault.

(BTW, I don't ever recall hearing about your alleged assault - and I would have heard about it)

If you want to focus on the "stinky hippies" who show up at Hempfest (they're citizens too), then go ahead, but there's a LOT of REAL discussion and activity going on at Hempfest that you're missing out on.

But hey, if you're the kind of person who likes to brag about assaulting someone, then please, DON'T come to Hempfest. EVER.

re: The Topic:

YES, the legalization movement needs to seize this time more than ever and make some big steps forward in changing these ill-conceived drug laws.

Talking at Hempfest alone won't do a whole lot - beyond educating and motivating people -- but that's what it's all about! If you want to collaborate and plan with like-minded people, then Hempfest is a great place to find such people - and hear some great music at the same time.

A LOT of people work year-round to make Hempfest happen. It's not easy, and they do it ALL WITHOUT PAY - some even taking second mortgages out on their houses to help pay for the festival.

Hempfest doesn't change laws. Hempfest helps educate and motivate people to change laws. What more do you want?

@ diggum:

Don't like the tie-dye ambiance at Hempfest? COME CHANGE IT!!! Bring your own art!

You people dissing on Hempfest just don't seem to get it. Hempfest is put on by VOLUNTEERS! It HAS TO BE - because it's a free-speech event!

Most of these volunteers have day jobs and families to feed and spend lots of their own hard-earned money on the festival - are you gonna pick on 'em because they hang a freakin' tie-dye behind the stage that doesn't suit your aesthetic sensibilities???

What would YOU rather see? And if you feel so strongly about it, PLEASE join in helping Hempfest happen - BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK IN THE WORLD.

You and your ilk are deeply elitist "better than thou" douchebags that do not see how it shows the world how insecure you are about yourself.

I tell you how to win although I do not think you care; unite. Work together. Be less devisive. Your way is the old way that has lead to loss. We are going to win. You will still be still running your prissy popularity contest. I wonder if you will even look up from your mirror when the walls come down. The demo crew will try not to get dust on your dress.

@ Excociate:

Who are you referring to? What are you referring to as a popularity contest?

I guess I'm having a tough time understanding your whole post because it's so vague.

The only thing rational I can pick out of your post is the need for unity, working together and being less divisive. You'll get no argument from me there.

But who are you calling an "elitist better-than-though douchebag"?

It's really not clear from your post.
Please be a little more concise if you really want to get your message across.

I'm sorry. I had just read the article and was venting at the author. My apologies if any posters thought I was aiming at them.

Just do it and stop talking about how to do it.

The time is now.

Did you know how much of our city and county and state budgets go to this waste?

Punk Rock loving businesss owner here,

Dominic has hit the nail on the head. Hippie Ghetto is right. Hippie run Hempfest is why so many legalization supporters don't attend.

I don't care for hippies or cops. I am in favor of legalization.

Hempfest is a joke, if the "I wish I was at Woodstock 1969" ethos that Vivian and all his folks embody disappeared, tens of thousands more folks would be more inclined to show up. The hippies are a very small minority of folks that support legalization, yet they dominate the one great day for weed in this town.

I always enjoyed Gay Pride on the Hill, it always seemed to be more fun in such a supportive neighborhood. But my gay friends have won me over after the last few years in the argument that the Pride Parade should be larger, more mainstream, and visible, and therefore downtown and at Seattle Center. Now the parade is huge and a much more effective event for gay rights.

Hempfest is ridiculous. The same old tired music from Country Fair and the Seattle Peace Concerts, the same old self-important hippie-retread speakers, the same old costumed patchouli clowns.

It's 2009 folks, how about updating the movement?
You hippies can keep on trying to hide yourselves in a 40-year old lifestyle just fine, but folks from all walks of life smoke and medicate with the herb, and they just don't feel comfortable at tie-dyed dinosaur dominated events.

Get the legalization movement out of the ghetto!!!!!

I want to apologize for some of the comments written here by Hempfest supporters. Naturally, we are sensitive about being criticized, but Dom has every right to voice his opinion. They pay him to do it. Hempfest cannot be everything to everyone. We would be changing it every day. So we will continue to try to do our best in our own special way to bring an end to the failed policies of cannabis prohibition. We are proud of the work we've done, and ask everyone to keep an open mind about Hempfest if you have not been there. If folks have suggestions about how Hempfest could do a better job at changing the pot laws, please send them to us at hempfest@hempfest.org

DRAINBOWS exactly!!!

This is why I can't stand hempfest anymore. Clint and Vivian, if you weren't providing a whole lot of effort producing a playdate environment for drainbows, a hell of a lot more people would be supporting Hempfest.
The Country Fair and Rainbow Fests exist for all you folks, a great place to live out your hippie fantasy world. But the legalization/medication movement has eclipsed its hippie roots and gone mainstream. You know the latest poll numbers. Even Repugthugs support legalization/medication these days. I like the posters that mentioned how Gay Pride left the ghetto as a maturing movement, and now parade downtown to incredible success.
I was with you guys when I was younger, wore flowers in my hair, but you still exist in the hippie love bubble and don't realize the extent to which you are mocked. A hell of a lot of people think that you and hempfest are a big joke, and they don't climb on board. Seriously, the hippies are a very, very small representation of smokers anymore, the sixties are over. It's reality boys. The tie dyes and dreads represent a smaller and smaller group of people every year, but that whole lifestyle is imprinted and overpowering hemp from going forward.

Freak Power got the hemp movement to where it is today, it was fun and all, but it is time to evolve.
I smoke with hundreds on a yearly basis, at parties, shows, picnics, and BBQ's. I know that not one of them supports or will go to Hempfest anymore. It just doesn't represent your average stoner demographic.

We have all come a long way, so have I , I still have most of the values, but I'm not living for Jerry, Jerry's dead. Bob Marley's dead.
I can bring my kids to Gay Pride, no problem, but what does Hempfest have to offer for all of us families that used to support it, but would like to see the event evolve?

I've reading a lot lately about about founder burnout in organizations, about how movements and organizations stagnate because the founding leaders can't let go of what it used to be. Country Fair is a prime example, and I hear all of you Country Fair goers bitch about that fact, so you know what I'm talking about.

The idea and the movement are bigger than you now, are you gonna choke it with your 20-year old production, 40 year-old philosophy, and keep coddling the Drainbows?

The same vendors every year? Do you realize how your vendor mix drives so many folks away? I don't know how to solve that problem, and keep the necessary revenue flowing, but somethings got to change.

I don't know how to solve all these problems, but instead of group hugs and proselytizing about how we ought to all hold hands and love the mother and every body and each other, big turn-offs for most stoners and hemp supporters, maybe you ought to listen to Dominic, and go talk to Gay Pride, let the hippie/dread/love thing be what it is in its world, and seriously brainstorm on how to get everyone that's pro-pot into the tent.

I'm a Soccer Mom, and I smoke pot.

Why Gay Stoners are smarter:
John Aravosis in the premier gay and civil rights blog, Americablog.com, lays it out.

Obama and marijuana
by John Aravosis (DC) on 3/26/2009 09:57:00 PM Americablog.com
I've been hearing through the grapevine that a lot of people are upset that Obama didn't come out in favor of legalizing pot today.

Uh, okay.

What happened was that Obama held his online town meeting today. During that town meeting, he answered some of the most popular questions that regular people submitted on the White House Web site (as judged by the number of votes people gave to each question). One question that got a lot of votes was about legalizing marijuana. In fact, there were several. It appears there was an organized effort to make pot legalization one of the top questions for Obama to answer.

Here, for example, is the number two question in the "health care reform" section of the site:

Why is marijuana still illegal? Cigarettes and alcohol are far more harmful, and with the taxes put on the legal distribution of marijuana the US could make millions"
Ben R, Washington, DC

And here was the top-voted question in the category "Green jobs and energy":

""Will you consider decriminalizing the recreational/medical use of marijuana(hemp) so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and a multi-billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?”"
Green Machine, Winchester,Va

And here was the top-voted question under the topic of "Financial Stability":

"Would you support the bill currently going through the California legislation to legalize and tax marijuana, boosting the economy and reducing drug cartel related violence?"
Anthony, Warrington, PA

Actually, the top four questions in this section were about legalizing pot, and none of them were about medical marijuana - they were all about legalizing all pot:

"Has the administration given any thought to legalizing marijuana, as a cash crop to fuel the economy? Why not make available, regulate, and tax something that that about 10 million Americans use regularly and is less harmful than tobacco or alcohol."
Sarah, Atlanta, GA

"Growing up I have noticed many around me always talk about legalization of marijuana, and I always thought, why not put a tax stamp on it. If marijuana was legalized it could really change a lot of things. America had the same problem with Alcohol."
Peter McNamara, Minneapolis, MN

"Could legalizing marijuana and laying a tax on it, given restriction allow the government make back some of the glaring debt considering it's inelasticity and the history of economics of prohibition?"
Andy Drake, New Brunswick, NJ

If you visit the remaining categories on the WH Web site, you'll also find that the top-voted questions are about legalizing pot - again, none of them about medical marijuana, all of them about making pot totally legal for everyone. The most popular question of them all was the one about legalizing pot to save us from the recession. It's the one Obama read on the air. Needless to say, Obama read the question, laughed, and said no.

Now people are upset.

Well too bad. It was an idiotic question to ask the President of the United States. The question wasn't about medical marijuana, it was about legalizing pot 100%. No President of the United States, today, can come out in favor of such a thing. It's political suicide. I can't even believe some people are upset with Obama over this. They ought to be upset with whoever organized the campaign to get the stupid question asked, rather than the intelligent question. Maybe next time they'll actually ask a question about medical marijuana, and not make the number one question about legalizing pot across the board.

Garbage in, garbage out.

Yeah, it sucks that the Pride Parade is downtown now, it used to be a lot more fun, rowdy, and raucous up on the Hill.

But, a lot more people from all walks of life attend now, and it's not quite as wild, but that is the price we pay to be part of the mainstream now.

But isn't that the point?

The stoners need to do the same thing, get out of the tacky hippie costume ghetto, grow up, and take it to mainstreet.

What's a Drainbow?

Hippie Burnout?

Hey Hippies!

Love you guys, you've done great work for the hemp, but you are truly a laughingstock for the majority of folks that pack Sasquatch, Fremont Fair, Cap Hill Block Party, and Bumbershoot. You've had your day, it's time to move on or evolve. Weed is going to be legal as soon as or before gay marriage. It's time, it's critical mass.
I know it hurts to hear the truth, and you sure are getting defensive about it, but seriously, take a poll, most of you don't rate any higher than a circus or clown show. It's over, the tie-dye is ancient history. It's fucking 2009, not 1969. 40 years of plugging away in tie-dye Day-Glo has had its run.
Hippies are probably about 1% of pot huffers these days, but you won't let go of your merry circus. There is a huge majority of us that would show up if we weren't so embarassed by associating with the fading hippie nation and the drainbow losers.

Be a rainbow, not a drainbow, right?

Dominic - thanks for another great article. Keep the pressure on.

The only pressure he is keeping is on his hairless balls as he uses the Gay Weekly to self aggrandize himself.

If I wanted to watch masturbation there are better websites.

BTW, the truth about how Dominic Holden feels about people. Please don't miss this one:
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archive…

Sorry, Your Savior seems to have let you down and has a good laugh about it as well.

http://reason.com/blog/show/132508.html

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg…

Suckers.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. If you want change in the laws stop waiting for the hippies and their friends to do the work FOR you for free AGAIN. Work WITH them and anyone else who cares about reform. I-75 took a lot of work and I for one am glad I was able to help out and I am ready to do it again. I am going to go to hempfest again this year to meet people and find out what the laws are in Washington and how to change them. I am going to learn about hemp and medical marijuana and the benefits. I challenge you to work for what you want even if you have to work with people you don't normally hang out with. Last year I met people from all walks of life from the homeless who work for food to business owners to teachers to the person who lives next door. Find out who really goes to hempfest and start talking and doing what you can to change things. Join us there is work to do.

I have just read Dominic Holden’s “Shit Or Get Off The Pot” and I would like to make the following personal observations. Let me be clear that these opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of High Times magazine or its staff of which I am member. I am speaking as a marijuana activist who remained quiet on the subject of cultural bigotry within our movement for far too long.
On the number of professional occasions that I have been with Mr. Holden I have always sensed a thinly-veiled bigotry on his part towards the so-called “hippie” faction of the counterculture. Those of you who know me would probably agree that I look like and exemplify the stereotype of an old hippie and, like any other cultural minority, I have learned to identify and avoid those people who intrinsically dislike my kind. As a pot smoking hippie for 37 years I have been culturally targeted for my entire adult life by the police, employers, coworkers, dimwitted bureaucrats, ad nauseum. I’ve never liked it and I don’t find it funny. For these reasons, I have always kept my professional interactions with Dominic at a minimum.
A few years ago I was on a panel with Dominic at Hempfest with Jack Herer and after Jack and I said our piece it was Dominic’s turn and he quickly brought the level of the discussion down to long-haired, Patchouli-smelling activists who he thought was detrimental to the cause of marijuana-law reform and advised all present to wear the proper haircuts and wear the proper clothes if they wan to be effective activists for marijuana law reform. I was about to vehemently disagree when the panel ran out of time.
I too believe there is a place for mainstream-styled activism to present itself to mainstream-minded individuals and media in order to promote marijuana law reform; but that message should never be promulgated at the expense of any portion of its constituency. Such personal bigotry disguised as strategic activism is offensive, counterproductive and gives ammunition to those who would do marijuana smokers harm. In fact, a very large percent of the 20 million marijuana smokers who have been arrested in the U.S. since 1965 have been long-haired, holes-in-your-jeans patchouli drenched hippies like myself, the targeted class to which you, Mr. Holden, turn up your nose.
 Strategically speaking, Mr. Holden’s words are a detriment to our cause, That a former co-director of the highly-popular Seattle Hempfest would refer to that event as a “ patchouli-stained ghetto” is shameful; that one would use that phrase in the following context: “the current discourse about pot is wallowing in the patchouli-stained ghetto of Hempfest” is simply inaccurate. The current discourse about pot revolves increasingly around marijuana being seen as a possible solution to our nation’s economic woes and, for that reason, more possibilities for national reform exist right now than at any other time in recent memory. Mr. Holden alluded to this reality later in his blog but not before he vented his spleen on his least favorite minority.
On a side note, speaking as a journalist, I find unbelievable that The Stranger did not insist on identifying its blogger as a member of the NORML Board of Directors or as a former co-director of Hempfest. Such standard citations exist to protect the public against possible bias and the public was ill-served in this instance.
I believe Dominic Holden’s consistent negative public comments on a viable portion of the marijuana law reform community make him a poor choice to represent any part of that community. Our movement needs to be inclusive, not excluding. Our movement needs to embrace the full variety of its constituency not pander to those few small-minded individuals who have since the beginning of time marked “those people” as the problem (quote marks are mine). I would suggest that Mr. Holden be removed from the NORML Board of Directors which is a shame because I think he has been sincere in his belief in marijuana law reform, smart, well-read, well-spoken -- all the things our movement needs to take advantage of this moment, and I certainly don’t hate him because real hippies don’t do that sort of thing. It’s just that his statements are bigoted and that can only hurt our cause.

No one likes to be mocked, true. Mabye though, it's time to put aside hurt feelings and consider what's effective. Movements are a lot more successful when they have a broad base of support. Like it or not, alienating people who live in the mainstream doesn't help.

[Case in point: Compare the WTO protests of 1999 to those that followed the year after. Yeah, okay the anniversary protest was smaller and not tied to an actual event like the first one, but what's relevant here is that it featured mostly people flying their freak flags. I had a great time but it felt more like a party. Young, healthy topless vegan girls are adorable and all but beyond galvanizing nearby construction workers I'm not sure what they accomplished w/ their tactics.]

It's stupid that people get into these I hate hippies vs. I love hippies arguments. It's bad enough that we live in a world that attempts to reduce us to marketing demographics but it's worse to play along. That said, how useful is it to preach to the chior? Yeah, I'm drawing on a cliche here, but really what's the goal? Do people what to get their freak on or do they want to change laws?

In response to anyone asking "Where do I sign?"

You can sign on Obama's own website, Change.org.

http://www.change.org/drugpolicy/actions…

Know it all- do you know why the current debate is where it is at? Hempfest and things like it have fueled the debate during the long desert of Republican rule. They have worked with the local government to change policy to the point that Seattle is commonly referred to as on the cutting edge of drug policy. They have also forged relationships with local government and the police. One former top cop is now a leader of the legalization movement and the other is going to be the Drug Czar. In ’95 there were buy-busts at Hempfest now Seattle has needle exchanges.

Ask someone in Norway if they have heard of Squatch or Cap Hill Block party or Seattle Hempfest. Any clue which one they will have heard of?

We all need to unite and push the pendulum in the direction of sane drug policy. Hempfest by itself is not going to enact the policies of harm reduction nor is that what a festival is intended to do.

Other organizations will need be formed or furthered some of which will wear suits and ties. I can say that Hempfest has not been what has been holding drug policy debate back.

Mr. Holden,

This article relies far too much on lagos; you are trying to use logic to make your argument to an audience that already agrees with you. Instead of preaching to the choir why don't you try making your case on the grounds of pathos. Try to convince someone who disagrees with you using their morals as ammunition.

Tell us the current laws are racist. Tell us it is dangerous for law enforcement officers to uphold these laws. Tell us that we are ruining the educational opportunities of our students. But don't tell us that it will help our wallets. That is just plain selfish.

You mention legalizing pot and the "dopertarian" cockroaches crawl out of the cracks in the floorboards to write about it.

The sad part is that without restrictions it was easier to get this illegal and "dangerous drug" than alcohol for me as a minor in this city. legalize it, regulate it, tax it if you have to but just stop being stupid about it.

You mention anything socially progressive, and the conservative pushes his head into the sand, and his wife's even deeper.

I don't agree with
Dom in quite a derogatory comment regarding those involved and who attend Hempfest. I do see the point that he is trying to get across. In order to further the necessary initiatives to being decriminalizing pot, it has to be brought to the mainstream. Hempfest, in some regards, supports organizations that are continually fighting for these initiatives to become law. However, one festival a year does not keep the momentum going. Yes, Hempfest is made up of volunteers who give there time because some of them truly believe and want to continue the pursuit of legalizing marijuana, but more and more the hemp has been lost in the festival that is held. Yes, Dom, you owe one huge apology, the comments you made in regards to Hempfest were completely uncalled for and pretty darn rude, however the points you make in the article are quite clear and I have to say, I agree, lets not let more of these initiatives slip through the cracks anymore! Even with your comment in regards to Hempfest, I would still want to see you speak there, you are still a strong proponent of marijuana laws, and even in the "ghetto" of the Stranger (which some have previously referred), the voice for the movement gets louder!

How do we test for THC impaired drivers? Are you willing to allow blood tests as implied consent? Answer this and you would have the support of most police.

If you legalized it in WA and then put a "sin tax" on it like booze and tobacco, it'd help out with the recession. Unfortunately, if we snub Big Fed, Big Fed will cut us off, and everyone in Oly's afraid to deal with the withdrawal symptoms.

agoldstar65 there is a test for blood THC levels. Much more expensive than the current urine test which tests for the metabolites (leftovers after THC is made inert or non active. Several studies have been done in several countries that all show that while driving under the influence of THC is slightly more dangerous than not, driving under the influence of alcohol is far worse by orders of magnitude. Driving while tired is almost as bad as driving drunk and far worse than driving while high on THC. Reefer Madness is over.

The people that put prohibition into place did so for greed and predudice and against the Constitution of the United States of America (like the 10th amendment). You Mr. Holden and people like you have held back the movement by your insistence that people for the reform of cannabis and hemp laws must dress and act a certain way. Patients, doctors, farmers, manufacturers, ecologists, scientists, blue collar workers, white collar workers, moms, dads, and everyone else are all different and we must put reform of these unjust laws ahead of petty prejudices. After all prejudice and greed is what started the drug war in the first place.

Oh gawd, I can't believe I'm about to say it, but someone will and I think it needs to be brought up in advance...
Say W.S. goes decriminal, my dog is way outta this fight, so good for you. But, oh gawd, here it comes, what will happen with the "HeadRush." What's gonna happen when people start flocking to America's first dope capital? I won't speculate, but it seems a natural progression that has both positive and negatives.
I leave you all to this one.
Sasha

check out "Cusick Calls for Holden's Head" by Steve Bloom

http://www.celebstoner.com/200904051868/…

@ 47

and by 'progressive', you mean anything that is congruous with your system of beliefs? I would rather society make greater progress in the *other* direction!

Hempfest is a poor excuse for a person to thumb their nose at the law, get high in public with Cannabis, make some money for local shops like a street fair and call it a "politcal rally". If this is a rally that's supposed to promote Hemp and it's advantages, which there are many, than why is Cannabis, something completely different, being openly promoted, smoked, and paraphanalia being sold?

Even though Hemp and Cannabis are related, it's well documented that Hemp doesn't make as good of a high as Cannabis, and Cannabis doesn't make good products like Hemp. To have open Cannabis promotion at Hempfest: 1) Makes it a big stoner party, which no major corporation will sponsor to bring Hempfest to a real national level. 2) Does a great disservice to opening peoples eyes that Hemp can be a mainstream crop with large profitable yields.

If Hempfest's goal really is to promote the awesome things Hemp can do. Than Hempfest should be doing everything it can to distance Hemp from Cannabis and show that Hemp isn't a drug but more of a forestry product like trees or agricultural like soybeans or a textile like cotton.

I give the organizers of Tacoma Hempfest credit. They're taking a more moderate approach of trying to win people over by not making it a stoner/hippy event. But unfortunately they are going to promote medicinal uses for Cannabis. Which, once again, has nothing to do with Hemp!!

I've seen through the thinly veiled lie the reason for associating Cannabis with Hemp. It is to get Cannabis legal. Once Cannabis is legal the promoters and attendees of Hempfest will forget the cause of promoting Hemp because they got their precious Cannabis legalized.

If at some point in the future Cannabis is legalized. It needs to be treated just like cigarettes and money from sales put into a health care fund. My hard earned tax money better not go to subsidize healthcare when all these tokers develop health problems from the smoke and altering their brains with an unnecassary recreational drug.

P.S.
I strongly believe alcohol and tobacco should be illegal too. I have seen first hand lives shattered or taken by both drugs. It is very heartbreaking to see the mental/physical sickness, disease and death caused by both.