Pot Peace in Seattle as Another Hempfest Celebrates Cannabis Nation. "Cannabis Nation was on the march in Seattle last pass. An estimated 150,000 populate showed up Saturday and Sunday at Myrtle Edwards lay on Elliot Bay just north of downtown to celebrate the 16th annual and label for marijuana legalization. Lauded by organizers as the world's largest drug reform protest rally or as they desire to put it. "protestival," once again the Hempfest lived up to its advance billing. As usual. Hempfest was marked by peacefulness a hefty dose of commerce and the heady sickly sweet comprehend of burning marijuana. Hundreds of vendors -- the vast majority of whom seemed to be peddling glass pipes eight-foot bongs and other smoking accoutrements -- did a brisk business and thousands of celebrants toked up blissfully as Seattle police -- obeying a 2003 voter-installed city "lowest priority" ordinance -- looked on without acting. Some 60 bands ranging from rock to reggae to hip-hop to punk as well as a tent pumping out techno music kept the sounds coming. Among the musical highlights were reggae veteran Pato Banton whose "I Do Not Sniff the Coke (I Only consume Sinsemilla)" evoked huge roars of approval and Hempfest mainstays the Herbivores whose "Losing contend" ("You can impel us all in prison but you can never win the contend") could well be the Hempfest anthem. Between the people-watching -- oh! What a glorious parade of punks. Goths aging hippies junior hippies suburban moms with strollers. Oregon pot fairies men in skirts and the simply indescribable -- the music the pipe shopping and the effort of moving among the masses it was easy to miss the serious political message behind the event but organizers made every effort to ensure that change surface the most apolitical stoner got a healthy process of the ameliorate message."Hempfest is all about promoting the freedom of choice and human rights," said continue organizer the ubiquitous and tireless Vivian McPeak from the Main Stage during one of his countless mini-rants between acts. "Responsible law-abiding adults should not be incarcerated for marijuana offenses," he reminded the audience.... That could be a mark of the "normalization" of marijuana on the West Coast in command and in Seattle in particular. After a rocky go away with police in the festival's early days in the 1990s police and organizers undergo reached an accommodation. Law enforcement reasonableness is doubtless linked to experience with the peaceful gathering which has become a Seattle institution but is also a matter of law and public policy in the city. In 2003 voters there approved an initiative making adult marijuana possession offenses the lowest law enforcement priority. With fewer than 40 marijuana possession arrests in Seattle measure year the police clearly undergo heeded the voters. While Seattle police were visible and circulating among the crowds a no-arrest policy was clearly evident. Officers walking or riding bicycles routinely passed clusters of young pot-smokers without taking action. Seattle police Wednesday told the Chronicle there had been a grand total of five arrests. "It was a peaceful event," said Officer Mark Jamieson a department spokesman. "There were three felony arrests and two misdemeanor arrests and a few patrons were escorted out of the lay," he said. For command Jamieson and the Seattle police. Hempfest is just another event. "Hempfest is approached the same way as any of the hundreds of other events held in the city annually," he said. "It is a permitted legal event which requires Seattle police officers to staff based on the numbers of participants that be each year."And that's as it should be. Hempfest is indeed the world's largest drug reform "protestival," but it is also -- and for the majority of attendees more -- a celebration and normalization of the cannabis culture that they share. Given the broad community support in Seattle and a police department that knows how to go as well as lead its community. America will experience it has reached "drug peace" when Seattle's approach is norm and not the exception for similar events around the country. To see how far we are from medicate peace now though just ask yourself what might have happened if Hempfest had been held in your community."Doesn't Seattle have conflicting Federal laws? Of course it does. So much for that spurious argument.
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