cannabisnews.com: Thousands Celebrate Medical Marijuana at WAMMfest





Thousands Celebrate Medical Marijuana at WAMMfest
Posted by CN Staff on September 27, 2008 at 19:56:06 PT
By Alia Wilson, Sentinel Staff Writer
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz, CA -- Thousands of medicinal marijuana patients and supporters attended WAMMfest to celebrate and learn about the herbal medicine Saturday.Though medical marijuana patients were able to smoke their medicine at the event that featured music, crafts and speeches, that portion of the festivities was in question until this week. After failing to muster the votes to lift the city smoking ban in parks in a prior meeting, the council Tuesday agreed to do so. Only those with a medical marijuana identification card were allowed to smoke in a specially-designated tent Saturday.
Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana co-founder Valerie Corral said the event is an opportunity to normalize the use of medicinal marijuana and bring its members' stories to the public eye."Almost 200 of our members have died in the past 15 years since our inception," said Corral. "We do this work for a lot of reasons and for all aspects of illness. We get to be with people at the most important time in their lives when they are facing death. We are here to take care of each other and to be by their bedside and it takes you to places you can't even imagine."WAMM is a collective of patients and caregivers that offers free medical marijuana to seriously ill patients with a doctor's recommendation and aims to, provide hope and build community.Santa Cruz police reported that there were no problems during the event, and that the festival provided its own security.Organizers began setting up the celebration of the herbal drug at 6 a.m. Saturday and said by the end of the day they expected to see 2,500 visitors.Colorful tents filled San Lorenzo Park with vendors offering a range of organic hemp soaps from Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps to bright tie-dye shirts and jewelry. Plastic marijuana leaf tiaras were also for sale in addition to sunglasses and hemp bags.Councilman Tony Madrigal, who spoke at the event, said he was happy the council was able find a compromise that allowed patients to use their medication in a controlled, confined and secure area, while still taking part in a community event."This is an example of the community working together with the local government to find a solution for many of the problems the city faces," Madrigal said. "People are loyal to WAMM and come to celebrate the good work that WAMM does."A newly expanded children's area was moved to the front of the park to invite members of the community to the family friendly event said WAMM member Babianna Mince."It's a family affair here. My husband is working security and I am in charge of the kids area," Mince said. "We have had about 20 kids come by since noon, which is more than we have ever had."A survivor of uterine, bone and breast cancer, Mince said that being a medicinal marijuana patient has allowed her to participate in events such as the festival and get through 40 surgeries within the past five years. "I feel like after that I can get through anything," Mince said.A small memorial for WAMM members who have died was set up by the medicinal marijuana tent, featuring their names and faces.Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)Author: Alia Wilson, Sentinel Staff WriterPublished: September 27, 2008Copyright: 2008 Santa Cruz SentinelContact: editorial santa-cruz.comWebsite: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/Related Articles & Web Site:WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/ Council OKs Smoking Pot in WAMM Tenthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24184.shtmlBe Consistent on Pot Smoking Banhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24173.shtmlWAMMfest Facing Major Downerhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24162.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 28, 2008 at 12:17:33 PT
SNL Skit From Last Night
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/couric-palin-open/704042/
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on September 28, 2008 at 11:56:31 PT
Video From WAMMfest
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_10582505
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 28, 2008 at 09:28:35 PT
nuevo mexican 
One more thought. Young people aren't polled if they only use a cell phone so the polls would probably be even higher if they did.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on September 28, 2008 at 09:13:12 PT
nuevo mexican 
I can't begin to tell you how happy the polls are making me. SNL was really good again last night. David Letterman was the best I have ever seen him the night McCain didn't show up. I am looking forward to having a liberal who is a Constitutional Law Professor in charge. He is a very calm and sensible person too.
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Comment #2 posted by nuevo mexican on September 28, 2008 at 08:19:30 PT
Yes, the last few days have been great!
Love the article, makes your day first thing on Sunday!Another great skit from SNL last night, and David Letterman, whoa, and the debate where McBush wouldn't look at Obama, old time racist treatment, typical of the elderly back in Indiana......The polls have turned for Obama and should continue to do so, it's considered in the bag this late in the election cycle and it'll be too late for anything but election vote theft.Watching MSNBC report the poll that has Obama at 46 percent to McCain at 34 percent approval regarding who did better at the debate, and the pundits are talking about it being the consensus that is was a draw, so we can still count on the Media to carry the ball for bush is word goes out that
Obama can't have it. When McBush acts like a racist so blatantly, I believe the signal has been sent to the media to follow the lead.They will, just watch.Times up though, I don't see it working anymore.The demonization of Cannabis has failed, now the demonization of liberalism is failing, big time!Truth has a liberal bias, as they say!
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 27, 2008 at 20:04:56 PT
WAMMfest
It seems like it was a very good day. That makes me happy.
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