cannabisnews.com: Festival Blows Smoke at Anti-Marijuana Laws Festival Blows Smoke at Anti-Marijuana Laws Posted by FoM on October 04, 1999 at 09:49:34 PT By Kelli Hader, news writer Source: Badger Herald Online The 1999 Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival drew an estimated 5,000 people Saturday. The festival, in its 14th year, gave local groups who support the legalization of marijuana a chance to be vocal about the issue. "Madison is a really receptive town," said Kevin Ehlinger, American Cannabis Society booth operator. "It's a great place to hold festivals like this one, because people will come out to support the cause."Vending booths lined Library Mall, selling hemp merchandise ranging from hemp cookies to hemp clothing. Many of the vendors offered literature concerning the legalization of marijuana for various reasons, ranging from medicinal use to an alternative for corn syrup. The all-day festival, which began at noon, included an hour-long march from UW-Madison's Library Mall down State Street to the steps of the Capitol building."Madison is a cool town," said John Kruswiki, who drove up for the fest from Iowa. "I'm here to support the legalization of marijuana."During the procession, the crowd chanted, "We smoke pot and we like it a lot" and "Legalize it now." The chanting crowd displayed banners that read, "Legalize with a little help from our friends" and "Hemp - Our Premier Renewable Resource"."Marijuana should be legal," said Kori Hopp, a festival attendee. "If we don't come out and say something, who's going to?"There were police officers on hand at the event from the Dane County Narcotics and Gangs Task Force.Sgt. McLay, an officer observing the crowd said the primary function of the police officers at the festival was crowd control."We're not working the crowd to make big drug arrests," McLay said. Although festival permit applicant and organizer Ben Masel maintains that attendance of this years gathering matched those of previous years, festival attendees disagree. "[Harvest Festival] has gotten smaller progressively in the last seven years," McLay said. "This decline may be due to marijuana becoming less politically correct."Sarah Kirkland, a member of the group Students for a Sensible Drug Policy blamed the lower attendance on the coordinators of the event."I think the turn out is pretty low because of poor organization," Kirkland said. "Today's festival was scheduled on the same day as the Phish show which attracts the same crowd of people."Occupying a booth at the festival, student organization SSDP used the event to promote their organization. "This is a really good event to spread the issues that my group focuses on," said Eric Hogansen, founder of SSDP.Student Leaders in Drug Policy & Justice - SSDF http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3124.shtmlConsisting of 25 members from UW, the group, whose main goal is to eliminate marijuana from being classified with more serious drugs, is one of 12 organizations nationwide. "The fact that marijuana is classified with other drugs such as heroin puts [marijuana] within the organized crime culture thus making it a gateway drug," SSDP member Carrie May Poniewaz said. "There is nothing inherent in marijuana that leads a user to other drugs. I think its time for our leaders to take the facts into consideration."Monday, October 4, 1999 © 1999 Badger Herald.Weekend Madison Festival Seeks To Raise Awareness http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3109.shtmlDrug Policy Foundation Of Wisconsinhttp://www.drugsense.org/dpfwi/index.htmWeed Stockhttp://weedstock.com The Great Midwest Marijauna Harvest Festivalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3028.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by jane on August 16, 2001 at 01:17:19 PT: harvest fest can anyone tell me when is harvest fest.i need dates and times. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by mat on March 10, 2001 at 18:58:32 PT: is weedstock going to be in 2001 will weed stock be in 2001 i hope you guys will telll me because i was hoping to go [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: