cannabisnews.com: Florida Hempfest Changes Lean Toward Political Florida Hempfest Changes Lean Toward Political Posted by FoM on November 09, 1999 at 09:26:12 PT By Matt Avery, Independent Florida Alligator Source: U-WIRE In 1994, Murli Watkins, aka The Doobie Tosser, was arrested for tossing bags of marijuana joints to crowds at Hempfest. On Saturday, Watkins sat back in a faded couch in the middle of the Downtown Plaza and watched two children run around the lawn. Marijuana-rights advocates held their 10th annual Hempfest Saturday, but supporters said the atmosphere of the festival has changed over the years. Today's Hempfest is more about political activism than civil disobedience, and organizers spent their time Saturday gathering signatures for a medical marijuana ballot petition. "Things evolve. Things change," Watkins said. "Civil disobedience serves its purpose, but now we have our living room set out here." Jodi James, spokeswoman for the Coalition Advancing Medical Marijuana, said organizers gathered between 300 and 400 signatures for the medical marijuana petition. She said Gainesville always is considered a "stronghold" of legalization support in the state. "Everybody thinks this is the best party we've had in years," James said. James said she hopes to teach people to become empowered to affect the political process. She said it is up to the individual to make a difference. "You can change the world in your own little corner," she said. Local comedian Tom Miller, who co-hosted the party, said Hempfest definitely has taken a different direction over the past several years. He said organizers are trying to work within the political process. This does not necessarily bother students. University of Florida education graduate student Rochelle Rojas said you have to work within the system to change it. "Politics is what makes (marijuana) illegal," she said. Rojas said she would like more support for hemp here, adding that most college students have used marijuana. Vendors from across the country attended the event. Sara Finnerly, a hemp vendor from Maine, said the Gainesville Hempfest was one of the better events she has attended. Finnerly said she was involved in the drive to put medical marijuana on the ballot in Maine. Voters in that state passed the initiative last week. "You have to in some way or another go through political channels...you start with events like this," Finnerly said. November 8, 1999(C) 1999 Independent Florida Alligator via U-WIRE Copyright © 1995-1999 Excite Inc.Related Article & Web Site:10th Annual Gainesville Hempfesthttp://www.jug-or-not.com/can/gfest.htmlHempfest To Stress Legal, Medicinal Uses of MJ.- 11/06/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3577.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by FoM on November 09, 1999 at 10:00:00 PT: ENN Chat - Friendly Reminder Today At 2PM ET! ENN Chat - Friendly Reminder Today At 2PM ET!November 09, 1999 ENN Chat - Tuesday, November 9, 1999 ENN Chat requires a Java Capable browser. Welcome to ENN ChatThe next chat is scheduled for today from 2 to 3 p.m. ET. In July, Florida's drug czar announced that he wanted to release a marijuana-eating fungus to kill the state's crop of marijuana. This has scientists who work in the agricultural field concerned. Come to a live ENN chat with Tom Dean, litigation director of the NORML Foundation and John McPartland, a doctor who has researched this fungus, concerning the potential of this bio-technology.Montana NORMLnorml montana.comhttp://www.montananorml.org Decade of Classified MSU Research Sought - 11/08/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3596.shtmlMSU Confirms Research On Anti-Marijuana Fungus - 10/17/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3313.shtmlGroup Sues MSU Over Anti-Marijuana Fungus - 10/14/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3283.shtmlMT NORML Files Suit On Killer Fungus Research - 8/13/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2479.shtml Please return to this page at that time.http://chat.enn.com/ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: