What
is Hempfest?
Hempfest
is a political free speech event designed to promote awareness of the beneficial
uses of marijuana. And to organize folks around efforts to legalize marijuana.
Hempfests
occur throughout the United States and Canada. The Seattle Hempfest is supposedly
the largest marijuana gathering in the world.
Hempfests
usually include music, hemp crafts and goods, lively and informative speeches,
literature and information, and other political networking.
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Seattle's Hempfest Attracts more than 100,000 Visitors
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Better
events include interactive displays and games designed to inform citizens
about the effects of the war on drugs. Citizens
are always encouraged
to talk with activists and amongst themselves in order to create good
ideas to further the goal of legalization of cannabis. In Northeast
Florida, Hempfest has occured every summer since 1998. Jacksonville Beach
has been the original location. However the event was moved to Jacksonville
in 2000 and 2001. The Hempfest has been in Federal Court Litigation over
3 of the last four events. Receiving 2 federal court injunctions against
Jacksonville and Jax Beach. You can read those rulings and lawsuit, Along
with the Gainesville Hempfest rulings from the US 11th Circuit Court of
Appeals in our legal library.
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Question:
Do
people Smoke pot at hempfests? What about Doobie Toss?
Answer:
Although
we are certain many people smoke marijuana at hempfest, the organizers cannot
officially encourage or condone the violation of any law, no matter how wrong.
In Seattle, everyone smokes cannabis freely and in the open. Check out the picture
above and you will know why. In Gainesville an enterprising soul decided to
issue forth vast quantities of rolled cannabis cigarettes. This was an expected
happening for years at that event. Although the doobie tosser was eventually
aquitted he still served some jail time. It would be nice to have the kind of
conditions that would allow for open marijuana smoking, but we cannot hasten,
nor cause any laws to be broken. In other words, SMOKE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Jacksonville
Hempfest is an event organized by members of JAXCAN
Interesting
Jacksonville Hempfest Statistics:
2002
negotiations:
Click
here to see the letter from Jacksonville Beach.
Click here to see our response.
Arrests,
number of:
1998:
7
1999: 0
2000: 0 (one notice to appear)
2001: 0
2002: 18 (Unverified, reported by Times Union)
Attendance
(Estimated):
1998:
2,000
1999: 3,000
2000: 1,500
2001: 1,000
2002: 5,000
Bands,
which have played Hempfest:
419
Below Paris
Better Dayz
Buddha Stone Tribe
C-
Chad Jasmine
Danny's Big Wheel
DJ Chris Kelly
Gargamel
Gunga Din
Hank El diablo
Innercooled
Innerexit
Lifeblood
Magilla
Manna Zen
Minus 10
Miseryhead
MOFRO
Morris Code
OBC
RX Bandits
Shaft
ShaktiCypher
Skiffdank
Snagglepuss
Soulness
Sound Pushers
Steve Walker Band ("Mule Skinner Blues")
Subrosa
Superfly Rodeo
Troubled Mind
If your band is not on here and should be let
us know
Bands
on our shitlist: (in
otherwords banned from playing hempfest)
Clone Defect, Long Beach Dub All Stars, First Coast Steel Ensamble.
These bands promised to play and then flaked out at the last minute or did not
show up. DO not pay for their shows.
Budget
of last five fests combined:
$4,000
Search
Results on "Jacksonville Hempfest":
Google:
513
Yahoo: 46
MSN Search: 24
Lycos: 278
Ask Jeeves: About 50
AOL Search: 46
Tax
Dollars spent by Jacksonville and Jax beach to stop hempfest:
At
Least $25,000 in Legal fees
Venue:
1998:
Seawalk Pavilion Jacksonville Beach
1999: Seawalk Pavilion Jacksonville Beach
2000: Metropolitan Park, Jacksonville
2001: Hemming Plaza, Jacksonville
2002: The New Seawalk Pavilion Jacksonville Beach