Pubdate: Mon, 6 Oct 2008
Source: Badger Herald (U of WI, Madison, WI Edu)
Copyright: 2008 Badger Herald
Contact:  http://www.badgerherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/711
Author: Julie Strupp
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?161 (Marijuana - Regulation)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Great+Midwest+Marijuana+Harvest+Festival
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Ben+Masel

HARVEST FEST PARTICIPANTS MARCH FOR SMOKING RIGHTS

An enthusiastic crowd gathered under "Smoke 'em Bucky" banners for 
the 38th annual Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival in downtown 
Madison last weekend to protest the prohibition of marijuana and 
foster solidarity among fellow dissenters. The three-day-long 
festival began Friday night with a benefit concert at the Cardinal 
Bar and continued through the weekend. Speakers and bands vocalized 
their support Saturday in Library Mall to "end the war on drugs" and 
urged listeners to vote for change.

Madison Police Lt. Joe Balles acknowledged marijuana smoking does go 
on at the event, and while the protesters have every right to 
assemble peacefully, he noted the act is still illegal.

"Smoking at this event is illegal, just as it's supposed to be 
illegal on State Street or in dormitories," Balles said.

However, Balles said actual enforcement can be difficult because the 
UW football game required police attention.

"Any problems at this event will be dealt with, but we [had] a larger 
priority with 100,000 people coming to town for the Ohio State game," 
Balles said.

On Sunday, protesters paraded from Library Mall to the Capitol to 
show support of legislation that legalizes - or "de-criminalizes" - marijuana.

Protesters listed a multitude of reasons as to why they thought 
marijuana should be legalized, including medical purposes, personal 
rights, helping solve global warming and stimulating the economy.

"I think they should legalize marijuana to eliminate national debt," 
said Linda Ellen, a festival volunteer of 35 years. "Right now, pot 
sales are unregulated, but we could tax it and prison costs would 
also go down."

Speakers also noted the many useful aspects of the cannabis plant. 
Agua Das, who runs a business that sells legal, THC-free hemp ice 
cream and hemp-based baked goods to health stores, said the plant 
provides "food, fiber, fuel and freedom."

"Canada has had a hemp agriculture for the last seven to eight 
years," said Susan Squibb, Das' co-worker. "If their teenagers had 
started sitting destitute on the streets, I think [Canadians] would 
have done something about that law by now."

Peter Steinburg, a leading attorney and advocate for marijuana rights 
in the Madison area, said one of the main reasons for marijuana being 
illegal is that it cuts down on social productivity.

"It would make much more sense to outlaw alcohol," Steinburg said in 
his speech at the rally Saturday.

Steinburg also declared that it was "an outrage" that legalized 
marijuana was not part of the Democratic platform and insisted "the 
time to demand the end of the drug war is today."

This year's theme for the festival was "Vote," which veteran 
organizer Ben Masel said is important in every election year, both 
nationally and at the state level.

"For students, we are really pushing them to vote [for a 
marijuana-friendly assembly] in their parents' district," said Masel. 
"While we have a friendly assembly here, we're focusing on flipping 
it in other areas of Wisconsin."

According to Masel, who was a freshman at the University of 
Wisconsin-Madison at the time, the festival first started in the fall 
of 1971 in response to a series of marijuana raids and has been going 
ever since. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake