Pubdate: Sun, 24 Apr 2016
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2016 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Ian Shapira

AT CANNABIS FESTIVAL, TOKIN' APPRECIATION FOR POT

The National Cannabis Festival at the RFK Stadium grounds Saturday 
afternoon seemingly offered so much: rolling papers of all sizes; 
neon-pink bongs; "Hydroponics for Everybody" books; free issues of 
Dope magazine; several odor-protecting clutches from the Annabis 
purse collection; and an "Educational Pavilion" for yoga techniques 
or lessons on entrepreneurship and local "Potlitics."

One thing at the National Cannabis Festival not technically allowed: 
the consumption or sale of cannabis. Although it's been legal since 
Feb. 26, 2015, for people in the District to possess up to two ounces 
of marijuana, it's still illegal for ordinary citizens to sell it to 
one another or smoke it in a public place.

But just in case festival-goers were disappointed by the D.C. rules, 
luckily there was Stephen Barber, 25, a University of Maryland 
journalism student and editor of a cannabis news site, Capital Canna 
News. Sitting out in the open by the vendor booths, Barber was - to 
use the language of his rationale - accepting "donations" for his 
fledgling news organization in exchange for one-gram baggies of 
marijuana that he branded "White House O.G."

"This is some good [expletive] marijuana," said Barber, a U-Md. 
senior as he took a hit and coughed uncontrollably. Then, people 
shoved their hands in his face with wadded-up $20 bills, asking "You 
selling?" and "How much for the donation?"

"You can go on Kickstarter," Barber replied, referring to the 
money-raising website. He rummaged through his backpack and fetched 
more baggies.

There was much more than pot to be found at the festival. More than 
3,000 people came to educate themselves about the disparate marijuana 
laws in the District and various states. Pot entrepreneurs tried to 
find new consumers, and wellness educators preached about marijuana's 
health effects.

Bill English, 36, a wellness coach, began the festival's yoga class 
inside the Educational Pavilion by talking up marijuana's health 
effects: "Beyond just being additive medically . . . it can have us 
be more creative and it can help us with our mind body connection. 
There's a variety of things this plant can do beyond just getting 
people high." "Whoo!" someone yelled. "That's right," English said. 
And just in case attendees wanted to obtain an actual medical 
marijuana card - which confers a prescription and legal avenue to buy 
the drug in the District - then there was the MetroXMD booth. Its 
huge poster was meant to entice: "Who can get their medical marijuana 
card? ANY one, with ANY medical condition, from ANY state in the 
United States. We can legally get you prescribed for Medical Cannabis today!"

Over by one of the political booths was Riley Rae, a co-founder of 
the group DC NORML, a local chapter of the National Organization for 
the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Rae was talking with a man from 
Delaware who belongs to his local NORML chapter.

"You hear about the Pennsylvania medical marijuana law? You can't 
smoke it," said the Delaware man, who would only be identified by his 
first name, Brian. "That's silly," Rae said. "It's just another 
Catch-22," Brian said. "We can possess it in D.C., but we can't sell it?"

One of the festival's most popular booths was the one hawking cases 
of Raw rolling papers. When it was the next person's turn at the 
booth, the participant got a chance to spin a roulette-style wheel a 
la "Wheel of Fortune" for one dollar. People turned the wheel with 
all sorts of possibilities of where it would land: Tips, Stickers, 
Clipper, Cone, and King Size.

After one woman got done spinning, she was awarded an enormous packet 
of rolling papers. She marveled at the size.

"Isn't that amazing," she said. She was holding in her hands Raw's 
12-inch rolling paper that would normally retail for more than a dollar.

What brought her to the National Cannabis Festival?

She looked at her friend. They shrugged their shoulders and 
snickered, declining to be identified.

"Activism," the friend said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom