Pubdate: Sun, 30 May 1999
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)
Copyright: 1999, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Contact:  414-224-8280
Website: http://www.jsonline.com/
Forum: http://www.jsonline.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimate.cgi
Author: Susann Gamble, Special to the Journal Sentinel May 30, 1999

REVELERS' TENTS SPROUT LIKE WEED IN SAUK COUNTY FARM FIELD DURING MARIJUANA
FESTIVAL

Town of Fairfield -- Almost twice as many people showed up this year for the
annual Weedstock Festival in Sauk County as last year, perhaps showing that
good weather can influence people more than marijuana.

About 2,000 people, some claiming to be from as far away as England, were
gathered Saturday for the festival, which promotes the legalization of
marijuana, and more were still coming in. A sea of tents, buses and just
about anything else that could provide a little shade cascaded across a
rolling green hill in the lush Sauk County terrain.

The festival, which runs until Monday, was held in the same location on
Marcus Gumz's farm off Highway 33 last year. But the cold, rainy weather
last year kept the crowd down to about 1,300.

This year, the festival-goers -- who paid $35 for the weekend -- basked in
the warm temperatures. Around them, vendors sold bongs, pipes, tie-dyed
clothes, cold drinks and signs that read: "Thank You for Pot Smoking." A
frozen dessert sandwich advertised as being made from hemp quickly sold out.

There were few problems with the crowd, according to law enforcement
officials from Sauk County, Columbia County and the Wisconsin State Patrol.
Officers were patrolling the area with drug-sniffing dogs.

"We have issued a lot of written warnings, traffic citations, possession
charges, a couple of warrant pickups, one OWI (operating while
intoxicated)," said Lt. Tom Pollard of the Sauk County Sheriff's Department.
The annual gathering meant 12-hour shifts and no holiday time off for
deputies on the Memorial Day weekend, but Pollard said they were used to it.

"We haven't had any disturbance complaints," Pollard added.

Weedstock organizer Ben Masel had some complaints, though -- about the size
and intensity of the law-enforcement force. Masel said some officers were
making up traffic violations as an excuse to pull people over.

"We even had people pulled over because their tires were bald, which the
officer noticed at night, as they are driving at 35 miles an hour -- not
likely," Masel said.

A Minnesota man said his bus had been searched by Saturday afternoon.

"The second time they had dogs and found nothing," he said. He declined to
give his name for fear his employer would see it.

Wendell Holmes of Madison said: "I don't have to smoke pot; I'm here just to
get high on the good time."

Most folks were simply enjoying the beautiful weather, the campfires and the
music tent. Robin Cardell made the trip from Oshkosh in a blue bus with a
group called Amnesty 2000. The group wants all victimless criminals released
from the prison system by 2000.

"These are productive members of society that for whatever reason smoked a
little pot," Cardell said. "They are still productive."

Barbara Peterson, a Madison activist and former emergency-room nurse working
in the safety tent at the festival, said there had been no problems beyond a
bit of dehydration.

"I've actually treated two dogs, but my main point is it's nothing like you
would see at a Badger football game, where a large amount of alcohol is
involved," Peterson said.

Peterson said she has been an activist most of her life.

"My uncle is David Dellinger of the Chicago Seven," the protesters indicted
after the 1968 Democratic National Convention, she said. "I believe strongly
in the decriminalization of something that has brought so much to society
for years." 

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