Hempfest is the largest annual protest festival in the world. With 5 stages, hundreds of vendors and activist booths, 1,000 volunteers and 100 year-round coordinators, Hempfest is spreading the message of drug policy reform to attendees of all ages.
By presenting influential speakers such as travel show host Rick Steves, SAFER Choice's Mason Tvert and National Organization for the Reform of Marjijuana Laws' Executive Director Allen St. Pierre, Hempfest educates the community on the benefits of drug policy reform. And with famous musical acts such as the Grammy-nominated Bone, Thugs and Harmony, Hemfpest is able to show that legalization is the popular and important issue in today’s political scene.
And this year, with legalization on the horizon on the West Coast, and more states accepting marijuana as medicine, Hempfest's theme this year stresses the importance of responsible use of marijuana and harm-reduction issues.
(Vivian segment on responsibility)
With legalization on the ballot in California and efforts to legalize or decriminalize marijuana in Washington, Oregon, and other states across the nation, activists believe re-legalization of the plant is right around the corner. To impact elections, Hempfest strives to stress the importance political participation. The hundreds of thousands of attendees are here to say one thing: "I toke and I vote."