Seattle Hempfest is an annual event in Seattle, Washington, the world's largest annual gathering advocating decriminalization

Decriminalization

Decriminalization or Decriminalisation is the abolition of criminal penalties in relation to certain acts, perhaps retroactively, though perhaps regulated permits or fines might still apply . The reverse process is criminalization.Decriminalization reflects changing social and moral views...

 of marijuana

Cannabis (drug)

Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...

. Founded in 1991 as the Washington Hemp Expo, a self-described "humble gathering of stoner

Stoner

-People:* Stoner , bass guitarist* Alyson Stoner , American actress and dancer* Andrew Stoner , Australian politician, member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, and the Leader of the New South Wales National Party...

s" attended by only 500 people, and renamed the following year as Hempfest, it has grown into a 2-day annual political rally, concert, and arts and crafts fair with attendance typically over 250,000. Speakers have included Seattle city council member Nick Licata

Nick Licata

Nick Licata is a past president of the Seattle City Council and is currently serving his fourth term on the Council. He has chaired numerous committees, including Parks, Public Safety, Human Services, Housing, Arts and Culture. His aides Newell Aldrich, Lisa Herbold, and Frank Video have worked...

, actor/activist Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson

Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...

 (2004), travel writer and TV host Rick Steves

Rick Steves

Richard "Rick" Steves is an American author and television personality focusing on European travel. He is the host of the American Public Television series Rick Steves' Europe, has a public radio travel show, Travel with Rick Steves, and has authored various location-specific travel...

 (2007), (2010) former Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

 center Mark Stepnoski

Mark Stepnoski

Mark Matthew Stepnoski is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh....

 (2003), and former chief of the Seattle Police Department Norm Stamper

Norm Stamper

Norm Stamper is a former Chief of the Seattle Police Department and an author. He is best known for his role in the Seattle's response to the protests of the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, which eventually led to his resignation....

 (2006). Hempfest has also in recent years attracted such well-known performers as Fishbone

Fishbone

Fishbone is a U.S. alternative rock band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California, which plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk, hard rock and soul. Critics have noted of the band: "Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s...

 (2002), The Kottonmouth Kings

Kottonmouth Kings

Kottonmouth Kings is an American rap rock group from Placentia, Orange County, California. Kottonmouth Kings officially formed in 1994, and describe themselves as "psychedelic hip-hop punk rock"...

 (2004), Rehab

Rehab (band)

Rehab is an American Southern rock, country, and alternative hip hop band. The band has recorded seven albums, including two each for Epic Records and Universal Republic. They are mainly known for their 2008 hit, "Bartender Song "....

 (2006), and Pato Banton

Pato Banton

Pato Banton is a reggae singer and toaster from Birmingham, England. He received the nickname 'Pato' from his stepfather, and 'Banton' from the disc jockey slang for a "heavyweight DJ".-Biography:Born in Birmingham, Banton first came to public attention in the early 1980s when he worked with The...

 (2007) to its five stages spread throughout Myrtle Edwards Park

Myrtle Edwards Park

Myrtle Edwards Park in Seattle, Washington is a 4.8 acre public park along the Elliott Bay waterfront north of Belltown. It features a 1.25-mile long bicycle and walking path and is a good place to see eagles, gulls, and crows....

 and Elliott Bay Park, on Seattle's waterfront.
2011 Hempfest speakers included numerous elected officials, among them Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich

Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....

, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, City Attorney Pete Holmes, a return by Councilman Licata, and Washington State Representatives Mary Lou Dickerson

Mary Lou Dickerson

Mary Lou Dickerson is a Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 36th district since 1995.-Legislative Background:...

 and Roger Goodman

Roger Goodman

Roger Goodman is a Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 45th district since 2006. He has announced his candidacy for the US House of Representatives in the WA 1st congressional district.-Education:...

.

Early Hempfests "featured blatant marijuana smoking"; 60 people were cited for illegal marijuana use at the 1997 Hempfest, and about 20 were arrested the following year. Eventually Hempfest and the police reached a modus vivendi

Modus vivendi

Modus vivendi is a Latin phrase signifying an agreement between those whose opinions differ, such that they agree to disagree.Modus means mode, way. Vivendi means of living. Together, way of living, implies an accommodation between disputing parties to allow life to go on. It usually describes...

: there was only one arrest in 2001. The political context surrounding marijuana in Seattle and Washington has changed considerably over the years. Washington legalized medical marijuana

Medical cannabis

Medical cannabis refers to the use of parts of the herb cannabis as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy, or to synthetic forms of specific cannabinoids such as THC as a physician-recommended form of medicine...

 in 1998. In 2003, Seattle passed an initiative

Initiative

In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...

 that made adult personal use marijuana offenses the city's lowest law enforcement priority.

The festival has an annual budget of approximately $200,000.

The 2008 Seattle Hempfest, which took place August 16–17, set a new record for attendance, topping 310,000 people. The volunteers of Seattle Hempfest were awarded the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) award for "Outstanding Cannabis Advocate of the Year Award" on October 17, 2008 at the National NORML Conference for their efforts.

External links

• Seattle Hempfest official site
• Seattle Hempfest official MySpace profile
• Official Olympia Hempfest Website
• https://hempfest.org/drupal/?q=node/58 Seattle Hempfest 2008 Speaker and Band line up