POT ADVOCATES GATHER FOR HEMPFEST

Organizers bill the event as a human rights movement -- and thousands
of people showed up along the Seattle waterfront Saturday to support it.

Wearing T-shirts with images of marijuana leaves, an array of
advocates -- including teens, young adults, mothers and the
middle-aged -- descended on Myrtle Edwards Park for the annual Hempfest.

About 150,000 people were expected at the two-day event, which calls
for greater tolerance of marijuana and hemp use. Organizers say the
gathering, which costs about $200,000 to produce, is the largest
legal reform rally of its kind in the country.

As smoke filled the air, people relaxed and listened to reggae and
folk music. Edmonds travel guru Rick Steves returned from Europe for
the event and proclaimed that responsible marijuana use by adults is
a civil liberty.

He referred to the Declaration of Independence and its call for life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "I think that's what America is
about," he said.

Many Europeans, he added, do not consider marijuana use to be a big
problem. Instead, they compare it to drinking alcohol.

But in the United States, marijuana gets lumped in with heroin and is
feared, he said.

Festival crowds were so large Saturday that people were shoulder to
shoulder in many areas.

Teenage boys sported Mohawk-style haircuts. Mothers pushed babies in
strollers past older supporters with flecks of silver in their hair.

People wore sunglasses, as well as plenty of black clothing and fake
marijuana leaf leis around their necks. Preachers talked about the
gospel, fortunetellers sat on the grass and hawkers sold posters,
clothing and food.

Near one entrance, Portland resident Tristin Ulysses, 25, sold
smoking pipes that his friend made out of glass.

"I don't smoke pot. But I believe in doing whatever you want within
the bounds of reason," he said. "It's ridiculous it's illegal. Other
things hurt people more."

Advocates argue that marijuana should be regulated similar to alcohol
and also allowed for medicinal purposes.

They believe users who are nonviolent offenders should be provided
treatment -- and not given prison terms.

But the National Institutes of Health, a leading research
organization funded by the federal government, notes that marijuana
can cause memory problems and distort perception.

Long-term use can be addictive and can increase the possibility of cancer.

Shelton mother Christine Matthew, 22, believes critics are biased,
noting that legal substances, such as alcohol, can affect the body
and cause fatalities.

"I want to change the world," she said with her 3-month-old son next
to her. "I think hemp in and of itself is a miracle solution to many problems."

Hemp can be used for clothing and biofuel, she said.

Many people showed up to enjoy the day, one in which the Seattle
police didn't crack down excessively on users inside the festival's gated area.

Kyle Thayer, 17, arrived from Federal Way and quickly realized that
many attendees were enjoying the leafy substance.

He even smoked marijuana out of a small glass pipe while police
officers watched.

"They didn't care," he said. "There are good people here. There are
some crazies, but it's Seattle. Everyone is chilling."

Woodinville resident Jane Gallagher, 50, showed up at the event out
of curiosity. "It's pretty amazing to see everyone," she said. "It
blew me away."

With the park crowded, Montana resident Steve Kemple and his friends
walked their bicycles on the pavement.

They forgot that the festival would be in full swing. But the
marijuana supporters did not surprise the 50-year-old, who was
visiting for the weekend.

Besides, he said, his friends often tell him: "There's always
something going on in Seattle."