PORTLAND DENIES PERMIT FOR HEMPSTALK

Marijuana Organizers Blame a Drug Agent; the City Objects to People
Openly Smoking Pot

Plans for the third-annual Portland Hempstalk, a festival celebrating
and calling for the legalization of marijuana, went up in smoke
Wednesday as the Portland City Council refused to grant a permit.

Organizers say the event was undone by an activist federal agent who
has told medical marijuana users that they should turn to Jesus for
pain relief.

At a recent marijuana parade, the head of the Drug Enforcement
Administration office in Oregon "was exhorting individual medical
marijuana patients to give up their addictions to marijuana and take
Jesus into their hearts. Jesus would cure their pain," said Ann
Witte, a Portland lawyer and one of several Hempstalk planners
seeking City Council help. "It is the DEA which is behind the move to
stop Hempstalk."

City leaders acknowledge that Kenneth Magee, who leads U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration operations in Oregon, complained about the
open use of marijuana at Hempstalk and echoed the federal agency's
official line: Although the feds support research, they say marijuana
has no proven medical use.

At the same time, city managers say Magee's complaints were part of a
chorus that included Portland police, firefighters and Parks Bureau managers.

Magee says the remarks attributed to him were "ridiculous."

"I don't appreciate people putting words in my mouth that are not
true," he said. "I have great compassion for sick people."

Last year's Hempstalk festival attracted thousands to Waterfront Park
for concerts, exhibits and speakers. It was a chance, organizers say,
for people who believe in the legalization of cannabis to gather,
swap information and share stories.

Hempstalk leaders say they heard no complaints from police or the
Parks Bureau. But when they went to get a permit for this summer's
event, they were told first that Waterfront Park wasn't available
and, later, that they had violated their agreement with the city last
year by allowing "widespread unlawful use of marijuana and
consumption of alcohol," according to the written denial.

Parks managers say they made it clear that there was to be no
marijuana use. Organizers acknowledge they set up a tent for people
with medical marijuana cards to smoke -- even though city officials
told them not to.