PLAINTIFF MUST BE HIGH IN MARIJUANA LAWSUIT

When you put on events like the World Hemp Festival and the Cannabis
Carnival, you really shouldn't be too surprized when authorities take notice.

But Harrisburg marijuana activist Bill Conde is suing Linn County and
Sheriff Dave Burright for doing just that. Thanks to excessive police
presence, Conde says, attendence at his Rock and Reggae Revival last
weekend went up in smoke.

What Sheriff Burright did was this: His deputies made a number of traffic
stops on the roads leading up to the concert, and a number of them also
patrolled the concert itself, as per agreement between Conde and the county.

Here's why Burright did what he did: In July, undercover officers at
Conde's World Hemp Festival made 31 purchases of marijuana, hallucinogenic
mushrooms, LSD, and unknown pills. One transaction went through, Burright
says, even though the buyer identified himself as an officer.

Nevertheless, Conde maintains that the police came out in force only
because of his political veiws, and in doing so scared away many would-be
concertgoers. He believes his First Amendment rights were violated.

He might be interested to know that the First Amendment applies to speech
and assembly, not getting stoned.