HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE A HEMP FESTIVAL?

Nature's Choice's Nick Clark Seeks City Council's Support for a
Medical Marijuana Fiesta; Legality Questioned

Marijuana tents, food carts, hemp products and more are proposed for
the city of Astoria's first hemp festival, if Nick Clark of Nature's
Choice has his way.

Clark appeared before the Astoria City Council Tuesday night, in an
effort to gain the city's support of a medical marijuana fiesta,
anticipated to take place in August.

City Manager Paul Benoit compared the festival with the brew fest as
far as the city's involvement is concerned - overseeing traffic,
safety, appropriate sites and possible access to city property -
while members of the City Council, as well as Mayor Willis Van Dusen,
appeared dumbfounded.

"How would you describe a hemp festival?" Van Dusen asked.

Clark explained it would be similar to HempFest in Seattle.

"There's vendors, medical marijuana, there's hemp, there's product,"
Clark said.

Hemp, Clark explained, is not smokable, but rather a fiber used to
make products including clothing and paper.

"Marijuana is used for medicine, it's used for many different
things," Clark said.

And the legality of the festival is still a cause for concern.

Clark told the council that signs would be posted for no smoking or
drug use, except for in sponsored medical tents that may require a
medical marijuana card to get inside.

"We're going to post it, saying that, but whether or not they do it,
they're going to be subject to whatever the officers want to do," Clark said.

Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin said he was stunned when he first
heard of the Hemp Festival's formation because medical or not, it is
still illegal to smoke marijuana in public and it's illegal under any
circumstances to sell the drug.

"The law still is that its illegal to sell the stuff - no ifs, ands
or buts," Bergin said. "People are deciding to push the envelope and
if the city asks for our help, we will do what's right within the
confines of law. But I think this is something that needs the city's
attention on whether or not they will support something like this.

"If this is truly a medical issue, then why are they trying to expand
this into the public view?" Bergin asked. "Most medical issues are
private and to me this is wrong, but what do you say? Why would they
want to exploit this? I just don't understand."

Astoria Deputy Police Chief Brad Johnston said Astoria Police will be
watching carefully if the festival does take place.

"We find that there's a little bit of misinformation in the name
itself," Johnston said. "Hemp is very different than marijuana and to
advertise it as a hemp festival but actually have it be a celebration
of hemp and marijuana is a little disingenuous."

Johnston said the police have spoken with Clark and have advised him
that the department would aggressively prosecute any violations of
the law, including distribution or possession and anyone openly
smoking the drug.

Astoria Police will also be watching out for those driving under the
influence of marijuana, which is just as dangerous and illegal as any
other intoxicant.

"We have concerns about the use of medical marijuana as an intoxicant
and it's something that if people are abusing it or using it in
conjunction with operating a motor vehicle, it can be very dangerous
and we will be patrolling for that just as much as any other DUII,"
Johnson said.

Johnston said Astoria Police will actively resist any festival that
promotes illegal activity. If the festival can successfully be
planned without promoting or supporting violations of the law,
Johnston said they will work with Clark to make it a successful event.

Clark also invited the council to an event at 6 p.m. Feb. 20,
"Cannabis and Cancer," at the Astoria Events Center.

"It will be a one-hour video and then we'll have a couple of cancer
patients who have survived cancer ... that will be talking - who used
cannabis to do it," Clark said. "And we want you guys to come down
and watch it."

Van Dusen thanked Clark for coming. No action was taken.

Benoit said Wednesday that the city will be fair, but safe.

"I know very little about it," Benoit said. "I know they've had
conversations with the police department and there are any number of
festivals and street fairs throughout the city, so as long as it's
legal and well-planned, we'll do what we need to do as a city to
support it. We'll treat it the same as any other festival."

Benoit said that like other events held in town, the city is not
involved in the planning or logistics of events, but rather reviews
the plans to make sure everything has been thought through, including
adequate security, traffic safety.

It will also be reviewed to ensure it is not a public nuisance or a hazard.