MEDICAL MARIJUANA ADVOCATES RAISING AWARENESS AT LAWRENCETOWN EVENT JULY
30-AUG. 1

Due to overwhelming interest and crowd expectations The First Atlantic
Hemp Fest has out-grown its initial venue size. In doing so, its
organizers overcame a giant hurdle in securing a larger venue at short
notice.

Organizing any festival is a mammoth task; securing musicians, finding
a suitable location, and arranging guest speakers are just some of the
considerations facing Debbie Stultz-Giffin, chairwoman for Maritimers
Unite for Medical Marijuana (MUMM) and the main force behind the first
annual Hemp Fest.

Mother of four, Stultz-Giffin of West Dalhousie has suffered with
Multiple Sclerosis for six years, and was forced to give up full time
employment five years ago.

She admits, "I haven't even taken so much as a Tylenol in three years.
Marijuana is the only medicine that I use and it controls the symptoms
created by my MS wonderfully. I feel no negative side effects and have
almost instant relief from the symptoms I experience. As well, it
gives me the quality of life that the pharmaceuticals were
destroying."

New Venue

The Annapolis Valley Exhibition Grounds are well known to residents of
the Lawrencetown area as home each August to the annual Annapolis
Valley Exhibition. This year, the grounds will also be remembered for
hosting The Hemp Fest. According to John Longley, manager of the
exhibition, the 'Riverside Stage' forms a natural amphitheatre and can
accommodate as many as as10, 000 people.

Nestled on the banks of the scenic Annapolis River, there will be
three different music stages for the festival with all musical tastes
catered to. Longley acknowledges the festival will bring a welcome
boost to the local economy and is proud to host the event.

Increased Awareness

MUMM aims to use the festival to heighten awareness of its ongoing
concerns about the growth, supply and distribution of medicinal
marijuana. A recent statement issued by the organization declares, "At
present, 400,000 Canadians require medicinal marijuana and 86 per cent
of the population is in support of changing existing laws".

Furthermore MUMM insists compassion clubs should be acknowledged for
their experience and expertise in the area of medical marijuana.

Prairie Plant Systems in Saskatchewan is licensed by Health Canada to
grow medicinal marijuana which is charged out at $150 plus GST for a
30-gram bag. In order for Stultz-Giffin to consume her required dosage
of 6 grams per day, it costs her nine hundred dollars plus GST each
month. Many licensed medicinal users claim the quality of government
sanctioned pot is below par and an over-use of pesticides and other
chemicals are used the production process. Stultz-Giffin insists the
existing laws governing medical marijuana require immediate revision.

Feedback from MUMM members indicates marijuana helps relieve a variety
of symptoms caused by AIDS, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis and other
medical conditions.

Weekend Festival

Mic Royal, singer/songwriter with the musical group Muddy Creek,
gladly accepted his position as band and music co-ordinator for the
2004 Hemp Fest. His band is one of the headlining acts, alongside the
Terry Edmunds Band from Halifax. Royal feels proud to be part of the
festival and promises all musical tastes will be catered to from rock
and folk to blues and country.

The festival has grown from a two-day event to three-day affair and an
early line-up of six bands has increased to 14 bands willing to voice
support -- two bands coming from as far away as Ontario. The
weekend-long festival will also welcome several renowned speakers from
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia together with compassion club directors
and activists.

Other Activities

The festival promises entertainment for all ages including: a treasure
hunt, potato sac races, face painting, and a silent auction. There
will be barbecued food including breakfasts and fresh sandwich wraps
available all day, every day for three days. Vendors will provide
information on the latest medical research surrounding marijuana and
will also exhibit all sorts of hemp paraphernalia.

The First Atlantic Hemp Fest will kick off Friday July 30 and continue
through Sunday August 1. Weekend passes include camp ground fees,
while day passes are available for $10 a day. Security will be tight
at the festival with a zero tolerance for the misuse of drugs or
alcohol. For more information on the festival see www.mumm.ca or
telephone (902) 665-2355.