HEMPFEST 2004

The Hempfest Journal is a trophy of the cannabis community in
Columbus. Through the work of volunteers who organize local business
owners to buy advertisements in these pages, the Journal's printing
costs are paid for with money leftover to make Hempfest bigger and
better. The result is this handy book about the greenest subject in
the world, Cannabis, and the biggest cannabis festival in Ohio,
Hempfest. During my volunteer hours visiting shop owners innumerable
times, I found that most of the local business owners, students, and
community members that I talked to about the festival have only good
stories to tell of past fests. The Ohio State University is also happy
to deal with Hempfest. Even when Students for Sensible Drug Policy was
under code of conduct review by the OSU administration, there was
never any question that the Hempfest festival date was secure because
there have never been any problems dealing with the Hempfest. Truly
the Ohio Hempfest is a respected tradition in Columbus.

Hempfest is also a long running annual event. The word on the street
is that an annual cannabis celebration has been occurring in Columbus
for over 30 years, with the last 17 years nearly consecutive. But not
enough of the stories from these early festivals are circulating. In
fact it seems as if most records of these parties have been lost. I
call on the reader's of the Hempfest Journal to respond with some
cherished memories or details of distant spring smoke outs. Send them
to truth@freepress.org. And check the July & August Free Press for any
printed responses.

This June, Hempfest is really going to be bigger and better than any
other year. We've added a third stage featuring electronic music and a
hookah lounge. For the first time there will be a large Kids Jam area
for all of the families with children that visit the festival. Of
course we'll still have the Main stage and Browning Amphitheater
rocking all day and all night with the best bands Columbus has to
offer. Plus Hempfest is the only event in Columbus where you can hear
speakers from around the nation who are influential in reforming our
drug policy. But the greatness of Hempfest is created each year when
thousands of people just like you come out to show their support for
ending cannabis prohibition.

So come over to OSU's South Oval on June 5th for the Big Free Hemp
festival and I guarantee you will feel all the positive cannabis vibes
Columbus has to offer.

Peace,

Sarah Clark

Editor,

Hempfest Journal