FREE HEMP FESTIVAL PLANNED FOR JULY

Will our area see another hemp festival this summer? The big annual
for-profit celebration in Linn County discontinued after embattled
cannabis activist Bill Conde exiled himself to Central America a
couple of years ago, but local activists are planning a free Emerald
Empire HempFest 2003 to be held July 19 at Alton Baker Park.

The focus of the event will be to promote education and awareness of
"hemp-based products and processes," and to "neutralize and eradicate
government propaganda regarding the plant cannabis sativa," according
to the group's mission statement.

Not all the key arrangements have been worked out, according to Dan
Koozer, one of the organizers. Parks officials are cooperating and
local businesses are supportive, he says. But local police officials
are making it difficult.

"The EPD and county are really down on pot," says Koozer. "They don't
seem to get so excited about meth or heroin. ... They want us to hire
six to 10 off-duty police officers at $60 an hour each for every hour
we are open."

Koozer says the festival has a $10,000 budget, but that does not
include hiring cops. "We're running out of time," he says. "We can't
sell vendor sites" at the last minute.

"We may not have much of an event, but we'll have an event of some
kind," he says. "We expect this year to be a little rough, and next
year better."

Organizers are meeting at 7 pm Mondays in the Umpqua Room at the EMU
on campus. For more information, e-mail dankoozer@yahoo.com