EVERYBODY MUST GET ENLIGHTENED

Pro-Pot Politics Flower At Fest

An American flag billowed at the south end, a flag bearing a marijuana leaf
fluttered at the north end, and in between, thousands of Chicagoans found
common ground at Hemp Fest 2003.

"Our forefathers were longhairs who grew hemp," screamed Hemp Fest
organizer Caren Thomas from the stage. "But more and more of our freedoms
are gone every day."

In an effort to provide "info on how to protect yourself from the
government and change the laws," Windy City Hemp, a Chicago-based
marijuana-law reform group, staged the annual event at Montrose and the
lakefront last weekend. Marijuana smokers were present, and Chicago police
were present, but for the most part the two groups remained apart.

Center Of It All

"We gather to challenge the law, not to break it," read the advertisements
for Hemp Fest. Apparently, some didn't get the memo. Despite a visible
police presence, many attendees openly smoked marijuana.

Within the center of the fest, marijuana use was commonplace; those smokers
who strayed from the core were arrested. A few squad cars slowly circled
the perimeter of the park as clouds of marijuana smoke drifted out across
the lake. Officers strolled through the fest, though they seemed more
bemused than alarmed. "The police were pretty restrained; they did their
jobs and didn't overstep their bounds," Thomas said.

"This is a demonstration of 1st Amendment rights," said Dave Bayless,
spokesman for the Chicago Police Department. "Of course, if there is
illegal activity we take the proper action." That action resulted in six
arrests at Hemp Fest; five for reckless conduct (i.e. smoking marijuana)
and one for aggravated assault of a police officer who tried to prevent a
festgoer from driving a car.

"This is normally a peaceful event, with the exception of that one
individual," Bayless said.

Information booths lining the outer rim of the fest offered pamphlets, pins
and posters. "We do not sell drugs," read a sign at one booth, clearly
disappointing some festgoers. Those seeking knowledge, however, were
inundated with pro-pot politics.

"We're a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness; we
don't want to speak to the press," said one confused activist.

Others showed more public relations savvy. Arnold Winslow of Bensenville
displayed a mannequin dressed as a Drug Enforcement Administration agent,
complete with a fake gun and badge.

"This is to mock the DEA because they aren't here today . . . cowards," he
said.

Despite the abundance of information, many attendees gathered before the
stage, content to light up joints and rock out. The musical acts covered
the stoner spectrum from jam band to funk to metal. A cotton candy vendor
worked the audience, heightening the circuslike atmosphere by selling blue
wads of spun sugar to tattooed headbangers and dreadlocked hippies.

Between sets, speakers from Windy City Hemp grabbed the mikes to promote
the political agenda of the fest. "The bands are great," said William Hill,
distributing his marijuana-themed comic book The Eighth. "Some of the
speakers are a little long-winded, but they're cool too."

In an effort to relax the weed weary, Chicagoan David Graham gave massages
to festgoers, his hands maneuvering around serpentine dreadlocks and beaded
braids. "Hemp Fest in the Midwest helps get the message from the radical
East Coast to the subdued West Coast," he said. "People are here out of
curiosity."

No Rhythm, No Problem

Those curious about rhythmic drumming came to the wrong party; the drum
circle at Hemp Fest was as aimless and arrhythmic as a drunken tap dancer.
Drummers playing actual instruments (bongos, maracas) were drowned out by
guys pounding the bottoms of rusted garbage cans and clanging garbage together.

A credit to both the police and the potheads, no fighting between attendees
broke out, and thanks to the volunteer cleanup crew, the park grounds
looked as good as they had before the fest--quite a feat considering that
organizers estimate a total attendance of 20,000 (Bayless finds that
estimate suspiciously high).

"It doesn't look like the end of Blues Fest, that's for sure," Thomas said.
"I hope everybody had a good time and got the feeling of standing up to be
counted."

Segments of the public may not understand or agree with the Hemp Fest
cause--indeed, many of the festgoers didn't seem to understand it. While
some attendees were informed, motivated and passionate about the
legalization cause, viewing it not as a "marijuana" issue but rather an
issue of preserving our freedoms as citizens of the world's strongest
democracy, others just came to get stoned.

But, as with democracy, Hemp Fest welcomed all kinds to gather between the
Stars and Stripes and a flag bearing a pot leaf.

"Look around here and you'll see a diverse group--racially diverse, diverse
in terms of ages and cultures, diverse in terms of lifestyles," said
Thomas, the plastic marijuana leaves in her hair fluttering in the
lakefront wind. "That's what Hemp Fest is all about."