It’s a debated issue that can impact almost every demographic in America. And at the first National Cannabis Festival at RFK Stadium on Saturday, the message was clear: a healthier attitude toward cannabis will change our country.
Another message repeated over and over was, as Flex Mathews of Congo Sanchez put it, “it’s all about love.” This was shortly after he leaped from the stage into the surprised crowd.
Despite the rain in the morning, the turnout was still about 4900 ticketholders. There was an education tent to learn about “Presidential Potlitics” or “Innovating a 4500-Year-Old Industry.”
Of course there were a couple of Cannabis Gardening Seminars and plenty of vendors to help you get your home grow on, or purchase more fashionable ways to discreetly store your stash, like AnnaBis clutches.
What was also impressive was how many representatives were there to speak positively about legalization, adding a level of responsibility to a community that sometimes seems like they are just blowing smoke.
U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) rallied, “The dominoes are starting to fall,” describing how soon the government is going be forced to get off the backs of its citizens who are involved in state legal marijuana. Voices together could be reaching a critical mass, the level that Congress can’t ignore.
Advocacy was a big part of this event, going beyond the marijuana debate. D.C. councilman David Grosso who has been working to end the War on Drugs in D.C., posed the question, “How can we decriminalize everything that’s disproportionately impacting poor people?”
You could register to vote or get involved with local advocacy groups from NORML to D.C. Statehood– all ways to hold your representatives responsible.
State Senator Margaret Rose Henry (D-DE), the first African American woman serving in the Delaware State Senate was awarded the inaugural Changemaker Award, accepted by Cynthia Ferguson, Executive Director of Delaware NORML, on her behalf.
The opioid epidemic, NFL players getting suspended for a season (while the wife-beater is suspended for a couple of games), veterans coping with PTSD, young men of color being unfairly targeted as criminals, and economic opportunities for every single state were all mentioned as reasons to rethink marijuana. After all, we have legalized arguably more damaging substances like alcohol and tobacco.
Backyard Band, Jesse Royal, and De La Soul attracted a wide variety of fans, all there to celebrate love and buds. As the sun was starting to go down, De La Soul announced their Kickstarter-funded album is coming in August.
“We were very happy with the inaugural event. It was exciting to see the diversity of east coast cannabis community and it was even more exciting to see people coming together around the shared interest in ending federal Cannabis prohibition,” wrote Caroline Phillips, organizer and co-founder of the National Cannabis Festival, in a statement.
The event ended with the feeling that we were rolling toward a new day for perspectives about marijuana.
Post by Cristina Rayas, photos by Toby Mues
