[Cali smoke]

Thousands of people gathered Saturday along the Puget Sound waterfront to eat, smoke, listen to music and enjoy the sun, all in support of marijuana policy reform at the 2008 Seattle Hempfest. The 17th annual festival featured hundreds of speakers and music performers who kept the huge crowds that packed Elliott Bay, Myrtle Edwards Park and Olympic Sculpture Park entertained from morning to dusk.

Despite the excitement of music acts such as Herbivores and Vains of Jenna, the focus remained squarely on the issues surrounding the controversial cannabis plant. It was apparent that the more than 150,000 people in attendance were passionate about marijuana legalization as many of the day's speakers drew raucous responses from the crowd. One such speaker was Hempfest director Vivian McPeak, who was on the event's main stage much of the day introducing performers.

"I'm proud to smoke marijuana," McPeak said, adding, "I'm not a criminal; I'm an American."

However, McPeak was quick to point out that he hadn't smoked in a couple days because of his obligations to organize the event, but said the atmosphere itself was enough.

"I get a contact high off you guys," he said to the Hempfest crowd, which was answered by a roar of approval.

Perhaps the biggest draw of the festival's first day was PBS travel show host Rick Steves. Steves, host of Europe Through the Back Door, spoke of a need for political attention to the marijuana question.

"This is not a fringe issue," he said, "this is a mainstream issue." Among his key points, Steves compared the illegality of marijuana to prohibition.

"We need to start looking at marijuana laws today like we looked at alcohol laws back in the '20s and '30s," he said.

Though it seemed unlikely that Steves' energetic speech could be outdone, a Seattle couple did just that, taking the stage to exchange wedding vows at, when else, 4:20. Only at Hempfest.

In addition to the music and speakers, there were countless vendors selling bongs, hookahs, vaporizers, pipes and an assortment of cannabis-themed food that included hemp seed brownies, hemp ice cream sandwiches, and hemp cookies.

Seattle's Jason Kalles, who was attending Hempfest for the fifth time, said he appreciated all of the marijuana paraphernalia.

"I love the booths. This is the biggest shopping day of the year for me," he said. "I buy gifts for all my friends and family." Kalles admitted that he had to make multiple runs to his car.

However, Kalles was certainly not in attendance just for shirts and bongs. Like most everyone else at Hempfest, Kalles liked what he heard from the speakers.

"I definitely agree with what they're saying and it's important that they're heard," he said. "I have a 'live and let live' approach; as long as they're not hurting anyone."

Another Hempfest patron, Portland's Wyatt Alger, had a more simplistic way of putting it: "I don't know much about the policy, but I know I'm pro-marijuana."

source: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/s...rom=blog_last3