Meeting Persephone

Tomorrow there is a HempFest in my area. It will also act as a Jack Herer Memorial event as well as a "Free Marc Emery" protest (Google him). I'm attempting to attend (for the first time) if all things cooperate.

Couple of things about cannabis related events ~

1. Living in a very cannabis hostile state means that this HempFest will NOT resemble those that take place on the west coast. It's unfortunate but I'm not going to be at all surprised if there are excess numbers of police present. In Oregon, where cannabis is legal for medical use and has been decriminalized, you will have access to joints at every turn - take and enjoy in a safe, peaceful, friendly atmosphere! In Missouri - well they raid homes and kill pets so it's pretty safe to assume that there's potential for problems at any event centered around cannabis.

2. You can NOT judge a book by its cover at these events. The most dynamic person I saw at a recent NORML/Sensible Missouri event was a thin little wisp of a woman in tie-dye and dreadlocks who struggled to make every move onto the stage but once she finished speaking I found myself wildly applauding her poetry and tears were pooled in my eyes. On the other hand, there are a large number of those who are rather ridiculous and/or offensive. And then there's my husband and myself - middle-aged, relatively conservative in appearance, and comparatively quiet but committed to the cause moreso than anything else I've ever taken on before - despite being eyed with suspicion when we show up.

Being a very Earth-based Pagan I see cannabis as being very central to my own path. It's a solution for a great many problems we have in the world/country right now.

• Sustainable - Hemp is an annual crop and its use could eliminate the destruction of countless acres of trees providing paper products. Hemp robs Earth of very little in its growth and creates no erosion. Because it could be used as fuel it could also replace fossil fuels.
• Eco-friendly - Hemp requires little effort to grow making the use of fertilizers and pesticides unnecessary.
• Clothing - The fibers of hemp are extremely long meaning that cloth made from hemp lasts longer than any other fiber we know of and the fact that pesticides and fertilizers are not needed means that these things are not close to your skin or in your environment.
• Economy - Because of its ease of growth and little use of chemicals, hemp is a valuable crop for so many commercial and industrial uses.
• Nutrition - Hemp can be grown almost anywhere and is an excellent source of Omega 3s that are essential for health.
• Medicine - Despite what the government is saying, cannabis is an effective treatment for a plethora of illnesses and often, for many patients, is the only thing that really offers relief in many cases.
• Building - Green builders are learning to make nearly all construction items from hemp - bricks, concrete, boards, and insulation (just for starters). Not to mention - biodegradable plastics.
• Recreation - People drink and accept alcohol as their legal choice for recreation/relaxation but cannabis is an alternative (and a safer/healthier one at that) to alcohol.
• Body care products, pet foods, art supplies, detergents - the list goes on and on. Despite laws against growing hemp in the US, many creative individuals have been importing (legally) hemp and creating countless products with this wholly useful plant.

I could keep going but I think my point is made. Loving the Earth as I do I could not possibly brush off the usefulness of cannabis/hemp. The idea of trees being saved and permitted to continue growing is a dream that I'm fighting for in my advocacy of hemp. The image in my mind of neighbors sharing cannabis with one another like they might other produce from their gardens brings a smile to my face. The peaceful nature that can't help but permeate when people experience cannabis without threat of prosecution is a strong motivator. We might get there if those of us who care will continue to educate the uninformed about the sacred cannabis plant in all of its varieties and quell the irrational fears of once again making it legal for all of its uses.

The Trash Heap has spoken.

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Update -

I ended up not being able to go to HempFest. Mini Me wanted to attend but worked that day so we were going to wait until she got off of work to go. Storms moved in and tornado warnings were surrounding the area. Considering that the festival was actually an hour away from our home and I could not get a response as to whether they had shut down the festival or not we opted not to go. Later on we learned that it had continued until its scheduled time so I was sad to have missed it but we did what we thought was right with all things considered. There are more opportunities for other events but their locations and timing make it difficult to attend. I told my husband that I will be going to NORMLcon and HempStalk in Oregon in the next couple of years though!