Thousands turn out for marijuana festival

August 24, 1998 - The Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) -- Thousands of people turned out for an annual celebration extolling marijuana.

Hempfest '98 was held Sunday at Myrtle Edwards Park on the waterfront. The Seattle Police Department estimated 35,000 people attended the event, which featured music, displays of items made from hemp, including clothing, and speeches condemning laws that make marijuana illegal.

This year's event came against the backdrop of Initiative 692, which will be on the November general-election ballot. If passed, it would allow some medicinal uses of marijuana.

Washington voters last year strongly rejected a similar measure, but that proposal also contained controversial provisions such as allowing prescription of LSD and heroin for medical use.

Sunday's festival featured displays of hemp-related merchandise, ranging from T-shirts and marijuana-flavored lollipops to a soft drink that the maker said was made with hemp-seed oil in ginger and black cherry flavors.

By late afternoon, 20 people had been cited for possessing small amounts of marijuana, and there were two felony arrests for drug dealing, police Lt. Dick Schweitzer said.

"It was a real good crowd this year, very mellow," Schweitzer said.

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