Pubdate: Wed, 19 Jun 2013
Source: East Bay Express (CA)
Copyright: 2013 East Bay Express
Contact: http://posting.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/SubmitLetter/Page
Website: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1131
Author: David Downs

HIGH TIMES AT CRANEWAY PAVILION

The Medical Cannabis Cup is coming to Richmond this weekend and will
feature a concert, industry expo, a county fair-like weed competition,
and a giant medication area.

A concert by GZA, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan,
plus the presence of a huge Ferris wheel are just two indications that
the Bay Area's premier cannabis event will reach new heights this
weekend. Somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 people are expected to
attend the fourth annual High Times Medical Cannabis Cup San Francisco
at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond on June 22 and 23, and organizers
say that despite the ongoing federal crackdown, ticket sales are very
strong and the event is bigger and better than ever.

"I am pretty psyched," said Santa Cruz-based Elise McDonough of High
Times. "This is going to be our strongest headliner ever at the
biggest event we've ever had in San Francisco."

Californians legalized medical cannabis in 1996, and while the plant
remains federally illegal, cannabis culture is surging nationwide. The
two-day celebration combines a concert and industry expo with a county
fair-like cannabis competition. Trophies will be awarded Sunday at
7:30 p.m. to the best strains, marijuana foods, and hashes, and each
category has at least twenty entrants. Regional dispensaries like
Harborside Health Center in Oakland are competing for top honors,
which can lead to increased sales and notoriety. "I want to win so bad
this year," said Rick Pfrommer, general manager at Harborside.

"What drives the entire event is the contest," McDonough added. "It's
a huge deal for people who win. They're ecstatic and it really helps
their business. They become a major name."

High Times' elite panel of judges also will provide some much-needed
guidance in the quasi-legal world of pot, said the editors of
Alameda-based blog Stuff Stoners Like. "We're always looking for the
best genetics so we can grow the best WEED," SSL told us in an email.
"For decades, we considered High Times to be the definitive source of
what's good to smoke. So if they lay down the seal of approval on a
particular strain, it must be good, right?"

Members of the iconic New York City rap collective Wu-Tang Clan are
huge fans of High Times magazine, which led to the Saturday night set
from GZA, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah, said McDonough. "We wanted to
go for a full Wu reunion, but it just wasn't possible. We got I think
the three best guys. This is a special thing they wanted to do because
they're big fans of High Times."

Fans are stoked. "Them motherf*ckers are gonna 'bring da ruckus!',"
Stuff Stoners Like added.

Another big draw will be the medication area - a fenced-off zone in
the Craneway parking lot where adults with a valid state ID and
doctor's recommendation for cannabis can consume the drug, which
studies prove can treat pain, nausea, muscle spasms, and seizures,
among other problems. The smoky acre-size group session can be a bit
of an eye-opener for newcomers, though. "I wouldn't say people are
shocked," said McDonough. "They're more curious. We'll get a lot of
passersby who will come over saying, 'What's happening here? How can I
get involved?'" The 2013 medication area will bigger than ever before
and divided into three sections. Nonmedicated food and drinks will
also be for sale. "And don't forget the Ferris wheel!" said McDonough.

High Times has also programmed some excellent panels this year on
vital topics like pot law, the "dabbing" craze, marijuana cooking, and
social media. Judging by the increased number of vendors, this year's
event hasn't been affected by the nineteen-month-long federal
crackdown on marijuana businesses in California. "We do pretty well
regardless of what's going," McDonough said. "As more and more people
catch on to the cannabis movement, it continues to grow. We're always
getting new, different vendors. You see a constant revolving door with
federal harassment. There's definitely been a lot of turnover, but
still the industry is growing strong in California. It really is."

More people are using dabs (concentrated cannabis, such as hash oil)
for medical and less-than-medical reasons, and the Cup's dabs panel
brings some much-needed expert information to the topic. "It's not
right for everybody," McDonough said. "But dabs can be helpful
medicine for many patients."

The social media panel should be a hit, too, with web favorites like
Oakland video blogger Coral Reefer, members of Stuff Stoners Like, and
an administrator from Reddit, which has a dedicated space for stoners
called "/r/trees." "It's a do-not-miss event," said Coral Reefer.

Facebook, Twitter, and its ilk are a revolutionary force in American
cannabis policy, Stuff Stoners Like argued in an email. "Social media
is doing for the cannabis community what it did for the people of
Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen - enabling us to organize, communicate
and raise awareness to enact great change."

"It think it's normalizing cannabis," added McDonough. "Because
everybody has got at least two stoner friends who reach out to
everybody in the world through social media. Even if you've never
smoked pot in your life, chances are you know three, four, five people
who you can trust their opinion on it. The news that gets out there,
especially these cancer-curing stories that get shared, I think it
just really, really gets people to change their opinions."

Final tips: Take transit. High Times will run a shuttle from Richmond
BART to the Craneway. Bring a valid state ID and doctor's
recommendation if you want to consume in the medication area. And
McDonough noted, "Stay hydrated, medicate responsibly, pace yourself,
and have a great time."
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MAP posted-by: Matt