High on hemp: Bands, speakers set for Cannabis Revival w/ links to petition, Jah Roots' site and NORML's Web site

By Dave Woods

dwoods@joplinglobe.com

When you talk with Kelly Maddy, it’s obvious: He’s high on the many uses of hemp.

In fact the 24-year-old president of the Joplin chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is so impressed with the potential industrial, medical and recreational uses of the long-outlawed plant that he has devoted hundreds of hours of his personal time and significant financial resources to stage what he hopes will be the best Cannabis Revival ever held in Joplin.

The Cannabis Revival, now in its 10th year, is billed as the “Midwest’s largest marijuana law reform festival.” It kicks off Saturday at 2 p.m. in Landreth Park.

Two stages

Maddy has recruited and organized dozens of like-minded proponents as festival volunteers, and more than two dozen local and nationally known musical acts and speakers to help him sing the praises of the leafy green weed during the 10-hour event.

“We’re going to have some great bands,” he excitedly explained. “We’re going to have two stages of diverse music all day long. We are going to have speakers from national organizations like Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and we are also going to have vendors out there with food, arts and crafts, different hemp products, some great contests, chances to win cool prizes and just get educated about hemp.”

He said that he thinks that the variety of acts like will help draw a crowd that may not be familiar with the pro-cannabis cause.

“Jah Roots (a Springfield-based, nationally known reggae band) and a bunch of high-profile speakers are coming,” he said. “We have really stepped up this year in terms of professionalism and organizing the event.”

Maddy said he hopes to attract more than twice the number of festivalgoers to this year’s event than in the past. He estimates that between 3,000 and 5,000 people attended in 2006.

Breaking the stereotype

Maddy said that this year’s festival will serve a special purpose.

“The festival,” he explained, “will be the first chance for Joplin voters to sign a petition that, if passed by Joplin voters in November of 2008, will stop the arrests and lower the fines for anyone in possession of a small amount of marijuana in the Joplin city limits.”

He said he hopes to change a few minds and preconceived ideas about marijuana and the people who use it.