cannabisnews.com: Conde Puts Lumberyard Up for Sale Conde Puts Lumberyard Up for Sale Posted by FoM on September 30, 2001 at 07:42:08 PT By Joe Mosley, The Register-Guard Source: Register-Guard The sale of his signature lumberyard is pending, his annual hemp festival is up in the air and his run for governor is down the tubes. "I'm running for the border now," marijuana activist and longtime fly-in-the-ointment Bill Conde says.Monday will be the final day in business for Conde's Redwood Lumber off Interstate 5 near Harrisburg, which has doubled in recent summers as home base for the three-day World Hemp Festival. Conde plans to auction off various items remaining at his business - from lumber to tools and even a forklift - on Oct. 13. He plans to move to the Central American country of Belize, where his wife and three children already are waiting. Conde packed and sent off a shipping container of his belongings this week, and he intends to follow as soon as the sale of his lumberyard is wrapped up and some legal loose ends are tied.Conde faces six criminal charges related to allegations of drug use at his hemp festivals. He says he has been negotiating with the Linn County district attorney's office to resolve the charges so he can legally leave the country. "I don't want to battle them anymore," he says.The prosecutor who is handling Conde's case was unavailable for comment on the negotiations.In June, Conde served a two-week sentence after being convicted on felony charges of abetting delivery of a controlled substance and hindering prosecution.Less than a week after being released, Conde announced his intention to form a new political party he would call the Environmental Party and run as its candidate for Oregon governor in 2002. He circulated petitions for his political causes at the Hemp Festival in July.Conde has fought a running battle in recent years with the Linn County sheriff's office, whose officers have reported drug use and transactions at his festivals, and with the county's Board of Commissioners, which has sought to enforce sanitation and parking requirements at the mass gatherings.But Conde, 58, says he's ready to retire to his wife's native country and won't miss the close scrutiny that his advocacy of marijuana brought upon him.He also says the national events of the past month have prompted changes that reinforced his decision to move on. "In all honesty, man, I'd be scared to stay in this country now," Conde says. "I'm a dove, not a hawk. Right now in the United States of America, it's really not good flying weather for the doves."Source: Register-Guard, The (OR)Author: Joe Mosley, The Register-GuardPublished: September 29, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Register-GuardContact: rgletters guardnet.comWebsite: http://www.registerguard.com/Related Articles:Festival Weaves an Homage To Hemphttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10376.shtmlHemp, Hemp, Hoorayhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10365.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by mayan on October 01, 2001 at 01:03:08 PT America's Loss America will lose another patriot. America's loss! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by freedom fighter on September 30, 2001 at 19:37:51 PT Ditto that Jr bob My suitcase is packed and ready to hit the road...ff [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on September 30, 2001 at 10:06:14 PT After Rainbow Farm, who can blame him? >>"I don't want to battle them anymore," he says. I never wanted to battle them. I just get tired of the things they do to cannabis smokers. All we're doing is fighting a defensive war - if they had just left us alone, we wouldn't be in this thing. http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment