cannabisnews.com: Way Cleared For Hemp Aid 99!





Way Cleared For Hemp Aid 99!
Posted by FoM on May 22, 1999 at 12:16:50 PT
This is good news!
Source: Hemp Aid 99
CASSOPOLIS People planning on attending Hemp Aid '99 will have a good trip after all.An attorney on Thursday confirmed the dismissal of a Cass County lawsuit that had sought to put a halt to a pair of hemp-related activities this year at the Rainbow Farm and Camp Ground in Vandalia.
"The (dismissal) order is going out today (Thursday)," said Stephen Hessen, an attorney for the Kalamazoo law firm of Kreis, Enderle, Callander and Hudgins.The firm represented the county in its request for an injunction that would have canceled both Hemp Aid '99 over Memorial Day weekend and a similar Labor Day weekend activity called Roach Roast '99.A county ordinance requires permits for outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people. However, events sponsored or conducted by not-for-profit organizations are exempt from the ordinance.Because Hemp Aid and Roach Roast activities at the farm are sponsored by the Columbus Institute of Contemporary Journalism, an Ohio-based tax-exempt group, the question became whether it's a legitimate not-for-profit organization.Hessen said that when county officials checked on the organization's status 45 days ago, it was not in good standing with the Ohio secretary of state. But he said the situation changed after the lawsuit was filed last week."After we filed, the organization and Mr. Crosslin (Tom Crosslin, owner of Rainbow Farm and Camp Ground) got back in good standing ... They maintained there was a procedural mix-up by the state of Ohio,'' he said.Doug Leinbach, campground manager, claimed the problem over the institute's status arose because someone at the secretary of state's office in Columbus, Ohio, apparently removed documents from the institute's file on June 3, 1997. Coincidentally or not, he said that was just three days after the institute sponsored Rainbow Farm's first Hemp Aid event.Robert Fitrakis, executive director of the institute, said he didn't know whether the records were removed by mistake or design. But he said the issue is moot, as it took him "all of five minutes'' to produce copies verifying the organization's up-to-date tax-exempt status."If we hadn't kept copies, the festival wouldn't have happened because of a technicality or glitch,'' he said.Fitrakis said he believes the opposition of Cass County officials is politically based. Both Rainbow Farm and the institute promote the legalization of industrial hemp.Officials at Rainbow Farm have gone even further, calling for legalization of marijuana, hemp's best-known by-product.Leinbach said he had no doubt the lawsuit would be dismissed. The same thing happened two years ago, he said, when a similar lawsuit filed by the county was dropped."We proved it was a legitimate deal. We're very happy about it, for sure,'' he said.Had Hemp Aid and Roach Roast been canceled, he said it would have put Rainbow Farm and Camp Ground out of business. He said proceeds from the events will help offset some $200,000 in improvements recently made to the Pemberton Road property.The four-day, three-night Hemp Aid '99 activity, which begins May 28, will feature an admission charge of $40 to see such entertainers as Tommy Chong. Last year, the event drew more than 3,000 people.Leinbach said the irony is that because of the publicity brought about by the lawsuit, Hemp Aid '99 may end up with a larger than usual crowd."If we see 100,000 rather than 3,000, whose fault is it?" he said.http://www.rainbowfarmcampground.com/News article found by Cryote!Thanks Cryote!
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Comment #2 posted by sasha on March 06, 2001 at 15:26:07 PT:
hii
Hello everyone!!~** What's up ??? Nuthing much here!!~* well i gotta go so see ya later bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye!!!~~************    Luv,     Sasha
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Comment #1 posted by Rev.A.S.Wright on May 24, 1999 at 23:49:40 PT:
Fine Time
I had a trip on our last visit to Rainbow Farms at Hemp Aid 98. It was like my back yard was full of 5000 hippie's having a good time. I saw one year olds and seventy year old's laughing together, as strangers who will always be friends. I'm trying to make it this weeked. The weatherman says 80 degrees with a chance of rain the last day. Same as it ever was.Peace,Rev.A.S.Wright
T.H.C.-Universal Life Church
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