Portland’s annual Hempstalk Harvest Festival in Portland, Oregon advocates decriminalization of marijuana for medicinal, industrial, and recreational use. Founded in 2005 by The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, the festival takes place on September 24- 25, and features food vendors, live music, guest speakers and information booths. This public event has always been free to attend, with a suggested donation of $10 per person.

According to Paul Stanford, founder and presenting sponsor of the event, “Hempstalk is about the many uses of agricultural hemp fiber, oil, protein, fuel and medicine. We are working to end adult cannabis prohibition, allow adults to grow their own and license the legal sale of psychoactive cannabis to adults. We believe that hemp will save the Earth’s biosphere with the adoption of hemp seed for bio-diesel fuel, which will solve the energy and world hunger problems, and stop deforestation when hemp fiber is used for paper and building materials. We shall overcome!”

Hempstalk organizers believe the reason marijuana is illegal has very little to do with drugs, and is really about money and the continued centralization of economic and political control. Hemp seed oil is biodiesel, is three times more productive than any other seed oil crop, and will run any diesel engine today with no modification. Hemp oil is the reason the petrochemical industry made up the “reefer madness” myth. They renamed hemp, using racist propaganda, calling it marijuana, and lied to make it illegal. There is a truth that must be heard! This is what the Hempstalk Festival is all about.

In 2009, the Hempstalk Festival moved to Kelley Point Park, in the far Northwest corner of Portland, at the confluence of the Columbia River and the Willamette River. It is estimated 60,000 people attended the two-day event in 2013.

For 2016, Portland Hempstalk will be held at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland, Oregon, taking place on September 24th and 25th.

Bands already confirmed on the bill for 2016 are Herbivores, J Mack and Big Dub, Bad Habitat and many more.

In addition to the musical acts featured, the event offers educational guest speaker panels to inform attendants about industrial hemp, the legal use of marijuana, and answer other questions attendees may have. Hempstalk guest speakers have included THCF and CRRH Director and Author of the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act Paul Stanford, West Coast Leaf Producers Chris Conrad and Mikki Norris, Comedian and Writer Ngaio Bealum, Author Bill Drake, Dr. Tod Mikuriya, Dr. Phillip Leveque, Seattle Hempfest Director Vivian McPeak, and Hemp Pioneers Jack Herer and Don E. Wirtshafter.

Our festival also proves educational and informative, discussing the merits of Cannabis and Hemp on the main stage as well as in the Hemposium pavilion.

With all of the entertainment and education that Hempstalk offers, there are also hundreds of food and goods vendors that contribute wonderful dishes and beautiful wares for purchase in the many vendor booths. There are so many that have joined the Hempstalk Festival vendor list, guests are sure to find a surprise around every corner.