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San Francisco 'Cannabis Competition' Ruined By The Man
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/11/kevin_reed.php
By Chris Roberts
Nov. 9 2010
Kevin Reed can't catch a break. Reed, the CEO of medical cannabis
delivery service The Green Cross, has for the past three years hosted
an annual pot party/fundraiser called the SF Cannabis Cup (re-dubbed
the "Cannabis Competition" for this year's fete due to copyright
concerns), in which a select group of judges -- all medical cannabis
patients -- get completely ripped as they sample roughly 60 of the
best grams of cannabis, concentrates, and edibles Bay Area
dispensaries have to offer.
The fourth annual iteration is this Sunday, Nov. 14 -- but after a
few calls from SFPD forced a costly venue change, all of the funds
that were to go to the SF chapter of Americans for Safe Access have
been eaten up. And now, New York City-based cannabis culture magazine
High Times is threatening Reed with legal action, promising at least
$75,000 in legal fees as well as seizing all of the proceeds from the
event if Reed goes forward.
How did this happen, when the prior three cannabis competitions went
off without a hitch -- and one of which, the 2008 event, was attended
by two High Times reporters (who reportedly had a blast)?
It all started with food trucks.
Until about 10 days ago, the Cannabis Competition was all set to go
at Cafe Cocomo, a Potrero Hill salsa club and host site of the prior
three events. That is it was, until Reed applied for a permit to have
food trucks at the event (Cocomo does not do food -- and cannabis
causes hunger, see). It was the food truck applications that brought
the Cannabis Competition to the attention of the San Francisco Police
Department. Bayview Station permit officer Timothy Dalton (seriously,
like James Bond) informed Cocomo's ownership that: a) alcohol sales
are prohibited at a site where cannabis is consumed, and; b)
consuming cannabis on-site would violate the city's anti-smoking
laws. Never mind that alcohol sales were verboten for the event, that
all smoking would have been on Cocomo's giant outdoor patio, and that
three events were held at Cocomo in years prior. Dalton called the
statewide Alcoholic Beverage Control, which informed Cocomo's
ownership that it could lose its liquor license if it went forward
with the event.
SFPD deflected press inquiries to the ABC: "This is their enforcement
area," a police spokesman told SF Weekly. In explaining exactly why
Cocomo couldn't have on-site cannabis smoking while three events in
the area -- two at the Cow Palace in Daly City (with beer sales) and
one at Terra in Rincon Hill -- had on-site cannabis smoking in 2010,
Justin Gebb, the head of ABC's SF office, quoted to SF Weekly several
laws, including the state's medical marijuana regulations (which do
not mention alcohol) and the city's medical cannabis dispensary laws
(which do not mention tobacco, and which do not concern
establishments with a Type 47 liquor license). Nevertheless, Cocomo
did not want to run afoul of the ABC especially after the club hosted
a nonfatal shooting.
This led Reed to scramble and find a new site with less than two
weeks to go before the event. He selected Terra, which had hosted the
High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in June, even though the last-minute
venue change meant that Reed's advertising was next to useless and
that costlier rent at Terra would erase much of the fundraising.
And now High Times is in Reed's hair (and he's bald). Last year, High
Times asked Reed change the name of his event, as "Cannabis Cup" is
the name of the annual contest High Times throws in Amsterdam. Reed
consented, told High Times he'd call it a "Competition," and heard no
more from High Times -- until Sunday.
On Sunday, Reed received an e-mail from David Clifford Holland, a New
York City-based attorney representing Trans-High Corporation (THC,
get it!), the parent company of High Times. Holland stated that High
Times was entitled to all the revenue from ticket sales and booth
rentals. The big problem, other than Green Cross didn't pay THC a
licensing fee? The awards given to the growers and sellers of the Bay
Area's best bud receive "Crystal Cannabis Cups," Holland wrote.
"[This] is a blatant misappropriation of THC's exclusive trademark
and further, a deliberate attempt by your organization to confuse the
public about who is actually promoting and hosting the event," wrote
Holland, who declined to comment further when SF Weekly contacted him
via telephone. "Such blatant theft cannot be tolerated."
As well as party money, High Times wants $75,000 in compensation for
legal fees.
Reed has copyright lawyers on retainer, so it appears he's ready to
fight High Times in court. In the meantime, there's a pot party on
Sunday, and everyone's invited -- including High Times, should its
people buy a ticket.
"All the profits from the fundraiser are gone. ... At this point,
it's just about having a party and making sure everyone has a good
time," Reed told SF Weekly. "It's out of my hands and into my lawyers'."
And whatever it's called, Reed plans to host another
cup/competition/pot party at Terra in 2011.
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Festival of marijuana in Amsterdam
http://www.cottages-for-holidays.com/174/2010-0320/amster-shit-fest-en.html
Date: 10/11/2010
From 21 to 23 of November 2010 in the Dutch capital Amsterdam will
be held a unique festival dedicated to marijuana - the Cannabis Cup.
The history of this holiday began in 1987 when the editor of the High
Times magazine published in New York Stephen Heyger decided to
organize a small public event in support of the promotion of
marijuana. However, it is absolutely impossible to hold such a
festival in the United States due to its strict laws. Therefore, the
first Cannabis Cup was held in Amsterdam, as the Dutch legislation
allows the sale of marijuana and products containing it, and its
capital is famous all over the world for specialized coffee houses,
the so-called coffeeshops. Here, anyone can try and buy cannabis, as
well as other plant psychedelics - psychedelic mushrooms and peyote
cactus. Since then, the Cannabis Cup is held every year and always
attracts tens of thousands of fans of "grass" around the world. It
begins after the third weekend of November and lasts for three days.
During the festival are presented recent advances in breeding of
marijuana. Many coffeeshops and firms engaged in cultivation of
cannabis, breeding new varieties and production of related products,
are fighting for the sympathy and recognition of the festival
visitors. The winners are determined by an international jury with a
huge number of tastings. By the way, anyone can join the jury, the
person should only apply in advance to the organizing committee and
pay 200 euros. Major prizes and awards are given for the win in five
nominations: best shrub grown in a greenhouse, the best variety of
marijuana, the best hashish, the best coffeeshop and the best
processed cannabis product (eg, oil or beer). In addition, the
festival will present products from hemp, souvenirs, cosmetics and
jewelry made from marijuana.
The culmination of the festival occurs on the last day when the
winners are announced and is held an awarding ceremony. A closing
ceremony of the festival is transferred to the coffeeshop, which won
in the competitions.
By the way, on November 2 in the U.S., and namely in California, was
made another attempt to legalize marijuana. On universal suffrage was
passed the bill allowing persons over 21 years to carry marijuana
weighing up to 28 grams and smoke it in places that are not public,
and where minors are not present. However, the bill, also known as
Proposition 19 was rejected by 57% of voters, and supported by 43%.
So, Amsterdam will retain the monopoly on the Cannabis Cup.
.
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