Hempstalk A ‘Civil Rights’ Issue

Witte, representing the organizers, filed paperwork with the Multnomah County Circuit Court shortly after Portland’s parks department denied the permit for use of the city-owned Waterfront Park for next year’s Hempstalk, which advocates for marijuana legalization, according to the Oregonian.

The denial was reportedly issued the day after Oregon voters approved a measure legalizing recreational pot use in the state. Witte is also calling the permit flap a First Amendment issue.

“The permit was denied in whole or part because of speeches made at this free speech event,” the complaint reportedly says, where the city dictated what could and could not be said at the free speech forum.” In addition to overstepping its authority by requiring Hempstalk founder Paul Stanford to provide policing of festivalgoers, Witte said Stanford was unfairly targeted because other large waterfront events also attract marijuana users.

Witte said the festival is “a civil rights movement,” according to the paper. “It was against the law for Rosa Parks to sit on that bus,” Witte reportedly said. “But she did it anyway, and it’d have probably still been against the law if she hadn’t.”