High Times Despite Feds Warning

Federal authorities warned organizers of the High Times Cannabis Cup festival in Nevada that marijuana couldn’t be bought, sold, transferred or consumed at the March 4-5 event, but that didn’t stop many attendees from firing up.

Nevada voters last fall approved an initiative legalizing recreational pot use, but the festival took place about 45 miles north of Las Vegas on the Moapa Paiute Indian Reservation – which falls under federal authority. 

AP Photo/John Locher – High Times Cannabis Cup
Dalton Brown and Rick Cook set up for the High Times Cannabis Cup festival’s “Top Cannabis Chef” competition.

The tribe and festival organizers were warned via letter from U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden that threatened legal action of federal guidelines weren’t followed, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

However, the paper reports, there were no signs of police intervention. Booths extolling medical marijuana and selling merch from T-shirts to bongs dotted the grounds, and a “Top Cannabis Chef” competition took place at the festival – although the cannabis-based oils the competitors were to use were switched out for regular oils, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Organizers told the paper about 10,000 people bought tickets to the festival, which also featured an evening concert headlined by Ludacris.