HempFest comes to Las Vegas Saturday

Las Vegas has one more attraction for its 40 million visitors: an annual hemp festival.

The first annual Las Vegas HempFest will unfold Saturday on the grounds of the Clark County Government Center.

The celebration comes at a pivotal time: the medical marijuana industry is just months away from opening its first dispensaries throughout Nevada.

Event organizers drew their inspiration from the 23-year-old Seattle HempFest. The lineup offers a bit of everything: concerts, product displays, and speakers about marijuana issues.

There will be hemp products, such as clothing. But the medical marijuana emergence will play a part in the event, too.

“It’s going to be pretty much the same, except smaller,” said Mike “Chili” Houlihan of Las Vegas, a longtime concert producer who created the Las Vegas HempFest. “We hit both the hemp and the medical marijuana.”

The Seattle event has grown to a festival that draws tens of thousands of attendees.

Medical marijuana will be on display, but not sold. Organizers say the advent of medical marijuana starting in Nevada makes the event a good place to learn about the drug.

Houlihan said it’s a family-oriented event suitable for a wide mix of people, from hippies to families with children.

Speakers will talk about the medical benefits and offer information.

Although marijuana sales aren’t allowed, other items such as lights for growing the plant, clothing and apparel will be for sale.

Like any other event, no sales of marijuana will be allowed, otherwise, “you could end up in jail,” Houlihan said.

People can also hear from groups that seek to make marijuana more readily available. One is the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Another is Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, which advocates for eliminating the prohibition of drugs for adults, with regulations.

Houlihan said the county cooperated in giving him the permit he needed, noting that it was simply a matter of educating staff about what a hemp fest entails.

Despite the location, it’s not a county government-organized event; the group rented out the amphitheater space from the county.

County spokesman Erik Pappa said there wasn’t anything unusual about the application process.

The public will celebrate the growing cannabis culture just outside the building where county commissioners approved dispensary applications.

So far, interest is strong. People from 16 states and Canada, Germany and Brazil have purchased tickets, Houlihan said.

Given the status of Las Vegas as a destination for visitors, he anticipates it will turn into a growing annual event, and estimates 4,000 to 10,000 will attend Saturday.

For more information, visit lasvegashempfest.com. Tickets are $40 at the door, or $35 in advance.

No medical marijuana card is needed for entry.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-405-9781. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1.