Hempfest

M.A.S.H. (Mobilizing Activists and Students for Hemp) is a student group I work with, and they are holding a Hempfest next week.

• Thursday, December 4
• 3:00-8:00 pm
• Bowling and Billiards Center Activity Room
• Illinois State University (Normal, IL)
• Bands: Full Size Jimmy, Stefan Robinson from Free Space Music, Jaik Willis, Mike Williams, White Horse, Dan Shoenberg
• Speakers: Pete Guither, Phil Huckleberry, Gregg Brown, John Firefly
• Activities: Make your own hemp necklace, Raffle, door prizes, etc.

I’ll be speaking around 6 pm. If you’re in the area, stop by. Email me if you need directions.
Flyers banned
One interesting thing related to Hempfest. M.A.S.H. is an educational and activist organization that focuses on issues related to uses of the hemp plant and advocating changes in the law, particularly regarding medical marijuana and industrial hemp.
For Hempfest, the organizers put together a flyer with a drawing of a hemp leaf on it (similar to the one at right). The group is not allowed to put flyers in any of the residence halls on campus because of that leaf. They met all the other requirements (they’re a registered student organization, printed on recycled paper, all the required statements on the flyer, etc.), but the leaf means they can’t post the flyers.
The university residence halls are administered separately from the university, and have their own posting policies. Here’s the one that was quoted:

Materials may not display profanity or alcohol/substance abuse products or advertisement.

So this leaf automatically qualifies as advertising a substance abuse product? Regardless of context? What other image would this group use? I find this approach particularly offensive connected with a public educational institution (although I must point out that the flyers may be posted elsewhere on campus, just not in the residence halls).
I’ve written a letter supporting M.A.S.H.’s appeal of the decision. I’ll let you know how it turns out.