;The 6th annual Harvest Fest went off without a hitch, but many bongs and pipes, and joints were passed around as Medical marijuana patients came together in Havilah, California, in the mountains east of Bakersfield.
For the last six years, the Reverend Victor Love, and the love of his life, Debbi, have been pushing for marijuana reform, and in the small valley, surrouding Lake Isabella, and the Kern rivers, has become somewhat of a hero.
Love, who in the early days, which wasn't so long ago, had to deal with the local Kern Countty Sheriff's no tolerance program, versus the state's and voters reform of the marijuana growing laws.
The local sheriff's came in and claimed Love's bounty of pot, leaving with trash bags full of weed. But Love not only won his case, but he claimed his weed back, as the sheriff's had not followed their own laws.
The Harvest fest's allow patients to exchange recipes and new, cleaner ways of ingesting the medicine. There are new ways other than the standard rolled joint, there are new gadgets which use heat and vaporize the materials without burning it, as well as other handy crystals which are solar powered.
Many recipes are handed out, how to make cookies and candies and also what part of the plant to use when looking for a certain type of effect. For instance, the red hairs, are qite good for head issues, while an oil can be just the thing for reducing acid without having to take regular pharmaceuticals.
One of the main claims of medical marijuana propenents is that they don't have to use standard medicines and with some research, sometimes just on the part of patient's themselves, like Love, they are able to reduce the amount of prescription medications they have to take.
Love has been growing and passing along his secrets for years, and as the movement progresses, where people are allowed to have more control over their lives and their healthcare, more of these events will take place all across the nation.
"No alcohol," a sign posted at the entrance to the property which was donated for the event by Dennis Fluhart who has allowed these events to take place for several years now.
There haven't been any fights or any sort of problems during the harvest fests as well as the June gatherings, most camp out, enjoy the music, and a large meal consisting of beef and pork is barbecued up to feed the large crowds.
With 187 people on hand in an area which has a small population, the gatherings have grown as the years have passed.
And with the recent announcement by President Barak Obama that the DEA leave the people with prescriptions alone and not try to bust them, patients are feeling more safe and are coming out to support their cause.
Although, a representative from the local newspaper for the area, The Kern Valley Sun, appeared at the event, he did not write a story, in fact, one of the creators of the gathering wrote the thank you article, and then paid them $40 to have it printed.
So, the local media was squeamish but that didn't keep the event from being advertised.
With only one radio station in the Kern River Valley, the talk show host, and notorious figure sitting on the local public healthcare board, Bob Jamison, saw the flyer for the mariujana event, made a huge deal about it on the air.
Listeners heard as he read off the flyer which included things like raffles, best buds, music, food and camping.
The radio DJ made sure not to read the warning, "no alcohol" allowed at the party. But yet he railed against the small party.
He also made it a larger party. With the biggest turnout ever, the people putting on the party were able to give $400 away to charity.
No foul, no harm, as the sheriff's checked to make sure that the party goers were all carrying their prescriptions. No one was cited, and sheriff's went on their way.
"They do this every year, it's nothing different or unexpected." Love said.
They will be back out in June to do this again. And more and more people join in
