Click here to view the embedded video.

Download link: Secret Stash - Register to access

Download audio file (NORML_Daily_AudioStash_2009-05-04.mp3)

Hemp Headlines

1. Medical Marijuana in Oregon: Not the End of Reform, But the Beginning (Op-Ed in Eugene Weekly by Russ Belville)
2. Judge Jay “Torture Memo” Bybee & 9th Circuit Panel uphold 10-year sentence for Bryan Epis
3. Wall Street Journal on Taxing Marijuana in Oakland, California
4. Illinois Medical Marijuana Facing Reefer Madness Opposition

Daily Toker Tunes by Marijuana Music Awards

• Daily Audio Stash EXCLUSIVE Interview with The Human Revolution (Human, Zahira, and Oliver), plus two acoustic performances, “Here in California” and “Kindness”.  Check out TheHumanRevolution.org (and ZahiraMusic.com).

What a non-stop weekend I’ve had!  Thursday night I was up until 5am producing a video for Oregon NORML.  That was critical because on Friday, May 1, Oregon NORML was at the Capitol rotunda all day presenting for the 10th Anniversary of our medical marijuana program.  I would’ve been there except I was attending an Edward Tufte seminar on visual information (best advice: “There’s no such thing as ‘information overload’; just ‘poor design’.”)  Following the seminar it was back home to load up gear for Saturday morning.

Friday night there was the Cannabis Common Sense TVshow.  I was way too tired to go on camera, but my friend Chief Greenbud from Nashville was playing on the show, so I had to go.  Of course, after the show there’s the after-party and who would miss the after-party when we’ve got a local bar/restaurant that locks up Friday night for our private party, serving food and drinks alongside the Medicine Man’s multi-strain vaporizer bar?

Then Saturday morning I arise at 5am for the Global Cannabis March.  I had three hours to prepare another video for the Oregon NORML booth and my two speeches for the afternoon.  I’m at the square by 9am, setting up the booth and readying our mobile march PA, which is a speaker, an amp, a car battery, and a power inverter loaded on a wagon.  By 10am the festivities begin underneath a typically gray Portland day with extremely high humidity (or what some non-PacNWers might call “light rain”).

We had probably over 1,000 people for our march.  Just as we began to leave, the clouds parted and gave us the only hour of sunshine we had all day.  I led the way, pulling that heavy wagon behind me as I barked out march chants over the loudspeaker:

• “I smoke pot and I like it a lot!”
• “Hey hey, Obama – Legalize Marijuana!”
• (And my latest) “If you like smokin’ pot, clap your hands.  If you like smokin’ pot, clap your hands.  If you like smokin’ pot and you smoke the weed a lot, if you like smokin’ pot clap your hands.”  (with variations of “If you like smokin’ weed then you are a friend indeed.” and “if you like smokin’ doobies more than Dolly Parton’s boobies.”)

We returned to the square and enjoyed the day’s speeches and performers, including Chief Greenbud, Human & The Human Revolution, Franco & The Stingers, and Marquee.  The heavy humidity returned but not enough to keep Portlanders away from the square and our vendors.  At one point, however, around 3:30pm, we had a massive thunderstorm roll over us with a torrential downpour.  That lasted about ten minutes, but did wash away most of our crowd.  We began packing things up and were out of the square after 5pm.

For me it was then off to the grocery store for munchies, chili, and soda pop, because the after-march-party was at my house.  The Oregon NORML board was there and some of my other friends.  Chief Greenbud and his girlfriend were there, too.  I broke out my collection of Starfish Designs pipes so everyone sould smoke out of their own and not pass around any H1N1 (not that I’m seriously worried about that, but why chance it?).  Soon, the guys and gal from Human & The Human Revolution showed up.  They broke out guitars, I got out my bass, and my brother Joshua Belville got out his guitar and we had a good ol’ jam.

Then Sunday I laid around the house all day, alternating between naps and complaining about my sore back from tugging that loudspeaker wagon on a one-mile march.  Between Thursday morning and Sunday morning, I think I got seven hours of sleep, total.  And they say we’re amotivated slackers!

I’ll have pictures and video later in the week.  In the meantime, the rest of this morning I will post pictures and videos from other marches around the globe.  If you’ve got footage you’d like to see on the Stash, just email me at stash@norml.org.

Here’s the return of Human and the Human Revolution to the Stash, with their inspiring song ‘Tree of Life’, winner of 2007 Marijuana Music Awards Best Music Video!

You can see Human and the Human Revolution live at the Portland, Oregon “Global Cannabis March” here tomorrow, 2 May!

The Human Revolution perform original music they call “mystic country rock”. Their live performances feature screaming guitars, funky fiddle playing, solid rhythm and lyrics with an ecological message.

The core of the conscious rock band is Human, the charismatic and energetic front man and songwriter from the Appalachian region of the U.S.

Human puts his heart and soul into every song he writes and performs. Inspired by his life experiences, Human’s songs are both fun and powerful.

The band’s music breaks through genres and so reaches out to many different audiences. The Human Revolution blend country, folk, funk and world music with rhythmic guitar and mantras which leave listeners uplifted.

For more about this great rock band check out thehumanrevolution.org and myspace.com/humanandtheotherhumans

Enjoy ‘Tree of Life’ by Human and the Human Revolution!

Download: Secret Stash - Register to access

Download audio file (Human%20-%20Tree%20of%20Life.mp3)

HUMAN AND THE HUMAN REVOLUTION ON MYSPACE!

VOTE FOR 2009 AMMA ENTRIES

ENTER YOUR SONG IN 2009 AMMA

The all-music Stash is back by popular demand!  (And because I’m swamped with prep for three major events in two days plus an afterparty!) Last year, I used to make the “Weekend Music Hit” where I’d put the tunes from the past two weeks into on long podcast for your party pleasure.  Handling this weekly got to be too much of a chore and I discontinued it.  But now with Tam from Marijuana Music Awards serving up all this great music, I decided that I could handle one big music podcast once per month.

I'll be at Pioneer Square all day Saturday from 10am, along with Chief Greenbud from Nashville, Human and The Human Revolution, more speakers, vendors, food, and bands til 7pm!

So every month now, you’ll get your Monthly Marijuana Music podcasts featuring all the songs from the previous month.  In order to save time, I’m just going to run the songs back-to-back with no introductions.  You’ll be able to get the songlist in the Monthly Marijuana Music post (see below) including our opening bonus tune, “Tree of Life”, by a band performing at the Portland Global Cannabis March, Saturday, May 2nd, Human and the Human Revolution!

Have a happy Marijuana March in your city and enjoy Part 1 of your 2-part April 2009 Monthly Marijuana Music, brought to you by Marijuana Music Awards . com!  (Part 2 comes tomorrow at noon!)

Download Part 1 Secret Stash - Register to access

Audio Player
Secret Stash - Register to access

1. ‘Tree of Life’ by Human and the Human Revolution
2. ‘Jah Rastafarian’ by Mamasita
3. ‘4:20? by The Bigfellas
4. ‘Medicated’ by The Earthquake Institute
5. ‘Make Love Not War’ by Daddy Roots
6. ‘Keep It Burning’ by Chin
7. ‘Piece of Ganja’ by Iriepathie
8. ‘Big Bag O Reefer’ by Bradley Fish
9. ‘Skunk Butta’ by Tha Funxsouljaz
10. ‘Freedom Fighters’ by Ruffstar Family
11. ‘Sweet Hydro’ by Sean Reefer and the Resin Valley Boys
12. ‘Ganja 4 Life’ by Mr Williamz
    

“Tree of Life” by Human is Monday’s music with a message, winner of the 2007 American Marijuana Music Awards Best Music Video.

Human, originally from the Appalachian region and now based in California, is the energetic singer/songwriter and front man of the conscious rock band, The Human Revolution.

The band are ecologically minded who walk their talk. They travel on biodiesel and Veggie oil where possible, and their merchandise is manufactured as ecologically as commercially available.

The Human Revolution perform original music in a style they call “mystic country jam rock”. The band mix screaming guitars, funky fiddle playing, a solid rhythm and lyrics with a message of peace, freedom and unity.

The Human Revolution is more than a band, it’s a movement towards creating a more positive and sustainable world and culture through words, thought and action. Propelling this movement forward is the music of the band, The Human Revolution.

For more about the The Human Revolution check out myspace.com/thehumanrevolution

Download: Secret Stash - Register to access

Download audio file (Human%20-%20Tree%20of%20Life.mp3)

HUMAN ON MYSPACE!

VOTE FOR 2009 MMA ENTRIES

ENTER YOUR SONG IN 2009 MMA