The First Annual Colorado Hemp Festival comes to the Western Slope in August.

Colorado Hemp Fest is a three-day event being held August 12-14 near Collbran on the Grand Mesa. It will be three days of live music, featured speakers, exhibitors, games, and vendors.

They will have a horseshoe tournament, frisbee golf, and a hackeysack tournament. Plus, there are activity booths and a play area for kids. There's even going to be gospel music from well-known Christian artist Don Francisco.

According to the Hemp Fest Website, the purpose of the event is to "serve as a coordination vehicle providing consumer education services and hemp community services."  They will be "exploring the differences between hemp and marijuana," but only hemp products will be available for sale; possession and public consumption of marijuana on the festival grounds are not allowed.

Featured talks include:

  • "Ecstasy & Idiocy:  Politics and Plant Allies"
  • "Ways Hemp is Used"
  • "Hemp for Health and Nutrition"
  • "Hemp's Therapeutic & Wellness Value"

Here's what we know about hemp.

According to Live Science.com, hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant that is not used for recreational drug use, although it does have some medicinal uses. It is also used to produce a number of products including string, rope, thread, and fiberglass-like material.

However, you may find yourself wondering if this will be like other Hemp Festivals, often times called protestivals, that openly lobby for the legalization of recreational marijuana. Seattle, Las Vegas, Boston, and Alaska, are just a few of the Hemp Festivals across the country.

Honestly, I'm a little skeptical of the event in Western Colorado and I won't be attending, but if you are interested, you can buy tickets on line.

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