HNEN - Hempfest News and Education Network - Educating the public on the potential benefits offered by the cannabis plant. Visit our website www.hempfest.org for more information about how to get involved with Seattle Hempfest.
Throughout his life and career Tommy Chong has been an advocate for legalizing cannabis both medically and recreationally. His movies, live performances and many other appearances all speak to that advocacy in one form or another. Tommy Chong was a pioneer in educating the public about the positive side of cannabis and still pursues this goal passionately. He has appeared on all the major networks and most of the large cable franchises discussing the subject of legalization and recounting his own personal use of medical cannabis in a recent bout with prostate cancer which is now in remission. Tommy Chong supports many advocacy groups nationwide who are trying to bring legislation into their states to legalize the medical and the recreational use of cannabis along with supporting groups that seek federal legislation. On a personal level, Tommy donates a great deal of his time, personage and public influence to help many such organizations reach their goals.
Vivian McPeak is a Seattle based social justice activist and writer. Vivian is the president of Seattle Events, a Non-Profit Organization, and he is executive director of the Seattle Hempfest, the world’s largest annual cannabis policy reform rally. The recipient of the High Times Magazine 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award, Vivian has appeared on numerous television and cable news networks, including FOX News, CNN, and NBC.
Jeremy Kaufman has been a Cannabis activists for over 15 years. He is one of the founders of The C.P.C. as well as a Co-owner of Absolute Oils. Over 5 years ago The CPC became Washington’s first licensed and recognized Medical Cannabis Research and Development Firm. Jeremy is one of the founding members of the CCSE. He has devoted time to multiple pieces of legislation over the years including; The Seattle Cannabis Ordinance, SB 5073, and I-502. His work has been featured in articles and news excerpts from The Seattle Business Journal, The Seattle Times, Kiro, King, MSNBC, and many more.
Natalie is the Research and Advocacy Coordinator at The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, (MAPS). She works to end federal obstruction of medical marijuana research. Recently, she has focused on pressuring the Department of Health and Human Services to end the Public Health Service (PHS) protocol review, an extraneous, redundant review that exists only for marijuana and has served to block research for over a decade. Natalie also helps with recruitment and training development for researchers in MAPS’ clinical trials. Before MAPS, Natalie served as a Policy Fellow at the Drug Policy Alliance, where she helped legalize medical marijuana in her home state of New York through grassroots organizing, advocacy and lobbying. At DPA, Natalie also worked to end New York’s racist marijuana arrests. Natalie earned her Masters from the Columbia School of Social Work, and her BA in History from Yale.
Danica Noble is Coordinator for the NORML Women of Washington and an antitrust attorney. She is chair of the Antitrust, Consumer Protection, and Unfair Business Practices Section of the Washington State Bar Association. Ms. Noble graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and was a judicial law clerk in the US Virgin Islands.
Anndrea Hermann, M.Sc, B.GS, P.Ag. is the President of Hemp Technologies Global, the President of the National Hemp Industries Association, the Chief Development Science Officer, Hemp Division, of Creative Edge Nutrition, and an Advisor forNutiva Foods. Anndrea is also the instructor of OSU’s course WSE266 Industrial Hemp (ecampus, as she lives in Canada), as well as a Health Canada Authorized Hemp THC Sampler who has advised Health Canada on a wide spectrum of Cannabisprojects (from 2005 to the present). Most significantly, Anndrea has assisted with creating and reviewing hemp regulations in Canada, the European Union, South Africa, Uruguay, Australia, New Zealand, India, Vermont, Virginia, Tennessee, North Dakota, Missouri, Colorado, California, Oregon and Michigan, for example. These regulations govern the hemp industry.