Medical marijuana activist Todd McCormick will be one of the first speakers Friday morning as the huge Woodstock '99 music festival gets under way.

McCormick will also introduce a film by his friend, Actor/Activist Woody Harrelson, and will Emcee during the day.

When he speaks to the anticipated 350,000 attendees and tens of millions in the pay-per-view television audience, he will announce the launching of a new anti-prohibitionist organization, A.H.E.M.P. – Artists Helping End Marihuana Prohibition with the objective of mobilizing the arts community, especially musicians and actors, in opposition to marijuana prohibition.

Woody Harrelson and Bill Maher, of ABC’s popular program, Politically Incorrect, were the first to join AHEMP’s Advisory Board. It is anticipated that many of the artists performing at Woodstock '99 will also want to join in support.

(It is even rumored that marijuana is occasionally used by some musicians. However, this report is anecdotal and has not been confirmed by scientific polling.)

Over 12 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges since the first Woodstock, 30 years ago, including some who will be performing there.

A.H.E.M.P. – Artists Helping End Marihuana Prohibition is not intended to compete with NORML or other reform organizations, but rather will seek to get support for the movement from the arts community. NORML Board member Don Wirtshafter Esq. Of the Ohio Hempery www.hempery.com will also serve on the AHEMP’s Advisory Board, and I will serve on the AHEMP Board of Directors.
See
Mission Statement And "Call To Action"
From A.H.E.M.P. -- Artists Helping End Marihuana Prohibition
Advisory Board and Board Of Directors

AHEMP’s web site, www.ahemp.org, has even more information about Woodstock99 and the Spitfire tour -- which will also include McCormick.
See
AHEMP’s Todd McCormick Also Included in Spitfire Tour Lineup
Along With Politically Incorrect’s Bill Maher
As the AHEMP Mission Statement says,
"Under the guise fighting ‘substance abuse’, artists, and the industries that they make possible, are being called upon to lie about the Cannabis plant and those who use it, even the seriously ill and disabled…. Artists cannot abdicate their responsibilities. They cannot allow their talents to be used to further the lies and hatred.

A. H.E.M.P. will be the catalyst and vehicle for the resistance to this betrayal of the arts and the people."

It has long been a source of great frustration to those of us in the marijuana reform movement that the arts and entertainment communities have largely been AWOL in the fight for freedom, when they have so much to gain – and yet so little to fear by speaking out.

One hopes that artists and entertainers will notice that the careers of people like Woody Harrelson and Willie Nelson have not be hurt by their taking a stand.

The launching of AHEMP comes at a time when the DEAland government is bribing the entertainment industry to use program content as prohibitionist propaganda. This makes it all the more important that the artists speak out.

See
The Media Switch From Promiscuity To Prostitution.
Program Content To Reflect Prohibitionist Party Line To Get Government Ads

The government’s actions mean that artists really have no choice but to be a part of the solution, or a part of the problem.