A Hempseed Pancake Brunch and Festival will be held in support of Lynn and Judy Osburn on October 5 from noon to 6 PM at the Topanga Community Club, 1440 North Topanga Canyon Blvd (directions at www.topangacommunityclub.org).
Speaking at the event will be Lynn and Judy themselves, both accomplished authors and activists. Judy authored Spectre of Forfeiture (originally under the pseudonym "Ben There") and co-founded the organization Forfeiture Endangers Americans Rights, a group that successfully lobbied for the rollback of California forfeiture law. The couple edited early editions of Jack Herer's seminal The Emperor Wears No Clothes: Hemp and the Marijuana Conspiracy and were instrumental in spreading the word about hempseed's nutritional value. Through their publishing company, Access Unlimited, they published a quarterly magazine on hemp as well as the 215 Reporter, named for Proposition 215, the medical marijuana law enacted by California voters in 1996. Along with Chris Bennett, they co-wrote and published Green Gold: Marijuana in Myth, Magic and Religion, and Lynn in particular is an expert about mythical traditions.
The Osburns are headed to court on October 7 to face federal charges of cultivating marijuana for the Los Angeles Cannabis Buyers Cooperative, an organization with 800 members permitted by the LA Sheriff and the West Hollywood City Council. Federal law, however, does not recognize the medicinal use of marijuana. (See more at
http://www.osburndefensefund.com.)
Also speaking will be Steph Sherer of the organization Americans for Safe Access, and scriptwriter Mike Gray, an Academy Award nominee (The China Syndrome). Gray is author of Drug Crazy: How We Got Into this Mess and How We Can Get Out of It and heads Common Sense for Drug Policy. At 4:20 PM attorney and "can't recall" gubernatorial candidate Bruce Margolin will speak. Margolin is the director of LA NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws).
The event is free to the public with donations accepted at the door for the Osburns Legal Defense Fund. Pancakes made with nutritious and delicious hempseed will be served, a silent auction will be held, and musical entertainment will be provided. Come one, come all!