Cannabis + Music = A Riot Fest Love Story

Each year, as autumn steals the summer sun and green forest canopies from the Midwest, and leaves in its place brisk winds and blazing fall colors, a tiny little town called Chicago plays host to thousands of elder emos and punk rock aficionados. The draw? Riot Fest.

It was 2005 when Riot Fest debuted its two day indoor musical festival at the Congress Theater just three miles west of Lincoln Park, with bands like the Dead Kennedys, The Suicide Machines, Misfits, Agent Orange, and The Germs. At the time of Riot Fests' inception, cannabis was highly policed and smoking in the venue could get you a one-way ticket behind bars.

In fact, in that same year, 786,545 people were arrested for “marijuana” offenses in the United States. Nonetheless, the attendees of Riot Fest were the underground cannabis culture then, and remain so now.

What started as a small independent fest featuring a few dozen bands has since exploded into a sprawling outdoor three day jam, amassing over 40,000 people per day and headlining major award-winning artists and bands. But one major difference in 2022? Clouds of cannabis smoke float above crowds, filling the air with the sweet aroma of our favorite fem l l t

Now, a mom to a 2.5-year-old, Riot Fest is my three day opportunity to live in full emo-glory, shouting the lyrics to my favorite Jimmy Eat World, My Chemical Romance, and Yeah Yeah Yeah songs, crowd-surfing during Yellow Card, and moshing to Less Than Jake. It’s a muchneeded break from potty training and the solitude that is work-from-home life in a tiny rural Midwest town. But while others search for their courage in canned cocktails and stale over-priced beers, I manifest freedom through several puffs of Durban Poison.

As I prepared for my second annual Riot Fest with my East Hollywood roomie from years ago and a motley crew of local friends, I carefully lined my backpack with the essentials for a fullblown weekend of responsibility-free fun. This year, among other goodies, I’ve included a seven-pack of diamond-infused 805 Glue prerolls from Pacific Stone, my Wand by Jane West - a discreet one-hitter, poker, and cannabis storage device in one that appears to be a bottle of lip gloss or mascara, and my lighter on a leash - all festival essentials, and hoped I wouldn’t be hassled this year.

As one walks toward the entrance of Douglas Park, it's obvious to the naked eye whether or not “this is your crowd”. It’s the ripped jeans

In 2021, I nearly lost my stash to a very intimidating security guard who peered into my soul as she asked if I had cannabis in my bag I crossed my fingers and asked Source to forgive me as I lied Her glare burned through me as she asked again if I had any weapons or cannabis… I stuttered “well… actually. I have a bottle of mace.” She shook her head “I could sense there was something”. breath of rel ripe with terp

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As a cannab the cusp of t away from m consumption breastmilk - y y Riot Fest 2021. Naturally, in the spirit of breaking stigmas, I whipped out my hand-held breast pump to relieve the pressure I had built up while away from my baby. It’s my hope that instances like these can normalize the experience of mothering, being a cannabis consumer, and being a human who needs breaks from their role as head of household.

This year as I walk across the grounds, I can tell the stigma from the year prior had dissipated, and I felt free to consume in a way I hadn’t felt in public to date. It’s a sensation that sent tingles to my toes and lit me up inside. I wasn’t hassled at security, I proudly lit up without fear, and I didn’t receive cold glares from unapproving Karens. Clouds of smoke hovered above the crowds at ffed and passed dancing, singing ised to the skyestament to the t the harsh crash ng It felt like felt like love ur homes, being son interactions, 40,000 stranger o badly. As we side-to-side, and a sense of peace oment so freely ates surrounding abis an illegal ld I be standing l locked up for as a moment of like a win, there .

L HB3085) was nd Bob Morgan , expunge the harges, and free day, it sits in committee while the citizens of Illinois (mostly Brown and Black) sit in jail cells. My hope is that by Riot Fest next year, I can report that this bill has passed and innocent people may walk free from minor cannabis offenses to enjoy cannabis again in the way that I have

As I reminisce on the experiences I’ve had at Riot Fest, it gives me hope for a future where cannabis is a normal part of our shared experiences in the way that alcohol has been for centuries, and innocent people won’t be put behind bars for enjoying plant medicine I look forward to the days when moms aren’t shamed for taking time away from their kids, when breastfeeding or pumping in a public place is common, and when no guilt will be cast for utilizing cannabis in private or in public

RIOT FEST SUCKS!

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any will say that a person doesn't have to be biological to be a father, which has always seemed like an odd statement until it became one of my own

Back in 2016, on the compassion trail where I traveled giving away cannabis oils in copious amounts to patients in need, I came across Genevieve after her mom contacted me, and what's known as the Cannabis Love Story began.

Genevieve, a 13-year-old with severe Autism and Epilepsy, was the patient that August day back in 2016. Her Mother, Anne Mari, made contact by social media messenger the night before, unaware that the supplier of the oil she sought for her daughter's severe intractable Epilepsy was only a few hours away

Genevieve's life had significant challenges; she reacted to vaccines at only 2 5 years old and sunk deep into the world of Autism - a similar story shared by millions of other children across America. Genevieve lost the ability to speak and walk well and eventually became so developmentally delayed that she needed around-the-clock care from her family. To top that off, her biological father overdosed in 2007, creating an even larger struggle for her mother

When I met Genevieve, she was unable to answer questions even with a head nod, was utterly nonverbal, had few expressions, and was seizing

I administered rescue THC oils to her, stopping the seizures, and her mom then went over her pharmaceuticals. Two of them were psych drugs with seizure warnings, so we planned to discontinue them immediately A third drug was a seizure medication to which she had terrible side effects, to the point of hospitalization – Yet it was prescribed again I threw it away with her mom's permission bright smile. Genevieve's older sister, Fatima, was in her senior year and was a bit distant, but her intellect amazed me, and we clicked.

Christmas 2016 brought with it an invitation to spend two weeks with the girls, at the house, with Anne Mari and I together as a couple Anne Mari explained to me that Genevieve's biological father's overdose occurred right after Christmas, and being in the world of Autism for decades, I understood the challenges the family would face over the vacation and agreed to join them. In that short period, we all bonded as I worked to perfect Genevieve's Cannabis Protocol.

Anne Mari and I bonded over Humboldt County's finest, which I brought back with me from the road, and she shared some of her Santa Barbara locally grown cannabis We had spent several hours together on three prior occasions over several days at a time - but hadn't spent the night together until then - four months after we met.

The road of compassion always brought new faces, names, cities, states, and sometimes even countries - there were so many people in need back then that no single face stood out - until Genevieve Over the following months, Anne Mari and I became a couple, and little sister Sydney became a new friend, always talkative with such a beautiful

Sydney and I shared joy in Christmas activities, and we all got together for a simple holiday break, enjoying each other’s company. Anne Mari and I became a legitimate couple, and for once, I had the feeling that the cancers growing within me were backing off, proving that love is healing medicine Our departure didn't occur until January 10th, as it felt right to be with my lady and her three girls Who would want to leave?

Only a few days back on the road, I received text messages while off the grid. When a hippie buddy drove us into town off a hill where cannabis was growing, the signal hit, and notification sounds began pinging away. Beautiful videos came through of Genevieve and a message that she had verbalized, “Mommy”.

Her sister held the camera while Gen pointed at a photo of Homer on an Ipad and verbally said, "Daddy" Then, she looked at a picture of me on her mom's phone and repeated the word again I was on Amtrak headed back to Santa Barbara, California, within 24 hours of seeing this – a mere 14-hour journey She stole my heart; she called me Daddy.

Now, this was six years ago. At the time, Sydney was a Daddy's girl; her biological father was a Cancer warrior and battled like no other I've ever seen - staying alive for nearly a decade after doctors removed his nose due to radiation damage. In 2021 tragedy struck, and Sydney lost her father to surgical complications, which turned her life upside down.

Sydney needed help with her inability to sleep and also underwent evaluations for Autism, Anxiety, and Depression Ultimately, Sydney needed cannabis extracts like Genevieve, so we got her a recommendation One of her most significant issues was insomnia and night terrors; she needed a lot of love with a side order of plant medicine.

Keeping my distance from Sydney was always important to not overstep boundaries– this kid seriously loved her daddy– so stepping in to act like one before he passed - or even afterwards, didn’t feel right. Instead, I decided to adopt love, to take her under my wing as my daughter whether she knew it, realized it, or liked it. Sydney needed me badly; I knew it a year ago when her father passed, and even today, the feeling is so strong that I won't deny it, even if Sydney does occasionally

Sydney and I go on 'Sunset Rides' together on e-bikes; we laugh and bicker as we're so much alike but always end it with love and hugs We have Sunday Funday Skate Days The entire family goes out and skates together and plays together I'm now her Bonus Dad, but recently she asked me if it was okay to refer to me as 'Dad,' which ended in one of those scenes where you go to the bathroom to hide and cry happy tears.

This year, the grandsons came for the holidays and tore the place up as usual. Afterall, what would life be like without moments like this? There was a time back on the Cannabis Compassion trail when I was paving my way to heaven by giving away as much oil as possible before I died. I didn't think I'd even make it to 2016, let alone meet my family of 2023!

Genevieve is now 19 years old, and older Sister Fatima is 23 and has given us two beautiful grandsons - Leo and Sammy Sydney is 12 and doing well in school thanks to cannabis medicine She loves doing TikTok videos with me to explain to adults what it's like for her to use different cannabinoids

I came to Santa Barbara in 2016 to help a severely autistic child who was seizing so much that she needed the precious cargo I carried. The oil I was using for cancer is what I left with Anne Marie when I first came to see her

We had no intention of creating a family unit, but destiny played its role through love and the cannabis plant Cannabis is still frowned upon in most nations; many say the industry lacks legitimacy.

People who use the plant still face stigma due to the prohibitionists of the past and those who can't face the reality of today’s progress.

There is no other industry on this planet, as far as I know, that has a love story tied to it quite like cannabis

Without our beautiful cannabis plant, the Robinson family wouldn't exist, and Cancer would likely have taken its toll.

Since Genevieve didn't respond to CBD in 2016, I had to make her a special tincture with CBGa. To this day, I credit the amount of that oil I drank while I tested Genevieve’s batch for balancing my own Endocannabinoid System

Overall, these oils allowed cannabis plant constituents to work alongside the love of my family to heal us all

Cannabis heals. Cannabis truly is love.