Seattle Hempfest, the free waterfront “protestival” that began in 1991 as a gathering of about 500 people, spent its August 17 to 19, 2012, weekend divided over Initiative 502, the measure that would legalize marijuana in Washington that November. Medical marijuana patients and dispensary operators campaigned against I-502 inside the festival, while legalization backers urged a yes vote. The split showed that the movement Hempfest had built for two decades did not agree on what legalization should look like.
What Happened
Organizers expected at least 150,000 people over the three days at Myrtle Edwards Park, according to an Associated Press report. That year the usual mix of speeches, bands and vendors came with a ballot fight. Festival director Vivian McPeak, himself a critic of I-502, kept Hempfest officially neutral. He told reporters several staff members would have quit if the festival had taken a side, and called the situation “shark-infested waters” (KNKX). He also told the AP, “If I-502 passes, it’ll be a historic moment.”
The opposition inside the park came mostly from the medical side. The Stranger counted the official No on I-502 booth run by dispensary operator Steve Sarich, two large “No on 502” booths run by 4Evergreen, a company that wrote medical marijuana authorizations, and staff from several collectives warning patients about DUI arrests (The Stranger). The Stranger, which supported I-502, accused some of them of protecting their businesses. Sarich was not invited to the main debate on the initiative that Saturday, a complaint we reported at the time.
Why It Split the Movement
I-502, written by New Approach Washington, would let adults 21 and over possess an ounce, set up state-licensed growers and stores, and tax sales. Three provisions drove the fight:
- The DUI limit. I-502 created a per se driving standard of 5 nanograms of active THC per milliliter of blood. Patients who used cannabis daily argued they could test over the limit while sober. “That alone would keep me from voting for it,” one attendee told KNKX.
- No home grow. The measure did not legalize growing for recreational users.
- Licensing. Dispensary owners worried that a state-licensed system would squeeze out the loosely regulated medical collectives that operated in Seattle at the time.
Other critics said I-502 did not go far enough because it left out hemp and kept the age at 21. Supporters answered that a regulated market would end thousands of possession arrests a year and reach people who could not find a doctor to sign an authorization (AP via MPR News).
Hempfest Before 2012
Hempfest started in 1991 as the Washington Hemp Expo and took the Hempfest name the next year. It settled on the Elliott Bay waterfront at Myrtle Edwards Park and grew into a multi-stage political rally, concert and craft fair, free to the public and run by volunteers. Early festivals saw open smoking and citations, including about 60 cited in 1997, before the festival and Seattle police settled into a tolerant routine. Speakers over the years included City Council member Nick Licata, former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper, travel writer Rick Steves and, in 2011, Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Mayor Mike McGinn (Seattle Hempfest history). Former co-director Dominic Holden had also run Seattle’s 2003 I-75 campaign, which made marijuana possession the city’s lowest police priority.
What Happened Next
Washington voters approved I-502 on November 6, 2012, the same day Colorado passed Amendment 64. Possession became legal for adults that December, and the first licensed stores opened on July 8, 2014. Our history of the 2012 Colorado and Washington votes covers the campaign and results. The patients’ fears played out partly. In April 2015 Gov. Jay Inslee signed SB 5052, the Cannabis Patient Protection Act, which folded most medical dispensaries into the licensed retail system and created a voluntary patient database. The 5 ng/mL DUI limit is still law.
Hempfest kept going after legalization, now as a celebration as much as a protest. Its website still features the 2020 festival as its most recent, links photo galleries from 2014 through 2019, and as of October 2026 lists no date for a return to the waterfront (hempfest.org).
Where It Stands in 2026
Adults in Washington can buy up to an ounce of flower at licensed stores, but home growing is still limited to registered patients and public use is a civil infraction. Our Washington marijuana laws guide has the current rules, our guide to driving high and DUI laws explains the THC limit, and you can find licensed Seattle stores in our Seattle dispensary directory.
Seattle Hempfest FAQ
When did Seattle Hempfest start?
In 1991, as the Washington Hemp Expo, with about 500 people. It was renamed Hempfest the following year.
Did Hempfest support I-502?
No. The festival stayed officially neutral in 2012 because its staff and supporters were divided. Director Vivian McPeak was a critic of the measure.
Why did medical marijuana patients oppose I-502?
Mainly over its 5 ng/mL THC driving limit, which daily users feared they would exceed while sober, and its lack of home grow. Some dispensary owners also feared the licensed system would replace them.
Is Seattle Hempfest still held?
As of October 2026, Hempfest’s website shows no scheduled festival. It features the 2020 event as its most recent.
Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.