Keem Jones: Rain cannot douse vibe at National Cannabis Festival in Washington

Rapper Afroman is known for his song, “Because I Got High.” It concerns a list of things that he forgot to do because he got high.

Just a couple days before 420 Day — celebrated by cannabis producers, advocates and policy reformers — Joseph Edgar Foreman, aka Afroman, filed official paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to put his name on the ballot for the President of the United States of America.

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Unsurprisingly, his No. 1 priority is the unscheduling and decriminalization of cannabis. In the shadow of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, over 25,000 potential voters gathered for the National Cannabis Festival, or NCF, in celebration of all things marijuana-related.

Though DC residents are saying farewell to the 62-year-old structure, the building shielded attendees after severe thunderstorms and visible lightning forced the concert to come to an abrupt halt. Around 1:45 pm, the National Weather Service issued a storm warning because lightning was visible within 20 miles of the venue.

Twenty minutes later, members of the event staff and security began evacuation procedures in preparation for the storm that was now visible within 10 miles of the venue.

But in typical stoner fashion, attendees made the best of a bad situation. The tunnel to the right of the stage became a temporary shelter. People lined the walls with lawn chairs, left enough space for a walkway, and continued to smoke as they rode out the storm.

There were rumors of cancellation circulating, which discouraged some people who had traveled great distances for the annual event. Attendees were informed to keep an eye out on social media. They were told not to remove their wristbands.

Around 5 p.m., the festival’s official social media pages posted a message thanking attendees for their patience and informing them that gates would reopen at 8 p.m.

One of the show’s headliners, rapper 2 Chainz, posted on his Instagram story: “Showtime 10pm.” Cannabis enthusiasts filled the park again.

Though much of the grounds were wet, attendees only cared that the weed was dry. As a result, the Grower’s Tent, one of the festival’s biggest and most populated areas, was completely filled with smoke.

People passed around joints, blunts, bongs, edibles and juices. Others indulged in psychedelic drugs such as mushrooms, or shrooms. The active ingredient in mushrooms, psilocybin, produces a hallucinogenic effect when ingested. The drugs are decriminalized in Washington, D.C. and several other cities, and legal in Colorado.

Rapper Juicy J of the iconic Southern music collective, Three Six Mafia, performed. The group is best known for their songs about openly indulging in recreational drug use.

During his set, Juicy J paid homage to Gangsta Boo, a late member of Three Six Mafia who died from a drug overdose. As he exited the stage, Juicy reminded the crowd to “stop doing fentanyl.”

In between sets, DJ Farrah Flossett kept everyone’s spirits up, despite the periodic moments of rainfall. Around 10:10 p.m., North Carolina’s own DJ E Sudd took the stage and began setting up his equipment. That only meant one thing: 2 Chainz was about to make his appearance.

A resounding “TRUUUUU” — a popular 2 Chainz track —was heard over the speakers and created a wave of excitement in the crowd. Sudd played Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley, who reminded the crowd that “every little thing is gonna be alright.”

After that, 2 Chainz, born Tauheed K. Epps, a former Alabama State basketball standout, took the stage for 45 minutes of his hits, ranging from “No Lie” with Drake to “Birthday Song” with Kanye West. Chainz even took a break during his set to light up a joint of his own.

Despite the weather, the National Cannabis Festival educated some and empowered others. Furthermore, the NCF dispelled the notion that all cannabis consumers fit a specific profile.

The festival saw young Black men smoking with older white women, and the “professional” crowd rolling up out of the same bag as the “street” crowd. It is a gathering for all those who love natural substances with low harm profiles.

Salute to the NCF team and every activist getting active. Peace.

Rakeem “Keem” Jones is a community advocate and father of three from the Shaw Road/Bonnie Doone area of Fayetteville. He can be reached at keemj45@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Jones: Rain cannot douse vibe at National Cannabis Festival in Washington