Weed legalization event shut down by police
Apr. 20—ANDERSON — The 420 Shakedown Festival intended to raise awareness concerning marijuana was shut down by police Thursday afternoon.
Daphne Holtzleiter, a representative of the property owners, said her company owns the lot near the Blue Bridge off 10th Street.
Vendors and participants were asked to leave the premises by Holtzleiter and two Anderson police officers.
Before being shut down, patrons were arriving and enjoying music, food and vendors.
Owner of Cultivate Hope Chemovar Rebecca Zirkle sold various hemp-based products among others. The hemp in her products is grown in Blackford and Grant Counties.
Other firms process and test the products which she later packages and labels.
The 420 Shakedown isn't the only place Zirkle sets up shop. Every Saturday, she sets up at Hive Mind Market in the Kohl's parking lot in Marion.
Zirkle got into the cannabis industry while living in California. She worked for a grower that grew cannabis for dispensaries.
After 2017 wildfires forced her to relocate, she and her boyfriend decided on Marion, where his parents live.
Unlike California, marijuana is illegal in the Hoosier State. Zirkle suffered injuries from a car accident and said she was treating them with cannabis.
She created the Girl Scout Cookies Full Spectrum, a cannabis product that is said to support a healthy nervous system. Such a product would be a legal way to get treatment.
Cannabinoids are the substances found in marijuana, according to the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Cannabinoids are naturally produced by the body, according to a medically reviewed article from Medical New Today, a medical publication.
"Every body has an endocannabinoid system which is regulated by the compounds in the hemp and cannabis project, for positive wellness, for mental health, for physical well-being," Zirkle claimed.
"There's a lot of people in legal states that are able to depend on medical marijuana versus prescription drugs."
The endocannabinoid system is composed of a network of cellular and chemical responses throughout the body.
The system regulates functions including sleep, emotional processing, and pain control, according to an article from Harvard Health Publishing, a consumer health education division out of Harvard Medical School.
The event was held on April 20 or "420," a number associated with marijuana in slang.
There's much speculation about how "420" became associated with marijuana. Some say it refers to a police code, others that it refers to a time of day or location. Thus, 4/20 became an unofficial holiday of sorts for marijuana enthusiasts.
As of November, about 21 states have legalized recreational marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.
About 38 states have legalized medical marijuana.
Follow Caleb Amick on Twitter @AmickCaleb. Contact him at caleb.amick@heraldbulletin.com or 765-648-4254.
