2018's top stories: 'Weedstock' in rancher's field

A never-before event took place in Whitman County last year.

"Weedstock 2018" got underway on the afternoon of April 20 on land owned by the Gilchrist family near Klemgard Park between Colfax and Pullman.

The event, organized by Dax Taylor of Pullman and the group he founded, 420 Union, attracted crowds for two days of bands, comedy acts, speakers and marijuana.

According to county code 5.08 Outdoor Amusements and Assemblies, a permit was required if an event featured paid admission and more than 250 people. If it was free for the same-sized crowd, it would not require a permit – which was the case for Weedstock 2018. If admission was charged for an event of less than 250, a permit would be required.

Earlier in April, landowner Dave Gilchrist signed an agreement with Taylor of Pullman and 420 Union, the group formed in 1997 to share cannabis information among its members.

Over the course of the weekend, more than 800 signatures were entered on the sign-in list at Stevick Road, some were the same names on different days. More than 30 musical acts performed on two stages with tents and vendors lined up in the pasture.

Over the three days, April 20-22, the Whitman County Sheriff's Office made ten arrests in the immediate area, including four people arrested for driving with a suspended license, three for outstanding warrants, one for minor in possession of alcohol and another for possession of the drug suboxone.

A woman was arrested in the Weedstock parking field – for driving under the influence of alcohol – after her vehicle ended up in Union Flat Creek. A total of three related complaints were registered with the Sheriff's office, including one for littering and the others alleged traffic offenses.

The sheriff's office issued no citations or arrests for smoking marijuana in public.

In August, Whitman County commissioners revised the county code (5.08 Outdoor Amusements and Assemblies) to require a permit for gatherings of 300 or more people.