[imagesource:kimvanzylphotography]]

Hail to the Leaf!

Undoubtedly one of the big attractions of this year’s Afrika Burn festival was the Garden of Weeden camp and its 13-metre-high tribute to the Cannabis plant.

The brainchild of Greg Mulford, an Afrika Burn regular, the massive ode to the sweet leaf was a big draw for lovers of the herb, illuminating the desert night with green flood lights and LEDs.

And as one would expect, the massive sculpture was turned into the biggest weed fire ever after a truly heady week.

“The burning of the leaf was the ‘grand finale’ of three months of tireless work, by a committed team of 21 people in Johannesburg, who prepared, cut and drilled together a mass of scraps of wood donated to the project,” said Cliff Giesenow, co-founder of the Cannabis Trade Association of Africa (CTAA), and a team member the Garden of Weeden camp.

The Garden of Weeden theme camp offered festival goers a dust and wind-free space to consume weed in a chilled, shaded lounge oasis which included a ‘Gifting Tree’ where lighters and rolling papers were made freely available as part of the AfrikaBurn culture and principle of ‘gifting’.

This spirit has always been true amongst ‘stoners’, as everyone knows that a stingy stoner, is someone who should stop smoking.

“The monumental piece of art served to highlight that the Cannabis plant should be made available to all across the planet and that a plant should not be criminalized.”

Aweh and right on.

Prior to the burning of the ‘weed art’, the Garden of Weeden team gave out more than 1 000 joints to the attendees that gathered around the sculpture. Surely this must be the biggest giveaway of spliffs ever?

The spliffs all had a little note that read: ‘Light up when we light up’, in communal celebration and honour of the miracle plant, which can be used to provide food, medicine, housing, fuel, clothing, and a host of other things.”

Marijuana has a proud and loyal following, unlike other ‘party drugs’ that are used in the shadows. Weed is part of nature and is celebrated in a way that tik and cocaine never would be.

It is this celebration of the ‘magical plant’ that drew many to the spectacle and affirmed its standing as a truly ‘giving’ plant, and lifestyle.

You can check out the Seed Inc. website for more news and articles on everyone’s favourite side-chick, Mary Jane.

[source:seedinc]