OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY Officials snuff out pro-marijuana event

Hempfest organizers vow to fight the decision.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- An annual pro-marijuana event at Ohio State University expected to draw thousands of people Saturday has been canceled by the university because officials say organizers did not follow the rules.
Organizers of Ohio Hempfest say they are being unfairly targeted and are promising to fight the decision. Lawyers hired by the group asked for an injunction against the university Thursday in U.S. District Court. An injunction would allow the event to go on.
Judge Algenon Marbley was expected to make a decision today.
"By canceling the Hempfest the university violated the First Amendment," attorney Sandy Spater said. "We are asking for a temporary restraining order against the university."
Hempfest has been held on Ohio State's campus since 1996. The event includes speakers, bands, literature tables and vendors. The event was to run from noon to midnight.
What happened
Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the festival's sponsor, asked to reserve space on the south Oval in October, organizer Sean Luse said. The request was approved in April, he said.
But Pat Hall, director of the university's Student Judicial Affairs, told him in an e-mail on Tuesday that Hempfest was canceled.
The group did not give the university 10 days' notice and did not have written permission from its faculty sponsor, Hall said. Those conditions were placed on the group after students smoked marijuana in an academic building following another event the group hosted in November.
University spokeswoman Elizabeth Conlisk confirmed Thursday that Hempfest won't be held this year.
"As far as we're concerned they didn't follow the rules," she said.
The cancellation has nothing to do with the event, said Rich Hollingsworth, associate vice president of student affairs. He said reserving space is not the same as having permission.
"If the group wanted to reschedule ... they could do it," Hollingsworth said. "Of course, that would be a little hard to do with the school year ending."
Still preparing
Luse said vendors, musicians and speakers are still preparing for Saturday's event.
"We have not canceled the event," Luse said. "There are many people eager to come to the Hempfest and they are angry the university would try to squash the event."
Ohio State Police Chief John Petry told Luse the event concerns him.
"In past years, there has been significant drug use at the event and the sponsoring group has done little to stop that and could even be said to encourage it," Petry wrote in an e-mail to Luse.
Hollingsworth, Hall and organizers, though, recalled no trouble at previous Hempfests.
"There's never been violence or shootings or mass arrest," Luse said. "It just hasn't happened."