Marijuana and music festival canceled amid drama between city and organizers

A last minute change to a marijuana and music festival caused Tulare city officials to pull the organizer's permit.

The organizer said nothing changed and city officials are using the excuse to push the event out.

Heather Phillips, Tulare's city attorney, said a time constraint to present last-minute proposed changes to city council for the cannabis festival contributed to the cancellation of the event this weekend.

"Two days is not enough time to take something to the council," she said.

Tully Huffaker, the event's promoter, said no such changes were ever proposed.

"We kept our word," he said. "We had everything planned. They first say it is OK and then they went back on their word."

The permit was signed in November.

Built up as the first ever licensed cannabis event, the festival, scheduled to feature music, marijuana and vendors, collapsed when recently-adopted city ordinance came up against new California law.

Huffaker, a Fresno-based promoter, said work on organizing the festival began nearly two months ago. He said he secured a contract in mid-November and was upfront about the festival with local administrators. He said he worked with police to address all concerns.

"There is not one thing [Tulare police] asked me and I said ‘no'," Huffaker said.

Planning for the concert started with contacting state officials and securing a permit, Huffaker said. Then came a rental agreement with the fairgrounds.

Huffaker said as many as 10 people worked on the event, including promotion, printing of tickets and meetings with state officials. He's out thousands of dollars.

Phillips said city officials were willing to help with security and law enforcement needs.

On Wednesday, Phillips said event organizers reached out to city administrators asking for a letter "endorsing and authorizing the sale of cannabis at the festival."

The organizers request didn't fit into what the local ordinance states, Phillips said.

"What he is asking for is something that directly contradicts the ordinances we have in place and it is therefore not something that the city administration is comfortable expressly endorsing without council discussion and approval," she said.

Phillips said the request was denied.

Also on Wednesday, the event organizer told city administrators "the event would now be outdoors and that sale of cannabis would be occurring, despite the city being told previously that the event would be contained indoors and no sales would occur," Phillips said.

Phillips said the issue could have been presented to council members for a final decision if they'd known more about the event earlier.

"If the organizers had contacted us months ago when they asked the state for their license and given us time to speak to council and the state about his plans, this may not have happened," she said.

Huffaker said city officials knew all along the event was going to include an outdoor music stage and space for artists to complete projects.

"Nothing changed," he said. "Everything was the same."

Huffaker added that police threatened the event goers with city ordinance violations and even arrests, if marijuana was on grounds.

"They knew all along," he said. "They didn't want the festival to occur."

Huffaker said some of the artists scheduled to perform, including well-known Afroman, will play at the Cellar Door in Visalia.

Financial losses will occur, Huffaker said, and could lead to a lawsuit.

"We will see," he said. "This is a bad thing happening to us."

Phillips said city officials didn't play a part in the event's cancellation. She said the event could have continued with the regulations set in place.

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