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Attendees must be at least 18 years old.

According to Lucier, next week’s festival will be the first time the City of Windsor has given a permit for such an event, and he doesn’t know of any other municipality in North America to do that — except San Francisco.

“It’s going to be epic,” Lucier said. “It’s our day, and we’re going to stand tough.”

Jacquot and Lucier are currently seeking volunteers, and there are plans to bring guest speakers: Sam Mellace

, “Canada’s medical marijuana pioneer,” and political gadfly John Turmel, who once smoked a joint on Parliament Hill as a form of protest.

But you can’t run an outdoor festival on good vibes alone. There remains the small matter of marijuana possession being currently illegal.

“Public safety is our number one priority at any rally or protest, regardless of the topic,” said Windsor police spokesman Sgt. Steve Betteridge. “Number two would be that our officers are sworn to enforce the law — as it is, at that time.”

Betteridge said Windsor police are aware of the media coverage of the federal government’s progress toward marijuana legalization. “While that process is ongoing, the law is the law,” Betteridge emphasized.

Asked about the prospect of legal problems at the festival, Jacquot said he expects the majority of people who will attend will be medicinal users with the necessary prescriptions for legal possession and consumption.

“If a recreational user is going to show up, that’s totally upon them,” he said.

“But the whole point of this is to show that marijuana is not a dangerous substance, as some are saying it is.”