Associated Press EUGENE -- The Emerald Empire Hempfest has been denied a permit to host a gathering in a city park because of drug use at last year's event. Festival coordinator Dan Koozer objected, saying there were no arrests last year and little drug use, and that he had hoped to expand to a two-day festival that would celebrate the many legal uses of hemp. The festival promotes nondrug aspects of the marijuana plant, from foods made with hemp seeds to clothes made from hemp fiber. Those products come from a strain of the plant that has no THC, among the chemicals that create a high. The festival also recognizes those who use marijuana medicinally, a legal practice in Oregon for those who register with the state. "We're trying to show that the cannabis plant is simply a plant with many benefits that's been demonized," Koozer said.