The Declaration of Independence was written on paper made from it, George Washington farmed it, and this Saturday, a festival is dedicated to it.

Hemp Fest, hosted by the campus organization Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, will be from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Rod and Gun Park.

This event has nothing to do with marijuana, SSDP president Sara Knee said.

“We want to educate people about hemp while having a good time,” Knee said.

The free event will include seven bands, a beer garden, food and informational booths about hemp. Other scheduled activities are tie-dyeing and face painting.

SSDP was formerly known as Campus Hemp and Legalization Initiative. The group changed its name last fall because it wanted to broaden its concerns.

This will be the sixth Hemp Fest. Because CHILI was not active last year, Hemp Fest didn’t happen, Knee said. The group was revived in the fall in response to the Higher Education Act, which mandates that students who are convicted of drug-related offenses have their financial aid terminated. SSDP worked with Student Senate in the fall to pass a resolution asking Congress to overturn the HEA.

SSDP is not about the legalization of drugs but rather a different approach to current policies, according to a news release.

Hemp is not a drug, it’s a natural substance that does not contain THC, the active ingredient in marijuana and that’s what the group wants to stress, Knee said.

Dan Drumm, SSDP adviser and senior systems programmer at CNS, said Hemp Fest is a way for students and community members to find out what the organization is about.

The festival name might raise some eyebrows, Drumm said, but the point of the group is to voice their opinions about policies concerning hemp.