Imagine for a moment, in a place suspended from the confines of the mundane and conventional, that you find yourself in the raucous, free-wheeling ambiance of an environment that promotes liberty of thought, awareness, compassion and diversity. All the while the in-your-bones pulse of music reverberating through the balmy air is being provided by a multitude of showstopper musicians that not only create great and influential art, but also support and understand your unique lifestyle choice.

It doesn’t have to just be some mid-afternoon cubicle daydream.

After a six-year hiatus, the legendary SmokeOut Concert and Cannabis Expo made its return last year in full force. Now, on October 16th at San Bernadino’s NOS Events Center, the festivities are back with its best musical line-up yet. Guerilla Union, the production company that showcased Rock The Bells and Paid Dues, will be co-hosting this event along with hip-hop quartet Cypress Hill and will be featuring 20 different acts across three stages.
  
“The SmokeOut is one of Guerilla Union's most successful live music artist partnerships,” said Chang Weisberg, founder of Guerilla Union in a press release. “And this year's show may be our most important and historic ever."

The series will feature artists from an assortment of genres and was originally known for rifting the barriers between rap-rock, hip-hop, alternative, ska, metal, punk, dance and reggae in a harmonious, mind-blowing meld.

Cypress Hill will perform the unprecedented act of their career by blitzing through their complete 1991 double-platinum debut album.

"Performing our self-titled album in its entirety is going to be a celebration and opportunity to treat our fans that have been supporting our music for nearly twenty years," says Cypress Hill’s lead rapper, B-Real.

Other megastars include Incubus, who will be making their only North American appearance after finishing a short south-of-the border tour and Manu Chao, the multi-cultural singer who will be making his first return to the States since 2008. Grammy winner and only female lead Erykah Badu will also showcase as well as “rock en espanol” luminaries Maldita Vecinidad, one of the most popular rock bands in Latin America who’ve created their own unique blend of ska, rock and traditional Mexican music. Slightly Stoopid, Atmosphere, MGMT, Deadmau5 (performing "unhooked"), Nas, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Living Colour, Iration, Against The Girl and more are also going to light the stage up at SmokeOut 2010.

Adjacent to the concert will be an array of vendors, featuring everything of the pro-medical marijuana and hemp persuasion. From expert panel discussions, guest speakers, celebrity appearances and educational workshops, all attendants of the expo. will be able to make fully informed decisions regarding Marijuana legalization in California this November. And yes, it’s no coincidence that Cypress Hill, longtime advocates of cannabis, arranged for this highly-anticipated event to occur a month before the ballot, hoping to aid in the banishment of criminalizing responsible marijuana-using adults and medical patients who could benefit from its usage.

“The SmokeOut exists to protect medical marijuana patient's rights,” B-Real says. “We encourage our fans to go to AmericansForSafeAccess.org to learn how they can make a difference.”
 
Food (including vegetarian/vegan eats), clothing, cosmetics, arts, crafts and other businesses will also be featured. There’s also going to be a 4:20 cinematic screening of classic cannabis-themed films that’ll go well into the night and “munchie gardens” galore. However, drugs are prohibited from the festival.
  
With this all being said, who wouldn’t want to go party with renowned musicians while supporting a great cause among like-minded individuals? It almost sounds too good to be true. But the kicker is that you can! Starting August 14th, General admission costs $75.00 and VIP packages are $200.00. Visit Ticketfly.com

For more information and to receive the latest information and updates, go to www.smokeoutfestival.com.