cannabisnews.com: Damper on Hemp Festival Planned





Damper on Hemp Festival Planned
Posted by FoM on August 16, 2001 at 10:18:54 PT
By Renee Ordway, of the News Staff
Source: Bangor Daily News
With the 11th annual Hempstock festival getting under way in Starks today, festival organizer Don Christen said he’s not paying much attention to warnings issued Wednesday by his primary nemesis, Somerset County District Attorney David Crook. The people of Starks have had a tremendous degree of tolerance over the years, Crook said. Now we’re going to try to regain control.Last year about 5,000 festival-goers who celebrate the use of marijuana descended on the small farming community in western Maine. Christen said he expects about the same crowd this year."
This year everyone entering the festival will be greeted by a Maine State Police trooper who will hand out fliers warning attendees of the police roadblocks they will face when leaving the festival located at Harry Brown’s farm on Route 43.“WARNING, ROADBLOCKS. Do not drive under the influence. AVOID ARREST. When you leave you will be required to pass through roadblocks. Your condition to drive will be checked,’’ the fliers warn.Crook said the town of Starks has tried to rid the community of the massive four-day festival by adopting an ordinance requiring permits for mass gatherings, but Crook said Christen has “thumbed his nose” at the town.“So they have met with Maine State Police, the Somerset County sheriff’s office and my office to see what can be done,” the county’s top prosecutor said.Crook said the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement, and the state police are teaming up to provide a serious police presence at the festival.“There will be police officers on site,” he said. “Starks has tried to regulate this festival, but they feel they have been outgunned and outfinanced.” Christen’s response?“David Crook doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about,” said the organizer.Christen accused Crook of trying to scare away potential festival attendees and said that if “David Crook wants to back the traffic up and harass the people that’s up to him.”Hempstock started 11 years ago when about 750 people gathered at Brown’s farm to listen to music and to support the legalization of marijuana.Crook said the festival now is just a big party.“One woman that called me called it the Dirtball Festival. These people in this little town can’t sleep for four days because the music is so loud. They complain of people defecating on their front lawns. This is no longer a political festival, and it’s not a medical marijuana issue,” said Crook.Last year there were complaints about parking and alcohol. About 40 vehicles were towed away, three people were charged with drunken driving and another three were arrested for disorderly conduct, according to published reports.Christen said Maine Vocals was a legitimate nonprofit organization registered with the state. He said he had a state temporary campground permit allowing up to 2,000 people to camp out on the property. He said Starks’ new mass gathering ordinance did not apply to Hempstock because the festival was grandfathered.“The town doesn’t agree with me on that, but if they want to fight about it they can take us to court and a judge can decide,” Christen stated Wednesday evening. “It certainly isn’t up to David Crook to decide. This is a civil matter. David Crook is sworn to protect my rights and if he doesn’t we’ll take him to court, too.”Christen was forced to cancel another marijuana festival that was planned for Pownal in June. The property owner changed his mind about allowing the festival on his land after the Cumberland County district attorney informed him that his land could be seized and forfeited if certain crimes occurred on his property.The festival in Starks begins at 4 p.m. today and runs through Sunday. Source: Bangor Daily News (ME)Author: Renee Ordway, of the News StaffPublished: Thursday, August 16, 2001Copyright: 2001 Bangor Daily News Inc.Contact: bdnmail bangornews.infi.netWebsite: http://www.bangornews.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Maine Vocalshttp://www.mainevocals.org/Vocals Leader Accuses Official of Threathttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10119.shtmlPlanned Pownal Pot Event Canceled http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10102.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on August 17, 2001 at 16:10:10 PT
AP News Brief: Officers Monitor Annual Festival 
Source: Associated PressPublished: August 17, 2001Copyright: 2001 Associated PressStarks, Maine (AP) Maine State Police plan to have troopers on hand at this weekend's Hempstock festival to monitor compliance with mass-gathering laws. Officials obtained search warrants Thursday that allow troopers to be present at the rock concert and to use a thermal imaging camera from the air to ensure that drug laws are obeyed. In an affidavit accompanying the request for a warrant, Lt. Dale Lancaster said he is not intent on drug arrests but on ensuring that state and local mass-gathering laws are obeyed. At previous Hempstock festivals, police largely confined their enforcement activities to highways around the site off Route 43, with a focus on drunken driving and traffic infractions. A town ordinance puts a limit on gatherings of more than 750 people, and Hempstock organizer Don Christen does not have a mass-gathering permit for this year's festival. The event is sponsored by Maine Vocals, which advocates for the legalization of marijuana. Christen has said in the past that he expects 3,000 to 4,000 people to attend the festival. District Attorney David Crook said troopers also will count the number of people entering the farm each day. He said earlier that officers would be monitoring noise levels with decibel meters. The four-day event runs through Sunday afternoon. 
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Comment #5 posted by dddd on August 17, 2001 at 05:56:46 PT
Indeed!!
Stout and irrefutably outstanding logical dynamite Kap..........I think it's about time we took away your Kaptin stripes,,,,and exchanged them for Admiral bars and stars!.....dddd
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on August 17, 2001 at 05:08:40 PT:
There's that word, again...CONTROL
 "The people of Starks have had a tremendous degree of tolerance over the years, Crook said. Now we're going to try to regain control.Control...over those who don't need it. While those who all too often do? They continue to do considerably more damage to society than we ever could.Hmmm. Let's see now: participants at a public gathering (allowed under the 1st Amendment of the Constitution) will be subject to unwarranted searches of their vehicles (a violation of the 4th Amendment) on exit from the gathering. All based upon the suspicion, not founded proof of intent of participation in illegal activities.Now, let's apply a little logic, shall we? By the same rationale of the suspicion of intent to commit an illegal activity (driving while under the influence) the police will impede your departure from the public gathering, stop your vehicle, and search your person and your property...then the police should be stationed outside of every bar in America, Breath-a-lyzer in hand, grabbing the exiting patrons and subjecting them to the same treatment they intend to visit upon the HempFest habitués Bars are 'public gatherings' where the majority of persons who arrived there did so in cars. The presumption, the suspicion is that after imbibing alcoholic beverages (which are known to cause severe impairment of judgment and co-ordination) the members of this public gathering will perform an illegal act (driving under the influence). So why isn't Officer Boot telling barflies to 'assume the position' when they exit their favorite swilling station?Is it perhaps because he doesn't want to roust his equally alcoholic workmates, trying to unwind after an absolutely nerve-wracking day of busting peaceful cannabis consumers and ruining their lives? Or is it perhaps he doesn't want a building full of mean drunks, spoiling for a fight and not impressed with a badge, pouring out into the street in a show of very (un)'civil disobedience'?Keep pushing, antis. Keep pushing. To paraphrase a line from the Good Book, "Our name is Legion, for we are many". The more you harass and intimidate, the more we organize. The more we organize, the more stable the movement is seen to be by fence-sitters, who join our ranks. The more that happens, the more politically viable the movement becomes - and the more seriously it is taken.And in the end, that is what scares them. They'll have one less thing to exercise their control-fraek mentalities on. 
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Comment #3 posted by TroutMask on August 16, 2001 at 12:10:27 PT
Jamaica
Jamaica commission decides to decrim!!!Sorry to go off-topic, but this news is great!http://www.jamaicaobserver.comRight on the front page...-TM
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Comment #2 posted by ekim on August 16, 2001 at 11:25:01 PT:
so will road blocks be used for all events 
We here in MI have our share of Beer Fests and Blues Fests and Football games and Bowling events and Food Fests will all of these that sell beer have road blocks when the people leave. 
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Comment #1 posted by Ras James rsifwh on August 16, 2001 at 11:22:22 PT
D.E.Asa Hutchingson
D.E.Assa will be looking for anyone with their mouth to a joint...look out you Lewdwinskis...no sucking on the bong; or as they say in the hood..."the glass dick".D.E.Assa says to hell with whoever said, "It's not what goes into your mouth that disgraces you. It's what comes out." or "Judge not!" or "Take the booze and tobacco planks out of your own party's eye; before you take the Cannabis specks out of your neighbor's eye."Mr. Asa Hutchingson! It was Jesus who preached these lessons. You know George W's great teacher. Both you and the Pres better start walking the walk instead of just talking the talk...for Judgement Day is at hand.Look for yourself...the Signs are appearing to All Peoples!Give all praise and thanks to Jah Rastafari for I-ternal Redemption for You All...and realize Cannabis Sativa is the Most Sacred Sacrament in this promised City of God here on Earth..."Thy Kingdom Come on Earth as it is in Heaven." Asa do you think the Father has not answered his Son's Prayer yet? If not now then when? Give Redemption a chance...smoke a little Herb and think about it and then you'll overstand.                 Rastas from ever since
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