Pubdate: Wed, 21 Aug 2002
Source: Morning Sentinel (ME)
Copyright: 2002 Morning Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.onlinesentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1474

FREE SPEECH HARDLY AT ISSUE AT HEMPSTOCK

Nobody was arrested in Starks last weekend for speaking out in favor of 
legalizing marijuana. Nobody was prevented from exercising the right of 
peaceable assembly.

This year's Hempstock concert-and-campout festival was in fact a pretty 
subdued affair. Its organizers managed to remain in compliance of the 
town's mass gathering ordinance, which requires a permit for events where 
more than 750 persons gather for six hours or more.

Promoters of the festival got help from thousands of rock and pot fans who 
simply stayed away from this year's celebration.

In the past, upwards of 7,000 concertgoers poured into tiny Starks 
(population 500), tying up traffic, littering front lawns, trapping 
residents in their homes and shattering their sleep long into the night.

This year, only a fraction of the usual crowd showed up. No more than 649 
camping tickets were sold for the event. Except for a few traffic and drug 
violations, the crowd was reportedly well behaved. Performers turned down 
the volume at 10 o'clock each night.

One of those who did not show up for Hempstock XII was its chief organizer, 
Maine Vocals leader Don Christen. He was under court order to stay away as 
a condition of bail because of a disorderly conduct charge left over from 
last year's concert.

Christen's compliance is somewhat surprising. His contempt for judicial 
rulings is well known. And he has never conceded the right of state or 
local officials to place restrictions on the festival, arguing that such 
regulation interferes with his constitutional rights of free speech.

The argument is disingenuous at best. Nobody is interested in stifling 
debate about the legalization of marijuana and other drugs.

Three decades ago, Maine was one of the first states to decriminalize 
possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Four years ago, 
Maine voters approved a medical marijuana law by a nearly 2-1 majority. And 
earlier this year, the Legislature quietly passed a bill doubling the 
amount of pot that patients may legally possess.

True, the Maine laws are still in legal limbo because of prevailing federal 
drug restrictions. But the point is, this state has a strong history of 
tolerance for relaxed drug regulation ... and zero tolerance for 
restricting political debate of any kind.

The Hempstock controversy has never been a battle about political rights. 
Mostly it's been a battle about the right of Starks residents to get a good 
night's sleep, to move freely about their own town and not to be threatened 
by strangers trespassing on their property.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth