Hempstock keeps lid on attendance

STARKS – The dust has settled on the road to Harry Brown’s farm, and it appears that organizers of the Hempstock festival avoided violating the mass gathering ordinance, the Sun Journal reported.

This Somerset County town of 500 residents had tried to shut out the marijuana festival this year by denying organizers a permit. Organizers went ahead with the festival, saying they would get around the ordinance by limiting the number of people attending and rotating them out of the farm on Route 43 where the event was held from Thursday to Sunday.

Officials said Maine Vocals, the marijuana-legalization advocacy group that sponsors the event, apparently did not have more than 750 people at the farm for more than six straight hours. They also said the festival, which was watched by law enforcement officials, was relatively quiet this year.

“Basically we’re very happy,” said David Crook, district attorney for Somerset and Kennebec counties. “It was quiet after 10 p.m. and a lot of drunk drivers were kept off the road.”

About two dozen people were charged with a variety of offenses that ranged from traffic violations to possession and selling drugs.

Based on the number of tents and campers at the site, Crook estimated that the crowd was only 10 percent of what it had been in previous years.

A total of 649 weekend camping tickets were sold, according to Lt. Dale Lancaster.

Mark Nelson, one of Brown’s neighbors, said Hempstock was quiet for a change.

In past years, festival-goers left trash on his land, cut down trees for firewood and were noisy, Nelson said.

“It was pretty subdued. We didn’t have the usual ruckus. They’re following the rules, they’re making an effort,” Nelson said. “It was quite manageable.”

Don Christen, founder of Maine Vocals, did not attend Hempstock. Bail conditions from disorderly conduct charges from last year’s festivals barred him from entering the town.

Last week, a judge told Christen that he would face 25 days in jail and a fine of $1,000 for each day the festival violates the ordinance.

Police seized goods from three vendors and charged them with possessing and selling drug paraphernalia Sunday, Lancaster said.

Undercover officers reportedly watched and filmed drug buys. One man was charged after selling Ecstasy to an officer.

A 17-year-old boy was taken to Franklin Memorial Hospital on Friday after a liquor enforcement officer stopped the car he was riding in and became concerned about his behavior. He was treated and released and charged with possession of Ecstasy, Lancaster said.

Brown, the farm’s owner, said throughout the weekend police were nice, and he thanked them often.

“I thanked Lt. Lancaster and said, ‘Happy trails to you, until we meet again,'” Brown said.