triprey
Concerned Medical Patient
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2007
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C&P from Cannabis Culture Magazine
[SIZE=+2]CN ON: Police 'Intimidate' Hempfest Attendees[/SIZE]
by Michael Purvis, (30 Aug 2007) Sault Star Ontario
Organizer Says Increased Presence a Deliberate Crackdown, No Comment From OPP
Organizers and attendees at an annual cannabis festival east of Sault Ste. Marie say police used a RIDE check as a cover while officers staged a deliberate crackdown on marijuana users last weekend.
Derek Telasco said he was shocked to see a mobile command unit set up and as many as 20 police officers manning what he described as a military-style roadblock a short distance from the Hempfest grounds. "I felt like I was in Soviet-controlled Poland or something," said Telasco, 37, a Windsor-area marijuana activist who attended the festival, north of Bruce Mines.
Ontario Provincial Police laid 32 drug charges and four weapons charges, along with a string of Highway Traffic Act charges, during what was described in a press release as an "extremely successful three-day RIDE initiative," in Havilah, a small hamlet close to the Hempfest site.
But Rob Waddell, the festival's organizer, said he thinks police used the impaired driving checks as a ploy to do drug searches, taking the unusual step of questioning passengers, and doing rigorous documentation checks and safety checks.
"That's a lot more than a RIDE program," he said.
While police reported doing five roadside tests as a result of the RIDE check, "there wasn't one impaired charge, there wasn't one 12-hour suspension," said Waddell.
"It was a definite, deliberate crackdown to dissuade people from going to the festival, to intimidate people that were at the festival," he said.
"I've got letters from about five lawyers today," said Waddell, who sells seeds and other cannabis related products at his Queen Street store, Planetary Pride. "It's going to get interesting, I think."
Officers designated as media contacts for the Hempfest operation, Const. Marilyn Cameron and Sgt. Brian Knowler, have not responded to requests for comment on the charges.
On Friday, Cameron told The Sault Star increased police presence was prompted by a sergeant at the East Algoma detachment who was keen to address Hempfest. A release issued after the event said the RIDE program was set up due to the "heavy influx of traffic."
Waddell said police had a similar presence in the first year of the festival, but have since decreased their presence. Two years ago no police attended the festival, and last year only two cars showed up. He blames this year's police action on pressure from the Conservative federal government, and OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino.
Adam Hayward, a Planetary Pride employee who was in charge of the stage acts at Hempfest, arrived before police set up their operation.
He said people at the festival told him police appeared to be actively trying to dissuade drivers from attending.
"At one point in time someone came in and told us the police were telling everyone that all the bands were cancelled for Saturday night," said Hayward, 27. He said no bands had cancelled that night. Telasco, who said he uses marijuana for medical purposes, but is unregistered, has attended the last seven Hempfests. He showed up before the roadblock was set up and wasn't stopped by police. He has a voice recorder in his vehicle in case he is stopped.
He has no problem with police checking for drunk drivers, but he said OPP appeared to be "preying on a lot of the younger guys that didn't know their rights."
One man told police he had five grams of marijuana on him after officers indicated they were only looking for large amounts. Telasco said.
"They gave him a fine and took his pot."
Waddell said in one instance, a festival-goer was found to have been driving with expired license plate tags on his mother's jeep.
"The police said that gave them reason to do a search of the vehicle and its occupants," said Waddell. "I believe any lawyer will have that thrown out on an illegal search."
[SIZE=-1]MAP posted-by: Richard Lake[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]CN ON: Police 'Intimidate' Hempfest Attendees[/SIZE]
by Michael Purvis, (30 Aug 2007) Sault Star Ontario
Organizer Says Increased Presence a Deliberate Crackdown, No Comment From OPP
Organizers and attendees at an annual cannabis festival east of Sault Ste. Marie say police used a RIDE check as a cover while officers staged a deliberate crackdown on marijuana users last weekend.
Derek Telasco said he was shocked to see a mobile command unit set up and as many as 20 police officers manning what he described as a military-style roadblock a short distance from the Hempfest grounds. "I felt like I was in Soviet-controlled Poland or something," said Telasco, 37, a Windsor-area marijuana activist who attended the festival, north of Bruce Mines.
Ontario Provincial Police laid 32 drug charges and four weapons charges, along with a string of Highway Traffic Act charges, during what was described in a press release as an "extremely successful three-day RIDE initiative," in Havilah, a small hamlet close to the Hempfest site.
But Rob Waddell, the festival's organizer, said he thinks police used the impaired driving checks as a ploy to do drug searches, taking the unusual step of questioning passengers, and doing rigorous documentation checks and safety checks.
"That's a lot more than a RIDE program," he said.
While police reported doing five roadside tests as a result of the RIDE check, "there wasn't one impaired charge, there wasn't one 12-hour suspension," said Waddell.
"It was a definite, deliberate crackdown to dissuade people from going to the festival, to intimidate people that were at the festival," he said.
"I've got letters from about five lawyers today," said Waddell, who sells seeds and other cannabis related products at his Queen Street store, Planetary Pride. "It's going to get interesting, I think."
Officers designated as media contacts for the Hempfest operation, Const. Marilyn Cameron and Sgt. Brian Knowler, have not responded to requests for comment on the charges.
On Friday, Cameron told The Sault Star increased police presence was prompted by a sergeant at the East Algoma detachment who was keen to address Hempfest. A release issued after the event said the RIDE program was set up due to the "heavy influx of traffic."
Waddell said police had a similar presence in the first year of the festival, but have since decreased their presence. Two years ago no police attended the festival, and last year only two cars showed up. He blames this year's police action on pressure from the Conservative federal government, and OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino.
Adam Hayward, a Planetary Pride employee who was in charge of the stage acts at Hempfest, arrived before police set up their operation.
He said people at the festival told him police appeared to be actively trying to dissuade drivers from attending.
"At one point in time someone came in and told us the police were telling everyone that all the bands were cancelled for Saturday night," said Hayward, 27. He said no bands had cancelled that night. Telasco, who said he uses marijuana for medical purposes, but is unregistered, has attended the last seven Hempfests. He showed up before the roadblock was set up and wasn't stopped by police. He has a voice recorder in his vehicle in case he is stopped.
He has no problem with police checking for drunk drivers, but he said OPP appeared to be "preying on a lot of the younger guys that didn't know their rights."
One man told police he had five grams of marijuana on him after officers indicated they were only looking for large amounts. Telasco said.
"They gave him a fine and took his pot."
Waddell said in one instance, a festival-goer was found to have been driving with expired license plate tags on his mother's jeep.
"The police said that gave them reason to do a search of the vehicle and its occupants," said Waddell. "I believe any lawyer will have that thrown out on an illegal search."
[SIZE=-1]MAP posted-by: Richard Lake[/SIZE]
