Police stopped more than 500 vehicles and handed out dozens of charges during a second consecutive year of stepped-up enforcement at Hempfest.

A checkpoint, set up on Poplar Dale Road in Aberdeen Township from Wednesday to Saturday, was about a kilometre south of what's billed as Northern Ontario's premier cannabis festival.

"We have had some people who have made very earnest attempts to share their viewpoint on why (marijuana) should be decriminalized, the medicinal aspects of it," said Staff Sgt. Brian Knowler, operations manager of the East Algoma detachment of Ontario Provincial Police.

"We certainly appreciate that viewpoint, but in our case our job is the enforcement end."

Eighty charges were handed out during their daily 12-hour crackdown on impaired driving and vehicle documentation and safety.

They included:

. 65 provincial charges for improper or missing documentation, improper equipment, seatbelt and liquor offences;

. nine motorists were charged for driving while under suspension. Police seized four vehicles because there was no licenced driver;

. four automobiles were taken off the road because they were unsafe to drive. One vehicle had two bald tires. A vendor's vehicle had a homemade hitch that "completely contravened all regulations," said Knowler;

. one 12-hour licence suspension was given;

. two persons were charged for having a flick knife and a spiked wristband, both prohibited weapons;

. five people were charged for possession of a controlled substance;

. a female youth from Serpent River First Nation was charged for possession of cannabis and assaulting a police officer.

Her name can't be released under the Youth Criminal Justice Act;

. a Sault Ste. Marie man was found wandering on Poplar Dale Road in a confused and hallucinatory state Saturday night.

He told police he drank 18 beers, cannabis, LSD and ecstasy in a nine-hour span.

The male, 22, was charged with being intoxicated in a public place.

His name was not released by police.

. A man allegedly had four ounces of magic mushrooms with a street value of $800 in his vehicle.

Brad Grier, 20, of Sudbury was charged with possession of a controlled substance for the
purpose of trafficking.

This is the second consecutive year police have stepped up their presence at Hempfest. There were 10 officers drawn from the East Algoma detachment, Sault Ste. Marie Drug Enforcement Section and a regional canine officer.

Complaints from area residents about speeding vehicles, heavy traffic and open drug use spurred the stepped-up police action in 2007, said Knowler.

"Our objective is to to be up there to keep the road safe for the people travelling to and from the area and enforcing provincial or criminal laws if the need arises," he said.

"We treat it just like we would any other major event."

A post on Hempfest's message board encouraged participants to "say no to searches" by OPP.

"I hate being abused by the police," wrote pinklover Tuesday.

"Is there an alternate route I can take into the fest?"

"One way in, one way out," replied leeant Wednesday.

"Cellphones don't work there, but a CB does as does a cobra communicator. I'm out this year became a chicken two weeks ago. Be safe."

The 10th annual event included speeches by medical marijuana exemptee Alison Myrden, musical performances by The Wild Turkeys and IT and the Cannabis Olympics.

Hempfest organizer Rob Waddell could not be reached for comment.

2004 H.U.M.A.N.: Hemp Users Medical Access Network - Toronto Medical Marijuana