STATE POLICE SAY HEMPSTOCK BROKE MASS GATHERING AND NOISE ORDINANCES

STARKS, Maine - Maine State Police said that the 11th annual Hempstock
pro-marijuana festival broke local ordinances for mass gatherings and may
have violated state laws as well.

State police spokesman Stephen McCausland said a state police detective
videotaped the festival grounds at about 6 p.m. Saturday night. Officers
will review the tape this week to determine how many people were in
attendance at the time, and review their findings with the district attorney.

A local Starks ordinance passed earlier this year limits public gatherings
to no more than 750 people for six hours. State law requires a permit for
gatherings of 2,000 or more people for 12 hours.

"There is no doubt the local ordinance was violated," McCausland said. "But
we don't have a head count on whether the state law was violated. It's
going to be close."

Hempstock organizer Don Christen could not be reached immediately for comment.

Hempstock is an annual four-day festival to advocate for the legalization
of marijuana. It features music and merchandise and is held on a farm in
the remote town of Starks in northern Somerset County.

The town this year passed an ordinance to limit the crowds and the noise.
Noise levels must be no louder than 70 decibels during the day and 45
decibels after 10 p.m.

Maine State Police also warned that they would step up their presence and
set up roadblocks on roads leading into Starks.

State Police Lt. Dale Lancaster said the festival exceeded the town's legal
noise limits.

McCausland said he didn't have an exact count of arrests or citations that
were issued, but said police issued several summons for drug possession and
illegal possession of alcohol by minors. They also made a couple of
drunken-driving arrests.

Additionally, police responded to a report of a sexual assault on a
21-year-old woman at 3 a.m. Sunday. Police interviewed the woman and two
men, but no arrests were made.