WARRANT EXPLAINS PANDORA'S BOX RAID

WATERVILLE -- An agreement to order a pipe for smoking marijuana coupled
with the proximity of about 250 smoking pipes to the other drug-related
items was enough to get a search warrant that led to the raid of Pandora's
Box on Main Street in Waterville. The Morning Sentinel obtained a copy of
the search warrant Friday. It outlines an undercover trip for Somerset
County Detective Tom Rourke on Wednesday to the store.

"Detective Rourke stated that he talked to a clerk and told the clerk that
he had a pipe that was capable of holding a couple of grams of weed
(marijuana) in it," the warrant, written by Waterville police Detective
David Caron states. "Detective Rourke told the clerk that the pipe had been
taken by the police and he was looking to get another one similar to the
one he had."

The clerk allegedly said he was familiar with that type of pipe and would
order one for him.

The next day, Waterville police raided the store.

Hundreds of items were seized in the raid, including smoking pipes, stash
boxes, bongs, scales, T-shirts with pictures of marijuana leaves on them
and stickers advocating the use of drugs, marijuana in particular.

"Without exaggeration," the detective wrote in the search warrant, "each
and every time I have encountered someone in possession of such
paraphernalia I have always found that the paraphernalia was used to ingest
marijuana or other illegal materials."

In an interview April 2, the day after Pandora's Box opened on Main Street,
store manager Cristopher Johnson said the pipes, scales and bongs all were
being sold for tobacco use only. Signs in the store also noted that the
items for sale were for tobacco use.

Police and prosecutors said that claim was preposterous.

They also said the case against Pandora's Box is different from another
paraphernalia case they lost last year after a 1999 raid, also on Main
Street, because of the blatant display of marijuana-related symbols this time.

What may have been the most conspicuous example of in-your-face marijuana
advocacy, said District Attorney Evert N. Fowle, was the presence at
Pandora's Box of a mask, which covered the head of a smoker.

Attached to the mask in the area of the nose and mouth was a flexible hose,
which in turn was hooked to a smoking bowl, enveloping the face and head in
smoke.

"I'm sorry, but I will go to my grave not believing that anyone would use
that to consume tobacco," Fowle said. "It looks like a gas mask.

"These people at this store were over the top."

In the 23-page search warrant, Caron cites other evidence that the pipes
and rolling papers on sale at Pandora's Box were for smoking or ingesting
illegal substances.

Stickers on sale at the store had slogans including "4:20," the time of day
known internationally as "burn time" or the hour to light up a marijuana
pipe or joint.

Other stickers said "killer Bud," "Got Weed?" and "Stoner Chicks Rule."

Caron also cited pictures and written material on an Web site. The site on
psychoactive drugs shows examples of the same or similar products that were
for sale at Pandora's Box, according to Caron.

Fowle said misdemeanor criminal charges will be forthcoming in the case. He
said he will consult with Waterville Police Chief John E. Morris and others
involved in the case to see how and when to proceed.

Johnson, the store manager, declined to be interviewed Friday, but the
store was open for business. Joseph Correale of Fort Fairfield, the owner
of the Waterville store and another in Presque Isle also declined to be
interviewed for this story.

Johnson said Correale wanted to pass along one message.

"He said we're a novelty store," Johnson said. "We just sell novelties."