Pubdate: Wed, 10 Aug 2005
Source: Monitor-Examiner (CN NS)
Copyright: 2005 Monitor-Examiner
Contact:  http://www.monitorexaminer.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3467
Author: Lawrence Powell

VILLAGE SAYS NO TO HEMP FEST

Noise, Notoriety Too Much For Lawrencetown

Lawrencetown doesn't want another Atlantic Hemp Fest and has already
made its wishes known to the Annapolis Valley Exhibition board of
directors. But if the event does go ahead for a third year, village
commission chair Lynette Gilks wants restrictions placed on activities
so local residents won't be disturbed by the blare of rock and roll
music in the middle of the night.

Festival organizer, Debbie Stultz-Giffin, has no plans to shut down
the fledgling festival and said she's more than willing to sit down
with the village to iron out any concerns villagers may have.

Negative national publicity from the arrests of two keynote festival
speakers, plus excessive noise late into the night, sparked Gilks to
take her concerns to the exhibition board August 2, two days after the
event ended.

Gilks said she will meet with the exhibition board in September to
discuss the issue further. She said if the village commission isn't
satisfied, a public meeting would have to be called.

The second annual Atlantic Hemp Fest, July 29-31, was organized by
Stultz-Giffin's group Maritimers United for Medical Marijuana and
featured several dozen bands, speakers, and a concession area where
hemp products were sold.

Stultz-Giffin said this year's hemp fest was an overwhelming success
from the perspective of MUMM's mandate of education, fundraising, and
lobbying. She estimated that about 400 people attended the event.

Annapolis County councillor Phil Milo, who represents Lawrencetown,
was also at the exhibition board meeting August 2 and said he will
also attend the meeting in September. He said he expects
representatives of the hemp fest will also attend.

"We're willing, definitely 100 per cent more than willing, to sit at
the table and discuss any concerns the community may have,"
Stultz-Giffin said. "We're willing to work conjunctively with the
exhibition and the community to make this event happen. With the level
of support and encouragement from bands, musicians, volunteer staff,
MUMM members, and participants, it is an experience we want to repeat."

Gilks said the village is sympathetic to the medical marijuana cause
but she doesn't see the connection between MUMM's agenda and the need
for load music and whooping and hollering in the middle of the night.

"We were sort of held hostage by the hemp fest," she said. "And
community members were upset with the bad publicity."

Residents upset

She received several calls from upset residents, received more
complaints on the street, plus three irate Lawrencetown residents
attended the village's regular monthly meeting August 1 to voice their
concerns.

Gilks noted that the county does have a bylaw that prohibits excessive
noise but it doesn't apply to the exhibition grounds.

The Orderly and Peaceful Conduct Bylaw, dated May, 2002, includes
under the heading General Prohibitions, the clause: "No person shall
engage in any activity that unreasonably disturbs or tends to disturb
the peace and tranquility of a neighbourhood." The bylaw applies 24
hours a day. However, under another clause, the exhibition and Upper
Clements Park are listed as exempt.

Stultz-Giffin said the noise issue is something that can be
addressed.

"It wasn't our intention to (play music) after 1:30 a.m.," she said.
"We're more than willing to keep that in mind for another year. It was
not our intention to come in and disrupt the village."

Exhibition manager John Longley said the hemp fest crowd treated the
grounds with respect and left it in good condition. He said from his
perspective, MUMM was a model weekend tenant.

Arrests

Stultz-Giffin said the arrest of two of the event's participants was
beyond the control of organizers and unfortunate.

Marc Emery, a marijuana seed exporter from Vancouver was arrested July
29 outside Lawrencetown Restaurant on a warrant requested by the
American Drug Enforcement Agency. Emery, also publisher and editor in
chief of the magazine Cannabis Culture, was schedule to speak at the
hemp fest and was to perform master of ceremonies duties.

Rick Reimer, a lawyer and medical marijuana activist from Ontario, was
arrested at about 1:30 a.m. July 31 and charged with intoxication in a
public place. He spent the rest of the night in jail and when released
said he will return to Nova Scotia to fight the charge which he termed
bogus.

RCMP Const. Joe Taplin in Halifax confirmed Friday that police had
received one public complaint against RCMP in the Reimer arrest and a
second complaint was expected. He said the complaints to H Division's
Internal Services will be investigated by a senior officer.

Witnesses to the arrest said Reimer, a speaker and entertainer at the
festival, was not intoxicated and was roughly handled by an RCMP
officer. Reimer suffers from multiple sclerosis, walks with a staff
because of mobility problems, and often slurs his speech.

Cpl. Dave Cunningham in Middleton, said the charge was laid with
integrity and will stand.

Reimer said he won't pay the $111 fine and will enter a not guilty
plea September 12 at provincial court in Annapolis Royal.

Emery was held in a detention facility in Dartmouth over the weekend
after his arrest and was to be transported to Vancouver where he could
be extradited to the United States to face three conspiracy charges
related to his seed export business.
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MAP posted-by: Derek