Adam Jones, Director of MSU-Billings NORML and SSDP, organized an event scheduled for May 30th in Billings; the event was advertised here.
The day before, Adam was arrested by his probation officer for not informing him of his change in job status (Adam is on probation for a small drug possession charge). The change in job status was that he'd switched departments under the same employer. That's all.
The next day, it was probably no coincidence that the DEA showed up at the venue where the concert was to be held (Eagles Lodge), and informed the director/owner (?) and the bands who were in the process of setting up equipment that they all risked a $250,000 fine under the Rave Act if they allowed the event to occur and any attendee was found with illegal drugs. The director/owner took the warning to the Board of Trustees, who consulted their attorneys, and decided to cancel the event. The bands of course left in a bit of a panic.
For more information, try Dan Reuter, public information officer in the Denver office of the DEA at (303) 705-7300 or their Billings office at (406) 657-6020. I don't have any contact information handy for the Eagles Lodge, but (406) 248-4785 might be it.
In the past 24 hours, I have spoken or exchanged messages with ACLU, LA Times, regional dance-music groups, and various national drug policy groups.
The word from Adam's father is that Adam is disheartened and intends to cease his activism efforts for the forseeable future. Unfortunately, the government has succeeded. He has been silenced.
My sympathies are with Adam and his family.
-- John Masterson, Montana NORML