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| Marijuana Bust Called Blow To Medical Access |
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Posted by FoM on June 19, 2001 at 13:03:10 PT By Susan Palmer, The Register-Guard Source: Register-Guard 
The self-appointed patriarch of a storefront church held a news conference Monday to protest his arrest and the confiscation of close to 19 pounds of marijuana and $10,000 in cash.Eugene police arrested Daniel Carl Ernst on Thursday at his Almaden Street office after hearing from neighbors that people were walking in and buying marijuana, police spokeswoman Pam Alejandre said. "It didn't look like a church to officers," she said. Two undercover officers observed a dozen people go into and out of the 633 Almaden St. location Thursday, police said. Both officers said they later entered and purchased small quantities of marijuana from Ernst. Police obtained a search warrant, returned and found 3 1/2 pounds of dried marijuana, 10 growing plants and $8,000 in cash. They later searched Ernst's home and found an additional 14 pounds of dried marijuana, packaging materials, $2,000 and small amounts of cocaine and hashish. Ernst faces charges of delivery, manufacturing and possession of a controlled substance. At Monday's news conference, attended by activists and patients with medical marijuana cards, several people said Ernst provides them with a needed service. They said the state allows the use of marijuana as a way to relieve pain or ease symptoms of other conditions, but makes it prohibitively difficult to obtain the drug. Ernst, a Saturday Market hemp-food vendor, said he informally organized The Popular Society of the I Am That I Am Assembly three years ago with basic tenets of not damaging other people or property, and striving for good health. Use of marijuana is mandatory for those who want to participate. Ernst admits having at least two previous marijuana-related convictions. He said group members believe they're subject to the laws of nature rather than society's laws. "I don't think we as a church ran afoul of the law," Ernst said. "The church is not beholden to the state. ... Our authority comes from within." Ernst said he had filed paperwork with the state to become a marijuana provider. The Health Division keeps private both its list of providers and medical marijuana cardholders. But if Ernst were a state-designated primary caregiver, he could legally possess three mature plants, four immature plants and 3 ounces of usable marijuana. Police don't pursue those who comply with the state's medical marijuana program, Alejandre said. "If they have a legitimate reason granted by law, we're not interested," she said. Ernst said he provides the medical marijuana and only asks for donations. He said one of the officers offered him $40 and in return he turned over between 3 1/2 and 4 grams of the drug. The loss of access to Ernst's supply creates a problem for those who aren't growing their own plants, said several people at the news conference. "It puts patients in danger of being criminalized," said Michael Parker, who said he uses marijuana to control a wasting condition known as cachexia. Janet Mongillo, who said she suffers debilitating pain following a construction accident that required surgery to her shoulder and knee, said that her first crop of marijuana plants failed, and she turned to Ernst as a source for the drug, rather than trying to get it "on the black market." Ernst said that up until last October, the state included his phone number on the list of patient networks that provide information about growing marijuana and permitted some medical marijuana growers to donate their excess to others who needed it. Ernst said he took his name off that list after being inundated with phone calls. Resource: For information: The Compassion Center is a medical marijuana advocacy and support center. Call 484-6558 from noon to 6 p.m. daily. Source: Register-Guard, The (OR) Oregonians for Medical Rights Medical Marijuana Program The Oregon Medical Marijuana Guide CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #13 posted by Cuzn Buzz on June 20, 2001 at 11:07:36 PT |
| I understand about not being able to talk about a lot of stuff. My favorite reply is " I can tell ya, but then I'll have to kill ya". The military has gone through a lot of changes since I was having my big green fun, and a lot of it was not as much fun as I like to pretend. I think my worst day was when I found a guy we were looking for (I was a CTT snoop). Charlie had found him first, and to this day I can not really think about what I saw when we found him. To make matters worse he had been a friend back home, we were from the same town, but I didn't even know he was in country till we found him. I'd recognized the name on the list when we were ordered to locate some MIA's, but hadn't put 2 and 2 together, lottsa people with the same name. I don't think Uncle Sam would have wanted any FNG to hear me talk about my all expense paid tour. To be honest with you, it is only in the past few years that I am able to bring myself to remember many of the events that transpired there. I've known a few agent orange casualties, Sam says it never happened. If I'd known then what I know now I'd never have volunteered for military service. Parents, if you love your children preach against military service like their lives depended on it, because it damn well might. It aint the enemy they have to fear, it's their own damn govenment....unless of course you believe that GULF WAR SYNDROME is a figment of the Gulf War Vets imaginations, sort of like the Agent Orange caused cancer that I've lost several friends to.
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Comment #12 posted by kaptinemo on June 20, 2001 at 05:33:58 PT:
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| Cuzn, I can't say I was in the 'Nam. My instructors were however...and their opinions were not exactly welcome by many who had never been there. They had a nasty tendency to tell the FNG's the truth (granted, as they saw it) which didn't endear them to the higher ups. As for me, it was mainly Western Europe in the 1980's. (a few other places, too, but as usual, can't say much about them, comprende?) I didn't have to be put in the position of being a merc for Big Oil (Thank God, as many of those poor b*****ds are dead from God-knows-what by now) as I had my DD214 by 1988, said my AMF's, and didn't look back, despite the fact they wanted me to go to OCS. But you can play the roulette wheel only so often. I had, and it nearly killed me. Bad PLF. I wasn't going to give the Grim Reaper another free shot. I loved the military...but hate what it's being forced to do because of the weakening of Posse Comitatus and it's involvement in this insane DrugWar. The blood of 17 year old Esequiel Hernandez is on the hands of the US Marines, my Dad's alma mater. And my former SF unit is in Colombia right now. People I knew, broke bread with, called 'brother'...could get chopped up. And for what? That s**t is not what the military of this great country is all about. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #11 posted by Cuzn Buzz on June 19, 2001 at 23:28:12 PT |
| Hiya Lookinside! Man, I'd love to see some of that California Redhaired sinse again! I remember the days you speak of like it was yesterday. I'd been pretty well spoiled by thai weed and meshmekahn (or however ya spell it), not to mention that old Vietnam black, which was more like getting punched in the face than smoking a joint. Coming home to mexican sugarloaf was sort of a disappointment, but that first sinse that hit was sweet! Damn, now my mouth is watering, think I'll fire up some Northern lights (cloned=no seeds) technicaly it is sinse but it aint like that old redhair. Thanks for the memories! [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #10 posted by lookinside on June 19, 2001 at 21:26:18 PT:
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| here in california, the "lids" got smaller as pound prices went over $100....they went from $10 for a full ounce to $10 for just over a half ounce before the bitching about size got outta hand...then it was $15 then $20 an oz. in short order...then sins showed up and prices became based on quality and all the traffic would bear... [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by Cuzn Buzz on June 19, 2001 at 21:07:07 PT |
| Hello all! I was in south Texas when the prices jumped from eight dollars, to ten dollars then to twelve dollars for an ounce in the space of about a year and a half. Actualy I live in several different places, depending on what time of year it is, and what sort of mood I'm in. I can usualy be found this time of year on Galveston Island, which is theoreticaly part of Texas, or at my lake house on Northfork (near Mountain Home) In Arkansas. Winters usualy find me in more tropical climes. The prices I gave were typical for the part of Texas where I live most of the time. Tourists find a slightly different price structure, but 100 to 125 dollars for an ounce of primo bud is what they will usualy find. Arkansas prices are roughly the same, lot's of localy grown skunk up in the Ozarks, I've never encountered any of what I'd call exotic smoke up there though. When I go to visit my family in Tahiti I've never had to purchase smoke at all, it's just sort of there for the taking. I enjoy "freeloading" at my brothers place in the islands most winters for at least a couple of months. I guess I am getting kinda old, not sure about the very,very part though (LOL). I'd guess Kaptinemo and I were pretty close to the same age since I know of at least one playground we've shared (I got back to the world in 72 Kap, how 'bout you?). [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #8 posted by CongressmanSuet on June 19, 2001 at 19:46:28 PT:
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"And lead us not, into Penn Station, but deviver us into Amsterdam..." That was a work of pontifical art, Pontifex. Im going to memorize it. Thank you. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by FoM on June 19, 2001 at 19:24:08 PT |
| Cuzn Buzz I want to comment on this sentence you wrote. I knew things were going bad when the price went to twelve dollars an ounce. Either you are very very very old ( I added a couple verys because I am very old! LOL) or you live in a nice place! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by Neil on June 19, 2001 at 19:16:48 PT |
| Keeping us guessing? Where are you at? [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #5 posted by lookinside on June 19, 2001 at 18:10:33 PT:
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| the price range around here(on the street) is incredible...decent mexican for $500 a pound...top quality green bud is $5000...something for every pocketbook... [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #4 posted by Pontifex on June 19, 2001 at 16:26:42 PT:
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| Holy cow Cuzn, where you living? Venlo? Ganjastan?? Is it accessible by big rig within the continental United And I thought Northern California was so special. You [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by Cuzn Buzz on June 19, 2001 at 15:34:19 PT |
| Great prayer Pontifex! Sorry to hear you guys are faced with such inflation though. I dwell in the land of the 80 dollar ounce (and it's PHAT). A pound of good smoke will go for 550-ish here, top grade hydro maybe 750 to 900, I have seen some weed from Hawaii go for 2,500 a pound, but it was the sort of smoke legends are made of. Pressure from the cheap and readily available Mexican weed keeps our prices low. Nobody here buys an eighth. A quarter goes for 20 (dollars,and it's usualy at least 14 grams) twenty five if you aint popular. Believe it or not when I started smoking a lid (usualy over an ounce) was eight dolars. I knew things were going bad when the price went to twelve dollars an ounce. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #2 posted by Pontifex on June 19, 2001 at 14:58:43 PT:
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| Cuzn, you have roaches that weigh more than an eighth ounce? Damn, I'd like to be in your Birkenstocks! Where I come from, $40 for an eighth of kind bud is a But the religious angle is a good idea. I think I'll start "Our freedom, which art in Leavenworth, "Give us this day our daily dank, Do I qualify for funding from the "Office of Faith-Based [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by Cuzn Buzz on June 19, 2001 at 13:18:53 PT |
| "Ernst said he provides the medical marijuana and only asks for donations. He said one of the officers offered him $40 and in return he turned over between 3 1/2 and 4 grams of the drug." This alone should prove Ernst aint a dealer. [ Post Comment ] |
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