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| Pressure Smokes Out Pot Clubs |
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Posted by CN Staff on May 14, 2002 at 10:28:21 PT By Dan Evans of The Examiner Staff Source: San Francisco Examiner 
Free love has gone to pot in the medical marijuana community. Suspicion and infighting are raging through groups that run The City's pot dispensaries, after the recent closure of two local marijuana clubs and reports that one man arrested in a February DEA pot raid is talking to the feds. CHAMP -- Californians Helping Alleviate Medical Problems -- closed its doors at 194 Church St. earlier this month, and the Sunset Medical Resource Center recently announced it would no longer provide marijuana to sick patients. Fellow pot club proprietors say the clubs got out of the marijuana business because of increased pressure from the federal government. But reports that James Halloran, who was arrested in a February raid of the Harm Reduction Center on Sixth Street, talked to federal agents, is fueling community paranoia and pitting some in the community against one another. Dale Gieringer, spokesman for the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, downplayed Halloran's federal chat. Gieringer said it is understandable that the 61-year-old, who has hepatitis C and faces at least 10 years in prison on charges he grew thousands of plants, would want to cooperate. "He wouldn't have said anything incriminating other than that people were selling marijuana to sick people, and everyone knows that anyhow," Gieringer said. Dennis Roberts, Hollaran's attorney, was not available for comment. Jim Green, who runs the Market Street Club and is regarded as a renegade among the cannabis club community, sneered at the latest informant debacle. "It doesn't surprise me at all," he said. "You're going to be looking at an escalating mess. What kind of honor do you have among street drug dealers? This sort of thing happens with the mob." The U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco, which is prosecuting Halloran along with Edward Rosenthal, Kenneth Hayes and Richard Watts, declined to discuss information gathered in the aftermath of the pre-dawn February raid. Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Richard Meyer also to declined comment. It is not the first time informants have taken a toll on San Francisco's pot clubs. A priest connected to the Harm Reduction Center wrote at least two letters to the DEA, claiming the medical marijuana movement was moving toward greed and profiteering. A few days later, the club on Sixth Street was raided. Court documents dealing with the raid show DEA agents had been watching operations at the nearby CHAMP club. Pressure on pot clubs has also been increased in the courtroom. On May 3, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled the federal administration is allowed to regulate drug activity, even those activities that take place entirely within a state's borders. California legalized medical marijuana with Proposition 215 in 1996. The federal ruling, and the February raid, was enough to persuade CHAMP to close, said Wayne Justmann, a longtime medicinal marijuana activist who runs the San Francisco Patients' Cooperative pot club. "We regret to inform you that CHAMP is now closed," stated the club's answering machine. No other information was given, and representatives of the club did not return repeated phone calls. The club decided to shutter operations after meetings with its lawyer, Oakland attorney Bill Panzer. Panzer, while saying he could not describe the meetings because of attorney-client privilege, acknowledged CHAMP would most likely be a target of a criminal raid if it remained open. District Attorney Terence Hallinan, a longtime supporter of medical marijuana, said he was saddened by CHAMP's closure. He said the cannabis clubs have greatly reduced street marijuana dealing, and fears the illegal commerce will increase if the feds continue their crackdown on the clubs. Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA) Related Articles & Web Sites: CaNORML DEA Raids Medical Marijuana Club Protests Planned in Event of Raids Feds vs. S.F. on Pot Pot Raids Stir S.F. Protests Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #11 posted by Dr Ganj on May 15, 2002 at 12:05:53 PT |
| If more clubs in The Bay Area start to close, it will cause the price of cannabis to increase. This in turn will tempt more people to grow and sell. It won't be as open as it used to be, and the people who will be harmed by these closures are the ones who can't travel because of illness, or major handicap.
It is really a bad move for our own government to thwart the will of the people. Medical cannabis works on a variety of ailments, and more than 5 years of Prop 215 stories confirms that fact. No matter what the DEA does in the future to stop cannabis use/sales, it will never even make a dent in its usage or distribution. There is just too many people that need it, and too many people ready to supply those in need.
Please keep on growing more, as that is how we will win.
Remember, this is good against evil- don't give in to their scare tactics. When in doubt, plant more, grow more, clone more. Dr. Ganj [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by FoM on May 15, 2002 at 09:12:25 PT |
| Thanks for the link. The contact with DirecWay says they must install it within 30 days and they said that means May 24th so I only have to wait just a tiny bit longer and I am so excited about getting it. This slow moving is a drag! I made a funny! LOL! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by John Markes on May 15, 2002 at 08:41:52 PT |
| Now see what happens when the government efuses its obligation to regulate viable markets? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #8 posted by p4me on May 14, 2002 at 17:12:00 PT |
| It is really getting interesting about Canada. FoM, I wish you had your satellite hooked up so you could enjoy video. I guess it will happen soon enough. Thank goodness for the internet or the crooks could hide everything from us. This is a pot-tv show telling about the US trying to push Canada around and threaten trade sanctions. http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-1322.html VAAI [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by E_Johnson on May 14, 2002 at 13:31:18 PT |
| A priest connected to the Harm Reduction Center wrote at least two letters to the DEA, claiming the medical marijuana movement was moving toward greed and profiteering.
Whereas the drug prohibition industry is completely nonprofit, right. And the pharmaceutical industry that competes with us is completely nonprofit. And the doctors who treat us are completely nonprofit. Actually in this awful mess, the lawyers who defend us come out looking pretty good compared to some of the other parties making money from our troubles. Who'd ever think that the lawyers would come out of this looking the least greedy of all? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 14, 2002 at 12:38:17 PT |
| I was born and raised Catholic. I'm sick about what has happened in the Church. I went to Catholic school and it saddens me. Something is really wrong. I loved Catholic school. It isn't what it was anymore and I doubt will ever be again. My sister left the church a few years ago when she realized they were covering it all up. I left the church many years ago. My son was taken advantage of by a minister at ORU in Oklahoma. I know the frustration and pain all too well. I don't hate many things but don't get me started on an adult leading children astray or I won't even stop and might regret what I would say. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by BGreen on May 14, 2002 at 12:29:57 PT |
| "A priest connected to the Harm Reduction Center wrote at least two letters to the DEA, claiming the medical marijuana movement was moving toward greed and profiteering." Thousands of little boys were molested, and this "priest" is attacking MMJ. He may be a servant of John Ashcroft, but he's not a representative of Christ! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by p4me on May 14, 2002 at 12:00:27 PT |
| First, jones anounced that he will be opening a coffeeshop called Mr. Jones Coffeeshop on July 1st in Leicester. There is a newstory put up by bongme about a coffeeshop taking the naming its website with the police department for the address and I will copy a few paragraphs of the good news. Yahooka list 5000 marijuana websites and there are 600,000 million marijuana users worldwide so I have read. There is not enough money or power or corruption that will remove cannabis from society. Cannabis has brought to light the misuse of vast amounts of public money, the misuse of elected power and corruption that everyone would know about if the media were not corrupted itself. A billion dollars wasted on propoganda and paid to the media. Somebody buy me a new computer I will say that Busch is not a *ickhead and if you buy me a new Toyota Tundra I will say vote for Busch. I would still reserve the right to cross my fingers though. From the DE messageboard: Tuesday 14th May 2002 Ananova cannabis campaigner is using a police force name to advertise his Dutch-style coffee shop on the internet. Jeff Ditchfield, of Henllan, Denbighshire, paid £12.99 for the domain name northwalespolice.com. The name is directly linked to a site advertising the Beggars Belief - a cannabis cafe which Mr Ditchfield will open in Rhyl next month. Mr Ditchfield, 42, says he bought the name to try to open a sensible debate with North Wales Police and had no intention of embarrassing the force. He said: "From the very beginning of this project I have written to various MPs, AMs, councillors and the police to explain what I am doing. "I wanted to work with North Wales Police and explain, for example, that the shop is only open to over-18s and there will be no hard drugs or alcohol allowed. But North Wales Police have refused to speak to me and have any kind of sensible discussion. Since we cannot hang them- VAAI [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 14, 2002 at 11:52:09 PT |
| May 14, 2002 Posted: 2:25 PM EDT (1825 GMT)
Bill Maher and "Politically Incorrect" are being canceled by ABC. NEW YORK -- Goodbye Bill Maher, hello Jimmy Kimmel. The Associated Press is reporting that ABC is canceling Bill Maher's late-night topical talk show, "Politically Incorrect," and replacing it with an entertainment show led by Comedy Central's Jimmy Kimmel. Daily Variety confirms that Kimmel has been signed to a contract. "Politically Incorrect" has been on thin ice since just after the September 11 terrorist attacks, when host Maher was quoted as referring to past United States military actions as "cowardly." FedEx and Sears pulled their advertising from the show. http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/14/television.kimmel/index.html Newshawk: Rainbow [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by DdC on May 14, 2002 at 11:03:16 PT |
| Talking to them at the March they said they never skipped a beat in providing patients after CHAMP's shutdown. As it will be anywhere fascist try harming patients for political gain...
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| Comment #1 posted by p4me on May 14, 2002 at 10:46:23 PT |
| Besides being in conflict with 73% of the American people, the DEA ignores science and suffering in the face of anything like reason and compassion. It is funny to me that the spokesman for NORML doesn't come out and say that the DEA justification is built on something called the Schedule One Lie. On May 3, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled the federal administration is allowed to regulate drug activity, even those activities that take place entirely within a state's borders. The regular visitors here have heard this before. The 10th Amendment of the Constitution says that any right not specifically given to the federal government by the constitution shall be retained by the states. The federal government claims it has authority under the interstate commerce clause. This is a weak argument at best but it persist just as the Schedule One Lie. It doesn't really matter to argue points about the interstate commerce clause though when 73% of Americans are for MMJ. How dare they not yeild and give up their lies and position. The BAHstards have got to go. VAAI [ Post Comment ] |
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