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| Patients Challenge Feds' Crackdown On Marijuana |
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Posted by CN Staff on June 06, 2002 at 16:18:50 PT Press Release Source: NORML 
"Effective immediately, any person who makes unauthorized entry into medical marijuana dispensaries operating lawfully under state jurisdiction will be subject to coordinated grass-roots resistance" Washington, DC: Medical marijuana patients and activists targeted an estimated 60 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offices today in a nationwide "Day of Action" to protest the federal government's increasing crackdown on California's medical marijuana patients and dispensaries. The planned protest came only days after federal agents raided the Aiko Compassion Center - a medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Rosa, California - and arrested two of the club's proprietors. The raid is the fourth since October, following the busts of high-profile medicinal cannabis cooperatives in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco. Although federal law enforcement officers have publicly denied that they are targeting medical marijuana clubs - dozens of which have operated openly and with the support of community officials since the passage of California's Proposition 215 in 1996 - court records obtained this week by The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reveal that last week's raid was not related to any larger drug trafficking operation. Federal anti-drug agents had been conducting surveillance on the club for four months, the court documents show. "It's a sad commentary on the Justice Department that it's made more arrests for medical marijuana than terrorism in California," said California NORML Coordinator Dale Gieringer, who notes that federal authorities yesterday also filed a forfeiture action against the Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center building. Fearing additional raids by the federal government in both California and other states that have legalized the use of medical pot, patients and marijuana-law reformers retaliated today by confronting DEA outposts in 60 cities and presenting the Feds with "Cease and Desist" orders stating: "Effective immediately, any person who makes unauthorized entry into medical marijuana dispensaries operating lawfully under state jurisdiction will be subject to coordinated grass-roots resistance." Americans for Safe Access, which coordinated the protests, called the demonstrations an escalation "of our resistance to the federal government's expanding war on democracy and patients in need of safe access to medical marijuana." In Washington DC, several drug law reformers demonstrated by chaining themselves to the entrance of the Department of Justice. Ten individuals were arrested in the protest, including Kevin Zeese, president of Common Sense for Drug Policy. Zeese called the direct action necessary because the Feds have done "everything they can to block the seriously ill from getting their medicine." "We still hope the federal government will come to its senses," Zeese said. "But today we needed to make a statement. We will not go away. We will no longer tolerate any more injustice. We will stand together against [the federal government's] denial of medicine. And in the end, we will prevail." NORML Executive Director Keith Stroup said nationwide protests demonstrate the marijuana-law reform community's resolve to stand up for the rights of the seriously ill and those who provide medicine for them. "These dispensaries play a necessary and positive role in their community: providing medicine in a safe and regulated environment, and present no threat to public safety," he said. "By targeting these clubs and the patients who rely on them, the federal government is trying to stifle an entire movement. Today's action is our way of letting the feds know that we are not about to stand by and let that happen." For more information, please contact Donna Shea, NORML Foundation Legal Director, at (202) 483-8751 or visit the Americans for Safe Access website at: http://www.safeaccessnow.org
Columbus, OH: More than two-thirds of an estimated 50,000 respondents support the use of medical marijuana, according to a study released this week by the Ohio Patient Network. The study's author compiled results from 66 separate scientific medical marijuana polls conducted since 1996. The report found that 68 percent of Americans aggregately support the use of medicinal pot, and that only one-quarter oppose it. The report also noted that public opinion toward the use of medical marijuana has grown significantly in recent years. Data from the report is available online at the Ohio Patient Network website at: http://www.ohiopatient.net/Poll_Analysis.htm
The NORML Foundation will be converting its weekly media release to an all electronic format starting on July 1, 2002. AFTER THAT DATE, THE NORML FOUNDATION WILL BE RELYING ON E-MAIL FOR DISTRIBUTION OF ITS THURSDAY PRESS RELEASES. All future releases will continue to be posted on Thursday afternoons on the NORML/NORML Foundation website -- http://www.norml.org -- and will be distributed electronically via NORML's free weekly e-zine. Those media outlets that currently receive The NORML Foundation's weekly releases via fax and would like to continue are asked to please contact NORML's media coordinator Nicholas Thimmesch at: normlmedia@earthlink.net. Other NORML supporters, activists and e-mail-friendly media are advised to please go to the NORML/NORML Foundation homepage and enter your e-mail address to sign up for our free e-zine. Today's topics were: * Patients Fight Back, Challenge Feds' Crackdown On Medical Marijuana... * Polls Show Americans Overwhelmingly Support Legalizing Medical Pot NORML Foundation - June 6, 2002 Related Articles & Web Sites: Americans for Safe Access Ohio Patient Network MPP Protest Pictures Medical Marijuana Information Links Marijuana Praised Despite Legal Issues Stop the War on Medical Marijuana Fed Records Show Focus on Pot Clubs Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #12 posted by monvor on June 07, 2002 at 15:45:59 PT |
| Great post eco-man [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #11 posted by eco-man on June 06, 2002 at 21:23:54 PT |
| The first arrest warning is at just over 9 minutes into the streaming video. If you have the free Real Player, the video starts playing soon after clicking this link (in 10 to 20 seconds):
http://flow.mediavac.com/ramgen/sinkers/2002/dojJun0602.rm Go to the indymedia link just below to see the original source of the video article with the video link. More comments, links, photo links, and video player how-to are there: http://dc.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=24165 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by FoM on June 06, 2002 at 20:12:43 PT |
| It sounds like it was a good day for you out their in that state I love. California is the heart of the marijuana movement. All I do is keep my eyes on California because change will happen there first. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by Robbie on June 06, 2002 at 19:19:04 PT |
| It was practically arranged. Steph, our ASA person, talked to the police, told them our intentions, and they agreed to arrest us. But we were simply detained and let go. We weren't quite as bold as Kevis Zeese and the others who were actually arrested. We were detained and handcuffed (these kind of tough shoestring things, but they bound us up pretty tight.) And it was San Francisco, after all, protest city number one, and SF cops come under local jurisdiction. So, everything went fine. We even chatted up the cops a bit, and they were understanding. One of them kind of lamented that he couldn't smoke because of his job :-) We were taken to the top floor of the building, and stood in the anteroom for the US Marshalls lockdown (technically anything that transgresses on federal property is under their jurisdiction.) There were a few of them, and I think a couple of DEA agents chatting and whatnot. With their suits and armed office worker demeanor, they were the scariest bunch in the room. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #8 posted by eco-man on June 06, 2002 at 18:52:54 PT |
| Please distribute. Many PHOTOS. 10 arrests at Washington D.C. DEA protests for medical cannabis June 6 2002. There are some PHOTOS on the same page as the D.C. Indymedia report that is on the website for Americans for Safe Access: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/newswire_detail.php?id=22 There are MANY more Washington D.C. thumbnail PHOTOS here: http://bigwood.biz/MPP-060602/index.htm --Many thumbnails. Click any of the thumbnail photos to see a much larger version of the photo. MPP PHOTOS page. Department of Justice medical marijuana protest and arrests. http://www.mpp.org/june6.html Breaking News: DEA Burning States Rights to Medical Marijuana. http://dc.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=24119 ------------------------------ LINKS. June 6! National Day of Direct Action at DEA. 60 cities approximately. ---------1---------2---------3---------4---------5---------6---------7----- Please distribute. The email addresses are easily visible here: http://boards.marihemp.com/boards/message.shtml?1x41643 Americans for Safe Access (ASA) homepage. Local Actions Planned are listed on the home page. There is also a link there to a page with a compact list of Local Action Contacts. http://safeaccessnow.org --ASA Homepage. Emergency response list for medical marijuana rights' defense. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) email list and public archive. Only the moderators can send email to the list. You might try sending email to hilary@riseup.net http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/asa --List homepage and public archive. Please email after-action June 6! reports (both personal and media reports) and attached photos to the ASA website via update@safeaccessnow.org Also, CC-email June 6! reports and photos to the Cannabis Action MMM email list and public archive. Some ASA-related email is publicly archived there: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cannabisaction --List homepage and archive. Send email directly (if subscribed), or send indirectly using this address: tents444@yahoo.com Also, CC-email June 6! MEDIA reports to CannabisNews.com http://cannabisnews.com by using this address: submissions@cannabisnews.com Just copy and paste these email addresses into your email: update@safeaccessnow.org, tents444@yahoo.com, submissions@cannabisnews.com [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by FoM on June 06, 2002 at 18:30:42 PT |
| Hello to you too. I understand what you mean. These are very strange times. The stock market went crazy today and then President Bush wants to make a whole new cabinet post. Nothing on the news about the protests. They don't want people in other countries to see disunity in the media news and there is plenty. No matter how hard they push against what is right and true it will turn on them and be worse then if they would deal with the issue very soon. I hope this makes sense. What I mean is people just can't take much more. I love my country but not the way it has become but I love it for how it could be and hope it will someday be a free country. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #6 posted by konagold on June 06, 2002 at 18:14:26 PT:
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| Aloha FoM one, of course, hopes we get good coverage our colleague Rev. Lynnette Shaw has before her the FED's attempt to gain a lifetime permanent injunction forbidding her from medicine for herself as well as the effort she has given to the over 1200 patients CBC Marin serves we seem to be finally facing the lion in his den tremendous peril tremendous potential if one came as a spokesperson from a Piser or Merck and could claim that they had a harmless substance which could reduce tumors by 70% and extend the lives of patients as much as 36% or cure incurable brain tumors as well as reduce pain in such a noninvasive non addictive manner even the pope would kiss their okole yet that is the case with Cannabis since 1975 studies have demonstrated the above yet the bureaucratic aristocracy has 50 Billion dollars worth of bureaucracy jobs at stake and the mercy which Cannabis provides and the healing power of this herb is denied the sick better a millstone be hung around their necks and they be cast in the sea yet our media this day [I have CNN on as I write this] can only heap shame on the surviving mother of a murdered child and an aging pop star must yes massa her way through PSA's for the offense of possessing 5 grams of pot I hope the media gets it better but like I heard Mel Brooks once say hope for the best plan for the worst Aloha Rev. Dennis [God is our parent, we are all related] Shields [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by mayan on June 06, 2002 at 17:32:41 PT |
| Extremely Important Development! Mike Ruppert to be opening speaker at an international press conference on Monday, June 10th from 2-5 PM at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Conference held by UnansweredQuestions.org: 9-11 and the Public Safety: Seeking Answers and Accountability. http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/060602_press_conf.html [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by FoM on June 06, 2002 at 17:17:14 PT |
| Robbie, You got detained. How did they treat you? Did they look sympathetic? Rev. Shields, Nothing but NORML's press release and Marijuana Policy Projects Pictures so far but that's a great beginning. I think the news will happen later on tonight or by morning. I'd rather wait and hope the writers do a fair and accurate job of reporting. I hope we see good articles. I really do. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by Robbie on June 06, 2002 at 16:56:04 PT |
| Getting arrested for civil disobedience in protest of government actions against medical cannabis users should get a lot of play, depending on the media coverage of course. I was one of 8 people arrested in San Francisco today (not technically arrested...we were held for awhile then let go after sitting down in front of the doors at the Fed. building) Considering the good co-ordination across the country, there should be some notice of the situation. I was happy to have helped, and I'll do it agin. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on June 06, 2002 at 16:55:57 PT |
| "We still hope the federal government will come to its senses."- Kevin Zeese A galactic ocean of suns will become red giants and wither to space dust before the recalcitrant, intractable federal policy on cannabis is changed. Of course, the federal government is trying desperatey to keep its head above water. Water that is infested with crocodiles, the biggest, baddest crocodiles one has ever seen. The heel cleated and toe cleated jackboots will be the only things rejected by those crocodiles. All of the money in the world, and that is what they have had, cannot stop the trainwreck of poor political policy. Sell your polo horses and yachts, the market is going to crash. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #1 posted by konagold on June 06, 2002 at 16:39:02 PT:
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| Aloha I have gotten e-mail that arrest have been made as of yet zero coverage on any major media outlet however the grief struck mother who's little girl is murdered is pillared on the witness stand for having used Cannabis prior to her child's disappearance and Dione Warwick must do PSA for 5gm of cannabis these stories get coverage today but the freedom fighters are ignored welcome to the brave new ordered world Aloha Rev. Dennis [truth sets us free] Shields [ Post Comment ] |
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