|
|
| Eddy Lepp Will Head To Amsterdam for Award |
|
Posted by CN Staff on November 06, 2004 at 08:34:00 PT By John Lindblom - Record-Bee Staff Source: Record-Bee 
San Francisco -- Eddy Lepp, presently facing federal government prosecution for growing marijuana for medical purposes, has been granted permission to go to Amsterdam, Holland by federal Chief Justice Marilyn Hall Patel to accept an international award.The award Freedom Fighter of the Year will be presented to Lepp by the Cannabis Cup, a global organization in support of marijuana. The Cannabis Cup will make the presentation during a Nov. 21-24 convention. The organization leaves no question about its purpose with headline entertainment during the convention being provided by groups such as "Vegetation" and "Herbal Nation." Steven Hager is the Cannabis Cup's founder. Hager, who hails from the East Coast, is also the former editor of High Times magazine, which sponsors the event. The Freedom Fighter Award Lepp is slated to receive is named for The Freedom Fighters, said Hager. "The Freedom Fighters was a (marijuana) legalization group I founded in 1989," he explained. Hager said that the group, known for wearing colonial-style tri-cornered hats, was dedicated to bringing attention to the medicinal uses of marijuana and the industrial uses of hemp. Hager, who chooses the award's winners, said he named Lepp as this year's Freedom Fighter Award recipient because of his involvement in medical marijuana. "Right now I think that the main focus on activism is in the fight in California, to protect medical rights there," Hager said. "We want to bring as much attention to Eddy and help him as much as we can," Hager added. The award is the latest twist in the Lepp odyssey, which became a matter of national and worldwide interest on Aug. 18 when the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested him and confiscated and destroyed 37,000 marijuana plants from his 40-acre field. That a federal judge would allow Lepp to leave the United States while free on bail surprised even his own attorney, Dennis Roberts of Oakland. It's "not often that a judge lets a defendant, pretrial, go to Europe to smoke weed. Especially not after Pretrial Services reports that in a home visit they discovered more marijuana plants growing in his yard," Roberts wrote in an e-mail. Roberts said the marijuana found growing on Lepp's property belonged to someone else and he presented a declaration from the plants' owner in court as proof. "The judge has already signed the order for him to go Amsterdam," Roberts told the Record-Bee Wednesday. "This is hugely unheard of in the federal system." Justice Patel's order to Lepp, as quoted by Roberts, was: "So, go to Amsterdam. Just let Mr. Roberts know where you are." Roberts added, "If I were faster I would have had her order him to take me along." The decision to let Lepp leave the country while awaiting trial is less of a shock to those who know his obsession with a personal war with the DEA. He has a $67 million lawsuit pending against the federal organization for an earlier raid on his property. "He wants to come back and fight; he's not going to pass up a chance to collect on that one," said Roberts. On Monday, Lepp's pretrial hearing was set back a month, Roberts said. Editor's note: Managing Editor Elizabeth Larson contributed to this report. Complete Title: Activist Eddy Lepp Will Head To Amsterdam for Award Source: Lake County Record-Bee (CA) Related Articles & Web Site: Eddys Medicinal Gardens Lepp Indicted Monday Marijuana Grower Could Face Life in Prison DEA Raids Lepp's Pot Farm Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
 |
| Comment #9 posted by FoM on November 07, 2004 at 12:02:15 PT |
| I think it could help. I sure hope we win this one. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #8 posted by Max Flowers on November 07, 2004 at 11:39:24 PT |
| Wouldn't a favorable supreme court decision Nov 29 on Raich v. Asscroft negate the charges against Eddy? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by Sam Adams on November 06, 2004 at 20:29:04 PT |
| I'd lose the return ticket if I was you. Seriously. Come back in 4 years. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on November 06, 2004 at 14:41:15 PT |
| I'm still taking prednisone. I wake up every morning in the mood for combat. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by ekim on November 06, 2004 at 14:29:05 PT |
| E thank you for taking the time and effort to reach out to others. Our only hope is that they are truly concerned for their own con-science. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by E_Johnson on November 06, 2004 at 13:50:09 PT |
| I went to the UCS web site and found that assaults against scientific reason in drug policy was not an issue of concern to them, so I called and asked why not. They said that's because there are already PLENTY of groups organized around drug policy. So that means there's a total scarcity of groups active in the environment, right? Maybe they just feel like drug policy is about what to do with those icky dark people from the poor neighborhoods, and they write it off as having nothing to do with science. The Drug War assaults science every single day. This should be of concern to scientists. I wish they would get a clue. I tried giving them one, but they refused it. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on November 06, 2004 at 13:39:26 PT |
| Environmentalism is a popular concern with the white upper middle class. The environment in prison doesn't concern scientists much. They don't see the Drug War as being an issue of any concern for science. That's because science is dominated by people who are white and middle class. Whereas the Drug War is aimed at is dominated by people who aren't. That's why Bush can ignore science all he wants in the war against us, and get away with it, without any "concerned scientists" chasing after him in the media. It's disappointing to see people be so predictable! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by ekim on November 06, 2004 at 11:29:53 PT |
| Concerned Scientists Today, all of us who believe deeply in responsible stewardship of our planet are undoubtedly thinking about the difficult road ahead. During the past four years, the Bush administration has been openly hostile to science and the basic environmental protections that safeguard our health and our environment. A second Bush term presents challenges, but not insurmountable ones. I want to assure you that the Union of Concerned Scientists understands what is at stake and is moving forward undeterred. During the past 35 years, UCS has worked successfully for change under difficult political circumstances and we will continue to do so. Thanks to UCS supporters, we are in a stronger position now than we have been at any time in the past. Together we have engaged conscientious members of Congress from both parties, built a large and dedicated grassroots network, and are working closely with allies in key states and critical industries to advance sensible environmental and national security policies. I am confident that we can continue to make progress. On Tuesday there was good news from Colorado. In the first-ever opportunity for citizens to vote on renewable energy standards, UCS and a coalition of groups in the state secured a victory that requires utilities to provide 10 percent of their electricity from wind, solar and other clean energy sources by 2015. Much like the historic climate change regulations we recently helped to pass in California, this success will be an effective tool for leveraging clean energy and clean air initiatives in other states and at the federal level. I hope you will join us as we continue this important work together. Indeed, now more than ever, our nation and our environment need conscientious citizens and scientists to work together to ensure our children inherit a world that is cleaner and safer than the one we have today. We have made important progress during the past three-and-a-half decades, and we will continue to do so in the months and years ahead. Sincerely, Kevin Knobloch President [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on November 06, 2004 at 11:06:10 PT |
| I believe that this event is probably happening due to the influence of Mikhail Gorbachev, who has become a post-Communist environmental crusader, trying to heal the environmental damage done by the Commmunist Party he once headed. MOSCOW — Russia gave final approval to the Kyoto Protocol as President Vladimir V. Putin signed legislation ratifying the landmark environmental pact that seeks to slow global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Kremlin said Friday. [ Post Comment ] |
| Post Comment |  |
 |  |