March 2, 2006 - Los Angeles, CA, USA

I used an Amd K6-2 500 MHZ machine for years ... am now using a Duron 933 Mhz and it does most all I need

A phat pipe is of more use ... :-) and you got that ...

it starts automatically

pretty smooth ...

interesting ...

Hope, I wondered if that was a typo, but he was just foolin' with my handle! I guess it was just a shot at an old hippie. The dummy thinks I'm a college student, though. lol. Let him think it. (Well, actually, I am. I start classes this summer to FINALLY finish my degree in fine arts. It will only be an associates degree, but that counts, right?)

Let me know if CSNY schedule a show between Ohio and Texas, and FoM, I will meet you there. Anyone else want to join us? I could probably spring for an extra ticket...

Music is the universal language and love is the key. Thanks, Had Enough.

Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!

Looks like Runruff's going to know we havn't forgotten him.

Someone posted that before and you responded that you really liked that tune, and you used to play some. I felt you lurking out there and figured you like a tune. Music does it for me, but it’s got to be right.

Wage Peace on War. Good idea. The world could use some right now.

Carry On...

Federal Bureau of Prisons

Jerry Sisson reg.# 66424-065

P.O. Box 474701

That would be totally wild if they do that, FoM. I see they did in '03. This year would be a good year for me, if it's a good year for them! I'd go.

Thank you, Hope. There are certain little things I have to do to feel better. Shutting my mouth helps. lol. I swear, if I post when I'm down, I can really screw it up, and have. I have to completely change my thought pattern before I can begin my upswing. Takes a few days. But I ALWAYS adjust w/cannabis. Or without, it just takes longer.

The first article from Norml makes me feel, well, normal. I thought for a while there must be something wrong with me, but now I know. I'm really NOT lazy. And it's ok to NOT be lazy, even if I smoke pot! Hooray!

Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!

We at SAFER are firm believers in the theory of the "Tipping Point", famously described by Malcolm Gladwell in his 2002 book by that name. According to Gladwell, massive social and consumer movements are oftentimes triggered by much smaller incidents and trends that spread like viruses throughout society. While we do not like to consider our organization a virus, it is starting to feel like our message -- and our determination to bring an end to marijuana prohibition -- is spreading just as rapidly.

Yesterday, the students at the University of Texas at Austin passed a referendum, by a 64-36 margin, calling on the university to reduce penalties for the use of marijuana, based on the fact that marijuana is demonstrably less harmful than alcohol. This is not only a fantastic result on a substantive level, but it has also produced a massive amount of media coverage. In nearly all of this coverage, one message appeared prominently: Marijuana is safer than alcohol. (Our dedicated campaign coordinators in Texas have created a Web site -- http://www.SAFERTexas.info -- where you can see much of this coverage.)

Also yesterday, SAFER's campaign director, Mason Tvert, held a press conference by the State Capitol in Denver, the purpose of which was to announce the launch of our signature drive to place a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot in Colorado. As usual, multiple television stations and the major newspapers in the state covered the event. But by far the most pleasing piece of coverage was a column in the Denver Post (pasted at the bottom of this e-mail). It conveys the essence of SAFER. We are just a small group of determined activists who are willing to stand up, be real, and talk about an issue silently supported by millions of Americans.

We want our "marijuana is safer than alcohol" message and our open recognition of the rights of marijuana users to spread like wildfire throughout this nation. But we cannot do it alone. We need your help to keep this momentum building. Whether you have a minute to spend or a dollar to spare, your involvement will make a difference.

Here is what you can do:

1. Make a donation to SAFER. The reach and impact of SAFER are only limited by our available resources. For example, we need funds to pay for promotional materials, like buttons and stickers, to distribute to students and others around the country. In addition, we need to fund our media outreach efforts so that a growing number of reporters cover this important issue. If you can contribute any amount, please visit the SAFER donation page:

http://www.saferchoice.org/d_donate.html

2. If you live in Colorado, get involved in our statewide campaign. As the column below describes, we are truly a grass roots movement. We need every available and able person in the state to help us collect the 100,000+ signatures we need to qualify for the ballot. We do not have the funds to pay for this on our own. If you want to sign up to gather signatures (or if you want to make a contribution to the campaign), please visit our campaign Web site:

http://www.safercolorado.org/

3. Forward this e-mail to as many people as possible. This may be the most important request of all. Approximately 20 million Americans are regular or occasional marijuana users in this country. Many more believe that marijuana users should not be punished for making the rational choice to use marijuana instead of alcohol. If we can get a significant percent of these people to join forces -- be it mentally, physically, or financially -- we will end this war on marijuana. Please take a minute, hit the "forward" button, and send this e-mail to whomever you think will be (or might be) interested. Those who receive this E-mail from a friend should visit -- http://www.saferchoice.org/d_getinvolved.html -- to sign up for direct updates in the future.

Thank you as always for your support.

Sincerely, Steve

Steve Fox Executive Director Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER)

==================================

Denver Post - 3/2/06

Pot initiative is packing the only real grass roots

By Diane Carman Denver Post Staff Columnist

Politicians are always blabbing about the grass roots. Bankers, lawyers, sons of millionaire former presidents - they're all populists on the stump, proud products of the salt of the earth speaking from the heart about common-sense issues important to the people.

It's such claptrap.

Take away the focus groups, the education committees financed by special-interest soft money and the speaking points produced by consultants, and they're not called populists anymore.

They're called losers.

With one possible exception: The leader of the subversive little movement to decriminalize possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.

SAFER director Mason Tvert set up a folding table on the sidewalk in front of the state Capitol on Wednesday and got a couple friends to hold signs to announce that the campaign that legalized adult possession of small amounts of marijuana in Denver - at least theoretically - is going statewide.

Tvert said SAFER (Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation) has more than 300 volunteers poised to circulate petitions to get the initiative on the November ballot. If passed, the measure would change state law to make it legal - at least theoretically - for persons over 21 to possess an ounce of marijuana or less.

Tvert admitted straight up that if the initiative passes, it won't alter local and federal laws prohibiting marijuana possession. He doesn't care.

"It's part of an end game for marijuana prohibition in this country," he said.

And this is where he could be onto something.

The surprise passage of SAFER's marijuana initiative last year in Denver suggests that the professional politicians were wildly out of touch with the grass roots, at least on the issue of grass.

They were so confident the measure would lose, few campaigned against it.

It could happen again, despite a recent Denver Post poll that showed 37 percent of Colorado voters favor the SAFER initiative while 51 percent oppose it.

That means "after more than 70 years of marijuana prohibitions, propaganda and misinformation, just over half of the state agrees with marijuana prohibition," Tvert said.

OK, sometimes even a grassroots campaigner can't resist the urge to spin.

The guy's obviously counting on other polls, the ones that show at least half of Americans admit to having smoked marijuana despite federal, state and local bans and a relentless national war on drugs.

Sure, most of these people get all sanctimonious around their bosses and their children. But in the privacy of the voting booth, if everyone with a stale joint or an old film canister of marijuana from college tucked away in the sock drawer votes for the measure just to feel young and reckless again, the professional politicians could be in for another shock.

"We're nearing the tipping point," said Tvert, who dared Gov. Bill Owens, Mayor John Hickenlooper and Attorney General John Suthers to be among the first to sign the petition to put the initiative on the ballot so everyone can see what the voters really think about marijuana laws.

Coincidentally, while Tvert was mobilizing SAFER on the sidewalk, the tough-on-crime former District Attorney Bill Ritter was several Capitol steps above him trying to rally support behind his plodding campaign for governor.

"I can't tell you how excited I am today," he said, to which about a dozen guys in Teamsters Union jackets and as many state legislators clapped politely.

Tvert ignored it all.

He was comfortably in his element, standing on a sidewalk with the wind buffeting him, motorists honking their horns in approval, passers-by stopping to sign the petitions and a guy in full biker regalia revving his Harley in an enthusiastic show of solidarity.

Never mind the barrage of Oreos- and-Grateful-Dead humor that accompanies every commentary on his campaign. He's serious about about taking grassroots politicking to a higher level.

Oops. I couldn't resist.

This could be very important. It could touch a lot of people about the injustice of this stupid war...or it could set us back.

It's got me a bit anxious. Also, I'm hoping, if enough people are outraged about what's happening to Marc and his friends, that it could keep Canada from letting the DEA have him. That's so disgusting that they would turn one of their own over to the law enforcement of this country for something like seed sales.

Camille Bains, Canadian Press

March 2, 2006

The Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Referendum passed by 64 percent, The Daily Texan reported.

Supporters of the measure argued that students shouldn't face stiffer punishment for marijuana violations than alcohol because alcohol is more likely to cause addiction, violent behavior and death.

Judie Niskala, campus coordinator for SAFER Texas, said Wednesday in a news release that the victory "demonstrates that students clearly recognize the truth: Alcohol is simply more harmful -- both to the user and society -- than marijuana."

Niskala said in a story in Thursday's editions of The Daily Texan that advocates will push to talk to the UT System Board of Regents. She said university officials have not responded to the group's request for a meeting.

The non-binding referendum was meant to gauge student support. About 7,570 votes were cast, according to the university's student government elections supervisory board.

The student government did not take a position on the referendum, said Danielle Rugoff, student body president elect. The student government has no plans to promote the referendum, she said.

"It was difficult to understand the language, and I remember several students approached me saying that they had voted 'yes,' but asking what they had voted on," she told the newspaper.

SAFER Choice, a national group that promotes "Safer Alternatives for Enjoyable Recreation," has pushed for a similar rule changes at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Niskala said UT was targeted because of its size and "liberal location."

The referendum was part of a student government election and included a successful measure to begin construction on a new $51 million student activity center.

http://www.click2houston.com/education/7610973/detail.html

To learn more, see http://www.SafeAccessNow.org

I need to go find a TV to use now...

As I understand it, his company was very important in providing seeds to medical users in both Canada and the USA. I believe they would give out free seeds if you sent them a doctors rec.

Not necessarily a bad thing.

***

To: National Desk, Legal Reporter

Contact: Hilary McQuie, 510-333-8554 or Caren Woodson., 510-388-0546 both of Americans for Safe Access

WASHINGTON, March 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- By the request of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation's largest medical marijuana advocacy organization, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D- N.Y.) this week led a group of three other House lawmakers in calling for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation of how much money the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) spent each year over the past decade to enforce federal medical marijuana laws. Joining Hinchey in the GAO request are Congressmen Ron Paul (R-TX), Sam Farr (D-Calif.), and (D-Mass.).

The request may be viewed at: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3142

"We want to find out what the Department of Justice spends annually to prosecute medical marijuana patients so we can tell the American people exactly how much of their taxes is being wasted and diverted away from critical law enforcement activities, including homeland security activities," Hinchey was quoted saying in a press release from his office.

Eleven states have enacted laws permitting the medical use of marijuana under the supervision of a licensed physician. The Supreme Court in Gonzalez v. Raich (2005) held that states could still pass and continue to maintain their own medical marijuana laws. However, the Majority held that the DEA under the DOJ could still enforce the Controlled Substances Act in these 11 states, but questioned the wisdom of doing so. Since this decision, the DEA has continued to arrest and prosecute medical marijuana patient caregivers and cultivators. In recent years, more than 20 large-scale raids of cannabis buyers' clubs have occurred in California, and a handful of raids have taken place in other states.

"An investigation to illustrate how much money the federal government is spending to harass and prosecute sick people is long overdue. We sincerely appreciate Congressman Hinchey's steadfast leadership on behalf of medical marijuana patients," said Caren Woodson, ASA's Campaign Director. Hinchey has led the bipartisan effort in Congress to stop the DOJ from prosecuting patients who use medical marijuana in compliance with state law through an amendment in a yearly Appropriations bill, which he is expected to reintroduce this Spring.

---

A national coalition of 25,000 patients, doctors and advocates, Americans for Safe Access is the largest organization working solely on medical marijuana.

To learn more, see http://www.SafeAccessNow.org

Copyright: 2006 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

It seems impossible that anyone could do anything this horrible to a man, any man or woman, but especially someone with severe illness, like Steve, because of plant matter. It's beyond digusting. And in this day and age. When are we going to have an age of enlightenment?

When I was a kid...I believed that no american would treat another american like some Russians and some Germans treated their fellow man.

If the police in California were real men and women...real humans...they would go in there, enmasse, and rescue that man and take him someplace where his life might be saved. But they won't...because they are cowards and bullies and like it and have no intention of standing up against wrong...apparently.

They could do it. Twenty of them could do it, I think. Just stand up for what's right...and don't think they would be resisted or even punished for it. I think they would ultimately be heroes and men and women to be truly respected as good people.

His rescuers could take him in a long convoy...of government cars with lights whirling... to the Corral place and guard that no one came and took him out until he was strong again.

That statement has got to sting the DEA agents a bit by taking a smidgen of their joy away as they persecute him. Of course, they'll just get madder and pound him harder...cause that's what they do.

***

By Cathy Olian

March 2, 2006

(CBS) A Canadian who calls himself the "Prince of Pot" could wind up in a U.S. jail for life for selling marijuana seeds, but says he would be "blessed" because such a plight could help legalize the drug.

60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon talks to Marc Emery, who had a mail-order pot seed business that Canada ignored and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency wants to prosecute him for, this Sunday, March 5 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

The last place he wants to be is in jail, but Emery says if the Canadian courts allow the U.S. government to extradite him and a U.S. jury puts him away, he still sees a silver lining.

"I am blessed by what the DEA has done," he tells Simon. "I would rather see marijuana legalized than me being saved from a U.S. jail. I hope that if I am incarcerated, I can influence tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of young people to take up my cause."

The 48-year-old Vancouver, B.C., resident is a fervent activist for the legalization of marijuana and a hero to the movement. He has made several million dollars and claims to have sold more seeds than anyone in the world on his Web site and through a magazine he publishes, "Cannabis Culture."

Selling the seeds is an illegal activity in Canada, but enforcement is rare and punishment light. The drug is legal for medicinal purposes and, overall, Canada has a very laidback attitude toward marijuana. But Emery estimates that the majority of customers he’s sold to over the past decade are Americans. Furthermore, British Columbia is a region that produces very pungent pot known as "BC bud" that is smuggled into the United States, where it's well known. Emery takes pride in the image.

"(British Columbia growers) have had a wonderful marketing man in charge of that campaign — yours truly," boasts Emery.

U.S. officials in Washington also have taken notice, however.

"We have a huge regional, national and international issue here in the growing of marijuana in lower British Columbia," says John McKay, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington. "(Emery’s) activities are kind of a leading edge of that marijuana problem."

McKay says the fact that Canadian officials don't regard him as a threat has no bearing in the United States, where marijuana seeds are just as illegal as the plant.

"He's dealing drugs into the United States and violating laws of the United States and we expect to extradite and try him in the United States," vows McKay.

Asked what he thinks of U.S. officials' stance that Emery is a major drug dealer, Canadian Senator Larry Campbell, a former drug officer, says: "If they consider that, then they have bigger problems than I can even imagine. There's simply no way he's a major anything."

There would also be a backlash from Canadians if the U.S. can extradite someone like Emery. "I think there would be outrage," Campbell says.

For McKay, the law is the law. "We have full respect for the laws of Canada … and they respect our laws and he's violated our laws. You know he calls himself the prince of pot but he may become the prince of federal prison," says McKay.

If he goes to prison, Emery wants to be known more as leader rather than a martyr.

"The language I like to use is one of a person, a leader, who’s confident and prepared to accept the punishment that noble purpose will bring about," Emery tells Simon.

Copyright: MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc.

Our friends in the belly of the beast need our correspondence. Has any more been done to see about establishing a site to contribute to our fallen brothers and sisters commissary accounts? The money is important as well as the letters. If it hurts to give, then don't. But if you can give without too much pain, even 10 bucks, it would help. Like an "Adopt a Canna-prisoner" campaign.

God bless all these people who suffer because of unjust laws. Let's work even harder to change the laws.

Kubby signed off:

Let Freedom Grow.