cannabisnews.com: Pot Reformers Put Pressure on Feinstein 





Pot Reformers Put Pressure on Feinstein 
Posted by CN Staff on June 25, 2003 at 07:49:00 PT
By Josh Richman, Staff Writer
Source: Tri-Valley Herald 
Drug reform advocates have used political and personal tactics to pressure U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein to grill President Bush's nominee for Drug Enforcement Administration chief on her medical marijuana stance. Feinstein, D-Calif., sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to consider Karen P. Tandy's nomination today. But spokesman Howard Gantman said Feinstein won't be there; she'll be at a simultaneous Intelligence Committee briefing on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. 
Still, she intends to submit written questions to Tandy about the "general issue" of medical marijuana and "some of the issues around the crackdown in California," Gantman said. Valerie Corral, director of the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) near Santa Cruz -- which the DEA raided last September, but against which no charges were ever filed -- issued an open letter Monday to Feinstein. "Years ago you hosted the wedding of a mutual friend in your back yard -- an extraordinary woman, of unwavering integrity, she served as police commissioner of San Francisco" and later developed colon cancer before joining WAMM, Corral wrote. "And while passing has taken her from us, it has not silenced her. I do not presume to speak for her, but I believe she would also ask of you what I am about to ask. "As you review Ms. Tandy's upcoming appointment, please remember the experiences of those you have known who faced illness and death. Then, ask Ms. Tandy what priorities she will set regarding medical marijuana and whether she will continue the raids against Californians acting in compliance with Compassionate Use Act, Proposition 215." Corral's letter doesn't name the friend but it is clearly Jo Daly, whom Feinstein -- then San Francisco's mayor -- named a police commissioner in 1980. Diagnosed with colon cancer in 1988, Daly had become an outspoken medical marijuana advocate by the time she died in 1997. Another, similar letter was sent to Feinstein on Friday by Corral and 22 other medical marijuana providers or their relatives. Feeling snubbed, some of them and their supporters gathered Tuesday outside Feinstein's San Francisco office to turn up the heat. National groups including the Drug Policy Alliance and the Marijuana Policy Project believe Senate GOP leaders want Tandy, an associate deputy attorney general who heads the Justice Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, confirmed with little fanfare. Bill Piper, the Drug Policy Alliance's associate director of national affairs, said Feinstein must "grill Tandy on the DEA's medical marijuana raids in California, why they are arresting patients and their caregivers, crushing states rights, and wasting taxpayer resources. "If Tandy doesn't pledge to stop the raids, we will urge Feinstein to vote against her," he said. "We don't expect Feinstein to vote no, but if she doesn't even ask a critical question, she is basically turning her back on California voters and the families of those being victimized by the DEA's heavy-handed approach to medical marijuana." The state Senate and Assembly this month passed a joint resolution by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, urging Congress and Bush to review DEA policy "related to the prosecution and harassment of Californians who are acting in compliance with the provisions of Proposition 215."Note: Appointee for DEA chief due.Complete Title: Pot Reformers Put Pressure on Feinstein Over NomineeSource: Tri-Valley Herald (CA)Author: Josh Richman, Staff WriterPublished: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 Copyright: 2003 MediaNews Group, Inc.Website: http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Contact: apacciorini angnewspapers.comRelated Articles & Web Sites:WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/State Urges Congress To Recognize Pot Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16679.shtmlMarijuana Supporters Demand Meeting with DEA http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16322.shtml
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Comment #11 posted by 312 on June 25, 2003 at 17:22:55 PT
Photos
I've taken photos clearly of pot plants before, but I sent them off through the post to be processed. They came back fine (UK), no questions asked. My courage was built up after seeing numerous photos my friend had taken of himself toking a bong, smoke billowing out. He'd sent them off in the same way, I think.
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Comment #10 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 25, 2003 at 09:59:28 PT
Woops
Forgot (briefly, but long enough to post!) about FoM's policy of not naming names of innocent victims of the drug war who'd like to not have such things tainting their name on Google searches and suchlike. Go ahead and delete my last post.The Smoking Gun has documents online today about the case in Newport, Vermont, about the Brooks Pharmacy reporting one of their customers for processing photos of his garden. Anyone who lives in the area should now be aware of this, and take their business elsewhere. And all picture-happy gardeners need digital cameras, and anonymous remailers if they wish to send them to magazines.
http://thesmokinggun.com/doc_o_day/doc_o_day.html
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Comment #9 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 25, 2003 at 09:50:59 PT
David Kolosky at TSG
Another story where someone is proud of their garden but not smart enough to think twice before taking photos in to be developed. Digital cameras are worth the investment, people! And for the rest of us, anyone living in Vermont should avoid doing any business at the Brooks Pharmacy in Newport. 
http://thesmokinggun.com/doc_o_day/doc_o_day.html
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Comment #8 posted by Nuevo Mexican on June 25, 2003 at 09:15:40 PT
Where have I been? Working for Kucinich!!
I've met him twice now, the first time he approached me, if you can believe that! Glad you checked out the web site JR,
as he is the only candidate that has come out so strongly against the drug war, and because of that, the media doesn't want to go near him. But in spite of that his massive grassroots support campaign has forced them to report the standing ovations he gets every time he goes to bat with bushy boy. If you've already registered for the moveon.org poll, be sure you vote for him today, the last day of the poll. His victory in 2004 is guaranteed if the Emporor King keeps lying about the lack of Weapons of Mass Destruction, (Donny Rumsfeld said yesterday, oh, we have some al keida guys that are gonna tell us where they are, don't you worry!). Saturn just entered Cancer, sign of Georgie, Rumy and the U.S.. and last time it was in Cancer, 28 years ago, it took Nixon down. Count on the Celestial Guardians to do their work, you can always rely on the 'Nature of things' to expose the lies when the media doesn't do there jobs, just watch! Tick, tock, tick, tock!
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Comment #7 posted by Richard Paul Zuckerm on June 25, 2003 at 08:57:52 PT:
THE GREEDY COVER-UP
Feinstein's status on the Senate Intelligence Committee gives me the suspicion, paranoia, that she is voting against medical marijuana to protect the United States Central Intelligence Agency drug money laundering of over $200 billion per year through Wall Street, www.fromthewilderness.com, www.expertwitnessradio.org.This is why I adamantly refuse to vote for these traitors known as "Democrats" and "Republicans," the same people who are about to authorize the Council on Foreign Relations request for $100 million budget to develop nonlethal weapons to quash our Right to protest [The police routinely provoke violence at the protests!!]. I vote for Ralph Nader.By the way, has anybody told you people about the emergency meetings with Alan Greenspan because of SERIOUS shortage of natural gas in the U.S.A.? Check it out, yesterday's article posted in www.fromthewilderness.com. Hemp is a viable alternative source of energy, fuel, www.HempCar.org, www.sumeria.net/politicas/shadv3.html, but House Energy And Commerce Committee sidesteps the issue, while we are about to suffer a cold, cold, season this coming Winter!Sincerely,Richard Paul Zuckerman, Box 159, Metuchen, N.J., 08840-0159, (Cell telephone number)(908) 403-6990, richardzuckerman2002 yahoo.com. 
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Comment #6 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 25, 2003 at 08:28:11 PT
Vote changed
I had heard something here about Kucinich's policies, but someone else brought up how he was in charge of Cleveland and Cleveland has massive drug/police problems. I'm not too familiar with it all, but I'll definitely pay closer attention to Dennis as the campaign gets into gear. He's got my vote in the MoveOn primary, but he'll have to help make the drug war a significant issue in the election to wrest my actual vote away from a third-party candidate. Who knows - maybe he'll pull a repeat of FDR's 20 minute standing ovation in 1932. We can hope.I do like his page about the drug war, though:
http://www.kucinich.us/issues/issue_drugwar.htm
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Comment #5 posted by Dan B on June 25, 2003 at 08:18:08 PT
That's too bad, J.R. 
You must not be familiar with Dennis Kucinich's position on the drug war. I urge you to read what he has to say at http://www.kucinich.us .You will not find a better candidate when it comes to the drug war.Dan B
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Comment #4 posted by Dan B on June 25, 2003 at 08:15:39 PT
Feinstein Schmeinstein
Dianne Feinstein has been California's leading advocate of prohibition at least since she took office as a senator and likely before that. She has relentlessly pursued anti-drug legislation that is clearly against the will of the people of California. About such things, she has no conscience. I fully expect her to softball some questions to Tandy, praise her for her anti-marijuana stance, and enthusiastically support her nomination. Feinstein is, like most politicians currently "serving" in Washington D.C., a fascist. I'll change my opinion of her when she changes her ways.Dan B
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Comment #3 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 25, 2003 at 08:14:18 PT
MoveOn primary
Today's the last day for voting in the online MoveOn Democratic primary. I checked "Other", wrote in "None of the above", then explained in the comment box that I only support candidates who promise to end the drug war. I will support any Democrat who makes this pledge, but until one does, I'll vote for the third-party candidate with the best chance of getting elected.
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Comment #2 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 25, 2003 at 07:59:48 PT
Speak out!
Tell your elected officials to not confirm anyone to head the DEA who will continue the raids in California!
Don't Confirm The Raids
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on June 25, 2003 at 07:57:36 PT
Democrats: business as usual
Selling us down the river as fast as they can.
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