cannabisnews.com: Perils Grow in Battle for Medical Pot





Perils Grow in Battle for Medical Pot
Posted by CN Staff on March 22, 2007 at 06:34:18 PT
By Robert Collier, Chronicle Staff Writer
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
California -- A decade after Californians approved the medical use of marijuana, the state's battle with the federal government over the use of marijuana still is being fought hard, with contradictory results. In the past five years, the number of medical marijuana clubs -- stores authorized under state law where people can buy cannabis with a doctor's approval -- has tripled in the state, to more than 300. But club operators and pot growers are increasingly subject to federal arrests, seizures and prosecution.
Across California, smoking pot remains a gamble. Decisions over who gets busted and who doesn't affect large numbers of medical pioneers, average smokers and make-a-buck dope dealers alike. Last week, two federal court rulings in San Francisco gave contrasting victories in the dispute over whether the medical use of marijuana, approved by California voters, should be prosecuted or permitted. On March 13, a federal judge gave a win to the medical marijuana forces, tossing out most of the U.S. charges against cannabis activist and writer Ed Rosenthal, saying a five-year campaign to put him behind bars gave "the appearance of vindictiveness." On the same day, however, another federal court ruled against Angel Raich, a severely ill Oakland woman who smokes marijuana to ease her chronic pain and had challenged U.S. laws against medical cannabis. Federal seizures of California marijuana have risen steadily. Last year, Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested 594 people in the state on marijuana charges and confiscated 3 million marijuana plants, up from 359 people and 880,000 plants in 2001, according to official statistics. Yet the number of medical cannabis dispensaries -- authorized by Proposition 215, a 1996 state referendum allowing seriously ill adults to use marijuana with their doctor's approval -- has soared from about 100 to more than 300 throughout the state. Federal and local authorities are at loggerheads over the issue. "The priorities of the federal government are a bit misplaced in putting large amounts of resources into going after people for this," said San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris. "The vast majority of Californians and certainly San Franciscans believe that marijuana has medicinal purposes." Javier Pena, head of the DEA's Northern California division, says state voters have no say over this matter. "Marijuana is still marijuana, and it's still against federal statutes," he said.  Snipped:Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/3aydubSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Robert Collier, Chronicle Staff WriterPublished: Thursday, March 22, 2007Copyright: 2007 Hearst Communications Inc.Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/Related Articles & Web Sites: Angel Raich: Pictures & Articleshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/raich.htmEd Rosenthal: Pictures & Articles http://freedomtoexhale.com/trialpics.htm Feds Plan To Retry Marijuana Advocatehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22761.shtmlDying Woman Loses Appeal on MJ as Medicationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22751.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by doc james on March 23, 2007 at 08:00:44 PT
Javier Pena
"Marijuana is still marijuana, and it's still against federal statutes,"
It's called marijuana for a reason u racist pig, in actuality, it's the same old cannabis your granny's, granny used. For real though it's for damn sure a lot stankier, cause we know how to grow it properly! Get a life Penas head!
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Comment #6 posted by Had Enough on March 22, 2007 at 08:39:02 PT
This is not… 
your fathers governmentThe federal government is 30 times more potent than they were in the 60’s.Sound familiar, maybe???
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on March 22, 2007 at 08:31:40 PT
Classic 1984
Javier Pena, head of the DEA's Northern California division, says state voters have no say over this matter. "Marijuana is still marijuana, and it's still against federal statutes," he said.What is he REALLY saying? The word marijuana is totally meaningless. What he's trying to say is, the federal government stilll rules all of you with total control and power.  You may have changed your mind about medical cannabis, but the government is stronger and bigger than ever.10 times bigger than it was when Nixon started the drug war. 10 times more cops, 10 times more prisons, 10 times more military spending.  10 times less freedom.
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Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on March 22, 2007 at 08:29:09 PT
DonG
You're on the right track, you just didn't clarify that quotation enough...."Of the big gardens, 95 percent of the major grows are by Mexican nationals, while before the government militarized the drug war and started arresting 800,000 people and jailing peaceful growers, they were run by hippies," said Bill Ruzzamenti, director of the federal government's Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Pigs.
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on March 22, 2007 at 08:16:24 PT
Diane Rehm Show on NPR now
is talking about Parkinsons -- how the sickness affects the growth of dopamene(sic)
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Comment #2 posted by dongenero on March 22, 2007 at 07:55:50 PT
hippies, how quaint
If we're talking hippies, I suppose we should talk, pigs."Of the big gardens, 95 percent of the major grows are by Mexican nationals, while before, they were run by hippies," said Bill Ruzzamenti, director of the federal government's Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Pigs.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 22, 2007 at 06:54:30 PT
Related Article from The San Francisco Chronicle
One Consequence -- End of Hippie Era of Pot Growing***By Robert CollierThursday, March 22, 2007  
The controversy over medical marijuana is obscuring a related trend, say federal and state anti-drug officials -- the end of California's hippie pot-growing era. "Of the big gardens, 95 percent of the major grows are by Mexican nationals, while before, they were run by hippies," said Bill Ruzzamenti, director of the federal government's Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative. Most of these growers use undocumented immigrant workers to grow the pot on large plantations hacked out of the wilderness on state and federal park and forest land, clearing the brush surreptitiously and using harsh chemicals that pollute water supplies, the officials say. "Over the last five years, there has been a huge influx of Mexican nationals who grow on public lands," said Kent Shaw, associate chief of the state's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. "The majority of those, 80 to 90 percent, are actual gardens operated by Mexican national drug lord organizations, no doubt, the drug cartels." Complete Article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/22/MNGDROPHME1.DTL
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