cannabisnews.com: 'Aging Hippie' Drug Bust Angers Lawmaker 'Aging Hippie' Drug Bust Angers Lawmaker Posted by CN Staff on June 28, 2007 at 14:42:59 PT By Katie Young, Freeman Staff Source: Daily Freeman Kingston, NY -- A 71-year-old Woodstock man has been busted by a new drug crimes unit for allegedly possessing a small amount of marijuana, prompting an Ulster County legislator to say the unit should be going after gangs instead of "aging hippies."Dennis "Day" Yusko, 71, a peace activist known for his involvement in Woodstock's Rainbow Tribe and the artists' cooperative Woodstock Earth, was arrested at his home at 5 Tannery Brook Road on June 6 following a two-week investigation into suspected drug sales, according to Detective Lt. Timothy Matthews of the Kingston Police Department. Matthews is one of the leaders of the county's new Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team, or URGENT.Matthews said an undercover operative working with the Woodstock Police Department bought marijuana at Yusko's home several times during the investigation, though Mat-thews did not say whether the drugs were bought from Yusko or from another possible suspect in the case.Matthews said Yusko's address is the same as that of Woodstock Earth, a co-op for local artists. Yusko, a coordinator for Woodstock Earth, but could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.Ulster County Legislator Brian Shapiro, a Democrat who lives in Woodstock, said Yusko is a well-known and beloved local resident who should not have been targeted by URGENT."He's well loved by the community," Shapiro said. "I support the URGENT team to address what it's meant for - gang activity, especially in Midtown (Kingston), not for aging hippies in Woodstock.Matthews said URGENT targets people who sell drugs, regardless of their age or their standing in a community."If someone is selling marijuana, whether it is an elderly hippie or a young kid, it is something we would go after," he said.Matthews conceded, however, that police received some incorrect information and expected to find larger amounts of drugs in Yusko's home when they entered it.Shapiro was angry not only about the arrest but the way it was executed."They busted him with 2 grams of marijuana and came in with shotguns, the whole deal," he said.Matthews confirmed the arresting officers found only 2 grams of marijuana but said there also were items that suggested drug were being sold in the home."He had stuff like scales and packaging and growing lights that went along with the sale of marijuana," the detective lieutenant said. "The evidence showed it was obviously a selling operation."Matthews also confirmed that Yusko was "put down on the floor," but he said the suspect was not tackled.Matthews said it is police policy, for safety reasons, for officers to order people to the ground while executing a search warrant.Matthews said Yusko was charged with selling marijuana and criminal nuisance, both misdemeanors, and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation. He is to appear in Woodstock Town Court on July 25. Source: Daily Freeman (Kingston, NY)Author: Katie Young, Freeman StaffPublished: June 28, 2007Copyright: 2007 Daily FreemanContact: letters freemanonline.comWebsite: http://www.dailyfreeman.com/WoodStock Earthhttp://www.woodstockearth.net/ CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #19 posted by mayan on June 29, 2007 at 17:05:57 PT Wayne I believe you mean acronym. I am a certified member of Americans Aiming for the Absloute Abolition of Amazingly Asinine Acronyms (The AAAAAAA). Just kidding! [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by museman on June 29, 2007 at 16:45:55 PT Resynched For some reason the audio got unglued, had to re upload, new link. Mr.America [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by museman on June 29, 2007 at 09:08:14 PT Fresh baked music This seemed like a good thread for this. This is my second music video. Mr. America [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by legalizeit on June 28, 2007 at 22:06:39 PT "a felony of possessing hallucinogenic mushrooms'' This would be the joke of the century if it wasn't so pathetic. Real people are dying or otherwise affected by real crime, and here you have 25 officers busting peaceful people, and giving them a crime record for life, for possessing PLANTS and FUNGI! Why does the desire or intent of an adult to alter his consciousness (certain plants and fungi were clearly placed on earth by the Creator/Great Spirit/God for a reason) have to be a crime? Oh, but if you consume a government-sanction intoxicant that kills over 100,000 annually -- regardless of how many, it's 100% more than cannabis or psychedelic mushrooms ever have -- you're okay unless you're driving.The U.S. has been re-certified recently as the #1 incarcerator in the world, with over 2 million (almost 1% of the population) behind bars. I wonder why? As if that wasn't enough, the revolving-door prison system lets violent, raping, burglarizing, murdering thugs back on the streets after only a part of their sentence, yet drug "offenders" (who exactly are they offending?) must be locked up and the key thrown away thanks to mandatory minimum sentences.Forty years ago, the hippies showed us how good life can be, and some still do. Now we have dirty cops, corrupt politicians and the special-interest-driven prison system showing the world how cruel and cold a once great country can be to its own citizens. Shame to anyone and everyone who has dedicated his/her life and livelihood to keeping this monstrous farce going for so many years.Sorry for ranting, but this one really bothered me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by whig on June 28, 2007 at 21:54:02 PT BGreen I was just looking up that Wakarusa festival in Kansas, do you remember what happened there last year? Widespread Panic is headlining this year, it's just over a week from now.Should there be anything we can do to warn people what went on or prevent it? [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Wayne on June 28, 2007 at 20:55:17 PT oooh, i like anagrams!! "Matthews is one of the leaders of the county's new Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team, or URGENT."Hey Lieutenant, I've got one for ya:How about this, "Team of Overpaid, Over-reacting Law-enforcement Scumbags" (TOOLS) [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by FoM on June 28, 2007 at 20:18:50 PT BGreen My goodness it is getting scary to go to an event. I have been to a couple Neil Young concerts and I couldn't believe the amount of beer that was being consumed. I never heard of anything happening at them though. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by ekim on June 28, 2007 at 19:58:46 PT thank you BGreen if more of us had half of your gumtion -- weed get er done- [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by BGreen on June 28, 2007 at 19:52:14 PT Similar "Peace" attack here in MO last week Last Friday I saw a brief mention of a "Safety Checkpoint" that led to an incredibly large number of marijuana arrests but no drunk drivers.I found the story in the Lebanon, MO newspaper, The Lebanon Daily Record, which also detailed the number of arrests but not the circumstances surrounding this so-called "Safety Checkpoint."************************************************************Checkpoint yields 76 arrests FridayBy LDR Staff, Jun 23, 2007The Laclede County Sheriff’s Department reports 76 arrests made at a safety checkpoint set from 2 to 9 p.m. Friday on Route E about five miles northwest of Eldridge.Those included 28 misdemeanor citations for possessing less than 35 grams of marijuana, 20 misdemeanor citations for drug paraphernalia possession, 14 traffic-related offenses, two citations for felonies of marijuana possession, one citation for a felony of LSD possession, one citation for a felony of possessing hallucinogenic mushrooms, three citations to minors in possession of alcohol and seven warrant arrests.Twenty-five officers and three K-9 units were involved. Agencies involved included the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and Posse, the Missouri State Highway Patrol drug and crime control division, the Missouri State Water Patrol, the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group, the Lebanon Police Department K-9 unit and the Missouri Department of Conservation.http://lebanondailyrecord.com/publish/printer_4086.shtml************************************************************So, investigator Bud Green did a search for "music - Route E - Eldridge, MO" and found this:Bird Island AmphitheaterThe Ozarks kindest secluded river front Campground AmphitheaterBird Island Amphitheater is situated along the peaceful banks of the beautiful Niangua River and mixes kind music events with a unique camping experience. Primitive, secluded and unspoiled. We have lots of excellent camping along the river, deep pools for swimming, shallow banks for the kiddies and waders, and lots of space to explore for the adventurous. To truly enjoy the best of the Niangua we suggest you bring your tubes or canoes! We are pleased to host the 7th Annual CommUnity Peace Festival in June. Just click on the banner below for all the details! see you on the river!The Peace Conspiracy humbly presents the 7th Annual CommUnity Peace Festival, June 21st ~ 25th, 2007http://www.peaceconspiracy.org/birdisland.html************************************************************So, we have our answer. The cops searched all the vehicles going in and out of this music festival.Now, that angered me, because I know the same thing has happened before in Missouri, but now I'm a little confused.The group sponsoring this festival, The Peace Conspiracy, is sponsoring another event at another location in Missouri this August, and they didn't bother to warn anybody about what has happened to people attending previous events they've sponsored.My own history has shown that we warn each other about things such as full roadblocks with drug dogs searching everybody going into a festival.I'm wondering if these festivals are being set up by certain organizations whose only interest is in mass arrests of cannabis smokers or if this is just ignorance by the organizers to protect the freedom and liberty of their attendees?Everybody be careful.The Reverend Bud Green [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by mayan on June 28, 2007 at 18:23:47 PT Cultural War The true hippies have always been about sustainable living. The federal gov't, which want's to keep the populace hooked on finite resources, has always been out to exterminate said hippies because they aren't compatible with the long-range goals of said gov't. We are in the final stages of a cultural war in which the gov't is quickly losing ground. The fascists are obviously getting increasingly desperate (9/11,stolen elections,illegal wars). They will clamp down even harder as we near victory. THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...Kevin Barrett: Liberal news media continue to block debate about 9/11 truth: http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/letters/199186In 9/11 Truth Movement, Canada stands with US: http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/printer_2135.shtml9/11: Total Proof That Bombs Were Planted In The Buildings! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n-nT-luFIw&mode=related&searchNew 9/11 Truth Film Exposes BBC Hit Piece: http://infowars.net/articles/june2007/280607Film.htmThe OEM Issued a WTC Collapse Warning: http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/oem_wtc.html9/11 Truth Seattle: http://www.911truthseattle.org/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by RevRayGreen on June 28, 2007 at 17:21:27 PT Democratic Candidates Position(and others) the definitive list.All eight Democratic candidates have taken positive positions on medical marijuana. Six candidates have publicly promised to end the federal raids, including Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), John Edwards (D-NC), Mike Gravel (D-AK), and Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM), who in April signed legislation making New Mexico the 12th state to protect residents who use medical marijuana. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) have yet to clearly state their support for ending the raids, but along with Sen. Dodd, they voted in opposition to federal legislation in committee that would have increased the penalties for growing and distributing medical marijuana in states that have approved its use.Many of the Republican candidates have also taken compassionate positions on medical marijuana, including former secretary of Heath and Human Services Tommy Thompson, who recently stated on two separate occasions that he would end the raids on patients. Last year, Reps. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) and Ron Paul (R-TX) voted with Kucinich in support of the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which would have cut off funding for federal raids on states with medical marijuana programs.McCain and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore have both taken positions protecting states' rights, with McCain saying he would, "let states decide" the medical marijuana issue.courtesy of www.mpp.org [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 28, 2007 at 17:00:57 PT OverwhelmSam I think of Hippies as what was good about the 60s and there are many of them left. It's really in the mind of people more then outward appearance. What I mean is when someone has a good and kind idea they might be a hippie but might not look like a hippie. It comes from the inside and flows out. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by OverwhelmSam on June 28, 2007 at 16:50:31 PT Environmentally Friendly I tend to equate the "Real" Hippies with the Druids of the past. Not at all like the idealistic and energetic dime bag hippies you see today. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on June 28, 2007 at 16:39:15 PT charmed quark I care more for this older person because of what he represents. He represents a time when people looked for a different way and now he is old. All we hear is what about the children from our politicians but I ask what about the dear old aging hippies that brought us the computer era and helped to develop the Internet and Earth Day and natural food and on and on. Not to mention the beautiful art. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by charmed quark on June 28, 2007 at 16:30:15 PT The Legislator should stop it altogether So he felt bad about them going after a peaceful, aging hippy. What about everybody else - is that OK because they're not as nice? Sounds like he's calling for selective enforcement.Maybe he should think about whether the law itself is a good idea. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by OverwhelmSam on June 28, 2007 at 16:18:07 PT I Call It Trained Obssession Just like the Nazi Troops were trained to blindly obey. March! Salute! Kill! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on June 28, 2007 at 16:00:36 PT dongenero Thank you. I looked at the WoodStock Earth link and thought how sweet the page was. I really am bothered by police still picking on now old hippies. Why can't this just stop?http://www.woodstockearth.net/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by dongenero on June 28, 2007 at 15:10:02 PT thanks FoM, good call This is an appalling case. Groups of paramilitary, delusional, glory seeking thugs raiding senior citizens with shotguns.....over 2 grams of marijuana. How ridiculous. Who's paying for this foolishness? Thank goodness this poor man was not hurt.Law enforcement has gone mad in this country! This MUST be stopped! There should be some smackdown on this URGENT group. Get after the gangs you bunch of pu$$ies [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on June 28, 2007 at 14:45:24 PT Just a Comment I try to avoid stories about busts to protect the people in the situation but I did a judgement call and this article says a lot to me and I hope it does to others here. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment