cannabisnews.com: Marijuana, a Growing Battle Marijuana, a Growing Battle Posted by CN Staff on September 14, 2008 at 06:13:47 PT By Jason Blevins, The Denver Post Source: Denver Post Huerfano County, CO -- Mike Stetler is proud of his garden. It took him months to get the lush jungle just right. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he said. A decade ago, the labor of planting would have been impossible for Stetler. Strung out on Demerol, OxyContin, morphine and oxycodone, the pain-addled Navy veteran was, he says, "a slobbering zombie, stupid and living in la-la land." Since 2002, though, when he started growing and smoking the medicinal marijuana he now tends so carefully, he hasn't touched a pill. "The pain isn't all the way gone, but I can live again. I can get out of bed. The sun is shining on me again," he said. "See what God does? He gives us something beautiful to use. This healing herb. And what happens?" What happened is sheriff's deputies landed a helicopter on his land, broke open two padlocked gates and ransacked his trailer, ripping a gaping hole in the roof. They seized 44 marijuana plants and more than eight state-issued medical-marijuana cards that indicate other medical-marijuana patients have told the state he is their designated caregiver. They left a search warrant hanging over Stetler's medical-marijuana sign. Almost eight years after Colorado voters approved Amendment 20, engraving in the Colorado Constitution the lawful use of doctor-recommended medical marijuana for those "suffering from debilitating medical conditions," police and prosecutors zealously pursue medical-marijuana growers like Stetler, citing everything from the fact that they just don't like the law to concerns about public safety and confusion over what the law allows. The law is "overly broad," "a work in progress," "vague" and "a mistake," according to cops and prosecutors along the Front Range, home to more than three-quarters of the state's 3,302 residents enrolled in the Colorado medical-marijuana registry program. There are 12 states in the U.S. that have medical-marijuana laws. Of the 10 with marijuana card systems, Colorado is the only state that does not issue caregivers like Stetler licenses that specifically allow for cultivation. "Marijuana cultivation is a violation of federal and state law. Just because someone says 'medical marijuana' doesn't mean we automatically back off and we don't enforce the law," said Larry Abrahamson, district attorney for Larimer County, where more than 45 percent of felony marijuana cases in the past decade have involved growers, many with state-issued cards. "Just because we have Amendment 20 does not mean we have free marijuana for everyone." Snipped Complete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/SOVH7sM4Source: Denver Post (CO)Author: Jason Blevins, The Denver PostPublished: September 14, 2008Copyright: 2008 The Denver Post CorpWebsite: http://www.denverpost.com/Contact: openforum denverpost.comCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #34 posted by FoM on September 16, 2008 at 09:34:58 PT Just a Note I wanted to mention that I understand why the comments aren't like they have been but I wanted you to know our stats are doing just fine. People are reading but are probably spending time talking about the election and I sure understand that. I read way more about Obama then I do about our topic right now. I am looking forward to an Obama administration if we get one with all the spin we are seeing by the other side. I'm still hopeful even though the right scares me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #33 posted by FoM on September 16, 2008 at 06:02:15 PT OT: Stock Market I checked out the stock market and was surprised to see it dropped over 500 points yesterday. I guess we will be paying for this too. I hear people talk about a free market but isn't it more like socialism if the people of the USA will be paying for another business failure? I'm glad I don't believe in the stock market when it comes to investing money in it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #32 posted by FoM on September 15, 2008 at 20:59:01 PT Upcoming Farm Aid Coverage Saturday 20th We had 70 plus mile an hour winds yesterday for about 6 non stop hours and it knocked out the electric for 24 hours. It was an amazing day yesterday watching the power of the wind when it hit the woods behind our house. We still don't have phone service but many people will be without power for a week or more. It was the remnants of Hurricane Ike mixing with another front. We didn't get rain just powerful wind like I've never seen before. I just leaned on the window sill and was mesmerized by the power of the wind. I wonder if they are starting to believe in global climate change? ***Farm Aid's New England Concert to Broadcast Live in HD and Commercial Free Exclusively on DIRECTV'sSept. 20 event adds The Pretenders, moe., Arlo Guthrie, Jerry Lee Lewis and more artists to lineup.SOMERVILLE, Mass. - Farm Aid today announced that its Sept. 20 New England music festival will be broadcast live on DIRECTV's The 101 Network, which reaches more than 17 million viewers. This broadcast will mark the first time that Farm Aid's annual benefit concert airs live in HD.The show will broadcast from Farm Aid 2008 Presented by Whole Foods Market and Horizon Organic at the Comcast Center near Boston. The show will feature performances by Farm Aid president and founder Willie Nelson; board members Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews; as well as Kenny Chesney. Coverage on The 101 Network will begin at 4 p.m. and end at 11 p.m.Farm Aid also announced that The Pretenders, moe., Arlo Guthrie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Nation Beat, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Jakob Dylan and The Gold Mountain Rebels, Danielle Evin, Jamey Johnson, Jesse Lenat, Will Dailey and One Flew South will join previously announced performers Nelson, Young, Mellencamp, Matthews and Chesney.Complete Article: http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=P4860096 [ Post Comment ] Comment #31 posted by fight_4_freedom on September 15, 2008 at 20:28:07 PT 100 cannabis arrests in the U.S. just in this past hour!!!!! Wow, that statistic really sticks out to me.All that time and all those resources right down the drain. Now they need to come out with statistics that show how much actual time is being used by police to lock up non-violent cannabis consumers. [ Post Comment ] Comment #30 posted by afterburner on September 15, 2008 at 20:24:52 PT Someday Colorado May Take the 10th Amendment The 9th District has some form of cannabis reform law in all of its states at least at the city level (Hailey, Idaho: Pot Prevails Again in Hailey http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/23/thread23959.shtml ) AND medical cannabis in all states except Arizona and Idaho. Guam and MP=Northern Mariana Islands unknown.The 10th District, which contains Colorado, does not have nearly the mutual support of other states in the district, yet. Only New Mexico also has medical cannabis and no other state has decrim. Otherwise, Colorado medical cannabis patients could try for the 10th Amendment argument that WAMM is trying in the 9th District.Map of United States District Court Circuits http://www.scribd.com/doc/217547/Map-of-United-States-District-Court-CircuitsState By State Laws - NORML http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516 [ Post Comment ] Comment #29 posted by mykeyb420 on September 15, 2008 at 19:41:59 PT peter camejo Peter Camejo, green party canadate and medical marijuana friend, passed away. RIP Pete. peter camejo [ Post Comment ] Comment #28 posted by Hope on September 15, 2008 at 19:39:20 PT ARRESTED Hundreds of thousands of people ARRESTED in this country last year.... for possessing contraband plant matter. [ Post Comment ] Comment #27 posted by Hope on September 15, 2008 at 19:37:03 PT 775,138 were arrests for simple possession Hundreds of thousands. Hundreds of thousands in one year. [ Post Comment ] Comment #26 posted by Hope on September 15, 2008 at 19:33:49 PT Fight_4_Freedom Stunning pictures. [ Post Comment ] Comment #25 posted by Hope on September 15, 2008 at 19:30:29 PT Thank you, AOLBites. Thank you, Storm Crow. I appreciate it. Storm Crow, you may be pleased to know that I have printed the list at least a couple of times and given them to people.Thanks. I know you worked a lot of hours to get all that together like that. Thank you.AOLBites... Thank you. Old list... new list. I want to bookmark them all. [ Post Comment ] Comment #24 posted by Hope on September 15, 2008 at 19:25:53 PT Paul Armentano Comment 19 That is sickening. But, of course, we need to know it. Thank you, Paul. It's valuable information. [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by ekim on September 15, 2008 at 12:13:35 PT found it http://www.cheechandchongtour.com/on Fri night on ABC Cheech said he would like to talk about the Energy Debate and Chong said he would like to talk about Prison ReformI hope Cheech talks to David Blume about Alcohol can be a gas.www.permaculture.com [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by Sam Adams on September 15, 2008 at 11:58:47 PT colorado I can barely stand to read about these dumb bullies literally preying on sick people. Everytime you see the word "folksy" in American, just substitute in "redneck". that's what they're trying to say.It's clear that the govt. has declared war on marijuana use in Colorado, a vindictive response to the medical MJ law passing and SAFER's projects. Just like the stubborn bigots who fought equal rights in the 50's and 60's, we know where these guys will end up - losing, and being ridiculed in the future.But big alcohol's going to fight all the way to the bitter end. The cops just can't stand the thought of not being able to arrest the hippie types whenever they want. shocking - they'll actually have to work on stopping real crime! [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by ekim on September 15, 2008 at 11:51:32 PT Michael Moore movie out Sept 23 http://slackeruprising.com/does anyone have a site for Cheech and Chongs tour? [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by fight_4_freedom on September 15, 2008 at 11:27:30 PT Off topic Amazing Hurricane Ike Pictureshttp://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by paul armentano on September 15, 2008 at 10:31:46 PT Sickening Milestone: Record Pot Arrests for 2007 http://stash.norml.org/2008/09/15/872721-marijuana-arrests-in-2007-up-52-from-2006/872,721 marijuana arrests in 2007, up 5.2% from 2006September 15th, 2008 By: "Radical" RussRecord number of Americans arrested for marijuanaThe FBI has released its annual report on Crime in the United States 2007. Once again, the number of people in the United States arrested for marijuana has gone up. 872,721 Americans were arrested for marijuana in 2007, and of those arrests, 89% or 775,138 were arrests for simple possession - not buying, selling, trafficking, or manufacture (growing).This represents an increase in marijuana arrests of 5.2% from the previous year and the fifth straight year marijuana arrests have increased from the previous year. Now a marijuana smoker is arrested at the rate of 1 every 37 seconds and almost 100 marijuana arrests per hour. http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7698 [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by Storm Crow on September 15, 2008 at 08:01:46 PT That's the older version- The newer version is at these sites-http://boards.cannabis.com/medicinal-cannabis-health/159711-granny-storm-crows-list.htmlhttp://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=95659And hon, it's popping up at a LOT of sites- if you lose it again, just google "Granny Storm Crow", you'll find it soon enough! [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by aolbites on September 15, 2008 at 07:06:05 PT Storm Crow -=snip=-Information does no good if it is hoarded. If you know someone who is ill, copy and paste the part they need, or print up the article, and mail it to them (anonymously, might be a good idea in a lot of cases). Also, send a page or three of a print out of the titles and URLs and a typed message (again anonymously) leading to this post to your doctor. Something simple, like “Want to know more? Visit here!”and give the URL.I’m hoping that in return for the hours I spent collecting this, you will give me a present in return- mailing this out and telling others. By spreading knowledge to help others, you give them power over their own lives! Knowledge is power! And the truth will set us free (to smoke our pot in peace!) - Storm Crowhttp://www.treatingyourself.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=23136 [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by charmed quark on September 15, 2008 at 06:40:50 PT what part of amendment 20 did he violate I read the text of the amendment, plus the clarification of the court decision. Even without the latter decision, when law enforcement had decided that one could only grow 6 plants per patient for up to 5 patients, he would have barely been growing excess plants. The more recent ruling removed the patient number limits. It's not even strictly necessary for the patients to be registered, just to have a doctor's rec.So why did the police do this? It wasn't a large grow at all and it looks like he went out of his way to be compliant. It seems the police simply ignored the law. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by Hope on September 15, 2008 at 06:29:53 PT Storm Crow I think I've misplaced the url to your site with all the studies.Could you post the url to that wonderful work you've done, again? [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Storm Crow on September 15, 2008 at 06:27:00 PT I find it odd............ Here we are encouraged (brain-washed into) to give our young girls and teens a relatively untested vaccine against cervical cancer and yet forbid them a ancient, time-tested herb that well may prevent breast cancer (and Alzheimer's, IBS, diabetes, neuropathic damage, pain and more)! "Think of the children!" (and maybe a little about the rest of us , too!) Are the prohibs ready to condemn their kids (and themselves) to a future filled with breast cancer, Alzheimer's and more? "What message will we be sending the children?" That "big pharma" isn't the ONLY way to go? Think for yourselves? That they can treat their own ailments with herbs? That we can create a better future without the government's "help"? [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Hope on September 14, 2008 at 21:12:45 PT When I went to the second page of this article http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/19/AR2007111900834.htmlCannabis Compound May Stop Metastatic Breast CancerI got an a huge antidrug ad, half the page nearly, fixing to do a big focus on "marijuana" and teenagers. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by museman on September 14, 2008 at 21:02:06 PT hmmmm "Just because we have Amendment 20 does not mean we have free marijuana for everyone." Free Marijuana For Everyone. What a concept! Sounds like a good idea to me. Better than the current alternatives. But of course when you've lived in a virtual sense-depravation environment (bombarding the senses with sound, light and incomprehensible scenarios achieves a similar effect) and don't know there are other alternatives, you might think it a bad idea. One tends to cling to the familar and imagined comfort in front of their couch, even if greater joy and comfort awaits just outside, or in the next room.While on the subject of concepts, how about those 'laws?' Was liberty legislated into being, or was it the other way around? Restriction, regulation, control, limitation, - and thats the 'good cop' side of 'law 'n order.' The 'bad cop' side is oppression, repression, brutality, war, violence, and other destructive activities.Laws to protect whom?I was just warned that I no longer have freedom of speech. That though I have this obviously antiquated, quaint idea that our Constitution holds any validity of any significance having to do with liberty and freedom, it has been rendered moot. Because 'the law' has been re-written, much like cannabis prohibition, by posers and pretenders to authority -currently in the guise of bushian republicans- in the de-facto establishment of the Patriot Act and its avalanche of acts regulating freedom, and propagating a new economic fuedal society, re-establishing the old standard of the ruling class and the serf-servant class, while making it look like the 'middle' class.Yes its true, 'legally.' But I reject it. Because though it may be 'ratified' by a small group of corrupted humanity, I have known the freedom and liberty that is granted me as a human being and a child of God, and no amout of 'writ' is going to make a lie the truth. So much for 'the law.'Free is a good word. Its apparent ot me that many folks who use it on a daily basis may not actually have a good experiential grasp of its substance. Liberty is the root of 'liberal' yet the politicians treat that term like they do 'hippy.' To liberate this beleagered nation is a prayer on the lips of multitudes, because when America is actually free, the rest of the world will know that to be free is not 'the freedom to make money' (and serve the high financiers whose direct-line ancestors invented it) or the act of 'establishing law.'Freedom is a state of action and being which requires the high art of ethic and responsibility, that involves an investment of trust and faith in the co-participants. the phrase "Innocent until proven guilty" comes from this premise. The 'codes' of protocols passed off as ethics by 'lawgivers' and 'lawmakers' are not true high ethics and responsibility, even though that is what they 'call' and 'label' them. They have changed the dictionaries quite significantly since the 1930s. And words that have 'common meaning' to most regular folks, have special meaning in 'legaleze' - the language of the 'court.' The Court. Where did that concept come from? Couldn't possibly have derived from the 'Kings Court' where the 'judgements' were cast with the flick of a hand -kind of like the gavel- for such heinous crimes as stealing eggs to feed starving children, or growing cannabis for medicine to help people relieve their pain. Same damn kings, same damn kings men passing the same damn unethical, immoral, unlawful -in the truest sense -where law actuallty comes from, and what it actually is- same damn spiritual darkness passing their judgements upon the weak and the poor. Same damn group of finely dressed demons getting away with the real crimes of crimes, over and over again.FREE MARIJUANA FOR EVERYONEAnd if somebody can't trust people to be real about that and go about that particular freedom with a high ethic of wisdom and responsibility, then maybe they should learn how. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Hope on September 14, 2008 at 20:44:54 PT Controlled Substances Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_Substances_ActExcerpt:"Also during this time, Nixon commissioned the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse”known as the Shafer Commission after its chairman, Raymond P. Shafer”to study marijuana abuse in the United States. During his presentation of the commission's findings to Congress, Shafer recommended the decriminalization of marijuana in small amounts, saying, "[T]he criminal law is too harsh a tool to apply to personal possession even in the effort to discourage use. It implies an overwhelming indictment of the behavior which we believe is not appropriate. The actual and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only 'with the greatest reluctance." Nixon buried this commission's findings and went on to sign the Controlled Substances Act."Just think of the people that would still be alive today and the families that would have survived and the people that wouldn't have been persecuted... but died and are dying and were and are persecuted because the Shafer Report recommendation was buried.(Thanks FriedaMae) [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Storm Crow on September 14, 2008 at 13:49:28 PT Simple 3rd grade math..... 6 x 8 = 48Or as a word problem-6 "Colorado legal" plants per patient x "more than eight state-issued medical-marijuana cards" = 48 + legal plants. Can't Colorado sheriffs do simple math? "What happened is sheriff's deputies landed a helicopter on his land, broke open two padlocked gates and ransacked his trailer, ripping a gaping hole in the roof. They seized 44 marijuana plants and more than eight state-issued medical-marijuana cards that indicate other medical-marijuana patients have told the state he is their designated caregiver." And aren't the sheriffs supposed to UPHOLD state law? [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Hope on September 14, 2008 at 11:37:31 PT Reality? "Last month, Crumbliss stood trembling with his arms held high in his front yard at 4 a.m., his boxers pulled to his ankles, his head and face wrapped in a T-shirt, a laser-scoped assault rifle trained on his chest and his dogs howling from a shower of tear gas. He kept saying one thing over and over: "I have a license to grow medical marijuana." "There is something deeply wrong with people that can do something like that to another human. The fact that it is "Law Enforcement"... representatives of our government... should have people paying serious attention. Something is terribly wrong.I am afraid for every person that comes in contact with people that can do things like that to others.And the fact that they do it over a plant, a gift from God... Well... it's hard to talk about. All of this is so hard to talk about. You all know that. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by ekim on September 14, 2008 at 11:17:15 PT both Obama and McCain are saying how smart the Mayors of our cities are-----well which is it are they or not------and did Sara Palin sign this resolution?http://cannabisnews.com/news/23/thread23629.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by John Tyler on September 14, 2008 at 11:16:40 PT it's part of the therapy To me the famous cannabis “side effect” is part of the therapy. When one is suffering unto death (wouldn’t it be) isn’t it somehow comforting to know, with true understanding, that there is some meaning to it all, some understanding that you are part of something greater, and more profound. Contemporary medicine can usually do a good job of healing the body, but it overlooks a spirit that could use some help. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 14, 2008 at 10:47:29 PT Just a Comment When someone is really feeling bad from an illness it causes depression. Why take out the part that can lift a sick person out of a depression which might just make getting better more probable? [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by HempWorld on September 14, 2008 at 10:39:48 PT About the 'new' cannabis drugs ... What it's all about: Just leave it to our 'friends' at GlaxoSmithKline to "Weed Out The Highs Of Medical Marijuana."And meanwhile, if you do have a terminal illness (you can't have it); "go to hell" until we can feed you our poison (probably toxic) and save you the 'side effects' of mother nature. Very uplifting indeed!How reassuring... On a mission from God! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by aolbites on September 14, 2008 at 10:15:06 PT New Cannabis-like Drugs New Cannabis-like Drugs Could Block Pain Without Affecting Brain, Says StudyScienceDaily (Sep. 14, 2008) — A new type of drug could alleviate pain in a similar way to cannabis without affecting the brain, according to a new study.-=snip=-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080912091728.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by HempWorld on September 14, 2008 at 09:45:32 PT It's staring us right in the face ... Research seems to indicate—that cannabis is the cure for cancer and that the US gov't suppressed this information for over 30 years (and continues to do so, and world-wide), then the body count alone will make this the biggest holocaust in recorded history. Virtually all federal drug policy makers of both parties since 1975—including legislators, presidents and the DEA—will be complicit and criminally liable. And still ... bla, bla, bla, (you can't have it) bla, bla, bla.So apparently, we must take more and stronger action!When policies and laws are based on propaganda instead of science, special interests are rewarded at the expense of we the people. On a mission from God! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on September 14, 2008 at 06:52:19 PT Related Article From The Denver Post Courts Offer Some Sketchy Guidance on Amendment's Gray Areashttp://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_10452225 [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 14, 2008 at 06:49:52 PT News Article From Salem-News.com HempStalk 2008 Gives Legalization Activists a Voice (VIDEO)http://www.salem-news.com/articles/september142008/hempstalk_091108.php [ Post Comment ] Post Comment