cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- September 2, 2004










  NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- September 2, 2004

Posted by CN Staff on September 02, 2004 at 15:51:26 PT
Weekly Press Release 
Source: NORML 

Alaska Court Narrows Marijuana Search LawSeptember 2, 2004 - Anchorage, AK, USAAnchorage, Alaska: Alaskan courts continue to observe that the right of privacy for adults also includes possession up to 4 ounces of marijuana. According to the Associated Press police cannot execute a search warrant in a person's home for possession of less than 4 ounces of marijuana, the Alaska Court of Appeals ruled last Friday.
The court ruled in the case of Leo Richardson Crocker, Jr., who was charged with marijuana-related offenses after police, acting on a tip, searched his home and found marijuana and growing equipment. The opinion is the latest in a series of decisions that have carved out protections for possessing marijuana in an Alaskan home.The state Supreme Court in 1975 ruled that an adult's rights to limited marijuana possession was protected under the state constitution's privacy provisions. Last year, the Appeals Court defined that limit as 4 ounces. Further, the Appeals Court also struck down a 1990 voter initiative that criminalized possession of any amount of marijuana.Note: Police Must Now Suspect That More Than Four Ounces Of Marijuana Is Involved.You can read the Alaska Appeals Court opinion at: http://www.state.ak.us/courts/ops/ap-1949.pdfDL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6221Ruling Limits Pot Raidshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19409.shtmlAlaska Court Narrows Marijuana Search Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19406.shtmlState Appeals Legal Pot Ruling http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18183.shtmlAlaskans to Vote on Pot Legalization in '04 http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18067.shtmlAlaska Court: Drug Ban Unconstitutionalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17184.shtml Feds Back Down In CO Medical Marijuana Legal CaseSeptember 2, 2004 - Aurora, CO, USAReturn Marijuana Growing Equipment To PatientAurora, Colorado: Dana May, who suffers from chronic pain, won a major legal victory last week when the federal government agreed to return all of his marijuana-growing equipment.The assistant U.S. attorney also informed NORML Legal Committee member and Mr. May's criminal defense attorney, Robert J Corry, Jr., that the feds will not prosecute May for any crime. However, the marijuana Mr. May was caught with will not be returned.Executive Director of the NORML Foundation Allen St. Pierre said that Mr. May and his partner are genuine heroes for standing up to federal law enforcement and "advocating for the common sense principle that if medical marijuana is legal for approved patients in Colorado (and nine other states), and if the government fails to provide for safe and legal access to a physician-recommended medicine, then Mr. May is guilty at worse of self-preservation."May's doctor signed his legal forms in 2002 permitting him to grow and use marijuana under Colorado law to help treat his chronic pain in his legs and feet as a result of a 1995 accident. Mr. May called his victory bittersweet and complained that anti-drug personnel should target hard drug sellers rather then "going after little pot growers like me.""I think this is a big step because the DEA giving my equipment back they know what I'm going to do with it and it's like they're condoning it," said Mr. May.You can read about federal cases against state-sanctioned medical marijuana users at: http://canorml.org/news/fedmmjcases.htmlFor more information relating to Dana May's legal efforts against the federal government, contact NLC member and Denver criminal defense attorney Robert Corry Jr, at 303-634-2244.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6222 Feds Back Down in Medical Pot Case http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19401.shtmlAiling Auroran Sues for Seized Pot's Returnhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19396.shtmlAiling Man To Feds: Give Back My Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19269.shtml 99 Percent Of All Marijuana Plants Eradicated In US Is Feral Hemp, Federal Data Reveals September 2, 2004 - Washington, DC, USAWashington, DC: Approximately ninety-nine percent of all marijuana eradicated by the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program in 2003 was feral hemp-not cultivated marijuana, according to figures recently published online by the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics.According to the DEA data, of the estimated 247 million marijuana plants destroyed by law enforcement in 2003, more than 243 million were classified as "ditch weed," a term the agency uses to define "wild, scattered marijuana plants [with] no evidence of planting, fertilizing, or tending." Unlike cultivated marijuana, feral hemp contains virtually no detectable levels of THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana, and does not contribute to the black market marijuana trade.NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre criticized the program for spending millions of taxpayers' dollars eradicating hemp. "Hemp is grown legally throughout most the Western world as a commercial crop for its fiber content, yet the US government is spending taxpayers' money to target and eradicate this same agricultural commodity," he said, noting that many of today's current hemp plots are remnants of US-government subsidized crops that existed prior to World War II. "Virtually all wild hemp goes unharvested and presents no legitimate threat to public safety. As such, it should be of no concern to the federal government or law enforcement."According to DEA figures, Indiana led all 50 states in the volume of ditchweed eradicated, destroying more than 219 million plants. Oklahoma law enforcement eradicated some 10 million plants, and Missouri destroyed an estimated 4.5 million. More than half of all states failed to report their ditch weed totals.California led all 50 states in the number of cultivated plants eradicated in 2003, with the DEA citing nearly 1.2 million plants destroyed.Begun in 1979, the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program allocates federal funds to law enforcement agencies in all 50 states for the purpose of uprooting marijuana. For 2003, DEA data indicates that 8,480 arrests were derived from law enforcement raiding over 34,000 outdoor plots, and over 2,600 indoor gardens.For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of the NORML Foundation, at (202) 483-5500. A past NORML report and analysis on domestic marijuana cultivation is at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4444DEA Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program data available at: http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/1995/pdf/t438.pdfDL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6220Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: September 2, 2004Copyright: 2004 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- Aug. 26, 2004 http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19398.shtmlNORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- Aug. 18, 2004 http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19361.shtml

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Comment #31 posted by ekim on September 07, 2004 at 07:11:12 PT
com#7&8
along with this is the entire event time line.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike To: 
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 9:32 AM
Subject: Brian Lamb> Dear Mr. Lamb
> Thank you for everything you do and for C-Span. I am asking you to please
> take a moment and see if C-Span could be at this most important event on the
> long running Drug War. West Michigan University is located in Kalamazoo MI.
> Brian
> W.M.U. has a very large Papermaking Dept. and Kalamazoo has lost thousands
> of Papermaking jobs. Why not allow the use of Hemp grown by our farmers and
> see if Paper can be made to compete in some fashion in the paper industry as
> it is being done in China and many other places around the world. This will
> not get much play in this upcoming debate iam just filling you in on a real
> problem here and in many other towns around the country.
>  Please have Sheriff Masters, www.libertybill.net on your new Qand A show.
> Thank you very much. Mike 
http://www.minorml.org
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Comment #30 posted by Virgil on September 05, 2004 at 07:39:13 PT
Another correction
Thomas Paine was with Washington and a soldier in the army on December 23, 1776 when Washington needed a worn out army to cross the Delaware and take back the town of Trenton in New Jersey. Paine would write what would be the first of his Crisis Papers on a drum head and Washington would have it read to his army as the move on Trenton was coming. Paine's "Crisis No. 1" is here- http://www.thomaspaine.org/Archives/Crisis-1.html and beginsTHESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER," and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.
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Comment #29 posted by Hope on September 05, 2004 at 06:41:58 PT
Virgil, I liked this from your Jan. 2002 comment
Think of the children the antis say. Those that are thinking of their children want the war on MJ to end.(Hmmm...so you were p4me? I didn't realize. I like 'Virgil' better.)
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Comment #28 posted by Hope on September 05, 2004 at 06:29:39 PT
E Johnson & Breeze
I'm getting about ready to hear some excerpts from that novel you are working on EJ. And Breeze, you haven't posted any of your writings, have you?
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Comment #27 posted by Virgil on September 04, 2004 at 18:01:19 PT
A little tired about now
I do not have two compositions. I have two ideas worthy of composition. One would begin with a Google search using "cannabis" and "Ayurvedic". It is an important subject that is about the first writings of man to record ways to heal people as "health wealth" has always been of concern- http://www.everydayayurveda.org/The second idea concerns "teahouses" instead of coffeeshops. This would be something that would help Paul Peterson in his mission of healing. The people of this country are overweight and are clogging their arteries with transfats and fats in general. I am trying to squeeze in reading on Pomegranite juice because my concern right now is for my heart like many people over 50 have. Last Sunday the local program had two doctors on talking about stroke which is related to heart disease and clogged arteries because a piece of plaque can break off and go to the brain and clog a small artery causing a stroke. They would say that all the medical science in the world does not know what causes plaque, while a discussion on pomegranite juice says it is oxidized LDL.Tea itself has benefit to health and green tea seems to get more praise. It is the same plant with the leaves being picked green, so when you order tea at a restaurant it seems that they should ask if you want green or black tea before asking if you want sweetened or unsweetened.There are a lot of teas that would offer some improvements to health and if Starbucks can take coffee and build an empire, it sure seems the market potential for healing teas is there. There is of course Jamaican ganja tea, available only where authorized by law.
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Comment #26 posted by Virgil on September 04, 2004 at 17:39:14 PT
Write on rchander
These are times that try mens souls. Thomas Paine would galvanize the thoughts of those desiring independence from England with a little pamplet that can still be viewed at ThomasPaine.com. It was and is called "Common Sense"The times now require us to address the treason that rules us. This should not be fiction and should be a hammer on nail approach. There are two thoughts that I believe are worth a personal composition here at Cnews. The idea if properly presented would be acceptable as a contribution by AlterNet. I am all but certain they would be accepted by Yellowtimes.org as they need contributors.Labor Day will mark three years since my epiphany that came with Rainbow Farms. I would express it with "The government is out of control." here at Cnews on January 9, 2002 as p4me in comment2- http://cannabisnews.com/news/11/thread11714.shtmlReally what is needed is a contest by any group trying to reform any one issue. We are all stopped by the same treason that has turned all things upside down. I have two short compositions that I would like to offer here at Cnews so that someone could take it as a seed. But what is needed now is just a short pamplet like "Common Sense" to say that "We are ruled by treason." The government is out of control and we must take it back. There is a revolution going on and someone must take a swipe at all the ignorance that supports it.Write on rchander. Write on.
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Comment #25 posted by rchandar on September 04, 2004 at 17:00:53 PT:
the great drug war lawsuit
i think I'm going to write a book. I like Margaret Fuller, so I'll call it "The Great Drug War Lawsuit." Or, maybe I'll title it, "Ashcroft stands trial on Judgment Day."-rchandar
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Comment #24 posted by Hope on September 03, 2004 at 21:54:36 PT
Tom and Rollie
I'm so glad there was a vigil again this year. The story about the double rainbow was touching.It's been suggested before that I get a sort of "anniversary" sickness or depression when the anniversary of bad things comes around. I think I've got it again.But...at least, I'm still alive to get sick or depressed over things.What was done to Tom and Rollie should never have happened. The twin towers tragedy never should have happened. But it did and we mustn't forget.
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Comment #23 posted by ekim on September 03, 2004 at 19:52:29 PT
for Tom and Rollie
many gathered in Lansing on Thur and Fri for a rally to remember Rainbow Farm. Cable Access will tape the debate and i wanted to mention to Virg that we put Howard Wooldridge speaker from Leap hour long live call in show on dvd like you suggested a year ago. and will attempt to do the same with this debate. as to Kapts C-span i will email and try to get someones attention if it has not happen allready. On our show last week we had a history buff that said she has read on arcive records in the MI library on AG many farms that showed Hemp was grown and how much. We hope to use such information to get WMU Papermaking Dept to at least look in to researching this fiber for paper. any one that has Dir tv ch 103 has free nite with Stevey Ray Vauhann i hope i did not bucher his name to badly. again thank you everylast one and enjoy yourselves this weekend. mike
 
 
Monday, September 6
5:30 p.m. to ?
Vigil outside old Cass County Courthouse
Corner of M-60 and 62
Cassopolis, MI
 
With the third anniversary of the Rainbow Farm murders looming, Tom and Rollie have been much on my mind of late.
 
At Farmfest in August, several of us witnessed a vivid double rainbow, a perfect arc, both ends visible within the tent village of the gathering. It soared there, growing stronger and brighter for twnty minutes or so before gradually fading away; and I felt like the boys were smiling on us. It was sweet and sad and mind-blowing, like so much connected to the Farm.
 
It seemed to me, upon reflection, that Tom and Rollie may have been sending a sign of encouragement, a lttle applause for the hard work and progress going on in Michigan and beyond. From medical marijuana campaigns in Detroit and Ann Arbor, to the Barber case in Traverse City, to the flowering of Michigan NORML, I have seen a growing cooperation between individual activists and movements, and increased acceptance of our message in the mainstream. It feels like we're on the verge of something important.
 
 Many of us connected at Rainbow Farm, and have been working steadily, building networks and laying the foundation for change, ever since --- despite the increased suppression of dissent in this country (the very real risks it just doesn't pay to dwell on), despitte the strain on our finances, our time, and our relationships. And for me, at least, that persistence can be traced to the example of Rainbow Farm: how can I be silent when others have given so much? 
 
In that spirit, I invite you to join me in Cassopolis on Labor Day once again --- to celebrate our accomplishments, to pay tribute to Tom and Rollie, to gather strength for the battles yet to come, and too show once again that we will never forget.
 
Bring signs, drums, costumes, music, memories, poetry, art, color, and all manner of benevolent drama. Let's see what happens. 
 
 
                                          PeaceLoveGratitude,
                                           Melody A. Karr
                                           Michigan Cannabis Action Network
http://www.minorml.org
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Comment #22 posted by dididadadidit on September 03, 2004 at 09:50:54 PT
Indiana Leads Eradication Stupidity! No Surprise.
That Indiana would lead the ditchweed eradication effort with 219 of the total 247 million pulled plants can come as no surprise whatever. Fully determined to outstupid the confederacy, home to Repignican representative Mark Souder, the most rabid prohibitionist in the house, Indiana is number one.Souder is the architect of the no college loans for the marijuana tainted, signed by crocidile tears Clinton into law and later lamented by him. Souder vies with Johnny "Pee" Walters for the title of greatest lying drug warrior with respect to his woefully ignorant attacks on cannabis. He is correct in one assessment, I'm afraid. He believes marijuana makes people crazy. Too, too true. Millions smoke without harm to themselves, but their actions make the prohibitionists nuts.My sympathies to the state of Indiana, then again, they keep reelecting this idiot and inflicting him on the rest of the country. My congratulations to the state of Indiana on the fine day they wake up and fire the fool.Cheers?
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on September 03, 2004 at 09:14:35 PT
kapt
We're still laughing! That was perfect!!!! LOL!
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on September 03, 2004 at 09:09:30 PT
Kapt and Hope
Hope Stick says your welcome and kapt don't work too hard!
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Comment #19 posted by Hope on September 03, 2004 at 09:06:10 PT
Oooooooohh....*frown*
Bye, Kap. We miss you.Take good care of yourself.
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Comment #18 posted by kaptinemo on September 03, 2004 at 09:02:18 PT:
OO-RAH! for The Stick!
Good to see you on! And I heartily 2nd Hope's 'motion'. Gotta go again. Take care, all.
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Comment #17 posted by Hope on September 03, 2004 at 08:57:40 PT
Hey, Stick!
Nice to have a word from you...even if you didn't type it yourself!Thanks for the support you give FoM. We all appreciate it.
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Comment #16 posted by kaptinemo on September 03, 2004 at 08:56:46 PT:
ROFLMFAO
Oh, God, I'm dating myself for sure, here:http://www.rienzihills.com/SING/ifiknewyouwerecoming.htm
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Comment #15 posted by Hope on September 03, 2004 at 08:55:53 PT
Thank you, so much, Kap
I was thrilled to see your moniker on the recent comments list this morning. "All work and no play makes 'jack' and plenty of it." is a saying around here. We really miss your comments, but we understand...and I, for one, have confidence that the "big" job will go well, just knowing that you are working on it.Thanks for the comments and the "hat doffing" salute.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #14 posted by Stick on September 03, 2004 at 08:50:51 PT
Hi Kapt
If I'd known you were coming I would have baked a cake.PS: I FoM did the typing!
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on September 03, 2004 at 08:44:21 PT
Terrible anniversary
Does anyone know if there will be any sort of "remembrance vigil" for Tom and Rollie?
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by kaptinemo on September 03, 2004 at 08:44:01 PT:
(Deep bow and hat-doffing to all)
Hi, FoM. As I had mentioned previously, it's getting downright crazy. Lots of work, not enough hands to do it. This is the first chance I've had in days to catch a breather. Like I said, most of us across the country give the lie to the canard that cannabists are lazy and lack motivation. My company depends upon all hands to 'turn to' and get the job done, and it's a monster of a work order. Long hours, missed meals, frayed nerves and sometimes emergency calls from clear across the nation and elsewhere. No different from what many of us face every day. The big diff is that instead of swilling beer or something stronger at the nearby 'watering hole', we choose cannabis to relax with at the end of the work day. And have no hangover to nurse the next morning, thus damaging productivity.A pity that so much of American business is intensely striving to control every aspect of 'its' workforce's lives through pee-testing and other invasions of privacy; the cannabists show up ready to kick *ss, the surly, hungover juicers have to BE kicked. Typically bass-ackward American mercantilism at it's dumbest. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by Hope on September 03, 2004 at 08:38:00 PT
Kaptinemo
It's good to know you are checking in on us. Thank you. Especially as the anniversary of "Hell Week" approaches. The debate between Hutchinson and Johnson was a dream come true. Nightmare overwhelmed it before we ever got to reap, as a movement, any benefit from it. During the standoff at Rainbow Farm, after years of lurking, is when I made my first post. I wanted to encourage every one of us that possibly could, to head for Rainbow Farm. I had hoped, that perhaps, our greater presence might lend protection and tolerance for Tom and Rollie. It didn't happen, of course. That same tragedy filled few days also saw a young DEA agent playing in his backyard with his children. Archery, I believe is what they were doing, and a huge underground cesspool caved in and swallowed the young man right before his children. They had a hard time recovering his body. I hate what the DEA even stands for; much less does, but I wouldn't wish that on a worm. And...of course...the tragedy that exploded in New York, Pennsylvania, and D.C. overshadowed everything.These debates are indeed wonderful news. Being the month it is though, it makes one wary, even if it is just a sort of "superstitious" fear.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by afterburner on September 03, 2004 at 08:34:03 PT
DARE Effectiveness & the Younger Generation Speaks
US MO: Buzzkill! Thu, 02 Sep 2004
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1244/a05.html?135866CN MB: PUB LTE: Common Sense Has Gone To Pot 
by Richard A. Campbell-Ward, (02 Sep 2004) Winnipeg Free Press Manitoba
http://www.mapinc.org/newscc/v04/n1247/a09.html?397 
CN BC: Popular Pot Store 'Not Shutting Down' 02 Sep 2004 
Province, The (CN BC) 
http://www.mapinc.org/ccnews/v04/n1246/a06.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by FoM on September 03, 2004 at 08:22:31 PT
Hiya Kaptinemo!
It sure is good to see you! I hope your work is going fine. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by kaptinemo on September 03, 2004 at 06:19:09 PT:
I sincerely hope this will be taped
Ekim has brought us some important word; an honest-to-God debate of the issue amongst those most affected by it. The importance of this cannot be emphasized enough. I also hope that C-SPAN has been notified of this, as debates like this happen only every few years. The last time something like this happened was September 10, 2001 between Asa Hutchinson, then Director of the DEA and (former) Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico...and we all know how the next day's terrible and tragic events overshadowed what *would* have been major news. Let us CNEWS denizens and our allies hope Fate is kinder this time, to the nation as well as to us.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by ekim on September 02, 2004 at 20:40:09 PT
do something like this gl but in your oun way 
Major Players From Both Sides to Discuss War on Drugs Professionals from both sides of the battle lines will discuss the War on
Drugs as part of WMU's Peace Week celebration.
 Peace Week is organized by the Progressive Student Alliance at Western
Michigan University, an umbrella organization of dozens of social justice
oriented and progressive student groups on campus.
The drug war debate is sponsored by Students for a Sustainable Earth, and is
the third event during Peace Week.
The debate will take place on Thursday, September 23 from 6-8pm in the West
Ballroom of WMU's Bernhard Center. Terrell Forney a reporter for WWMT
Channel 3 will facilitate the discussion.
"I think debates are healthy for our society, especially when they involve
issues that affect us the most," said Forney. "I look forward to giving
each side a chance to voice their opinions."
The panel guests will include:
Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jim Gregart is a 1963 graduate of
Michigan State University, where he received his B.S. Degree in Police
Administration. In 1968, he was awarded his Juris Doctorate from the Detroit
College of Law (now at Michigan State University) and was admitted to the
practice of law.
Before becoming an attorney, Jim was a Military Policeman in the U.S. Army
and a Deputy Sheriff in the Wayne County Sheriff's Department in Detroit. In
1969, he became a Kalamazoo County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney; was
appointed Chief Assistant in 1972 and was first elected Prosecuting Attorney
in 1976.
Jim is currently serving his 7th consecutive four-year term of office. He is
past President of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, the
Kalamazoo Criminal Justice Commission and currently serves on the Board of
Directors of the National Criminal Justice Association in Washington D.C.
Jim recently concluded a two-year term as the elected Chairman of the
Kalamazoo Criminal Justice Council.
For the past 25+ years, he's also been a visiting faculty member for the
National College of District Attorneys at both the University of Houston in
Texas and the University of South Carolina. Jim has and continues to serve
on a wide variety of national, state and local professional and community
boards, commissions, advisory groups and organizations. During his 34+ years
in the Prosecutor's Office, he's been honored to receive numerous awards,
accolades and recognitions.
For more info on Mr. Gregart, www.kalcounty.com/opaHonorable Philip D. Schaefer was elected to the 9th Judicial Circuit Court
in Kalamazoo County in 1986 and re-elected in 1992 and 1998.
 Graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1970, Judge Schaefer
was in private practice in Kalamazoo from 1970-1986.
He has been the Presiding Judge of Trial Division since 2002 and was the
Chief Judge of Kalamazoo County Circuit Court from 1992-1999. Judge
Schaefer is the Presiding Judge of the Men's Drug Treatment Court.
For more info on Judge Schaefer, www.kalcounty.com/courts/judgesDetective First Lieutenant Bill Ford is a 26-year veteran of law enforcement
in Michigan is the current head of the Michigan State Police Southwest
Enforcement Team.
Promoted to Detective First Lieutenant of the Southwest Enforcement Team in
2002, responsible for 3 drug teams and 1 fugitive team, which cover 7
counties in Southwest Michigan.
Lt. Ford graduated from Western Michigan University with a BA in Psychology.
 Lt. Ford Started as a patrolman with the South Haven Police Department in
1978 and entered the Michigan State Police in September of 1978. Served as
a trooper at the Battle Creek post for 14 years. Promoted to Sergeant at
the Coldwater Post in 1992.
 Promoted to D/Sgt. at 5th District Headquarters in Paw Paw as Commander of
the 5th District Fugitive Team in 1995. Responsible for the arrest of over
1850 wanted felons from 1995-2002.State Senator Tom George was elected to the 20th District of the Michigan
Senate in 2002 after serving one term in the House of Representatives. The
20th Senate District includes all of Kalamazoo County and Antwerp and Paw
Paw Townships in Van Buren County.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator George serves on
five sub-committees. He is Chair of the History, Arts and Libraries
sub-committee and Vice-Chair of Capitol Outlay, Department of Community
Health, Family Independence Agency and Commerce, and Labor and Economic
Development.
Senator George also serves on the Senate Health Policy Committee and the
Joint Capitol Committee.
For more info on Senator George, www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/senator/georgeSheriff Bill Masters fought the "Drug War." He was good at it. He even won
an award from the Drug Enforcement Agency. Through his real-world
experiences as a law officer, Masters concluded drug prohibition must be
repealed. He discovered the drug war is itself an addiction, more damaging
to the fabric of American society than drugs could ever be."
Masters has served as sheriff of San Miguel County (Telluride), Colorado,
since 1979, and he is the nation's first Libertarian sheriff. He argues
police should spend their time getting violent criminals off the streets. He
also seeks cultural renewal in our nation by returning to the principles of
personal responsibility, simple laws, and limited government. In his book
"Drug War Addiction," Sheriff Bill Masters explains why we need to kick our
nation's drug war addiction.
An excellent speaker on drug policy reform, Bill is sought out by civic and
professional organizations across the United States to provide his
explanations of alternatives to the US policy of a war on drugs.
Scholars and policy leaders such as Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman,
California Superior Court Judge James P. Gray, and former New Mexico
Governor Gary Johnson agree: the drug war does more harm than good and
corrupts law enforcement, politics, and community values. For more on
Sheriff Masters, www.libertybill.net
Rev. Edwin C. Sanders II is the Senior Servant and Founder of the
Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, which has outreach ministries in
the areas of substance abuse, advocacy for children, sexual violence, and
harm reduction, in addition to providing services to persons infected with,
and affected by, HIV/AIDS through the First Response Center of the church,
where he serves as Executive Director.
Until recently, Rev. Sanders served as Pastoral Counselor for the Meharry
Medical College Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program, where he was responsible for
the spiritual component of all programs. He holds a B.A. in Anthropology
from Wesleyan University, and has done graduate study at Yale University
Divinity School and as a special student at Vanderbilt University Divinity
School in addition to traveling extensively throughout Europe and Africa as
one of the first fellows of the Thomas J. Watson Foundation. He is past
Chairperson of the Ryan White Community AIDS Partnership, and presently
serves on its steering committee.
In April 1998, Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services,
appointed him to the CDC Advisory Committee on HIV and STD Prevention. He is
active in the Harvard University AIDS Institute's "Leading for Life"
program, where he serves on the Steering Committee and chairs the Religious
Leaders Advisory Board. Rev.
Sanders is also a member of the Drug Policy Foundation Board, and serves as
Coordinator for Religious Leaders for a More Just and Compassionate Drug
Policy.
More information on Rev. Sanders can be found on his website,
www.religiousleadersdrugpolicy.orgNora Callahan founded the November Coalition along with her brother
(currently serving a 27 1/2-year sentence in a federal penitentiary) and a
few other prisoners to raise public awareness about the injustices of the
Drug War. The Coalition's "Razor Wire" newspaper and web site publicize
shocking personal stories of many of the millions of individuals convicted
of nonviolent drug offenses who are now serving draconian mandatory
sentences with no hope for earned release.
The November Coalition, founded in Colville, Washington in 1997, has
exploded into a national organization with a membership of thousands of
prisoners, their loved ones and other concerned citizens dedicated to ending
the racist and failed policies of the U.S. "War on Drugs."
In 1999, the November Coalition initiated the National Vigil Project to
bring Drug War victims face to face with the public. Regional volunteers
have organized public vigils to denounce the impact of current drug policies
in their own communities and to present plans of action for distraught
family members angered by loss and government indifference. The November
Coalition's ultimate goal is to turn that rage and sorrow into dignified,
effective civic resistance.
The November Coalition reminds us of our war against our fellow citizens and
our common obligation to seek their freedom."
There is much more to her organization which can be found at
www.november.orgSanho Tree is a Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington,
D.C. and Director of the institute's Drug Policy Project.
Mr. Tree is also a former military and diplomatic historian, but his current
work focuses on US involvement in the conflict in Colombia. He recently was
featured in the ABC/John Stossel documentary on the drug war, which aired in
July 2002 and appeared on Politically Incorrect in April of that year.
Currently, he serves on the board of Witness for Peace, Students for
Sensible Drug Policy, the Common Sense Legislative Group, and Project
Underground.
The Drug Policy Project works to end the domestic and international "War on
Drugs" and replace it with policies that promote public health and safety as
well as economic alternatives to the prohibition drug economy. The
intersection of race and poverty in the drug war is at the heart of the
project's work. In recent years the project has focused on the US drug war
in Colombia and its attendant "collateral damage".
Establishing humane and sustainable alternatives to the drug war fits into
the IPS mandate as one of the major contemporary social justice issues at
home and abroad.
In the past, he has collaborated with Dr. Gar Alperovitz on The Decision to
Use the Atomic Bomb and the Architecture of an American Myth (Knopf, 1995).
From 1996-97, he assisted entertainer Harry Belafonte in drafting his
memoirs and continues to work as an occasional consultant for him on
international issues. He was also associate editor of CovertAction
Quarterly, an award-winning magazine of investigative journalism. In the
late 1980s he worked at the International Human Rights Law Group.
More information on Sanho Tree and the Drug Policy Project can be found at
www.ips-dc.org/projects/drugpolicy.htmTerrell Forney has been a reporter for WWMT Channel 3 since he joined the
award winning station in December 2002 and will facilitate the discussion on
September 23.
 Before coming to News 3, Mr. Forney worked behind the scenes as the weekday
noon news producer for WEWS-TV5 (ABC) in Cleveland, Ohio. He spent four
years with that station, working in different positions in the newsroom
including morning news producer, news researcher, and as an assignment desk
assistant.
Mr. Forney studied at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting in Valley View. He
earned a B.A. degree in Broadcast Journalism from Cleveland State
University.
He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
For more information, www.wwmt.com/staff/terrell.shtml All of the speakers will be available for interview prior to and during
their stay here in Kalamazoo.
 Peace Week calendar is as follows:
Monday, September 20, 6pm at the Peace Center at Western Michigan
University: Workshop and training on electoral organizing and leadership
development hosted by the League of Pissed-Off Voters. www.indyvoter.org
 Tuesday, September 21, 6:30pm at the Peace Center at Western Michigan
University: Know Your Reproductive Rights workshop. Learn about safe sex
methods and issues and find out how your reproductive rights are affected by
various politicians.
 Wednesday, September 22, 8pm at the Dalton Recital Hall: Judy Shepard
(mother of Matthew Shepard, the man who was lynched in Laramie, Wyoming for
being gay) will speak about her struggle and her son's life, as well as hate
crimes and hate crime legislation.
 Thursday, September 23, 6pm at the Bernhard Center West Ballroom: a debate
on the War on Drugs - Harmful or Helpful, featuring local and national
criminal justice, political and law enforcement officials.
 Friday, September 24, 9pm at Kraftbrau Brewery: Drop Beats Not Bombs,
Hip-hop for peace. FREE for all registered voters, $7 if not. Featuring:
Scratch of The Roots, Medusa, Blueprint, Skitzo and Hainus.
http://www.leap.cc
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by ekim on September 02, 2004 at 19:50:12 PT
golden lung
please think before you use your tung. many here are working to end this war. the taste of money has damaged many i hope you can over come it.
http://www.leap.cc
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by FoM on September 02, 2004 at 19:16:33 PT
Golden Lung
Don't ever come to CNews and threaten or wish harm on any person or political party.
[ Post Comment ]

 


Comment #4 posted by Golden Lung on September 02, 2004 at 19:10:02 PT:

Gunvention
( Edited) Yeah it doesn't matter who's president, weed ain't going to be legal. I really don't think I want it to be legal completely, like companies and stuff. Alot of drugdealers including myself would pissed off because of lost business.
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Comment #3 posted by mayan on September 02, 2004 at 17:40:29 PT

99% Ditch Weed
From the last article on the bulletin...According to the DEA data, of the estimated 247 million marijuana plants destroyed by law enforcement in 2003, more than 243 million were classified as "ditch weed," a term the agency uses to define "wild, scattered marijuana plants [with] no evidence of planting, fertilizing, or tending."Just how much of our tax money is law enforcement wasting by eradicating this "ditch weed"?!? These drug warriors sure do pat themselves on the back a lot considering they are so useless to society. Go fight real crime!Thanks, GCW, for the update! Let's hope the Ninth Circuit rules in our favor!The way out is the way in...ZOGBY POLL: TWO-THIRDS OF NEW YORKERS WANT 9/11 CASE RE-OPENED:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00045.htmADDRESS OF MICHAEL C. RUPPERT FOR THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB – SAN FRANCISCO - TUESDAY AUGUST 31, 2004:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00021.htmSEC SECRET PROBE OF STOCK DEALINGS BEFORE 9/11: 
http://tbrnews.org/Archives/a048.htmJohn Buchanan: The 9/11 Truth Candidate:
http://johnbuchanan.org/news/newsitem.php?section=PRS&id=1141&showcat=%09%09%092The 9/11 Cover-up 10-Page Summary:
http://www.wanttoknow.info/9-11cover-up10pg9/11 Summer Of Truth:
http://www.summeroftruth.org/
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Comment #2 posted by mamawillie on September 02, 2004 at 17:18:44 PT

Can't keep it out of prisons
Strange News - AP 
 
Prison Guards Find Basketball Full of Pot 
Thu Sep 2,12:58 PM ET McALESTER, Okla. - Basketballs are usually puffed up with air, but somebody found a way of inflating one with a substance usually associated with puffing of another kind. Oklahoma State Penitentiary officials cut into an exercise-yard basketball and found nearly two pounds of what is believed to be marijuana stuffed inside. Acting on a tip from McAlester police, prison officials searched the yard and found the basketball, which held 30 one-ounce packets of the leafy substance. They seized the basketball from the Talawanda Heights unit, which houses 65 minimum security inmates for the prison and sits away from the main part of the facility. Department of Corrections spokeswoman Linda Morgan said two inmates are on lockdown in connection with the seizure. Morgan said officials don't know how the basketball got on the prison grounds. 
 

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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on September 02, 2004 at 16:16:05 PT

News update: NEVADA; Mark Sept. 7.
As expected, the Nevada government announced yesterday that the
Marijuana Policy Project's marijuana regulation initiative fell 1,815
signatures short of the 51,377 signatures that are needed to qualify
the initiative for the November 2 ballot.This came as no surprise, because Nevada's corrupt elections officials
illegally disqualified thousands of signatures from people who filled
out voter registration forms on the same day they signed our
petitions ... and because their recount procedures were horribly
sloppy and unjust.Fortunately, yesterday's announcement is largely irrelevant, because
we have appealed the same-day registration issue to the Ninth U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals. If we win in the Ninth Circuit, our
initiative will be placed on the ballot. The Ninth Circuit will be ruling on our lawsuit no later than
September 7 -- and this court battle is the final battle. (There
will be no time for MPP or our government opponents to appeal to the
U.S. Supreme Court.)So that we can afford to fight hard in this lawsuit, please visit
http://www.RegulateMarijuana.org/donate1032 to help us mount the
strongest legal challenge possible.If we win in court next week, the court will almost surely require the
Nevada government to reimburse us for our attorneys' fees ... which
means all of the money you donate to this case will then be recycled
and used for the initiative campaign itself.If approved by Nevada voters, MPP's initiative would make history. If
enacted, the law would remove all penalties for marijuana use by
adults aged 21 and older, as well as require the state government to
authorize a system for the legal cultivation, distribution, and sale
of marijuana to adults.
[ Post Comment ]





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