cannabisnews.com: ACLU and Drug Policy Alliance Threaten To Sue
ACLU and Drug Policy Alliance Threaten To Sue
Posted by CN Staff on July 12, 2005 at 18:18:10 PT
For Immediate Release
Source: ACLU
Sacramento -- The American Civil Liberties Union and the Drug Policy Alliance threatened today to sue the Schwarzenegger administration unless it reverses its illegal suspension of California’s Medical Marijuana Program.“Governor Schwarzenegger took an oath of office to uphold state laws, not hijack them,” said Allen Hopper, an attorney with the ACLU Drug Law Reform Project. “California voters and the legislature have rejected the federal war on medical marijuana patients, and the governor must respect that judgment.”
Governor Schwarzenegger’s Director of Health Services halted the program last Friday, blocking medical marijuana patients from obtaining registration cards to which they are entitled under California law. The governor’s action came on the eve of the program’s scheduled expansion from a four-county pilot program to a statewide system designed to protect patients from arrest and seizure of their medicine.In shutting down the program, Director of Health Services Sandra Shewry claimed the need for the state attorney general to confirm that state and county employees who continue to issue cards would not be subject to prosecution by federal authorities. The ACLU and the Drug Policy Alliance (The Alliance) rejected this rationale as groundless. In a letter to the Director of Health Services today, the ACLU and the Alliance pointed out that state attorney general, Bill Lockyer, has already made clear in one of many recent bulletins on the issue that state officials “…may not refuse to abide by the provisions of the Compassionate Use Act on the basis that this Act conflicts with federal law.” The letter further explained that the state constitution and the state's highest court explicitly prohibit the Governor from ignoring state law, even if he believes it conflicts with federal law. The ACLU and the Alliance previously won a federal court victory establishing that federal law stands as no barrier to California physicians who certify a patient who has legitimate need for medical marijuana. By the same logic, state officials are free to issue registration cards vouching for the legitimacy of a physician's certification.Attorneys general in Oregon and Hawaii similarly upheld their states’ medical marijuana programs, despite the federal laws that criminalize medical marijuana. The Oregon Attorney General’s formal statement clarified that, “…Because the Act [Oregon’s medical marijuana law] remains valid state law, DHS [Oregon Department of Human Services] continues to be responsible for maintaining the issuance of the cards…” “It is shameful that a court may have to order the state to reopen the doors to its medical marijuana program, but this will be the inevitable result unless the Governor backs down from this unfounded assault on legitimate medical marijuana patients,” said Daniel Abrahamson, Legal Affairs Director for The Alliance. To read the letter sent by the ACLU and the Drug Policy Alliance, see: http://www.aclu.org/DrugPolicy/DrugPolicy.cfm?ID=18687&c=81 For more information on other states’ responses to Gonzales v. Raich see: http://www.aclu.org/DrugPolicy/DrugPolicylist.cfm?c=81 and http://www.drugpolicy.org/Complete Title: ACLU and Drug Policy Alliance Threaten to Sue Schwarzenegger for Suspending California’s Medical Marijuana Law Note: Governor Must Reverse Illegal Denial of Medical Marijuana Cards to Patients or Face LawsuitNewshawk: VitaminT Source: ACLU (NY)Published: July 12, 2005Copyright: 2005 ACLUContact: media aclu.org Website: http://www.aclu.org/Related Articles & Web Site:ACLUhttp://www.aclu.org/ Pot ID Card Program Shelvedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20940.shtmlCalifornia Stops Issuing Drug ID Cardshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20939.shtmlCalifornia Suspends Medical Pot Card Program http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20938.shtml
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Comment #36 posted by jose melendez on July 16, 2005 at 11:16:42 PT
confusing stupid rules for a freaking plant
MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND THE LAWRe "Pot ID Card Program Shelved," July 9:There are two reasons I am surprised that California Department of Health Services officials have shut down a medical marijuana identification program on the basis of a conflict with federal law. First, I thought Article III, section 3.5© of the Constitution of California prevented state officials from refusing to enforce valid state laws on the basis that there is a conflict with federal law ( only an appellate court can hold that a conflict with federal law prevents compliance with state law ).Second, as the article points out, even though the identification cards have been mandated since 2003, only 123 cards in three counties have been issued. If the estimate of 100,000 medical marijuana patients in the state is correct, then only .001% of the Californians who should benefit from this program have been served.This begs the question: How can a program be shut down before it really started?Kenneth Michael WhiteAttorney, Uplandhttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1122/a08.html?397The identification card program was approved by the state Legislature in 2003 and was intended to be used as a tool for state law enforcement officers to easily determine whether an individual is using marijuana for medicinal purposes under California's Proposition 215, August said. Before Friday, the state had issued 123 cards in three counties — Amador, Del Norte and Mendocino. The plastic cards bear California's state seal, an identification number, a website to verify the card's authenticity and an expiration date. Health officials had planned to offer the cards statewide next month, but that is now in question. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-pot9jul09,1,5339588.story?coll=la-news-state
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Comment #35 posted by jose melendez on July 14, 2005 at 04:10:45 PT
even 'real' journalists err - but admit having so
This is exactly what I'm talking about. Professional journalist Molly Ivins made a mistake, and exactly as I did, she owned up to the error:http://www.creators.com/opinion_show.cfm?columnsName=mivAir Jose - - -The Raids Begin:http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/071305mmjdispensary.cfm http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/12084318.htm http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2005/Jun/EEN42baf8bd3a749.html http://www.advocate.com/news_detail.asp?id=18175 http://www.sitepunch.com/drug_raid_062305_9322.php http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/06/22/state/n191656D37.DTL - - -http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/12127306.htm"Karl Rove's assertion that he talked about Valerie Plame to a reporter but didn't say her name reminds me of that guy who admitted that he had smoked marijuana -- but didn't inhale."
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Comment #34 posted by jose melendez on July 13, 2005 at 16:15:37 PT
chill E_J
Relax E_J,This is a simple misunderstanding on my part, I read that some 200 or so people held mmj cards in a local area of California, and mistook it for the entire state. I'm not saying you should not stand up for your rights.In fact I think we all know here I'm about exactly the opposite, and am even doing so publicly, sans pseudonym. It may not be the smartest thing, but since Florida's own drug czar and HIDTA cops are obviously overemployed, there's a tremendous reward in it for me from challenging even the toughest court case they could throw at me, and I have concentrated for so long enlisting powerful friends to back me in court, I could care less if they want to harass me. I've already got hidden video, and even a decoy cam or two, to document their scam even after they smash or I turn over the 'tape'. Back to the cards. Whether the actual number is hundreds, or hundreds of thousands, a state ID system where we already know the feds are corrupt is ripe for abuse. Furthermore, all use is medical, all sales are commerce, and since pharmaceutical, chemical and incarceration firms own our 'leaders', I'm half inclined to cut up even my driver's license, train myself to be a lawyer and use my video and audio skills to entrap them all. Bring it on, as our confidence man of a President says.Wage peace,Air Jose
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Comment #33 posted by FoM on July 13, 2005 at 15:24:17 PT
San Diego City Beat: Pot Proponent Dies
July 13, 2005CityBeat was deeply saddened Tuesday morning to learn that Steve McWilliams, a long-time San Diego medical-marijuana activist, had died earlier that day. Friends said it was suicide. McWilliams, who had to cease using medical marijuana after a 2002 arrest, suffered from chronic pain and was likely facing prison time after being charged by federal prosecutors three years ago with possessing 25 marijuana plants. A Supreme Court ruling handed down last month said that federal law prohibiting medicinal use of marijuana trumps California’s voter-approved Compassionate Use Act. CityBeat has been a supporter of McWilliams and his cause since the paper began three years ago. He was an activist in the best sense of the word, encouraging medicinal-pot users to stick to city guidelines and state law and form cooperatives so that the most ill folks would have a community to support them. More than that, he was a genuinely kind-hearted person, and we will miss him very much. Copyright: 2005 Southland Publishinghttp://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=3339
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Comment #32 posted by Agog on July 13, 2005 at 14:07:06 PT
More on ID Cards & thanks to FOM for the Article
Hi EJ and all the rest of the Cnews community...First I wish to say that this is written to clarify my personal opinion and not meant to start an argument.I didn't miss anything in what you said.... and yes the fear is paranoid, but it may be that it is a valid paranoia. Just because the Feds haven't done anything yet doesn't mean that they won't, nor can we have any realistic expectation for them to act in good faith. What I'm about to say may cause discomfort... but no offense is meant as I respect all who are part of this community. Think of the registration model as it has been applied to selected firearms around the world. It is for "public safety" they cry... yet the true incrementalist agenda is to first identify and locate, then when the time is right it is much easier to confisicate. Such tactics also worked very well with people in Europe decades ago...we had an easier time with the Asians in this country cause they didn't look like "us". Culture war, ethnic cleansing, gun control etc. Next, I personally have a difficult time philosophically when it comes to registering with the state for something that is between me and my physician. I know of no other medication that requires such ridiculous measures, if there are others, I would like to be educated on same. Folks carry "prescription" meds with them all the time, as long they have them in the original container showing the "valid" prescription" they are fine. As 215 was written, our recommendation letter was to take the place of that so called valid prescription. That is why the carry copy is stamped with the doctor's embossed seal. Plus, I'm not about to make it easier for the state to encroach upon my life in any manner... I don't care what they call it.Of the few dispensaries I've visited here in Sandy Eggo I haven't minded showing my doc's recommendation. I feel they are part of our community and that it takes enormous courage on their part to even operate. I'm proud to donate genetics to them for preservation and continuation. As a caretaker and patient it is important to literally cultivate redundancy... especially when you know that different strains are valuable for different conditions and people.When I first learned of Steve McWilliams and the organization he created "Shelter from the Storm" I knew it was time to become more involved. I remember vividly, searching for the North Park location so I could hand them a check to offer them what little assistance I could afford. I also remember that it was a huge step for me personally because of the fear of surveillance and possibility of being labeled "guilty by association" simply because I wanted to help him help others.. I'm very glad my heart won out.The whole scenario of having to feel such a way and combat our fears only because we wish to change the status quo shows the incredible power of the federal government and how coercive it can be... it is also all the more reason to continue the fight.... now whenever I think of it I just come to a slow boil which is good because it strengthens my resolve.All the BestR/Agog
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Comment #31 posted by Sam Adams on July 13, 2005 at 13:58:38 PT
Card program
Just want to make one point: the California card system was/is OPTIONAL, right? If you worry about giving your info to the State, then you don't apply for the card, you take your chances with the doctor's letter. If you're not afraid of being on the list, then you apply and get the benefits outlined by EJ. Unless there are other factors that I'm not aware of, this makes California's ID card program the best in the US. In the other states that use the cards, it's mandatory.So it seems to me like the card program was a win-win, and should be restored ASAP. Again, it seems to me like Lockyer and other state officials are cowards, they serve the residents of CA and CA only, why are they so quiet? It took the Oregon AG one day to determine that the OR card program can continue - are we supposed to believe that CA is different? Or maybe Lockyer being a coward, lacking the integrity to do his job and quivering with fear from his nasty Republican overlords in DC, is a better explanation.
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Comment #30 posted by E_Johnson on July 13, 2005 at 12:49:51 PT
jose
"As I mentioned, an ID card system that purports to 'protect' some two hundred or so people in a population of many millions is completely bogus. "********************************************************First off, what are you talking about with a couple of hundred people? There are a thousand or so medical marijuana users just in West Hollywood alone!The card does not purport to "protect" them. The card provides a way for the police to verify that a person is a legitimate medical marijuana patient, without having to get their hands on the person's actual medical records or talk to their actual doctor.I do not like to have to fork over personal information every time my patient status is in question. I understand you don't give a darn what I want, and you don't give a darn whether I suffer when I have to hand my doctor's letter over yet again to another complete stranger whom I do not want to know my medical history.It's a free country, you can decide my concerns don't mean anything, and I can just go ahead and suffer in the name of your fears.But I am still going to stand up for myself on this issue, and you can go to you know where if you don't like it.
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Comment #29 posted by FoM on July 13, 2005 at 12:27:08 PT
News Article About Steve McWilliams
Steven McWilliams; Activist for Medical Pot
By Michael Stetz, Union-Tribune Staff WriterJuly 13, 2005 Friends say Steven McWilliams was tired. He was in pain. And he was scared of possible jail time. The combination may be the reason the medical marijuana activist took his life Monday, they say. He was 51. "His health was deteriorating," said longtime friend David Bronner. "And he was experiencing some lows. He was in pain, a lot of pain." Still, his death surprised Bonner and others who knew Mr. McWilliams. He was a fighter, they said, who was bold enough to smoke marijuana on the steps of San Diego City Hall to call attention to its medicinal benefits he so strongly believed in. For years, he championed that use – a cause that got him in trouble with the law. Folks such as Mr. McWilliams were caught in the middle between a 1996 voter-approved state referendum that allowed the medicinal use of marijuana and federal drug enforcers, who have arrested people for growing it, regardless of how it's used. Federal law prohibits the drug from being cultivated. "I think it's really, really sad," said San Diego City Councilwoman Toni Atkins, of Mr. McWilliams' death. He lived in Normal Heights, in her council district, where in 2000 he ran for council against Atkins and three others. Atkins won. When he ran for council, Mr. McWilliams listed former cowboy as his career and that he had attended Western State College in Colorado and the University of Colorado. Atkins once described him as a "hero" for his medical marijuana efforts. "Steve was a really compassionate guy who worked hard for people who were very sick. I never doubted his sincerity." Mr. McWilliams was arrested at least four times, the latest in 2002, when he was charged with two felonies and faced 40 years in federal prison. Federal law enforcement officers confiscated 25 plants he was growing in his front yard. He ultimately pleaded guilty to a single felony charge and received a six-month sentence. He was appealing that.
Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/obituaries/20050713-9999-1m13mcwill.html
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Comment #28 posted by jose melendez on July 13, 2005 at 11:55:54 PT
know what I mean
Exactly, dudette. :)As I mentioned, an ID card system that purports to 'protect' some two hundred or so people in a population of many millions is completely bogus.
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on July 13, 2005 at 11:01:35 PT
Jose and Everyone
You said: They must be that dumb, they think they won!***I'm afraid they might be.***We know that Cannabis will never go away. The more complex our world becomes the more people will need a way to find a little calm in the middle of the storm. Drug companies will benefit from the increased stress put upon the American people and then many others will find their own way to relieve stress. If we find our own way they hate us and put us in jail. If we do it their way we go broke trying to afford the high priced drugs they sell. I watched Live 8 and watched when they did shots of the crowds. They were finding peace in the music and it was beautiful to see. This is a culture war just like it was back during the time of the original Wood Stock. It's not new it's just a repeat of the past but with many more people and instant communications to bring the whole world so much closer together. They hate us and one main reason is because what most of what the people from here and other web sites believe is contrary to everything this current country is built upon.Just my 2 cents.
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Comment #26 posted by E_Johnson on July 13, 2005 at 10:47:23 PT
I don't know what you're talking about
Did WAMM and Angel Raich have cards? What are you talking about?WAMM had a big garden that was public knowledge. The DEA raided because they knew where it was. There were no cards involved of any kind.The state ID cards are intended to protect patients from state and local police, so that the state and local police can access a 24 hour hotline to verify that your patient status is legit.It does not offer any kind of protection from the DEA.It's only purpose is to avoid all of the horrible time consuming hassle of having the police and the local DA getting into your private medical affairs to verify your patient status.The card is meant to signify that some trusted group of people appointed by the state had verified your patient status, so the police and DA only need to know that you have a valid card.It's not protection against the DEA. It could in principle make it possible for the DEA to round up all the patients and bust them all at once -- but imagine the front page of every newspaper in the country if they did such a thing.If the DEA tried to mass arrest medical marijuana patients based on patient data seized from the state, there would be the end of our war, because that would be the kind of fatal public relations mistake that would blow those jerks out of the water once and for all.WAMM and Angel Raich almost blew them out of the water. They're on shaky ground enough because of that. They've made huge public relations losses because of the WAMM raid and Angel's case.They're not going to stage a mass arrest of sick people in California. I almost wish they'd try though, because that's the kind of mistake we could really exploit to the maximum with the press.If the DEA staged a mass arrest of california patients, then Congress would be FORCED to act. That would be the end of the war, dude. And we would be the winners.
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Comment #25 posted by jose melendez on July 13, 2005 at 10:30:49 PT
They must be that dumb, they think they won!
Did WAMM and Angel Raich not have cards?
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Comment #24 posted by E_Johnson on July 13, 2005 at 10:11:58 PT
As I said Agog
Let me repeat myself in case you missed it the first time.Back in October 2001, the DEA seized all of the computers at the LACRC, containing the patient data for three thousand patients. I haven't heard of any of those patients being harassed. I haven't been harassed. The feds only indicted the top five people on the Board of Directors. They did not indict any of the patients whose records were seized.Of course there's a fear, but I think it's a paranoid fear.This paranoid fear could have easily been realized in LA but it was not, so I will no longer be manipulated by this fear, thank you.If they ever tried such a stunt, they'd never get away with it. It would backfire pretty quickly.And really, it's not something that they want to do, because they'd end up bringing people out of the closet like celebrities who have diseases the public hasn't been told about.It would SO backfire on them, it's not even funny.If they tried such a stunt, it would help OUR cause immensely.They may be dumb but they're not that dumb.
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Comment #23 posted by jose melendez on July 13, 2005 at 09:59:53 PT
OK that's it.
I meant to say that I do not regret NOT making the hundreds of dollars per day (or hour) that I could easily earn doing something else . . . Not that anyone asked, or perhaps cares, but the only reason I'm re-joining the rat race is to bust prohibitionists.
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Comment #22 posted by jose melendez on July 13, 2005 at 09:54:58 PT
operator error
ARRGH!See what I mean? That post should have read: " . . . I do choose my words carefulLY, despite my poor typing skills . . ."AND " . . . Consider that Solicitor General Clement was able to successfully sell judges that were SO prejudicially disposed against legalization of marijuana that they denied even a greater harm principle argument after permitting wine sales across state lines and later stayed an execution of a convicted murderER." (EMPHASis added for clarity)Whatever. To me, this says something about the unpaid time and energy it takes to research and honestly investigate this issue, despite my own excellent and persuasive sales skills with which it would be academically simple to emulate the other side of this concededly contentious issue and use disingenuous arguments, sell something I don't believe in, or deny when I am mistaken.While I do not regret making the hundreds of dollars per day (or hour) that I could easily earn doing something else, I choose, like so many here to stand up for what is right, dammit.It almost makes me wish I smoked again. Can't go back now, too many job opportunities, and my throat feels way better . . .
Gin and Juice.
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Comment #21 posted by jose melendez on July 13, 2005 at 09:36:26 PT
My not so humble opinion.
My rant for the day, or perhaps the moment:An ID card system that purports to 'protect' some two hundred or so people in a population of many millions is completely bogus, considering that over half of all high school seniors for decades have used marijuana with exponentially less harm and zero deaths to overdose, and the science on this issue consistently indicates that all use is self medication. Frankly, that ganja is fun does not contradict these self evident truths, as laughter is indeed the best medicine. It has been long known that Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia (you can probably add ADD and Alzheimer's to that list) are related to the regulation of the dopaminergic pathway, and that approved drugs for these conditions are demonstrably far more harmful by comparison.Certainly, the habitual and paid prohibitionists that jumped on the studies suggesting a link between schizophrenia and weed refuse to even acknowledge that cigarette smokers would not properly be "treated" with jail and asset forfeiture despite the fact that 80 to 90 percent of all schizophrenics smoke, and the majority of them chain smoke.Correct me on any of these point, Doc Russo, if I am wrong. Oh, I forgot. (grrr) You can't, because such forward looking statements might interfere with the FDA approval of your particular special interest group's manufactured alternative. Right? I apologize if this sounds harsh, but tough cookies. That's just business, and it is specifically because of the corrupting influence of money that I am emboldened to challenge such injustice with truth and history and science and law. If those in the pharmaceutical industry think they are under pressure now, they had better stop funding prohibitions, because that is the source of our cries of hypocrisy, and we are NEVER GOING TO STOP, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE you have been buying our scientists, doctors, lawmakers and enforcers.The entire _business_ of cannabis prohibition (and I do choose my words careful, despite my poor typing skills) is quickly being exposed as a scam, and more people need to fight back in courts, both marsupial and of public opinion, challenging these misinterpretations of U.S. law.For example, in the Raich decision, the Supreme Court conceded that Congress is LYING about cannabis' efficacy, and ruled that cannabis is an item in commerce.* Such a discriminatory and arbitrary ban on a plant that has been shown to be found in almost every civilization on earth defies logic, unless it is somehow reasonable to jail kids, patients and other citizens in order to protect the financial stability of poison manufacturers and illicit drug dealers.The very idea that pot prohibitions are rationally related to a legitimate government interest fail the truth test when our own government statistics PROVE that youth heroin use was increased to the world's historically highest levels, and now prescription, solvent huffing and meth are following the same path.Consider that Solicitor General Clement was able to successfully sell judges that were prejudicially disposed against legalization of marijuana that they denied even a greater harm principle argument after permitting wine sales across state lines and later stayed an execution of a convicted murder. To me, that says something about Clement's excellent and persuasive sales skills, and shows once again that drunks and hypocrites are quite capable of making what would appear to themselves to be reasonable arguments.And they wonder why we lose respect for the law, or trust in regulatory agencies?More clubs need to challenge the feds and other enforcement, perhaps by using smaller amounts, and ALWAYS having video available, so they stand to lose in court when they lie and say you 'fell':BOSTON A man arrested when police showed up to break up a New Year’s Eve party at a friend’s house has filed a lawsuit, arguing he had a constitutional right to get drunk on private property as long as he didn’t cause a public disturbance.Eric Laverriere, 25, of Portland, Maine, was taken into protective custody by Waltham police and locked in a cell for nine hours until the effects of the alcohol wore off.Legal experts said his lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. District Court in Boston, is the first to challenge a state law allowing police to lock up drunk people against their will for their own protection.Laverriere argues that the Massachusetts Protective Custody Law was written to combat public drunkenness and that the police had no right to use it to take him from a private residence. He also says he had planned to spend the night at his friend’s and wasn’t going to be driving anywhere.“One thing people should be able to do is drink in their own house,” Laverriere told The Boston Globe. “That’s the beauty of the land of the free.”Waltham Deputy Police Chief Paul Juliano declined to comment on the suit on the advice of the city’s legal department.Several lawyers said they believe police have the authority to take inebriated people into custody, but they said it was the first time the law has been challenged on the grounds that one has a constitutional right to get drunk on private property.The Protective Custody Law, enacted in 1971, replaced a Colonial-era law that made public drunkenness a crime. It authorizes police to hold people against their will for up to 12 hours if they are drunk and a danger to themselves or others.Attorney Leonard Kesten, who has defended police departments in civil-rights cases, said if officers are investigating a crime or responding to an incident and discover that someone is drunk and posing a danger, they are obligated to take that person into protective custody.Police have been sued for failing to take people into protective custody who later died from alcohol poisoning or killed others in drunken-driving accidents.Laverriere said that he drank several beers, but wasn’t drunk, when officers arrived at his friend’s duplex saying someone had thrown bottles at a passing police cruiser.When the partygoers denied throwing bottles, Laverriere said, the officers became angry, prompting him to pick up a friend’s camera and start videotaping. Laverriere told the Globe that Officer Jorge Orta ripped the camera from his hands and threw him to the floor, injuring his shoulder.Laverriere said he told police he had been invited to spend the night at the house, but the officers insisted on taking him into protective custody.One police report says that Laverriere appeared intoxicated and expressed “displeasure” at being told he had to leave the party. He was then taken into custody. The report says he fell to the floor while resisting Orta’s efforts to handcuff
him.http://cbs5.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_189122027.html
Oh, ye crooked hypocrites! The truth will set US free and perhaps jail YOU.
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Comment #20 posted by Agog on July 13, 2005 at 09:15:06 PT
ID CARDS and Very Sad News
Hello CNews Community....Just as EJ said the benefit of the ID card is that "supposedly" the LEO's can check the central database and if you're valid let you go on your way.The downside... you are now "registered" and that much easier to round up when they decide to harrass more of the sick and dying...especially those sick and dying that are successful in getting community support and changing the climate. This point was argued back and forth the last ASA meeting here when Chris Conrad was in town.I'm also very sorry to report that Steve McWilliams a noted San Diego activist took his own life. Due to a federal bust,he was forbidden to use cannabis for pain relief and finally succumbed.... A very sad day and event indeed.As I become aware of more details I will try to pass them on accurately.All the Best
R/
Agog
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Comment #19 posted by kaptinemo on July 13, 2005 at 09:07:04 PT:
To think you can buy deadly rat poison
and watered-down but still potentially lethal versions of nerve gasses (commonly known as 'pesticides') over the counter at the local hardware store without any need to 'card' someone makes this issue even more absurd.Poisons for all; medicine for none. Only in 'Murikah'.
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Comment #18 posted by E_Johnson on July 13, 2005 at 08:52:53 PT
Some more things to think about
I hate showing my doctor's letter to people because it violates my medical privacy for everyone to know my detailed medical problems.To get into the club, I have to show my letter to a SECURITY GUARD.You don't have to respect anyone's privacy to get a job as a security guard. Anyone can get that job. Do I want to show my private medical information to any person out there who just happens to qualify for this job?NO it's humiliating and embarrassing. I almost cry every time.And I certainly do not want a police officer reading this. I want a nice laminated card with a 24 hour hotline number where all they will end up knowing about me is that my doctor's recommendation is legit.They won't end up knowing who my doctor is and why I am seeing him.Will the feds use the card databse to bust patients?Well, the feds got the names and addresses of about 3000 medical marijuana patients when they busted the LACRC.Not one of those patients was busted as a result of the feds having taken their data.If they were going to bust patients, then the federal grand jury indictment for the LACRC would have had a thousand names on it instead of just five.
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on July 13, 2005 at 08:50:01 PT
Feds V. States
I just posted a related article. This administration just doesn't seem interested in state's right and it is so frustrating to know. States are different and they should be allowed to think outside the box. I don't like everything being controlled by the Feds.California Medical Marijuana Program Halted, Suit Threatened: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20949.shtml
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Comment #16 posted by Taylor121 on July 13, 2005 at 08:45:07 PT
Card Safety
I believe it is possible there is a law that would protect medical privacy in the manner of the cards, even with the Federal laws banning the substance. I could be wrong on this I haven't done the proper research, only that I know medical privacy is a pretty potent thing in this nation.
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on July 13, 2005 at 08:15:27 PT
Thanks EJ
I haven't seen the benefit to ID Cards but it's because of the way the feds don't seem to care and consider all cannabis illegal. That's my concern. Feds versus the states. We need the laws change on the federal level. It's way past time I think.
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Comment #14 posted by E_Johnson on July 13, 2005 at 08:13:41 PT
The alternative is
The cops take your plants and your note, and then your plants die while they wait for the doctor to call back.Or your plants die while you wait for a hearing where the legitimacy of your doctor's note will finally be verified by the DA.There are many options. Personally I like the option where I just show them a card, they call a 24 hour hotline, learn immediately that my medical persmission is legit, and they leave peacefully with nothing of mine in their possession.
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Comment #13 posted by E_Johnson on July 13, 2005 at 08:09:38 PT
These cards have a purpose
The police aren't going to verify a doctor's note within the time it takes them to pull your crop. It's not their business to be calling up doctors and leaving messages and waiting patiently in front of your plants until the doctor finally calls back the next hour or the next day.An ID card shows that your note has already been verified by someone the police already trust ti tell them whether your authorization is legit or fake. The ID cards can have a 24 hour hotline for verification. The cop can call and check your card and get an answer right away.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on July 13, 2005 at 08:09:06 PT
Just a Comment
I agree that the cards are not a good thing. I don't even know why they matter. I don't look at things like some people though. I've been looking for news but all I can find are a couple articles on Cannabis Clubs but we know now that they aren't considered legal since the Raich decision so I'm not sure why anyone would have the nerve to try to start one or keep one open but that's just how I look at this issue. Finding news to post seems almost impossible right now because we are in a state of Limbo like Willie Nelson's new song. We need to find out if Rhode Island will change the laws and we need to know about Barney Franks bill but other then that we are in wait and see mode for lack of a better way of saying it. I'll keep looking for news though.
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Comment #11 posted by jose melendez on July 13, 2005 at 04:03:49 PT
Wolfgang is right
There is no need for bureaucratic paperwork or other wasteful and complicating procedures that invite harassment from corrupt enforcement and potentially provide incriminating data in today's Orwellian version of freedom, justice and democracy.Shall we next turn ourselves in for 'manufacturing' water vapor in the form of sweat, so as not to affect commerce in bottled water?
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Comment #10 posted by WolfgangWylde on July 13, 2005 at 03:07:53 PT
The State ID Cards...
...are not necessary to receive medical marijuana. A doctor's recommendation suffices to get it, and show to the cops to prove its legal. These ID cards are nothing but a "future bust" list.
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Comment #9 posted by Nick Thimmesch on July 13, 2005 at 02:44:16 PT
Possibly add NORML to the list?
I am a proud member of the ACLU and MMP.
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3454
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Comment #8 posted by b4daylight on July 12, 2005 at 22:14:00 PT
Nice FO
That puts us in order.
I pay for my own arrest.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 22:13:23 PT
PainWithNoInsurance
No we haven't gotten any rain. We might be getting some over the next few days. We haven't had to mow the lawn for a while. Everything is just not growing. My husband was digging post holes and the ground is as solid and dry as cement. If we needed to cut hay there wouldn't be a second cutting which we always got when we did do our own hay. It''s very humid here so the humidity helps a little.
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Comment #6 posted by PainWithNoInsurance on July 12, 2005 at 22:06:26 PT
FoM
I am a big fan of the Beatles. I like that song too, it says it just right. Did you get any rain from Dennis yet? We are so dry here that if we don't get a good amount of rain, the crops are history, not to mention a reduced yield. Where I live, a farmer was cutting wheat and a spark from the machinery ignited a fire because the field was so dry. Grass looks like hay here.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 21:37:20 PT
PainWithNoInsurance
You made me think of an old song!***Let me tell you how it will beThere's one for you, nineteen for me'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman***Should five per cent appear too smallBe thankful I don't take it all'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman***If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.http://home.att.net/~chuckayoub/Taxman_Lyrics.html
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Comment #4 posted by PainWithNoInsurance on July 12, 2005 at 21:10:49 PT
Sue for democracy
Sure it will work to sue them. They will waste tax payer's money like they do anyway, but hey, maybe they will get the picture that this country is suppose to be democratic. Yes a government by all of the people not just a few.In my town, the local government is spending money we don't have. They just raise property taxes when they need more. There is no end to the robbery either. Every year for three years now, the property taxes have gone up a whole lot, and some of the things the city has used the money for are ridiculous. If a person could own his or her own land here and not get penalized by higher taxes when they make improvements, that would surely increase ecomomic activity. Maybe some day we will get to truely own land in America. There are law suits here to try to stop them from using our properties as their blank checks. Yes sue for our rights.
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Comment #3 posted by OverwhelmSam on July 12, 2005 at 20:38:55 PT
That's The Way To Go
Simply sue them over and over until they get tired of their own bullshit.A little Jury Nullification education to the massess would really piss them off too.Overwhelm Uncle Sam
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Comment #2 posted by PainWithNoInsurance on July 12, 2005 at 19:40:30 PT
This is why I donate to these organizations
Our donations are a powerful tool to turn this land into a democracy where people can get along with one another and be free to do what they want as long as it harms no one else. I am a proud member of the ACLU and MMP.A nation at war with its citizens surely has no shortage of hate among one another. Leave us alone in peace, so we may be guided by our souls, not by a government entity. Guiding harmless people with cages and guns is immoral and brutal.
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Comment #1 posted by ekim on July 12, 2005 at 19:10:24 PT
Tear down the wall
ok it time to make the movie of all of the fallen warriors of this barbaric drug war.
crazy
the epic will have the whole story, the little people are being branded by the hundreds of thousands who will save them.Their jobs and money for fuel leak out of this country like a sieve.
Who will save them.
Crazy
Wake up Arnold ---see the new industry in plant plastics.
see the Cellulose Ethanol industry, recycling money fueling the farming industry. Wake see the many that suffer under such a heavy hand.
Wake before you no longer have the great opportunity to do something about it.
Crazy
Wake --you see the stem cells you feel something, keep going show your metal
what will you have written about you.
http://www.compassionatemi.org
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