cannabisnews.com: Santa Cruz, ACLU Renew Fight for Medical Marijuana Santa Cruz, ACLU Renew Fight for Medical Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on January 31, 2006 at 17:41:22 PT By Ken McLaughlin, Mercury News Source: Mercury News Santa Cruz, CA -- The city of Santa Cruz and a local medical marijuana collective on Tuesday asked a federal court in San Jose to approve the city's plan to provide marijuana directly to sick and dying patients.The amended complaint represents a renewed legal fight to force the U.S. government to honor medical marijuana laws passed by California and 11 other states. The American Civil Liberties Union, Drug Policy Alliance, the national law firm of Bingham McCutchen and a handful of private attorneys filed legal documents outlining new constitutional arguments based on an ordinance recently enacted by the Santa Cruz City Council creating the first medical marijuana department in the country. The department is known as the Office of Compassionate Use, but the city has made clear it has no intention of actually distributing marijuana unless it wins the legal battle.Californians in 1996 voted to allow the use of medicinal marijuana. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in June that the federal government had the right to enforce its own drug laws. Lawyers for medicinal marijuana patients, however, remain hopeful they can still press ahead in the courts because the Supreme Court chose not to address some constitutional issues in last year's ruling.The U.S. Constitution permits states to determine for themselves what is legal and what is illegal under state law, lawyers argued in Tuesday's filing. In the case of medical marijuana, the plaintiffs argue that the federal government has attempted to sabotage state laws through arrests, prosecutions and other means.``The White House wants California to march in lock step with its misguided prohibition of medical marijuana, but the Constitution says otherwise,'' said Allen Hopper, an attorney with the ACLU Drug Law Reform Project, based in Santa Cruz.The case originated in 2003 when medical-marijuana groups and others sued the federal government for raiding a Santa Cruz medical marijuana cooperative, the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana.Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)Author: Ken McLaughlin, Mercury NewsPublished: Tuesday, January 31, 2006Copyright: 2006 San Jose Mercury NewsContact: letters sjmercury.comWebsite: http://www.mercurynews.com/Related Article & Web Sites:ACLUhttp://www.aclu.org/WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/Medical Pot Users Deal With Legal Setbackshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21504.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by Hope on January 31, 2006 at 21:46:18 PT Dr. Russo Maybe, if he knows what's happening with Steve Kubby, he can do something about getting him some of that Sativex in there, perhaps as part of their test programs. It at least, I think, has all the cannabinoids...but it has that peppermint oil. Peppermint oil seems to me like it could be more "active" than it's given credit for. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on January 31, 2006 at 20:07:39 PT ekim Yes the stats are very high and I am grateful. Thank you and everyone for making it happen. I don't know if Dr. Russo is at liberty to comment. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by ekim on January 31, 2006 at 19:58:24 PT FoM just look at cnews stats and feel good lets call Dr Russo to post. Apjohn Group LLC of Kalamazoo MI 49007259 E. Mich 269-349-8999Apjohn has been hired to help GW Pharmaceuticals gain approval to do clinical trials on Sativex,Please DR Russo what info needs to be taken or sent to Apjohn as to the need of Steve Kubby. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 31, 2006 at 19:21:29 PT ekim I had to walk out of the room when he was talking. I could feel my blood pressure rising. I also wanted to cry so I did my dishes. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by ekim on January 31, 2006 at 19:19:45 PT ok Dems just say no to the drug war------get elect the prez said pass the patriot act because its used in the drug war ------Leap speaker Norm S. said the drug war is costing 69 billion a year ----come on dems say no.the prez just said that in six years he wants ethanol to be coming from switch grass corn stalk wood chips -----why not in two -- cut drug war spending by billions and use the money for renewable energy projects in every State in every school.Feb 3 06 "Jonne Santoli Show" KCXL 1140AM 10:00 AM Jack Cole Kansas City Missouri USA Executive Director Jack Cole is a call in guest on the Jonne Santoli Show on KCXL Radio, 1140AM, Kansas City, MO. Mr. Cole and the feisty Miss Santoli will be discussing the idea of legalizing and regulating drugs in contrast to the current system of prohibition. Visit http://www.kcxl.com/listen/index.html for online listening. Feb 6 06 Rotary Club of Daytona Beach 12:00 PM Jerry Cameron Daytona Beach Florida USA Rotary Club of Daytona Beach invites Jerry Cameron to present LEAP's goal of ending drug prohibition. Feb 6 06 Van Patrick Show KCMO 710AM Radio 07:40 AM Jack Cole Kansas City Missouri USA Executive Director Jack Cole is a phone in guest to the Van Patrick Show on KCMO Radio, 710AM, Kansas City, MO. Jack and Van will be discussing the controversial topic of drug legalization and how the world would be better by ending drug prohibition. Visit http://www.710kcmo.com/ to listen online. Feb 11 06 Free talk Live! 07:00 PM Jack Cole USA At 7PM EST, Executive Director Jack Cole is a guest on Free talk Live! Jack will be talking about the failures of drug prohibition and LEAP's mission to end the same. For a list of affiliates visit: http://freetalklive.com/affiliates.php. Dialup and broadband streams are available for free at http://freetalklive.com/tunein.php http://www.leap.cc/events [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on January 31, 2006 at 18:36:28 PT State of the Union Address http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/31/AR2006013101468.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by mayan on January 31, 2006 at 18:11:45 PT Santa Cruz Vs. San Diego Here we have two different cities moving in opposite directions. One city is representing the people and one is kissing the federal government's ass. Which one do you trust? All of this debate will only be good for our cause as the true motives for the federal government's absurd prohibition of cannabis will come to light!THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...20 reasons to question the official story of 9/11: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/31/91642/9872Carol Brouillet & the 9/11 Truth Movement: http://www.yourbbsucks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8034Experts Claim Official 9/11 Story is a Hoax: Scholars for 9/11 Truth call for verification and publication by an international consortium: http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/1/emw339303.htm MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT 9/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB": http://www.voxfux.com/archives/00000076.htm [ Post Comment ] Post Comment