cannabisnews.com: Dropped Charges in Pot Case Called Huge Victory
Dropped Charges in Pot Case Called Huge Victory
Posted by CN Staff on December 18, 2007 at 06:39:30 PT
By Julie Poppen, Rocky Mountain News
Source: Rocky Mountain News
Colorado -- Chalk up another one for supporters of medical marijuana. Two weeks after a judge in Fort Collins ordered that 39 pot plants seized from a couple be returned to them, an Aurora man is banking on the same outcome.Felony drug charges against Kevin Dickes, 39, a state-certified medical marijuana user and Desert Storm veteran, were dropped Friday by 18th Judicial District Attorney Carol Chambers. He could have faced six years in prison.
"It was somewhat of a surprise for us," Dickes' attorney Robert Corry Jr. said. "This is a huge victory - a decisive victory. The times they are a-changin'. It's time for police to figure out that medical marijuana is legal."On Monday, Dickes and his attorneys filed a motion in Arapahoe District Court to get the 71 plants seized April 27 from his Aurora basement returned. Police have said the plants are dead.A constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2000 allows the use of marijuana to alleviate pain and symptoms of various illnesses. The law also stipulates that medical marijuana or plants seized from state-certified patients during criminal investigations be returned in good shape at the end of court cases."He was carefully and meticulously cultivating this. Mr. Dickes should get his medicine back," Corry said.Marijuana recently returned to state-registered medical marijuana patients James and Lisa Masters in Fort Collins was moldy, and only a small amount could be used for medicinal purposes. The couple plan to sue to recoup the value of the marijuana.The Drug Enforcement Agency attaches a $5,200 price tag to each pound of pot. If that standard applies, Dickes' confiscated stash is estimated at $369,200. Dickes suffers from chronic vascular disease and pain from shrapnel injuries. The decorated Marine said pharmaceutical narcotics have made him sick.Police - unaware of Dickes' status as a registered user of medical marijuana - executed a search warrant in April and put him in handcuffs in his driveway."This means to people in my neighborhood I'm not a criminal," Dickes said. "I'm a decent, law- abiding citizen."Aurora Detective Shannon Lucy said the episode could have been avoided if Dickes had told authorities he was licensed."We probably wouldn't have taken him into custody and we wouldn't have destroyed the plants," Lucy said. After he was taken to jail, his girlfriend alerted authorities to his status. Police left 4 ounces of marijuana and six plants in his home, as well as all his growing equipment, she said.Complete Title: Dropped Charges in Medical Pot Case Called 'Huge Victory'Source: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)Author: Julie Poppen, Rocky Mountain NewsPublished: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Copyright: 2007 Denver Publishing Co.Contact: letters rockymountainnews.comWebsite: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #29 posted by FoM on December 19, 2007 at 11:56:41 PT
nuevo mexican
I just read on the blog I go to this sad news and I knew you would want to know about it.Kucinich's Brother Found Deadhttp://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g1o9e4ivDz6b3uw852yQZsmP3A7QD8TKMM5G0
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Comment #28 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on December 19, 2007 at 03:59:55 PT
This is what amazes me -
From the article GCW linked to:"Proceeds generated from the sale of Canadian-grown marijuana in the U.S., for example, were used to finance other illicit activities, including the purchase of cocaine and guns smuggled from the U.S. into Canada.""Canada was identified as a transit country for trafficking cocaine to Australia."I remember how a few years ago, when ONDCP complained about marijuana coming from Canada, and Canada complained back about cocaine coming from the USA. And I thought, but the US doesn't even produce any cocaine.So much cocaine is smuggled in to the US, that they can't sell it all!It's smuggled from here to Canada and other countries. And the DEA is concerned about medical marijuana and hemp!? And the media doesn't call them on this bullshit?!Wouldn't Australia and Canada be as justified to invade the US over this as the US was to invade Panama? After all, if that much cocaine is being funneled though the US, there has to be corruption in the government, doesn't there?While the DEA makes it hard on sick folk and farmers and people who don't want to do hard drugs, they have let cocaine be cheap and available to anyone of any class of any age and apparently of any nationality.
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Comment #27 posted by nuevo mexican on December 19, 2007 at 03:49:26 PT
Great news! It's getting better all the time!
Imagine people across the USA becoming instructors for local pds, to train them in the art of growing!It will happen, if this keeps up!Check out this awesome song, put to pictures of Dennis and Elizabeth, and tell you aren't in love with these folks!I feel like I did in the days of the Beatles when it comes to Dennis and Yoko, I mean Elizabeth!Back then, we had John Lennon and George Harrison leading the discussion, and setting the example, exploring Peace, meditation, love songs and songs of world peace, bed in, war is over, thank you John and George!I feel Obama is on to what the future holds, though Dennis eats, sleeps and breaths his principles and philosophy of compassion and Peace, so the two will just have to team up, if it's not Edwards and Kucinich, I'd be happy with either!I like Obama, Dennis is just so much more inspiring, a truth teller, and very heroic. Imagine Dennis and Elizabeth, with Barack and Michelle, Sean Penn, Gore Vidal, and all the best bands, in the Green House!I'm sure Neil Young is a fan of Dennis and his views, can you check in Neil? How bout' Willie?
Eddie Vedder?This band likes him:Hero:Tribute to Dennis Kucinich
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.
php?az=view_all&address=385x77307
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Comment #26 posted by Max Flowers on December 18, 2007 at 23:50:18 PT
Budder
It's just a form of hash oil. In some cases they whip air into it, like whipped butter. That gives it a unique color and consistency. But in the end, it's just hash oil (cannabis oil).
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Comment #25 posted by The GCW on December 18, 2007 at 21:26:12 PT
What's this?
... Budder, an inhaled cannabis derivative believed to have emerged in Vancouver in 2004, has THC levels ranging from 82 per cent to 99.6 per cent, much more potent than smoked marijuana. ...Cont.What are they talkin' 'bout?Pubdate: Tue, 18 Dec 2007
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1465/a01.html?397
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Comment #24 posted by The GCW on December 18, 2007 at 21:21:05 PT
Tree of life - by the way...
Tree of life - by the way... of Biblical fame, from Page 2 & 3, the very last page and Revelation 2:7 among others.
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Comment #23 posted by The GCW on December 18, 2007 at 21:16:12 PT
Can. government bought and paid for Vapourizer
CN BC: MS Sufferer Wins Right to Use Pot VapourizerNot just "use" -the government bought and paid for it!Pubdate: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 -
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1464/a06.html?397
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Comment #22 posted by Truth on December 18, 2007 at 18:52:56 PT
The Tree of Life
Let it grow!
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on December 18, 2007 at 17:43:21 PT
UPI: Man Wants His Pot Plants Back
December 18, 2007 (UPI) -- A Colorado man is asking that police return medicinal marijuana plants they seized from him. Kevin Dickes, 39, a state-certified medical marijuana user and Desert Storm veteran is asking Arapahoe District Court to get 71 plants police seized April 27 from his Aurora, Colo., basement returned. "He was carefully and meticulously cultivating this. Mr. Dickes should get his medicine back," said Dickes' attorney, Robert Corry Jr.Under Colorado law, pot plants seized from state-certified patients during criminal investigations must be returned in good shape at the end of court cases. But authorities have said Dickes plants are dead, the Rocky Mountain News reported Tuesday.After Dickes was taken to jail, his girlfriend alerted authorities to his status as a medical marijuana user. "This means to people in my neighborhood I'm not a criminal," said Dickes, decorated Marine with chronic vascular disease and pain from shrapnel injuries who says pharmaceutical narcotics make him sick. "I'm a decent, law- abiding citizen."Aurora police Detective Shannon Lucy said the episode could have been avoided if Dickes had told authorities he was a medical marijuana patient."We probably wouldn't have taken him into custody and we wouldn't have destroyed the plants," Lucy said.Copyright: 2007 United Press Internationalhttp://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/12/18/man_wants_his_pot_plants_back/7180/
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Comment #20 posted by The GCW on December 18, 2007 at 16:49:32 PT
It's not the plant of life.
What is being described are not plants; they are trees.That makes sense since cannabis is the tree of life; not the plant of life.It also makes sense that the government wants to tone down the size because they don't want people to make the connection from plant to tree....inspirational use...The Green Collar Worker
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on December 18, 2007 at 16:04:52 PT
museman and runruff
I read both of your comments and went out to do the dinner dishes and this thought came into my mind from a long time ago when you were changing the laws in Oregon and we were changing them in Ohio. It looked good for the laws to be changed during that time almost everywhere it seemed. I remember someone being interviewed in Oregon. We only had news for a half hour or so and they fit the marijuana issue into that time frame. Basically this person said that our state ( Oregon ) are anti-establishment and we want to experiment with marijuana so let us be the test. The words might not be correct but I got the idea right. He said that we have hippies here too that want to try another way.
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Comment #18 posted by museman on December 18, 2007 at 15:35:16 PT
the State of Jefferson
Yup that's right! In North America, no finer herb for medicinal and inspirational use than what is grown in the mythical, but somehow actual state of Jefferson. And a 3 pound plant is about average for a well experienced grower with access to sun, soil, and water. Even some unexperienced growers locally have had some high yield though their lack of experience shows in the attending lack of quality. But there is such a saturation right now, one can afford to be choozy.Hooray for Colorado! They've always been a clean state.
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Comment #17 posted by runruff on December 18, 2007 at 14:27:39 PT:
Yup, that's right!
Great weather! We are on what is called the banana belt. A jet stream passes over us bringing in warm air currents from the South Pacific. We build our soil with the right parts of nitrogen, Phosphates and pot ash. We also add seaweed for the trace elements needed for proper digestion. We dig really large pot holes to grow each plant in. The size of oh say a VW beetle. The width and height of the plant depends on the size of the root network. Plants get to 10-12 feet wide and 14-18 soetimes 20 feet tall. [I've heard of even lager] Then it is a matter of strain you use and the hybrids we have today are phenomonal. The old hippies around here have been growing every year since the early 70s. In your face DEA, HA!
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on December 18, 2007 at 13:40:28 PT
runruff
I have no idea how big plants can get but I haven't ever heard of that amount. I know you tell the truth though. Oregon to me is where it all began. You have everything working in your favor with the temperature and rich volcanic soil.
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Comment #15 posted by runruff on December 18, 2007 at 13:13:26 PT:
I knew you'd freak out!
I've been growing 2 pound plants for years. That is not uncommon in Oregon and California. I'm talking about dry weight buds only. I've mentioned some outrages things on here before only to be substaniated later on. I stand by what I said and you will hear more about it later on. I always say what I believe to be the truth. No need to make things up. Life is interesting enough as it is.
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on December 18, 2007 at 12:47:51 PT
fight_4_freedom
I look at it this way. Some people maybe can get more then some other people but if a person gets busted dry weight should be the measure of weight and I don't think it would vary much in the end.
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Comment #13 posted by fight_4_freedom on December 18, 2007 at 12:33:15 PT:
I believe it's around 70% of the weight that's
gone after they are fully dried out. 4 or 5 lbs. on a plant does seem extreme, but with these skilled growers nowadays I wouldn't doubt it.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on December 18, 2007 at 12:20:25 PT
mykeyb420
Thank you. That's the way I see it. I have dehydrated tomatoes and apples and green peppers. The value of the product is the same but the weight is totally different. Water weighs a lot.
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Comment #11 posted by mykeyb420 on December 18, 2007 at 12:11:46 PT
FoM
I agree with you about the water fact. mabey when they weighed it the included the big leafs, stalks, stems, roots , dirt, and bowling balls,,etc
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on December 18, 2007 at 11:37:40 PT
Just a Question
Since water weight in any product can change the total weight doesn't true weight depend on if a product is 100 percent dry? An example is a dried apple won't weigh near as much as a fresh apple.
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Comment #9 posted by mykeyb420 on December 18, 2007 at 11:15:06 PT
check your scale
"My friends say they got 4to5 pounds per plant on their out door this year. Incredable!!!"I think the meant 4 to 5 ounces
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Comment #8 posted by fight_4_freedom on December 18, 2007 at 10:31:52 PT:
4 to 5 pounds per plant....Wowzers
That's what I call a plant. I've always heard you can get a pound off a plant if you do it right, but 4 or 5?? I know the outdoor plants tend to be a lot bigger with more yields but still, one harvest could last you for years. Although of course you'd want to try something different after a while. But, you know.I sure miss those California nuggets. The last nugg I had out there looked identical to a light green, mini christmas tree with millions of sparkling crystals. It think my friend said it was Cinderella 99, but I could be wrong. When I was out there this past summer I had my brother in law try some of this real potent stuff for the first time in long time. He has dealt with pain in his wrist for a while now, and he has tried everything for it. I shared some of that with him one night and he said he hadn't felt that good in years. Not to mention his pain gone completely. You can feel that magic work through your entire body.They sure know how to grow out in CA.
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Comment #7 posted by runruff on December 18, 2007 at 09:27:44 PT:
In your face DEA, HA!
I'll bet the Neo-American Gestapo is following this story closely. Some of the younger uniformed punk-thugs can see their beloved retirements sliping away.Here in my neighborhood and around the state I'm told herb is going for $2,500 a pound. We get six plants per person. We have a new hybrid in the neighborhood called Cali-cush. My friends say they got 4to5 pounds per plant on their out door this year. Incredable!!!Congrats to Michigan and Massachusetts.How do you eat an elephant?One bite at a time.State by state, we shall overcome!
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Comment #6 posted by Sam adams on December 18, 2007 at 09:01:43 PT
interesting juxtapostion
It must have been interesting to see all the little cops guy ganging up on the Marine in his driveway. A real tough guy, a real warrior, surrounded by little make-believe men. Men that won't fight unless it's 10 or 20 against one.I would say those cops are lucky they caught him in a good mood. Very lucky he allowed them to place handcuffs around his wrists.
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Comment #5 posted by fight_4_freedom on December 18, 2007 at 08:58:00 PT:
San Diego: My home away from home
MEDIA RELEASE
Americans for Safe Access
For Immediate Release: December 18, 2007Medical Marijuana Patients, City of San Diego Reject County's Claim of Federal Preemption
Patients raise new landmark legal case as City of San Diego announces strong support for state lawSan Diego, CA -- A group of medical marijuana patients from across California filed a legal brief today using two new legal arguments that oppose San Diego County's attempt to overturn state law. The patients' brief, filed by Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a nationwide medical marijuana advocacy organization, came only days after the City of San Diego filed an amicus, "friend of the court," brief in support of patients and in opposition to the county's legal challenge........
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=5345
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Comment #4 posted by fight_4_freedom on December 18, 2007 at 08:47:38 PT:
Action in progress
California Healthcare Provider, The HealthCare Solution, Finds Backdoor to Insure Marijuana-UsersWOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The HealthCare Solution (THCS), a California-based health insurance brokerage, has launched an effective program that gets marijuana-users instant approval for California health insurance.Due to strict underwriting guidelines set by California’s major health insurance institutions, marijuana-users run-the-risk of losing their health, jobs and relationships by being denied health insurance. However, a Los Angeles Healthcare provider, http://www.thcsonline.com, has found a legal backdoor to get these ineligible applicants the healthcare they need.
Business Wire- Rest of article
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on December 18, 2007 at 08:46:13 PT
Force cops to cultivate.
With the thought of pressing charges against police who take cannabis and let them die, and a record of cases being thrown out of court against medical users; perhaps medical users who are inconvenienced could start a legal suit right away when they are confronted to force the police to cultivate and take care of their plants with a court order to help back up the law.Cultivating plants is good for the soul; forcing police to cultivate plants could help their soul.Cops could even take a criminal course in cultivation and the consequences of not taking proper care of $5,200 plants. ...To protect the department and towns against law suits.To the police when cultivating the superplant:Be sure to talk to them...
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Comment #2 posted by fight_4_freedom on December 18, 2007 at 08:03:52 PT:
LTE's are already makin their way
here in Michigan. Thanks to all you dedicated activists out there.December 18, 2007"Give patients right to relief of marijuana"
Medical marijuana has been shown time and time again to help seriously ill people get relief. Prosecuting them and threatening them with jail time is barbaric ("Legal pot for very ill gets lift," Nov. 21).I am glad to see that so many Michiganders agree with me and have signed the petition to put medical marijuana on the ballot next year. People with serious diseases should not be thrown in jail for following their doctor's advice, and I am confident that Michigan will overwhelmingly vote to protect patients if given the chance in 2008.Helen L. Thompson
Benzonia"Waste of time"The government should not be wasting time trying to put sick patients in jail when they use medical marijuana to ease their suffering. Numerous studies show that medical marijuana is effective in treating patients with debilitating diseases such as multiple sclerosis and cancer.Protecting medical marijuana patients from arrest can bring people back into society who currently lack effective treatment and are crippled by their symptoms.Michigan should stand on the side of compassion and care, not senselessly punish people who are trying to care for themselves. I am looking forward to voting yes on the medical marijuana proposal if it's put on the ballot!Matthew R. Abel
Attorney at law
Detroit"Follow docs' orders"It is such a relief that the citizens of Michigan support the medical usage of marijuana. I have seen my closest relatives suffer from the pain and anxiety of cancer and the debilitating treatments used to fight it. They do not deserve to go to jail for following their doctors' orders.Medical marijuana can relieve suffering cancer patients of their continuous pain, as well as the nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, helping to keep them alive and well enough to keep fighting cancer.Michigan is on the right track in joining the 12 states that have successfully implemented medical marijuana legislation.Neil Yashinsky
Troy"More important work"As a retired Michigan police officer, I found the comments of my colleague, Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel, regarding policing medical marijuana, puzzling. If a person has a permit for marijuana, the officer simply takes no action. No permit would mean arresting the person for possession. The same principle applies for those found in possession of a concealed weapon. This is not complicated.I hope Michigan votes in favor of allowing sick people to use God's medicine. Our profession has more important things to do.Howard J. Wooldridge
Education Specialist, Law Enforcement
Against Prohibition
Washington, D.C.
Detroit Free Press LTE's published today
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Comment #1 posted by fight_4_freedom on December 18, 2007 at 07:15:11 PT:
Times are a changin'.
"This means to people in my neighborhood I'm not a criminal," Dickes said. "I'm a decent, law- abiding citizen."
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