cannabisnews.com: Ruling Strikes Fear in Tacoma Marijuana Patients
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Ruling Strikes Fear in Tacoma Marijuana Patients
Posted by CN Staff on February 13, 2010 at 18:21:46 PT
By Rob Carson, Staff Writer
Source: News Tribune
Tacoma, WA -- Just as medical marijuana commerce was beginning to flourish openly in Tacoma, a Washington State Supreme Court decision sent many patients running for cover.“People are scared,” said Mike Allison, a principal behind North End Club 420, one of three new Tacoma exchanges for medical marijuana patients. “And that’s too bad because they’re sick and they need this medicine.”
The stack of the marijuana-growing equipment at Club 420 headquarters appears to bear out his impression. Lights, fans and carbon-exhaust filters are piled in cardboard boxes on the carpet in a rear office – all of it, club members say, donated or sold at low cost to the exchange by patients worried about getting busted.“The whole idea that police can get the faintest whiff of cannabis coming out of your house and come in with guns drawn has freaked people out,” Allison said. “People are calling us, saying, ‘Come and get this stuff out of here. I don’t want to take the risk.’ ”In the Washington v. Fry court decision, released Jan. 21, the Supreme Court knocked at least a couple of bricks out of the legal foundation relied on by those who use marijuana as medicine.Standing on your porch and waving a note from your doctor doesn’t necessarily mean the cops can’t search your home and arrest you, the court said. And if your medical authorization is flawed in some way, the court continued, you might not be able to use the medical marijuana law as a defense at trial.The court’s interpretation of the law only makes sense, say those in law enforcement who must distinguish legitimate medical marijuana patients from dealers and recreational users.Without a search, how can officers tell whether a person is growing more than the maximum allowed by law? If a physician’s authorization for medical use doesn’t meet the standards of the law, why should it constitute a defense in front of a jury?Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist said he doesn’t think the impact of the Fry case will be as great as medical marijuana users fear.“Our philosophy remains unchanged,” Lindquist said. “We’re not interested in prosecuting legitimate medical marijuana users. But we are going to prosecute bogus medical marijuana users.”“We’re going to continue to look at it on a case-by-case basis,” he said. “We’re not in the business of prosecuting legitimate medical marijuana users, but we don’t want to see the medical marijuana statute abused to cover drug dealers.” Snipped Complete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/pfs9HNaaSource: News Tribune, The (Tacoma, WA)Author: Rob Carson, Staff WriterPublished: February 13, 2010Copyright: 2010 Tacoma News Inc.Contact: letters thenewstribune.comWebsite: http://www.thenewstribune.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help
Comment #6 posted by FoM on February 15, 2010 at 08:46:14 PT
dongenero
They really do like controlling people.
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Comment #5 posted by dongenero on February 15, 2010 at 08:20:41 PT
Parse the culture war
It's tough for conservatives to appreciate nuanced issues or anything other than black or white but, they will try in order to maintain any levels of prohibition possible.Now, they will attempt to slice and dice prohibition, in order to cling to some shreds of their failed policy. Of course, it's not a failed policy to those who profit from preying on US citizens, or to those who just want to stick it to "inferior" members of society, another endearing quality of conservatives.
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Comment #4 posted by EAH on February 14, 2010 at 17:25:16 PT:
Power trippers
"Without a search, how can officers tell whether a person is growing more than the maximum allowed by law? If a physician’s authorization for medical use doesn’t meet the standards of the law, why should it constitute a defense in front of a jury?"Why care one way or another? Why be so technical about it? Adopting such a stance transparently reveals that you will continue to use the power of the state to harass and suppress those you don't like.Are you also aggressively seeking to put home brewers before a jury? If the
latest batch might exceed the limit?
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Comment #3 posted by Storm Crow on February 14, 2010 at 09:42:01 PT
ALL use is medical, whether you realize it or not!
How can the preemptive use of something that can slow or stop MS, diabetes, some cancers, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's, migraines, osteoporosis, and other conditions be considered as "bogus"? Preventative medicine is a valid medical practice!I recently read posts from two apparently healthy individuals whose families are cursed with Alzheimer's. They are using cannabis in hopes of staving it off. Are they, mr lundquist, "bogus medical marijuana users"? They seem healthy enough right now! Will you persecute and cage them for attempting to preserve their future? Will you cage us all simply for trying to maintain our health?
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Comment #2 posted by runruff on February 14, 2010 at 03:35:01 PT
Bogie, how we miss thee!
“Our philosophy remains unchanged,” Lindquist said. “We’re not interested in prosecuting legitimate medical marijuana users. But we are going to prosecute bogus medical marijuana users.”By god we need to get the bogus off the street! Just last week a teen was attacked by a bogus! Even though the bogus is rarely spotted by civilians, prosecuting attorneys see them everywhere! Thank god the law and government is spending a trillion dollars to eliminate the bogus and many boguses have been killed!The bogus is kin to the boogeyman. The justice system says there are some pretty green and ugly boogeymen out there but not to worry they will protect us from the boogeyman and the bogusman!We will sleep safe tonight!
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Comment #1 posted by Celaya on February 13, 2010 at 21:29:25 PT
Come again?
"We’re not interested in prosecuting legitimate medical marijuana users. But we are going to prosecute bogus medical marijuana users.”So all this talk from the police and D.A.s about how they're really not intested in consumers (just dealers) is nicely blown away. Thanks for the honesty.Until every American who has smoked pot stands against this American Inquisition (over 100 million, according to SAMHSA), we will never again be the "land of the free."Just another tin-horn dictatorship where the people have been frightened into submission.
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