Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Why Don't More Republicans Oppose the DEA's Medical Marijuana Raids?

Why Don't More Republicans Oppose the DEA's Medical Marijuana Raids?


By Jacob Sullum
Wednesday, August 1, 2007


Last week, the Los Angeles City Council voted for a measure that asked the federal government to stop harassing medical marijuana users in California. Minutes later, the Drug Enforcement Administration raided 10 medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles County.

The disrespect for local judgments on local matters could not have been starker. Determined to maintain anti-drug orthodoxy, the DEA is running wild in the laboratories of democracy, smashing experiments in reform and injuring innocent bystanders.

The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed this cruel crusade to continue based on the premise that a cancer or AIDS patient who grows a few marijuana plants to relieve his pain or nausea is engaged in interstate commerce and therefore subject to federal regulation. As for Congress, on the day of the L.A. raids, the House once again rejected a measure aimed at restraining the DEA.

Because the two other branches of the federal government have failed to protect medical marijuana patients, their most plausible hope lies in electing a president who is less intent on snatching their medicine. At this point, the Democrats look decidedly more promising than the Republicans in this respect.

According to Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana, seven of the eight declared candidates for the Democratic nomination have promised to call off the DEA's medical marijuana raids if elected. The eighth, Barack Obama, has said such raids "probably shouldn't be a high priority."

Three of the nine remaining Republican candidates -- Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo and Tommy Thompson -- oppose the DEA raids. But the rest of the Republicans, including the leading contenders, either have taken no position (Mitt Romney) or have said they would continue the current policy (which, it's worth remembering, has roots in the Clinton administration).

When he was asked about medical marijuana in April, the straight-talking John McCain said, "I will let states decide the issue." Less than three months later, asked whether he would end the DEA's interference with medical marijuana use in the 12 states where it's legal, he already had changed his mind, saying, "Right now my answer to you is no." And in five minutes?

McCain's initial position on medical marijuana was reminiscent of George W. Bush's during his first presidential campaign, when he said, "I believe each state can choose that decision as they so choose." At least Bush waited until after he was elected to renege on his promise.

The Republicans also look worse than the Democrats in congressional votes on this issue. It's true that a conservative Republican congressman, Dana Rohrabacher of California, repeatedly has joined Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., in cosponsoring an appropriations bill amendment that would prohibit the DEA from spending money on busting medical marijuana patients and their caregivers. But Democrats have been far more likely than Republicans to back the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which last week was supported by 66 percent of the Democrats who voted but opposed by 92 percent of the Republicans.

These partisan tendencies do not mean Democrats have greater respect for the division of powers between the federal government and the states. When it suits them, they're happy to support federal involvement in policy areas the Constitution leaves to the states. It's just that Democrats are, by and large, more comfortable with the therapeutic use of cannabis than Republicans are.

It's hard to find a logical explanation for this split. Republicans, conservatives especially, are traditionally critical of overly cautious regulators who prevent people from using drugs that could relieve their suffering safely and effectively. They have a record of supporting the freedom to use herbal home remedies without unreasonable bureaucratic interference.

The prevailing Republican stance on medical marijuana, which is at odds with what most Americans tell pollsters they think about the issue, can be understood only in light of the connotation cannabis acquired as a result of its accidental association with the 1960s counterculture. In fighting a symbol of their opponents' principles, conservatives have sacrificed their own.

Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason magazine and a contributing columnist on Townhall.com.

©Creators Syndicate


http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/JacobSullum/2007/08/01/why_dont_more_republicans_oppose_the_deas_medical_marijuana_raids


DaBronx

Mom sends pot to ease son's rehab stint

Mom sends pot to ease son's rehab stint


ROTENBERG, Germany, July 31 (UPI) -- A German mom faces charges after allegedly sending her teenaged son care packages of marijuana while he was in drug rehab.

The Rotenberg woman apparently didn't want the 16-year-old boy to feel too bad while recovering from drug abuse, so she regularly sent him marijuana by mail hidden in packages of cigarettes.

Der Spiegel said Tuesday that the staff at the treatment facility became suspicious after the boy kept testing positive for drugs and decided to take a closer look at his mail.

© Copyright 2007 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2007/07/31/mom_sends_pot_to_ease_sons_rehab_stint/5718/


DaBronx

BALDWIN PARK: Medicinal marijuana to be debated


BALDWIN PARK: Medicinal marijuana to be debated

The Baldwin Park City Council will consider Wednesday extending an interim moratorium on medicinal marijuana dispensaries in the city.

The council voted unanimously last month to enact a 45-day temporary ban prohibiting the establishment of medicinal marijuana clinics anywhere in the city.

It expires on Saturday.

The new ordinance would extend that ban for 10 more months.

California voters approved Proposition 215 - the Compassionate Use Act - in 1996, allowing for the possession and cultivation of marijuana for medicinal use with a doctor's approval.

It is still barred by federal law.


http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_6508456


DaBronx

Berkeley medical pot club raided

Berkeley medical pot club raided


Carolyn Jones

Tuesday, July 31, 2007



(07-31) 20:27 PDT -- The Los Angeles Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency seized the assets of a Berkeley marijuana club Tuesday, following a raid of its sister club in Los Angeles.

The Berkeley Patients Group, one of three medical marijuana clubs in Berkeley, serves about 3,000 people in the East Bay. Medical marijuana is against federal law but California, under Proposition 215, allows dispensaries to operate.

"It's completely scandalous," said Becky DeKeuster, Berkeley Patients Group community liaison. "But we're determined to stay open and assist our patients in any way we can."

The Berkeley club had about $10,000 to $15,000 in its bank account, DeKeuster said. Employees offered to work without pay until the matter is resolved.

The Berkeley club's sister organization, California Patients Group, was raided last week in Los Angeles. Agents seized plants and handcuffed employees and patients but no one was arrested, DeKeuster said.

About 75 backers of the Berkeley club rallied at Tuesday's Berkeley City Council meeting, asking that the council declare Berkeley a sanctuary for medical marijuana dispensaries. The council agreed to hold a hearing on the issue.

"This is really affecting individuals and families who rely on marijuana to treat diseases and side effects," said Berkeley spokeswoman Mary Kay Clunies-Ross. "We're definitely going to take a look at it."


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/31/BAGE1RAJR59.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea



DaBronx

Heated prescription pot users to sue county over canni-ban

Heated prescription pot users to sue county over canni-ban


Last Update: Jul 31, 2007 7:52 PM

Posted By: brynn galindo

Video: Watch This Video

BAKERSFIELD - Medical marijuana users said they will sue the county over the closure of local pot shops.

They’re angry because Sheriff Donny Youngblood, with the blessing of Board of Supervisors, has stopped issuing permits for the medical pot clinics.

State law allows the clinics’ operation, but federal law does not. After a series of federal raids by the Drug Enforcement Agency this month alone, all six local clinics closed.

''I will be back at 2 o'clock with a letter of intent to sue the County of Kern on behalf of the medical patients of Kern County for not allowing us safe access to dispensaries and forcing us to go back to the black market for our medication,” said medical marijuana patient Jeff Clark.

A similar suit is pending in San Diego and is expected to be the landmark case on the subject, but that case may not be decided until next year.


http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=ed320bd1-b6ba-40b7-8561-6d765f2dda70&rss=91


DaBronx

Federal Marijuana Ban Turns 70 on Aug. 2



Federal Marijuana Ban Turns 70 on Aug. 2

First National Ban, Signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt on Aug. 2, 1937, Seen as Spectacular Failure

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With this Thursday marking the 70th anniversary of the enactment of federal marijuana prohibition, anti-prohibitionists are urging lawmakers to use the occasion to reflect on the track record of marijuana prohibition and to consider policy alternatives.

"It's hard to think of a more spectacularly bad, long-term policy failure than our government's 70-year war on marijuana users," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "Since the federal government banned marijuana in 1937, it's gone from being an obscure plant that few Americans had even heard of to the number-one cash crop in the United States."

The law, known as the Marijuana Tax Act, theoretically established a tax on producers, sellers, buyers, and prescribers of marijuana, but in fact its requirements were so onerous and the penalties for noncompliance so draconian that it effectively functioned as a ban, leading to the removal of cannabis (as marijuana was known to physicians) from the U.S. Pharmacopoeia in 1942. The law was superseded by the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which placed marijuana -- along with heroin and LSD -- in the most restrictive category of drugs, Schedule I, reserved for substances deemed to have literally no medical use.

Federal government estimates indicate that marijuana use has increased approximately 4,000 percent since the Marijuana Tax Act took effect. A study by researcher Jon Gettman, Ph.D., published in December 2006 and based on government data, found marijuana to be the country's number-one cash crop, exceeding the value of corn and wheat combined. The federally funded Monitoring the Future survey reports that approximately 85 percent of high school seniors describe marijuana as "easy to get" -- a figure that has remained virtually unchanged since the survey began in 1975. In 2005 (the most recent figures available), U.S. law enforcement made an all-time record 786,545 marijuana arrests -- 89 percent for possession, not sale or trafficking.

"Marijuana prohibition is easily the government’s biggest long-term failure since its disastrous experiment with alcohol Prohibition from 1919 to 1933, but the marijuana prohibition disaster just lives on," Kampia said. "It's time to steer a new course and regulate marijuana like we do alcohol."

With more than 23,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

Date: 7/31/2007


http://www.mpp.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=glKZLeMQIsG&b=1157875&ct=4217479


DaBronx


SANTA BARBARA: Reefer Madness



Photo: Paul Wellman



SANTA BARBARA: Reefer Madness

Goleta Doctor Cracks Down on Pot-Seeking Patients

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

By Barney Brantingham


Reefer Madness: Years ago, if you wanted to smoke marijuana, you’d likely turn off the lights, pull down the shades, and hunker down before puffing.

Today, you might amble down to one of Santa Barbara’s eight medical marijuana shops, letter from a doctor in hand, and score pot to ease your physical woes.

But getting that letter might be a lot harder than some people seem to think, especially if you try to make an appointment with Dr. David Bearman, a well-known Goleta physician.

It’d be easier — and probably a lot cheaper, from what I hear — to score weed on the street than to jump Dr. Dave’s hurdles.

Although he’s not familiar with how other Santa Barbara area doctors operate under Prop. 215 (the California medical marijuana measure approved by voters), he feels that certain California out-of-town chains offer brief, what he calls “HMO-style” appointments with patients claiming medical need to alleviate their ailments.

“Frankly, most doctors, patients, and dispensaries are concerned about these brief office visit approvals.”

I have a sore back and although I wouldn’t dream of soothing the aches and pains with wacky tobaccy, even temporarily, I asked Dr. Dave what it takes to get one of his letters of recommendation.

First, he said, you can’t even get an appointment without a careful screening. “We do not make an appointment for just anyone,” unless he has a pretty good idea that he or she is likely to qualify under the Prop 215 measures, Bearman told me.

“We try to see the patient’s medical records before their appointment, or if not, have them bring [their records] in with them.” Otherwise, Bearman said, the only time he would issue a letter without copious documentation is when an exam documents a serious problem — such as a missing limb, lumbar or cervical fusion, multiple knee surgeries, or the like.

And if you suspect that most of his patients are college-age kids trying to score, Bearman says 90 percent of his clients seeking marijuana letters are 25-years-old or older, and very few have Isla Vista addresses.

So what about those “HMO-style” doctors, as Bearman puts it? “The position of these doctors, who may see the patient only briefly before granting their approval for medicinal cannabis, seems to go something like this:

“If a patient tells them that they have a particular medical problem and that cannabis is useful to them, these doctors will recommend cannabis. They say that they have no reason not to approve its use when it provides medical benefits, because they see cannabis as being extremely safe and because they can.”

“I take a more conservative view,” Bearman says, blaming the problem on what he calls “vague” guidelines set down by the Medical Board of California, which allows for “wide latitude for interpretation by the MBC.”

Because the MBC has been on what he calls “a witch hunt” investigating doctors who OK marijuana letters, contrary to a court ruling, many physicians avoid the issue, Bearman said.

“At least 60 local doctors have referred patients to me, 15-20 local doctors have made a few approvals, and at least three other physicians are making recommendations for patients for whom they are not the primary care provider.”

“I have been working with other like-minded physicians to set up a specialty of ‘cannabinology,’ which would lay out acceptable medical and ethical standards. No one is benefited by the perception or reality of people who are not ill [getting] medical cannabis approval.”

Meanwhile, the Santa Barbara City Council soon plans to consider a possible moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries, along with guidelines. Some residents have complained about the location of the present ones, which apparently wouldn’t be affected by the moratorium.

Supervisor Bearman?: Dr. Bearman, by the way, says he’s thinking of running for the 3rd District county supervisorial seat now held by Brooks Firestone of the Santa Ynez Valley. Other names are being mentioned in Goleta to oppose Firestone, who gives every impression of seeking re-election next year. This will be a hot one.


Barney Brantingham can be reached at barney@independent.com or 805-965-5205. He writes online columns on Tuesdays and Fridays and a print column on Thursdays.


http://www.independent.com/news/2007/jul/31/reefer-madness/


DaBronx

GO NY YANKEES!

STOP DOMESTIC TERRORISM BY THE DEA!

(This space for rent)



Monday, July 30, 2007

MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROTEST AT VAN NUYS FRIDAY AUGUST 3, 2007




:::::::::PROTEST AT VAN NUYS FRIDAY AUGUST 3, 2007:::::::::


PROTEST/RALLY FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND PATIENT RIGHTS!


WHEN: Friday August 3rd. 9:30 am.-1pm.

WHERE: Van Nuys Civic Center
14410 Sylvan Street
Van Nuys, Ca.

WHY: Protest the DEA actions and local police involvement in recent raids and fear letter campaign

The recent times have been difficult for everyone, especially owners and patients who have had their collectives closed or raided, so we must stand together if we are to get anything done.

There will be drinks and food provided to the protesters that come, and we are looking for all ideas that we can use, such as perfomance art as protest. and things that will be creative and different then ways before.

We will be having a large funeral for States rights, with a large coffin built with a California Flag covering it, and RIP STATE'S RIGHTS, written on the coffin.


FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP, CONTACT PATRICK at 818-386-2998 (12 PM-8 PM or leave message) or email "patrick_duff2000 [at] yahoo.com"


Sheriff comments on predicted closure of final pot shop

Sheriff comments on predicted closure of final pot shop

Last Update: Jul 30, 2007 9:07 PM

Posted By: Megan Trihey


Video: Watch This Video

BAKERSFIELD - As predicted by Sheriff Donny Youngblood, the last remaining pot shop in Bakersfield is out of business, leaving those who rely on marijuana for medicine out of luck.






“This is not about what I can tell people they can and cannot do,” said Youngblood. “This is about the law, and they have a responsibility to know that possession of marijuana with certain restrictions can be a felony with the feds. It is a felony with the feds.”

The owners of California Compassionate Services on Bernard Street in northeast Bakersfield closed late last week.

They said they were caught in a pinch between state and federal law.

A month ago, Bakersfield had six medical marijuana shops, but after a series of DEA raids and federal indictments, each shut down.

Youngblood said he doesn’t plan on issuing licenses for any more pot shops to open.

“People have to do what they think they need to do,” said Youngblood. “I just thought it was a little bit unfair to issue licenses to someone, take their money, and then help put them in federal prison.”


http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=45bb3b6c-4c36-45a0-a1f8-99df30285641&rss=91


DaBronx


GO NY YANKEES!
Al Gore's son pleads guilty in drug case


New, 11:10 a.m.


Al Gore III enters diversion program, whereby charges could be dropped in the future.


By Gillian Flaccus
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Al Gore's son pleaded guilty today to possessing marijuana and other drugs, but a judge said the plea can be withdrawn if he successfully completes an intense drug diversion program in 18 months.

Al Gore III, 24, entered the plea at his arraignment before Orange County Superior Court Judge Jacob Jager.

Jaime Coulter, senior deputy district attorney, said Gore's sentencing will be continued until Feb. 7. If he has complied with all the conditions of the diversion program, the sentencing will be continued again for another year, with charges possibly being dropped in 2009.

"At that point, he will be able to withdraw his guilty plea as if he never entered it," Coulter said.

Authorities have said drugs were discovered in Gore's car after he was pulled over for speeding earlier this month.

Gore pleaded guilty to two felony counts of drug possession, two misdemeanor counts of drug possession without a prescription and one misdemeanor count of marijuana possession, the district attorney's office said.

Gore was allegedly driving a 2006 blue Toyota Prius at about 100 mph. After searching the car, deputies said they discovered less than an ounce of marijuana and a variety of medications, including Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and Adderall. Authorities said Gore did not have a prescription for any of those medications.

The charges stem from the July 4 traffic stop. Gore also was charged with a traffic infraction for allegedly driving faster than 100 mph.

The son of the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee was previously arrested for marijuana possession in Maryland in 2003, when he was a student at Harvard University. Gore completed substance abuse counseling to settle those charges.

Gore is the youngest of Tipper and Al Gore's four children. He now lives in Los Angeles and is an associate publisher of GOOD, a magazine about philanthropy and aimed at young people.


http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/regstate/articles/8810717.html


DaBronx

DEA Stomps Patients and States Rights

PART 1 - Marijuana Eradication; T.N.T. Style

PART 1 - Marijuana Eradication; T.N.T. Style

Monday, July 30, 2007 - 07:15 AM
Bill Johnson
MML News Director


Stanislaus National Forest, CA -- It was Friday, July 20, at 6am that five members of the Tuolumne Narcotics Team, more commonly known as T.N.T., along with nine state agents from the C.A.M.P. (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) program, gathered at the Columbia Air Base.

The mission for the day was to eradicate four mariuana grows in the Stanislaus National Forest. Those grows were located at Five Mile Creek, Clark's Gulch, Rose Creek One and Rose Creek Two.

T.N.T. keeps a daily count of marijuana plants that are eradicated. This total was posted at the Columbia Air Base Sheriff Department's T.N.T. Headquarters prior to the 7/20/07 eradication of several grows in the Stanislaus National Forest off Italian Bar Rd.

T.N.T. Case Agent Jarrod Pippin says grows are discovered by aerial observation and public input. He adds that Tuolumne County is a perfect location for grows because of its many remote and difficult to access locations.

According to Pippin, the Mexican drug trafficking cartel is responsible for 95 percent of all marijuana grows in the Mother Lode. Occasionally grow tenders are arrested by law enforcement agencies, but for the most part there is a distinct absence of Mexican nationals when T.N.T. and C.A.M.P. personnel arrive. Mexican nationals carefully plan their escape routes as soon as the grows are established.

Ground preparation for T.N.T. and C.A.M.P. agents to be helicoptered into marijuana grows off Italian Bar Rd. in the Stanislaus National Forest (7/20/07).

Tomorrow in the second segment of our week long series, Marijuana Eradication; T.N.T. Style, we'll take a look at the training program for T.N.T. members.

Broadcasts of our weeklong series can be heard each day on AM-1450 KVML at 6:30am, 7:30am, 8:30am, 12:05pm and our overnight newscasts. The series can also be heard on STAR 92.7 at 6:20am, 7:20am and 8:20am and on Today's Country, KKBN (93.5), at 6:30am, 7:30am and 8:30am.

Written by bill.johnson@mlode.com

http://www.mymotherlode.com/News/article/kvml/1185799823


DaBronx
http://myspace.com/DaBronxNews


Hinchey “encouraged” by House support for failed medical marijuana bill

Monday July 30, 2007


Hinchey “encouraged” by House support for failed medical marijuana bill


Washington – For the fifth time, Reps. Maurice Hinchey of Hurley and Dana Rohrabacher of California have proposed allowing states that adopted medical marijuana laws the ability to use them. Last week, their latest effort failed again, but this time 165 lawmakers voted for it – a record number.

Hinchey said Washington should not be usurping state’s' rights. “What we’re doing here is basically is saying that the federal government is violating a basic provision of the Constitution, which stipulates states’ rights, and the states have the right to make decisions with regard to the way medical care is carried out and administered,” he said.

Hinchey points to a 1999 study that indicated marijuana can relieve severe pain, nausea, and appetite loss in certain patients, including those with cancer.

Twelve states have adopted medical marijuana laws, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.


http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/med_mar_Hinchey-30Jul07.html


DaBronx

Man arrested for smoking medicinal marijuana

Man arrested for smoking medicinal marijuana

Police arrest man suffering from Tourette Syndrome after finding marijuana in his bag, although he has permission to use drug for medicinal purposes. Police: permit doesn’t apply outdoors


Roi Mandel
Published: 07.30.07, 08:51 / Israel News



An Israeli man was recently arrested for possession of marijuana, although he has an official permit from the Health Ministry to use the drug for medicinal purposes.


Criminal charges were filed against him and, according to his testimony, he was "treated like a dangerous drug addict."


Guy, a 26-year-old from central Israel, has Tourette Syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by the presence of multiple physical and vocal tics, and also suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He has a 50 percent disability rating and receives a monthly allowance from social security.


At the age of 16, Guy tried smoking marijuana and discovered that the drug helped ease his anxieties and enabled him to cope better with reality. In November 2006, following a long and exhausting process, he was the first person suffering from Tourette in Israel to be granted permission to use marijuana to help treat his condition.


Last Friday, Guy and four other friends set out for a trip in the north, and camped on the banks of the Hatzbani River, where they spent the night. Early Saturday morning, policemen from Kiryat Shmona patrolling the area showed up at the camping site and raided the belongings of Guy and his friend, a search that led to the discovery of Guy's marijuana.


Guy presented the policemen his license, and explained to them that he was using the drug as a medicine. However, the policemen noted that according to the permit he was only allowed to use the drug indoors, and arrested him.


He was released after giving his statement at the police station and depositing NIS 1,000 bail.


'Policeman didn't use his judgment'


Guy claimed that although the policemen were legally right in arresting him, they could have exercised better judgment and a little compassion in his case. "I expected the policeman to not act like a robot and use his judgment. I should also be allowed to take a vacation and go outside." He stressed that he never smoked marijuana in public or in the presence of children.


The police said in response, "According to the permit, he is only allowed to use the marijuana at home and under medical supervision. If a person holding such a permit goes on vacation, he should obtain another permit allowing him to use the drug outside his house.


"The person in question has allegedly committed a criminal offense, was detained, questioned and released on bail. The Israel police enforce the law on drug use anywhere and without bias."


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3431382,00.html


DaBronx

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Medical Marijuana Editorials in Los Angeles/Orange County

Medical Marijuana Editorials in Los Angeles/Orange County

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following editorial ran today (7/28/07) in both the Long Beach Press
Telegram and the Los Angeles Daily News. The editorial below that ran
yesterday (7/27/07) in the Orange County Register.

Kris
___________________


http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_6472441
http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_6489630
*LA Daily News Editorial:

Federal intervention

It's L.A.'s business to regulate medical pot, not feds'.

Article Last Updated: 07/26/2007 09:02:38 PM PDT

FEDS, back off.

That's what the Los Angeles City Council and medical marijuana advocates hope will happen by adopting a moratorium on new dispensaries and bringing current ones into compliance while stricter rules are written.

Of course, even operating within the new ordinance and with full legal right under California law won't necessarily keep the drug agents from raiding the medical marijuana dispensaries in L.A., which they did Wednesday even as the City Council debated the new rules.

Medical marijuana was approved for use by sick people in California 11 years ago - but in direct conflict with federal drug law. In recent days, the DEA has cranked up its raids in a clear assault on the state's medical marijuana law.

Now, 11 years and many marijuana dispensaries later, the city is finally trying to wrestle with this beast by prohibiting any new dispensaries to open for a year or until strict rules are enacted. Meanwhile, existing dispensaries have 60 days to comply with all the rules, from business taxes to permits.

L.A. clearly bears a lot of responsibility for the lax regulation and supervision of medical marijuana dispensaries that have allowed unsavory elements to become involved.

But the feds should leave medical marijuana alone unless they have proof of genuine abuses. Surely, heroin, cocaine and meth pose a greater threat to society than legalized medical marijuana dispensaries.


******



--*Orange County Register Editorial:
Drug warriors on the hunt*

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has started playing hardball with medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles, but it's unclear how far it will move beyond symbolic intimidation. The DEA, which has discretion when it comes to setting priorities, would do well to abandon this effort to deprive seriously ill people of medicine to which they are entitled under state law. Such efforts are unworthy of it.

On July 6 the Los Angeles office of the DEA sent letters to a number of landlords -- estimates in news stories range from 30 to 120 -- who rent to medical marijuana, or cannabis, dispensaries notifying them that their tenants are violating federal law, and that as landlords they might be subject to a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and forfeiture (seizure, taking, stealing) of their property. Some dispensaries have
already announced that they will be closing their doors.

In an apparently unrelated action, the DEA also announced the indictments for violating federal marijuana laws of several operators of medical cannabis cooperatives in Central California, as well as one in Bakersfield and another in Corona. All of these operations had been raided or put on notice previously, and none had received letters threatening forfeiture. All had paid sales taxes, an indication they were operating like normal businesses, at least in the eyes of the state.

Then Wednesday the DEA raided 10 medical cannabis clinics in Los Angeles and arrested five people, reportedly none of them patients. That was the same day the L.A. City Council introduced an interim ordinance imposing a moratorium on new clinics until the city finds a better way to
regulate them, and calling on the feds to end their crackdown.

To be sure, under federal law as currently interpreted -- incorrectly inour view -- all possession, use, production or sale of marijuana is strictly prohibited. California law permits medicinal use when recommended by a licensed physician. Federal law enforcement agencies are empowered to enforce federal law, while California law enforcement officials are required to enforce state law. So the DEA has authority to
do what it did.

Whether it was a wise move is another question. It isn't quite busting grandmothers in wheelchairs using cannabis to alleviate the effects of chemotherapy or multiple sclerosis. But i! t will make it more difficult
for legitimate patients to acquire their medicine through relatively predictable, legitimate channels.

As Dale Gieringer, director of California National Association for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) told us, "This action will only serve to drive patients to the illegal market and aggravate marijuana crime."

Wednesday's raid also coincided with House of Representatives' consideration of the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment to the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill. The amendment would have
denied funds to the DEA for any enforcement activities against patients or caregivers in the 12 states that have authorized the medicinal use of cannabis. It got more votes than it had in previous years, but still
failed, by a 262-165 margin (150 Democrats, 15 Republicans).

We're pleased to note that from our area, in addition to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Reps. Ed Royce, John Campbell and Loretta Sanchez all supported upholding what California voters approved back in 1996. It's
disappointing that Reps. Darrell Issa, Gary Miller and Ken Calvert voted against states' rights and local control.

You would think that with terrorism and hard drugs the DEA would have better things to do than to try to keep useful medicine from sick people and nullify the laws of California and 11 other states. There's
obviously a lot of work to do before that happens.


Kris Hermes
Media Specialist
Americans for Safe Access
www.SafeAccessNow.org
1322 Webster Street, Suite 402
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-251-1856 x307
Fax: 510-251-2036
Email: kris@SafeAccessNow.org

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest
national member-based organization of patients,
medical professionals, scientists and concerned
citizens promoting safe and legal access to
cannabis for therapeutic use and research.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Attachment: http://drugsense.org/temp/23GMssyoha71Q.html


DaBronx

Guest Opinion: DEA thwarts Montana's medical marijuana law

Guest Opinion: DEA thwarts Montana's medical marijuana law

Published on Saturday, July 28, 2007


Guest Opinion: DEA thwarts Montana's medical marijuana law

By ROBIN C. PROSSER


Five years ago, I starved myself to bring attention to the plight of the sick in Montana that need medical marijuana. Two years later, I worked hard on the campaign for our state medical marijuana initiative, which passed with more support than any other.

Two years after that, Missoula voters passed the low-priority law, which directs law enforcement to put the lowest priority on marijuana. When city commissioners wanted to put restrictions on the amounts possessed, citizens lined the aisles to voice complaint.

Four months ago, my medicine was seized in transit by the Drug Enforcement Administration. I've repeatedly asked Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Attorney General Mike McGrath, Rep. Dennis Rehberg and our U.S. senators for their help, for their protection. All defer to the DEA, who say they can't comment on an ongoing investigation.

Ongoing? I'm 50 years old, low-income and sick. I spend most days in my apartment in bed, with no air conditioning, unable to go outside because I can't tolerate the sun. I had a designated caregiver, as our state medical marijuana law allows, but since the DEA interference, I can no longer have my medicine shipped to me. This means I must find a way to drive four hours twice monthly just to get the medicine that saves my life. I've no reliable transportation. I have to beg for rides.

I've had my medical marijuana confiscated by Missoula County sheriff's deputies, even though I had my registry card in hand at the time. It was never entered into evidence, I was never reimbursed.

Where are my fellow citizens now? How do we allow the DEA to persecute the sick? What about our state rights?

I feel immensely let down. I have no safety, no protection, no help just to survive in a little less pain. I can't even get a job due to my medical marijuana use - can't pass a drug test. But in order to be able to function, get up and work, I must have the only medicine that helps me.

I wish I were able to tolerate morphine, OxyContin or fentanyl. Then I'd be left alone. Then I'd be able to get a job.

Give me liberty or give me death. Maybe the next campaign ought to be for assisted-suicide laws in our state. If they will not allow me to live in peace, and a little less pain, would they help me to die, humanely?

Robin C. Prosser of Missoula uses marijuana to treat her lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote soon on an amendment intended to stop the federal Drug Enforcement Administration from taking action against people who are using marijuana in accordance with state or local laws.

Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.


http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/07/28/opinion/guest/45-marijuana.txt


DaBronx

Man held on marijuana charges freed

Man held on marijuana charges freed


By Megan Blaney, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 07/28/2007 12:00:00 AM PDT


CHINO - A superior-court judge released 31-year-old Michael Zullo after six weeks of incarceration for multiple marijuana charges.

In an agreement reached Friday morning between Deputy District Attorney Michael Abacherli and Zullo's attorney, William Kroger, at San Bernardino Superior Court in Chino, Zullo agreed to plead no contest to selling marijuana if the other charges were dropped.

Zullo must return to court Sept. 18 at 8:30 a.m. for sentencing. If he does not violate his probation between now and then, he could receive a sentence ranging between time served and one year in county jail. If he violates the terms of his probation, Zullo's sentence could include time in state prison.

Zullo was jailed June 12 after members of the West End Narcotics Enforcement Team arrested him for cultivating marijuana plants in a home he owns on Van Horn Circle. He was charged with planting, growing and selling marijuana.

Zullo had 18 adult plants and 120 seedlings locked away upstairs in the home that his sister and her family live in.

Zullo, who lives in Diamond Bar with his parents, is a medical-marijuana patient and owns a dispensary in Los Angeles. He says he was legally growing the marijuana for his patients.

His bail, initially set at $25,000, was raised to $500,000 when investigators discovered that he had hundreds of thousands of dollars in his bank account, and no apparent source for that income.

Abacherli said the District Attorney's Office believes the money comes from illegal marijuana sales and that the dispensary is a front for the illegal activity.

"They are running hundreds of thousands of dollars through a business that he says is making only two to three thousand dollars every three months," Abacherli said shortly after Zullo's bail was raised.

But Kroger said the money in Zullo's bank accounts was loaned to him as part of a plan to build corporate credit, which is then used to secure loans, among other financial advantages.

"We've actually been able to account for every freaking penny of it," Kroger said. "It's just odd to the D.A."

Abacherli said the investigation into Zullo's finances will continue.

Staff writer Will Bigham contributed to this report.

Staff writer Megan Blaney can be reached by e-mail at megan.blaney@dailybulletin.com, or by phone at (909) 483-9354.


http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_6485438


DaBronx

CPG Raid: LAPD Det. Dennis Packer wearing DEA gear

CPG Raid: LAPD Det. Dennis Packer wearing DEA gear



In this video clip, LAPD Detective Dennis Packer is seen pulling up in the white dodge sedan. He is clearly wearing DEA gear. Det. Packer has been cross-deputized by the DEA, and raided this legal medical cannabis collective at the exact same time the LA City Council unanimously resolved to tell the DEA to stop raiding the LA collectives, and end the Federal War on Medical Cannabis Patients and their providers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFEieYZOG20





DaBronx

Video Allegedly Shows LAPD Detective In Pot Raid

Jul 27, 2007 11:58 pm US/Pacific


Video Allegedly Shows LAPD Detective In Pot Raid


(CBS) LOS ANGELES An investigation was launched to check an allegation that a Los Angeles Police Department detective participated in a federal Drug Enforcement Administration raid on medical marijuana facilities.

Marijuana activist Brett Stone e-mailed a video clip Friday, allegedly showing Detective Dennis Packer arriving at the scene of one of 10 raids Wednesday in the Hollywood area, wearing DEA raid gear.

LAPD spokesman Lt. Ruben De La Torre said he could not immediately confirm it was Packer, a narcotics officer with the department's Hollywood Station.

"I don't know the man that well," said De La Torre, who earlier said there was an investigation at the highest level in the matter that "hasn't been completed yet."

De La Torre said he could see there was a "D" on the man's back, but said it wasn't clear to him that he was wearing a DEA outfit.

Officer Jason Lee said Packer would not have shown up at a raid in DEA apparel.

"He is one of our narcotics detectives," Lee said.

However the DEA's Sarah Pullen said that "it was possible. "

"We have many task force officers who are deputized," Pullen said. "It happens quite frequently. All I can say is that we don't verify the names of our agents or task force officers, but I can verify many state and local officers and agents are deputized with the DEA, including the LAPD."

A more complete statement could be issued next week, De La Torre said. The matter could be treated as a personnel matter, and no additional comments would be made.

Use of marijuana for medicinal purposes was approved by California voters in November 1996. However, it remains illegal under federal law.

The existence of the video was mentioned during the public comment portion of Friday's City Council meeting by Chris Fusco with Americans for Safe Access. There was no immediate comment from council members, Stone said.

(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. )


http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_209030116.html


DaBronx

Suit Over Pot's 'Benefit' Stumbles

Suit Over Pot's 'Benefit' Stumbles

Matthew Hirsch
The Recorder
July 30, 2007


An Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit can't put the federal government on trial for saying that marijuana has no medical use -- but it might get to challenge the government for blowing deadlines, a federal judge in California ruled last week.

Americans for Safe Access sued in February after two federal agencies refused to alter government-published statements saying marijuana has "no currently accepted medical use in the United States."

In an eight-page ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup agreed with Justice Department lawyers that the federal Information Quality Act provides for only administrative, not judicial, review for people to challenge the "quality, objectivity, utility and integrity" of information disseminated by federal agencies.

Alsup's ruling didn't address the government's claim that ASA lacked standing because it failed to identify members who suffered harm from the disputed statements or to show how the issue was germane to ASA's organizational purpose.

Though Alsup rejected ASA's bid to revise those statements, he hinted the plaintiff might be able to at least force the government to address its assertion within a 60-day period provided by law.

"Conceivably," Alsup wrote, "a district court may order an agency to act on the merits of an information-correction petition within a specific time frame."

The Northern District judge dismissed the complaint in ASA v. Department of Health and Human Services, 07-01049, with leave to amend.


http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1185527206613&rss=newswire


DaBronx

HUNTINGTON BEACH: Medical marijuana raises questions

HUNTINGTON BEACH: Medical marijuana raises questions

Friday, July 27, 2007

Inside scoop: Medical marijuana

Two planning commissioners question mayor's motion to ban medical marijuana dispensaries, and a school board member's plea is finally heard.

By ANNIE BURRIS
The Orange County Register


Should Huntington Beach ban medical marijuana dispensaries?
Yes, the city should follow federal laws.
No, access to medical marijuana is a right of Californians.
[Vote]



Medical marijuana raises questions

Huntington Beach is the latest city to consider making medical marijuana dispensers illegal.

On Tuesday, the Planning Commissionheld a study session on the issue -- the city's first discussion on the topic in two years.

City Council voted in 2005 to permit medical marijuana dispensaries in specified locations to comply with the Compassionate Use Act, which allows people to use marijuana in California.

At the time, a U.S. Supreme Court decision was pending on the act's relationship to the Federal Controlled Substances Act. In June of that same year, the court decided to uphold the act.

In other words, possession of marijuana is still a federal crime.

A month after the court's decision, Mayor Gil Coerper asked the council to reverse the city's law. The council voted 4-3 to have staff consider deleting the city code. Council Jill Hardy, Keith Bohr and Debbie Cook opposed.

Why did it take so long to bring back it back?

Currently, there are no dispensaries in the city. An application for one in 2005 never panned out. Recently, however, the city has received requests for a dispensary from three Marina High School students.

City staff had labeled the deletion of the city code as a "house keeping'' item on the Planning Commission agenda, but commissioners Joe Shawand Devin Dwyer thought they were moving too fast.

"We should wait until the dust settles on this and it hasn't," said Dwyer. "I think it is a little ridiculous that we step into the fray."

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the issue at 7 p.m. on Aug. 14.

---non-marijuana items edited out---------------

"Inside Scoop" is an occasional feature/column about politics and interesting happenings in Huntington Beach. If you have any tips or suggestions, call 714-445-6696 or email aburris@ocregister.com.

Contact the writer: 714-445-6680 or aburris@ocregister.com


http://www.ocregister.com/news/medical-marijuana-huntington-1788948-beach


DaBronx