Sentencing Postponed in Charlie Lynch's Medical Marijuana Trial
This is a potentially big development:
U.S. District Court Judge George H. Wu asked prosecutors for a written response from the Justice Department about its position on medical marijuana prosecutions in light of recent comments from Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr.Holder said last week that the Justice Department under President Obama had no plans to prosecute dispensary owners who operated within their state's law.
Wu said he did not believe that any change in policy would affect the conviction of Charles Lynch, 47. But the judge said he wanted to consider any new information about the policy before imposing sentence. [Los Angeles Times]
Even as the new administration moves towards ending federal interference with state medical marijuana laws, Lynch's prosecution remains a national controversy and a harsh reminder that the war on medical marijuana continues to claim casualties.
Attorney General Holder has only one logical choice here: tell Judge Wu to send Charlie Lynch home. It's the only option that would be morally and politically consistent with the administration's decision to respect state medical marijuana laws. Holder has been handed an opportunity to intervene and if he lets this man go to prison, he makes a mockery of everything he's said about medical marijuana policy.
This is yet another important test that will tell us a great deal about the new administration's commitment to cleaning up the mess created by a decade-long war against medical marijuana. Thus far, Obama's approach has been encouraging and I'm optimistic that justice will be done in the Lynch trial as well.
It should be abundantly clear at this point that the best way to avoid bad publicity with regards to medical marijuana policy is to support patients and providers.
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Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 3:38pmThe Homeland Security Secret-ary just gave Mexico another $700million..for more drug war. Throwing more money at bad policy should be illegal by now. But on the good, Charlie may get some justice. Dear Mr. AG Holder, breathe in ,then breathe out and let Charlie go.
SENATE BEATING THE DRUG WAR DRUMS
Comment posted by aahpat on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 10:10amOver the past couple of weeks the congress has been holding hearings in various committees about the Mexican border mess. Most all have been nothing but police and military people beating the drug war drums for MORE MORE MORE... MORE DRUG WAR!
On Thursday the Senate Homeland Security Committee will hold one of the most important of these hearings. Again it will be police and military people terrorizing the senators, for the Obama Administration's escalation and militarization plan. They will hear no dissenting opinions because they have invited no dissenting opinions to testify.
We need to let the senators know that we do not want more drug war. We need to contact the senate Homeland Security Committee NOW and tell them, in no uncertain terms NO MORE DRUG WAR!
I wrote to them a couple of weeks ago. You can write them too. Its not too late. Here is a page with contact information for the committee. It has fax numbers and I recommend using the fax numbers. Emails will go into a file in a computer. Hard mail is too late and would sit in a security bin at the post office for three months. FAX goes right into the office TODAY.
United States Senate Homeland Security Committee contact page. (includes my letter to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee. Feel free to use any of it as you please.)
If your senator is not on the committee then write to the committee itself as a concerned citizen. Share the FAX number and information with your friends and family. The more we flood their FAX lines the more they will get the idea that American do not want this war.
With more troops going to Afghanistan and troops still in Iraq how long will it be before President Obama ask for a draft to send troops to the Mexican border?
IF THEY DON'T HEAR IT FROM US THEY WON'T HEAR IT!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!