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Newsbrief:
DEA
Tries
RAVE
Act
Intimidation
Again,
But
Activists
Successfully
Fight
Back
12/5/03
Oregon NORML held its Oregon
Medical Cannabis Awards banquet November 15 at the Lloyd Center DoubleTree
Hotel, but not before successfully fending off an effort by the DEA to
scare the hotel into canceling the event. As was the case earlier
this year in Montana (https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/290/dearave.shtml),
the DEA attempted to use the RAVE Act to shut down an event it didn't like.
Under provisions of the RAVE Act, the owners or operators of venues where
drugs are present could be subject to severe civil and criminal sanctions.
According to the Portland
alternative paper the Willamette Week, two days before the event, Ken Magee
of the Oregon DEA office sent a letter to the hotel noting Oregon NORML's
planned event and raising the specter of a RAVE Act prosecution.
Did the hotel intend to "knowingly permit... the illegal possession, conspiracy
to possess or to aid and abet the possession of marijuana"? asked Magee.
Good corporate citizen that
it is, the DoubleTree promptly canceled the event. But Oregon NORML
was having none of that. Instead, the group teamed up with the Oregon
ACLU, Graham Boyd of the national ACLU's Drug Policy Litigation Project,
and Portland attorney Michael Harting to send letters to the hotel and
the DEA threatening legal action for breach of contract and violation of
the First Amendment.
A compromise ensued.
Oregon NORML ditched its "Beautiful Bud Award" and the hotel relented.
Afterwords, Magee told the Week that he wasn't trying to block the event,
only ensure that no drugs were used there. But this is the second
time the DEA has blatantly attempted to suppress drug reform events with
RAVE Act threats. Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), who got the act passed by
sneaking it into another, more popular bill, has said this is not what
he intended the RAVE Act to do. Maybe someone should let the senator
know what's going on.
-- END --
|
Issue #314, 12/5/03
Congressman Seeks to Censor Public Service Transit Ads with Drug Reform Messages -- Istook Provoked By Pro-Marijuana Ads on DC Metro |
Thailand Declares Itself "Drug Free" -- Sort Of -- As Human Rights Watchdogs Condemn Anti-Drug Campaign |
Italy Marches Bravely into 20th Century: Government Proposal Would Recriminalize Drug Possession, Including Marijuana |
Drug Decrim Bill Introduced in Argentina -- Would Also Bar Forced Treatment |
Newsbrief: Bhutan Banning Tobacco |
Newsbrief: Chicago Catholic High School to Drug Test All Students |
Newsbrief: DEA Tries RAVE Act Intimidation Again, But Activists Successfully Fight Back |
Newsbrief: Supreme Court Rules Cops Need Wait Only 20 Seconds Before Kicking Down Door |
Newsbrief: Federal Appeals Court Rules Traffic Stop Drug Dog Search Illegal |
Newsbrief: Needle Access Bill Killed in New Jersey |
Newsbrief: Lieberman Clueless On California Medical Marijuana Raids |
Newsbrief: This Week's Corrupt Cop (or Teach the Children Well) |
Newsbrief: Dr. Donald Abrams Receives FDA Approval for First Human Vaporizer Research |
Web Scan: Web Chat with Ira and Ethan, Reason on Ecstasy Research, C-Span Drug Debate, Stratford High Footage |
DRCNet Temporarily Suspending Our Web-Based Write-to-Congress Service Due to Funding Shortfalls -- Your Help Can Bring It Back -- Keep Contacting Congress in the Meantime |
Perry Fund Accepting Applications for 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 School Years, Providing Scholarships for Students Losing Aid Because of Drug Convictions |
The Reformer's Calendar
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