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Medical Marijuana: Colorado Case Will Test State's Law

A Fort Collins couple will be the first in Colorado to seek to use the state's medical marijuana law as a defense to marijuana cultivation and distribution charges. James and Lisa Masters pleaded not guilty to the charges last Friday and face a March trial.

The couple was arrested last August when police arrived at their home to check on the welfare of their two children, girls aged four and six. According to a police affidavit, a police officer smelled marijuana in the house, and the couple told officers they had doctors' recommendations to use marijuana, which they were growing for that purpose.

The Masters and their attorneys filed a motion last fall to have the charges dismissed, arguing that they were protected by the state's medical marijuana law. The couple, both registered medical marijuana patients, said they grew the pot solely for themselves and other patients on the state registry. But in October, District Judge Jolene Blair rejected that motion, saying the couple did not have proper documentation showing they are caregivers for registered patients.

According to the Colorado criminal code, the state Department of Public Health and Environment is charged with creating "a confidential registry of patients," not patients and caregivers. But the code also charges the department with creating an application form for would-be patients, and on that form, patients are required to fill in information about caregivers.

Last fall, when the Masters were first arraigned, their attorney, Rob Corry, argued they were within the bounds of the state medical marijuana law. While there is no state registry card for caregivers, he said, the Masters were designated as such by properly registered patients. "The majority of voters in this state said medical marijuana should be available. My hope here is the jury will follow the law and show some compassion for patients who need help," Corry said.

But at least one Colorado official argued that in order for someone to have protection as a caregiver, patients must list that person on their applications. It appears that the Masters case will resolve that apparent ambiguity in the law. If the Masters lose, they face up to six years in state prison and the loss of their children, whom police seized after their arrest despite the lack of any evidence of abuse or neglect. It took the couple eight weeks to win the return of their children.

"The Masters are being targeted for helping sick people. This test case has the potential to increase vital access to medical marijuana by expanding the legal definition of 'caregiver' to allow those with significant responsibility for the care of seriously-ill individuals to cultivate and provide them with medical marijuana," said co-counsel Brian Vicente.

Cities struggle with medical marijuana

Location: 
CA
United States
Publication/Source: 
San Gabriel Valley Tribune (CA)
URL: 
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_4983103

Bay Area soars above rest of nation in recreational drug use

Location: 
San Francisco, CA
United States
Publication/Source: 
The San Francisco Examiner
URL: 
http://www.examiner.com/a-498213~Bay_Area_soars_above_rest_of_nation_in_recreational_drug_use.html

DEA selective in medical marijuana arrests; Raids on two high-profile dispensaries elicit criticism that agency is only targeting sellers who live affluent lifestyles

Location: 
Hayward, CA
United States
Publication/Source: 
Los Angeles Times
URL: 
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/state/16416757.htm

Owners of Medical Marijuana Dispensary Arrested

Location: 
Palm Springs, CA
United States
Publication/Source: 
KESQ News Channel 3
URL: 
http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=5910278&nav=9qrx

Sweet Leaf Valentine Ball/Fundraiser

We've set the date, obtained the venue, lined up the entertainment and making plans for our February Emerald Empire HempFest fundraiser. Don't miss this one!! More details to follow. In the interim, please contact: Dan Koozer Cannabis Liberation Front P.O. Box 10957 Eugene, Oregon 97440-2957 "Fighting For The Re-Legalization of Cannabis"
Date: 
Sat, 02/17/2007 - 4:20pm - 11:00pm
Location: 
OR
United States

Radio Event: Drug War and Homicides -- Friday Night 1/5/07 10:00pm

On Friday, January 5 at 10:00 pm (Eastern) Rob Ryan, Bill Gallagher and Peter Christ will be on The Scott Sloan Show on Cincinnati's WLW 700 AM. We will be discussing the War on Drugs impact in Cincinnati and beyond, especially focusing on the record number of homicides last year and the role of the the new marijuana ordinance that made marijuana possession an arrestable offense in Cincinnati. Note under Ohio state law the same amounts are a minor misdemeanor ticket. Please listen live or via online at www.700wlw.com. The call in lines is 513-749-7000 or 1-800-THE-BIG1. Mr. Gallagher is the past president of the Ohio Criminal Defense attorney Association and Mr. Christ is a speaker with LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, www.leap.cc). Note WLW 700 has a huge broadcast range, my father-in-law in Virginia listens to it at night. RRR ______________ Robert R. Ryan www.robryan.org
Location: 
Cincinnati, OH
United States

The Legalize Marijuana Party 420 Event/Fundraiser

Every year NJweedman runs for office and this year (2007) is no different except this year. NJWEEDMAN plans to raise funds for a serious run for office. He needs money to run commercials on TV and to present the Issue of Marijuana Legalization to the Public. - NJweedman will be holding a 420 Reefer Raffle - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gistL7nzICI The event features: Reggae Artist: Patrick Mystery Comedian: Big Daddy Mac Spoken Word Artists and more! Admission is $20. A $4.20 Reefer Raffle will be held. For more information see http://events.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&eventID=157...
Date: 
Sat, 01/20/2007 - 8:00pm
Location: 
931 Chambers Street (at Morris Avenue)
Trenton, NJ 08625
United States

Feds jail elderly medical cannabis caregiver

Location: 
San Francisco, CA
United States
Publication/Source: 
Fog City Journal (San Francisco, CA)
URL: 
http://www.fogcityjournal.com/news_in_brief/landa_press_conf_070104.shtml

Hemp: DEA Has Spent $175 Million Eradicating "Ditch Weed" Plants That Don't Get You High

In the past two decades, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has spent at least $175 million in direct spending and grants to the states to eradicate feral hemp plants, popularly known as "ditch weed." The plants, the hardy descendants of hemp plants grown by farmers at the federal government's request during World War II, do not contain enough THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, to get people high.

https://stopthedrugwar.org/files/ditchweedchart1.jpg
chart by Jon Gettman for Vote Hemp
According to figures from the DEA's Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program, it has seized or destroyed 4.7 billion feral hemp plants since 1984. That's in contrast to the 4.2 million marijuana plants it has seized or destroyed during the same period. In other words, 98.1% of all plants eradicated under the program were ditch weed, of which it is popularly remarked that "you could smoke a joint the size of a telephone pole and all you would get is a headache and a sore throat."

While the DEA is spending millions of tax payer dollars, including $11 million in 2005, to wipe out hemp plants, farmers in Canada and European countries are making millions growing hemp for use in a wide variety of food, clothing, and other products. Manufacturers of hemp products in the United States must import their hemp from countries with more enlightened policies.

https://stopthedrugwar.org/files/ditchweedchart2.jpg
chart by Jon Gettman for Vote Hemp
"It's Orwellian that the biggest target of the DEA's Eradication Program is actually not a drug but instead a useful plant for everything from food, clothing and even auto parts and currently must be imported to supply a $270 million industry," said Eric Steenstra, president of Vote Hemp, a group lobbying for increased acceptance of the versatile plant. "While Vote Hemp has urged the DEA to recognize the difference between hemp and marijuana so farmers could grow it here, the federal agency is spending millions of dollars to destroy hundreds of millions of harmless hemp plants."

DEA officials regularly argue that there is no difference between hemp and marijuana, but their own statistics belie that claim. In its reports on the domestic eradication program, the agency clearly differentiates between ditch weed and "cultivated marijuana."

Not only is the ditch weed eradication program a waste of money, it may even be counterproductive, said Vote Hemp national outreach coordinator Tom Murphy. "Much of the ditch weed eradicated is believed to be burned, turning a carbon consuming plant into a contributor of Greenhouse gasses," said Murphy in a post-Christmas press release. "For all the effort to find and destroy these harmless wild hemp plants they are coming back year after year. It is likely that the eradication programs help re-seed the locations were ditch weed is found. The late summer timing and removal method causes countless ripe seeds to fall to the ground where they will sprout again the following year."

Your tax dollars at work.

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