cannabisnews.com: At Governor's Mansion, Yard has Gone to Pot At Governor's Mansion, Yard has Gone to Pot Posted by FoM on August 17, 2001 at 07:30:11 PT By Trent Seibert, Denver Post Capitol Bureau Source: Denver Post Gov. Bill Owens may want to take the war on drugs to his own backyard. This plant, later identified by botanists as marijuana, was found growing in a backyard garden at the Governor's Mansion. In back of the Governor's Mansion on East Eighth Avenue in Denver, what appeared to be a marijuana plant was allowed to grow knee-high from a bed of bluebells and clover. Owens and his staff said they have no idea where the green, leafy plant came from, and it's highly unlikely that Owens is grooming his own stash of hash. "This is obviously a planted story," said Owens spokesman Dick Wadhams, tongue in cheek. Wadhams also jokingly said it may be a conspiracy against the governor by potential Democratic opponents: state Sens. Bob Hagedorn and Stan Matsunaka and businessman Rollie Heath. "It's clearly a joint effort by Hagedorn, Heath and Matsunaka to discredit the governor," he said. "We believe they're just blowing smoke." Within minutes of being asked about it by a Denver Post reporter, state workers yanked it from the lush gardens that line the sidewalk along Logan Street and later said it tested negative for being marijuana. However, experts from the Denver Botanic Gardens said the plant is of the smoking variety, Cannabis sativa, which rarely grows in the wild. Neither the Colorado State Patrol nor Wadhams could identify the plant. "It's probably just some kind of weed," said State Patrol Technician Tim McClinchy, who tested the plant. "There are some weeds that look like marijuana. It's a common mistake." A reporter from The Post took a leaf from the plant to a team of the renowned garden's researchers Thursday after a story and photo in Thursday's Colorado Springs Independent by Cara DeGette first raised the issue and suggested that the plant might be pot. Several experts at the Botanic Gardens compared the leaf to those in their vast plant collection. It was a dead-on match with Cannabis sativa plants. Even if it is marijuana, the State Patrol said such a plant at the Governor's Mansion, which Owens uses mainly for official functions, is a fluke. Since his inauguration in 1999, Owens and his family have continued to live in Aurora. "It's just one plant? Someone was probably smoking a joint and flipped it, or the wind took a seed and blew it in," State Patrol Sgt. N.A. Nathlich said. "There's a lot of traffic by there." Needless to say, some folks still found a bit of levity in the fact that Colorado's tough-on-drugs governor might have a little wacky weed growing in his garden. "I think they should shake the governor down and give him a drug test," said Ken Gorman, who said he will run against Owens in 2004 on a pro-marijuana ticket.Source: Denver Post (CO)Author: Trent Seibert, Denver Post Capitol BureauPublished: Friday, August 17, 2001 Copyright: 2000 The Denver PostContact: letters denverpost.com Website: http://www.denverpost.com/CannabisNews - Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by dddd on August 17, 2001 at 22:19:29 PT lookinside I got that right from NORMLs web site.It is possible that it is outdated.I'll see if I can verify what the real thing is..........dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by lookinside on August 17, 2001 at 21:18:55 PT: dddd.... unless things have changed since march 1999...when i wasgiven "the choice" cultivation for ANY reason other thanmedical is a felony...if that has changed, i'd like to hearhow and when... [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by dddd on August 17, 2001 at 19:00:06 PT California Lookinside,,,,I think you may be mistaken abouty the California law... CALIFORNIA . Possession: > 28.5 grams: 0 - 6 months; $500 Possession for sale: no specified amount: 16 months; 2 - 3 years probation. Cultivation: For personal use only: stay of imposition of the conviction, drug education, charges dropped. Not for personal use: 0 - 16 months; 2 - 3 years probation possible. No plant number or weight breakdown. dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by lookinside on August 17, 2001 at 18:35:33 PT: lol....! in california, ANY(except medical...sometimes) cultivationis a felony...time to pick the governor up and take him tojail...he's obviously a closet drug kingpin...his anti drugstance is just a coverup...HE SHOULD BE TREATED JUST LIKEANY OTHER DRUG CRAZED DOPE SMOKER/CULTIVATOR INCOLORADO...i'm looking forward to the war crimestribunal...(i hope they give him a NEW hemp rope, as befitshis status...) [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by tdm on August 17, 2001 at 15:22:40 PT: above the law Can someone explain to me why the governor is not currently sitting in a jail cell awaiting trial on possession with intent to distribute? [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on August 17, 2001 at 11:37:14 PT Yes Sir Re Bob That would be great! I'm glad thoughts aren't illegal yet! LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on August 17, 2001 at 11:24:27 PT: What If ? ATTENTION LAW ENFORCEMENT: I AM EXERCISING FREE SPEECH RIGHTS. I AM NOT AIDING OR ABETTING THE COMISSISION OF A CRIME. What if this scenario were repeated at governors' mansions, congresspersons'lawns, police stations, courthouses, and army bases across this country? Would this civil disobedience break down barriers in drug law reform, or rather fill the jails as prison industry wishes? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Doug on August 17, 2001 at 09:10:11 PT All are Equal Under the Law Owens and his staff said they have no idea where the green, leafy plant came from, and it's highly unlikely that Owens is grooming his own stash of hash.Isn't that what they all say? The police should bust down the door to the Governor's Mansion and hold the good Governor at gunpoint. Even if he's not guilty, it would give a good message that no one is above the law. Peole have died for less than this.But instead this is being treated as some kind of a joke. What kind of message does this give the children? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Rambler on August 17, 2001 at 08:11:05 PT sieze it They should have to forfeit the place to the cops,and turn it into a SWAT team headquarters,or a DARE Childrens Re-education center [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on August 17, 2001 at 07:49:26 PT Don't know where it came from... The 1st page of the Bible explains where it came from. Gen. 11-12 & 29-30. It would be better if we know where it came from, for it would please our Father to know and give thanks.If God gave us cannabis and we accept it and use it with thanksgiving, then when tested we will pass... Owens likely would fail on all facets.The GREEN COLLAR WORKER [ Post Comment ] Post Comment