cannabisnews.com: Supes To Feds: Pot OK in The City





Supes To Feds: Pot OK in The City
Posted by FoM on November 29, 2001 at 19:35:08 PT
By Eric Gershon, City Hall Correspondent
Source: San Francisco Examiner 
If you're sick, say local officials, smoke pot. Smoke pot, say the feds, and we'll bust you. While the war in Afghanistan absorbs most of the public's attention, this smaller, yet volatile, conflict over medicinal cannabis continues to rage in California.  San Francisco Supervisor Mark Leno will deliver the latest lick today when he requests that local authorities not cooperate with federal drug enforcement officials.
 "It's important for us to communicate to (federal authorities), 'Don't waste your time here,'" Leno said Monday in an interview. "In the words of our district attorney, 'Hands off.' "   Officially and unofficially, San Francisco has supported marijuana users' rights since the early 1970s. Five years ago local voters helped approve -- by 78 percent -- state Proposition 215, "the Compassionate Use Act of 1996," one of the broadest provisions for legal cannabis use in U.S. history.   Leno's resolution reaffirms The City's and state's commitment to people who use marijuana for medical purposes, he said.  It also pits local government against Big Brother. Federal law outlaws marijuana use without exception, and the current Bush administration has shown that it intends to enforce the law, even in California.  "There's a discrepancy between federal law and local law," said Richard Meyer, a spokesman for the San Francisco branch of the Drug Enforcement Administration. "I'm sure that Supervisor Leno knows that federal law applies."  Last month, DEA chief Asa Hutchinson fulfilled his pledge during Senate confirmation hearings to crack down on medical marijuana clubs, sending agents to raid a medical cannabis club in West Hollywood on Oct. 25; they seized equipment, documents, and hundreds of cannabis plants.   In September agents stormed the California Medical Research Center in Cool, a town in the Sierra foothills, where they also made seizures.  "Our job is to enforce federal laws," Meyer said. "Even if we agree with (Leno), we have a job to do."  The office of Interim U.S. Attorney for Northern California, David W. Shapiro, referred all inquiries to the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., which could not be reached by press time.   Shapiro's office has not prosecuted criminal possession of marijuana cases "in the recent past," however, said spokesman Matt Jacobs.  A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles said that no one has been charged in connection with October's West Hollywood raid, but it remains a possibility.  "(Prop 215) is not as broad as people think," said U.S. Attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek.  Leno's resolution, which would declare San Francisco a "sanctuary" for medicinal cannabis use, could put local law enforcement agents in an awkward spot.   The San Francisco Police Department, for example, has two investigators assigned to a DEA task force -- as it has for 20 years, a police spokesman said. If the resolution passes, the task force would violate The City's policy.  Spokesman Dewayne Tully did not say how police would respond should the resolution pass, and Sgt. Kevin Cashman, head of the police narcotics unit, was unavailable for comment.  "The policy right now is that we work with the DEA," Tully said.  However, Tully also said that SFPD officers do not book anyone in possession of cannabis who can prove they use it for medical purposes. Users of "hard-core drugs -- heroin, crack" are the priority, he said.  Local police occasionally arrest and charge people who cannot prove that their marijuana is for medical use, he said, adding, "All of this is on a case-by-case basis."  San Francisco cannabis clubs welcome Leno's resolution and some defiantly ignore the possibility of DEA raids, which are always unannounced.   "I'm not sure that I should allow that to enter into my reality," said Richard Evans of San Francisco Patients and Caregivers. "I'm not aware of them or what their powers are. You can put people in jail, but you cannot change the fact that (voters approved) Prop 215."  Leno's resolution is all but certain to pass. Eight of eleven supervisors are co-sponsors.Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA)Author: Eric Gershon, City Hall CorrespondentPublished: November 27, 2001Copyright: 2001 San Francisco ExaminerContact: letters examiner.comWebsite: http://www.examiner.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Los Angeles County Research Centerhttp://www.lacbc.org/Medicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtmlVigil Held for Cannabis Club http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11354.shtml
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Comment #14 posted by motavation on September 18, 2003 at 06:05:47 PT:
Does the task have a pocket full of cash?
"The San Francisco Police Department, for example, has two investigators assigned to a DEA task force -- as it has for 20 years, a police spokesman said. If the resolution passes, the task force would violate The City's policy"So are the two agents still with the PD working for the DEA task force?? Most likely, so are there pockets full of cash?  Now, even if thats also true. Is the task after caregivers and my A$*?"The office of Interim U.S. Attorney for Northern California, David W. Shapiro, referred all inquiries to the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., which could not be reached by press time. "It's proof and examples of the worst FEAR for many patients! Our own local officials are un-educated and scared while taking the feds' side! Although it's funny how a typical hard-drug, high profile cases are most given and kept local "PayDAYS" rather then to DEAth. The deaTH team is too busy as they have high profile crimals with some chronic or deadly conditions. Although only conditions deadly or chronic is there life, as they just smoke meds and do not effect other Californian lifestyles.If the law passed, which it did making the club workers "gov officials" then the DEA task force should be gone, although in all reality that's probably why some clubs charge $60 an eigth...$10 or some % for those two cops:(If the feds or dea bust patients and co-ops then they want us to go back to the blackmarket and true criminals..and in that case they are basically doing work for the criminals or with the criminals.
California Community Center For Prop 215 Patients, Doctors, and Caregivers!
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Comment #13 posted by mayan on December 01, 2001 at 19:56:55 PT
To Hell With Texas, Don't Mess With Cali!
Well Feds, watcha gonna do now? Go ahead, mess with San Fran. They'll eat you alive! Your bogus anti-mmj stance is being exposed for the lie that it is. 
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Comment #12 posted by shrox on November 30, 2001 at 22:37:15 PT:
Logan's Run
But realistically, there is no "sanctuary". Federal guns open many doors and bind many hands.
http://www.shrox.com/spiceflow.html
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on November 30, 2001 at 15:53:19 PT
Thank You Lehder
What a nice thing to come home to. I forgot it was three years. How time flys when you're having fun they say! 11,000 articles makes me tired just thinking about it. Thank goodness it is only one day at a time! PS: I looked and no news yet. Maybe later on tonight. The one news search tool I use is still not working but they should get it fixed soon.Thanks Again!
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Comment #10 posted by Lehder on November 30, 2001 at 15:38:32 PT
Congratulations, FoM
Article #1, Welcome to Cannabis News! was posted on 11/30/98. Thanks for that one and 11,000+ others.
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Comment #9 posted by Lehder on November 30, 2001 at 15:25:41 PT
November 30   
Happy AnniversaryCannabis News ** Three Years **
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Comment #8 posted by lookinside on November 30, 2001 at 12:05:43 PT:
sooner or...
later she's gonna really get tired of hearing from me...ms. feinstein...by standing by, and allowing the closing of the Los Angeles CANNABIS BUYERS
COOPERATIVE, you are an accessory to MASS MURDER...I hope justice prevails and you are tried, convicted, and punished for this
and other crimes, along with the rest of a senate that has chosen to forget
their constitutional duties...      (me)
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Comment #7 posted by idbsne1 on November 30, 2001 at 11:15:10 PT
I was hoping this would happen!!!
After the shut down of the LACBC, and the STRONG support from the LA Sherriff's and West Hollywood City Council, I thought that San Fran would be the ones who would stand up to the Feds... I was hoping, but not holding my breath. Bravo!!!! San Fran....you make us Californians Proud... You make us Americans proud!!!! The courage to stand up for what is right and FAIR even with all the bullying the Feds do. Bravo!!! And I shall send my letter of support to the San Fran City Council!!!!! Are you READY Assa?!?!?!??!?!!? Are you READY Asscroft?!?!??! Here we COME!!!!!!!!!!!!idbsne1
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Comment #6 posted by goneposthole on November 30, 2001 at 07:05:09 PT
bulls hit by cows
"You can lead a bull to the whatchamacallit, but you can't make him stampede."Nevermind
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Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on November 30, 2001 at 06:53:21 PT:
The line in the sand; pray it holds
Some of you Viet Nam Vets will remmeber this: during the height of Tet of 1968, a photographer caught the street execution of a suspected VC terrorist by Saigon's Chief of Police. The tape was shown at dinner time, all across America...and it can be rightly stated that that was probably brought anti-war activity to a boil. From that point on, it was all downhill for the Johnson Administration.I've said for a long time that it will take direct confrontation - sick, vomiting chemo or AIDS patient facing black-clad, body armored thug - on national TV before this madness stops. When the rest of America is forced to watch this, to see what is really going on, the DEA will be forced to back down.For the last few weeks, we have had the likes of David Broder, no friend of the referndum process that made Prop215 into California State law, call into question the wisdom of Federal actions attacking patients. Oh, they may not have physically struck them with riot batons, they may not have shoved people out of wheelchairs or pepper-sprayed a cancer patient, but the Feds have done something vastly worse: they have attacked patients ability to effin' live. In the exact same way as they killed Peter McWilliams, they are using the law to commit murder.But this time, if a confrontation carried live on camera is held up to the American people - and if a shrewd commentator points out simultaneously the fact that this is happening when we need all our resources to combat terrorism - then you may expect a swift rounding on the DEA for this insanity.I fervently hope for all our sakes that this confrontation happens soon. The machinery of tyranny is already in place; all it takes is one word, and the switch will be thrown...and the media will lose the last tatters of pretense of 'objectivity' or 'freedom'. And pictures like that will never be seen on American TV...just like close-ups of the Fall of the Towers weren't shown as they happened. "Too upsetting", don't you know?
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Comment #4 posted by Lehder on November 30, 2001 at 06:42:54 PT
fantastic
This is the best news I've heard in years: Officialdom defying the federal drug persecutors. California is a trend setting state. Bravo!
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Comment #3 posted by i420 on November 30, 2001 at 04:24:02 PT
The buzz
The buzz on the streets of Indiana says "GO CALI !!!!"
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Comment #2 posted by The GCW on November 30, 2001 at 01:17:29 PT
Unlike 215
You can put people in jail, but you cannot change the fact that (voters approved) Prop 215."bush, Selected, not elected. Unlike 215. 
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Comment #1 posted by dddd on November 29, 2001 at 23:04:15 PT
yay for San Fransisco
this type stuff makes me proud to be a Californian......dddd
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