cannabisnews.com: Marijuana 'Warrior' Gets 18 Months





Marijuana 'Warrior' Gets 18 Months
Posted by CN Staff on June 22, 2002 at 09:01:19 PT
Plants were intended for medicinal purposes
Source: Ottawa Citizen 
Medicinal marijuana activist Raymond Turmel, a self-described "warrior for marijuana," lost his battle yesterday when he was sentenced to 18 months' detention for possessing and cultivating the drug with intent to traffic. "I told the judge: 'Give me life or send me home to my wife,'" said Mr. Turmel before he headed into court in Gatineau. But Superior Court Justice Jean-Pierre Plouffe gave him neither yesterday in a decision at the end of a very public trial. 
In July 2000, Mr. Turmel was arrested after police raided his Hull apartment and found 450 marijuana seedlings and 153 mature plants.Mr. Turmel said the marijuana -- which the Crown testified could yield between 30,000 and 60,000 joints -- was used medicinally and distributed to his chronically ill wife, his mother, who was a cancer patient, and a neighbour with back pain. His wife, Denise Beaudoin, testified she smoked five or six joints a day -- more than 2,000 a year -- to ease chronic pain caused by a 1998 car accident.Mr. Turmel was found guilty of the charges in November.Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?id=D7C6E15A-97F7-40D3-BBDB-23A16D34FF0ASource: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)Published: Saturday, June 22, 2002Copyright: 2002 The Ottawa CitizenContact: letters thecitizen.southam.caWebsite: http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/Related Article & Web Site:Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Smoking Pot Eases Wife's Pain, Court Toldhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11451.shtml
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Comment #15 posted by E_Johnson on June 23, 2002 at 02:26:31 PT
I need understanding, because things really SUCK
I am so tired of the divisions in this movement. I worked my butt off for June 6. I did so many tasks for other people -- planning, faxing, posters, etc -- for June 6th here -- and then last night, this guy, who showed up June 6 and sat on the grass and ate for a half hour watching everyone else work and then went home, had the nerve to spend 15 minutes ragging me about Scott Imler and Todd McCormick blah blah blah.What was this guy doing last weekend? He was smoking bit fat tons of weed with Woody Harrelson.What were people with AIDS in West Hollywood doing last weekend? Watching their T cell counts go down because they can't get enough weed together to take all their meds every day.This is wrong.What was I working my ass off for? So he could ignore my dying friends and smoke big fat tons of weed with Woody Harrelson?This movement is sick from within. People do not seem to be coming forward with the forgiveness and tolerance and compassion that they want from the rest of society. 
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Comment #14 posted by freedom fighter on June 23, 2002 at 01:20:02 PT
E.J. I do understand you
It's an ugly world out here. I am a caretaker for this friend who cannot even grow himself. He legally can grow for himself but he cannot do so himself and I could'nt say I would not help him becuz I do know how to grow. It does cost me some $$.. and some fear of heading to a cage that is on befitting for some sick sex pervert instead of a man who can grow a plant or two to help someone. I did not earned a profit out of this but an understanding that my friend got soemthing out of it.It's not fair to you or me. And most of all, it is not fair to human beings who are suffering and need little help of friends without the fear of being put into cages. It's not even fair to Ass Hutchinson or Gore who one day may need this substance.Lady, I understand you..ff
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on June 22, 2002 at 16:10:10 PT
Hi Richard
Boy all that went over the top of my head. Maybe others know what is going on but I sure never heard anything about anything.
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Comment #12 posted by Richard Lake on June 22, 2002 at 16:02:32 PT:
John Turmel's Activist Enemy List - moles, narks
Of course it is unfortunate that John's brother was sent to jail.John has been posting to various yahoogroups, besides his medpot list, and to usenet groups, attacks on reform activists. I believe you should know this.It is the lack of respect, name calling (things like craftybitch) and ad hominems used against the following activists who are worthy of respect -- along with cut and paste jobs which take statements out of context and added to by John's self serving comments -- that I object to.Terry Parker http://www.mapinc.org/people/Terry+ParkerAlison Myrden http://www.themarijuanamission.com/ http://www.mapinc.org/people/Alison+MyrdenMary Mackenzie - secretary for Arizona 4 NORMLCher Ford-McCullough - Kentucky state director of the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis http://www.letfreedomgrow.orgLaw Professor Alan Young http://www.mapinc.org/people/Alan+YoungDana Larson - editor of Cannabis Culture magazine http://www.cannabisculture.comBoris St-Maurice - publisher of Heads magazine http://www.mapinc.org/people/Boris+St-MauriceMarc Emery - publisher of Cannabis Culture and producer of http://www.pot-tv.net/ http://www.mapinc.org/people/Marc+EmeryAnn McCormick - mother of Todd McCormick http://www.mapinc.org/todd.htm who is the author of How To Grow Medicine http://www.drugsense.org/mcwilliams/www.growmedicine.com/Renee Boje http://www.mapinc.org/renee.htm http://www.reneeboje.com/Steven Bacon http://www.mapinc.org/people/Steven+BaconGary Storck - webmaster and listmaster for both Is My Medicine Legal YET? http://www.immly.org and the Drug Policy Forum of Wisconsin http://www.drugsense.org/dpfwi - http://www.mapinc.org/people/Gary+StorckAnd others along with any group that they may be associated with. Of course John will likely respond that he doesn't even know some of these activists - perhaps so - but that he showed a deep lack of respect for them is clear on his own email list - even if he didn't recognize them by their full names.My sin is questioning John after he failed to respect all these good activists.Folks, I think you see the pattern here. There is no point in saying more.John, you are welcome to say whatever you want about me. The only reason I decided to point out your ad hominum attacks on so many reformers is because I had no doubt that most folks in reform know me well. My record speaks for itself.Even one of your close friends has questioned why you wish to call all of reform execpt a few close friends a group of moles - and worse - the enemy. He asked me to refrain from responding to your attacks. I am trying, but you wish it otherwise, so I find it appropriate to make at least a short response.John, even you should know by now that the course you have selected is not reasonable. You have done much good work, which I continue to acknowledge, as have others. You enemy list just does not pass the common sense test.But we are compassionate folks. You can stop the b.s. whenever you want. Most will forgive and forget.Richard
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Comment #11 posted by goneposthole on June 22, 2002 at 14:22:16 PT
Gore's Ox got Gored
I am glad that it did. Just another dumbed down politician.I mean dumbed down, look at what we have got.Bush's plan is a blank stare at a blank page.He needs to smoke some Cannabis so he can think.Everything everyday is so unbelievably depressing it is a wonder people even talk.During the prohibition of alcohol, an accident involving alcohol was a rare occurrance.After the repeal of prohibition, drinking and driving became commonplace. 
Traffic accidents soared, accompanied by a lot of carnage. Don't drink and drive. 
_____-------------------___________________-----------------------__________________--------------- The Great Pharisees having the wounded and robbed man arrested for vagrancy and loitering; to hell with his needs. The Good Samaritan is fined for advocating vagrancy. The problem is the absurd illegality of cannabis; the problem can be solved quickly.
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Comment #10 posted by PAUL PETERSON on June 22, 2002 at 13:44:01 PT:
E JOHNSON
Very, very good points about that Gore fella. His boss commissioned the IM 99 report. He was in office when it came out. Those clowns could have changed things. They took the money bait, the power ball, the party line, and bit down hard on it. Every bad thing about marijuana has been debunked. It does not kill brain cells (it saves them). It does not cause cancer, (it cures it, sometimes, that is). It does not cause accidents, it causes people to be more careful. It does not cause addiction, it saves from addiction. Gore is a pot head, and yet he still doesn't get it.Maybe his lies now mean he still thinks he can run for president again. However, if he is gonna lie to get into office, that means we can't trust him any more.I can see why you are disheartened by all this.  Just remember that there are a lot of movements going on right now, and a lotta cases waiting to show. That 9th Circuit might just shake this whole thing loose. Please have some patience and hope. I could use some to (suspended, penniless, no advocacy group wants to help me, I did it alone and I await my final verdict- like whether I will ever practice law again, also a final divorce, merely because I wanted to save my marriage).    PAUL 
http://illinois-mmi.org
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Comment #9 posted by E_Johnson on June 22, 2002 at 12:38:15 PT
I just realized the irony
There Al Gore is, on MTV Choose or Lose, facing the family member of a medical marijuana prisoner, and making what any rational informed person would understand was the losing choice.He did choose, and he did lose, didn't he?
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Comment #8 posted by E_Johnson on June 22, 2002 at 11:35:54 PT
Gore made a devastating choice in many ways
Al Gore went on MTV Choose or Lose and was asked about his position on medical marijuana -- by someone in the audience who had a relative in prson, I believe it was either Will Foster or maybe Todd McCormick.Anyone with a relative in prison who is in the audience on MTV Choose or Lose has to be presumed to be: a. well informed on the issue and b. an activist capable of influencing others.Gore should have known that and his handlers should have known that.How did Gore handle the situation? He told a big fat blatant lie that he maybe might be able to get away with in the Washington Post but is never going to fly on MTV when there are young marijuana activists everywhere to counter the lie on the web site within seconds after he told it.Gore said "a panel of doctors" had "exhaustively studied the question" and found there was "absolutely no evidence" for medical marijuana.How could this man be so dumb to think that he could get away with sneaking a lie about the IOM report in front of a bunch of young marijuana activists with Internet access on MTV?In front of the family member of a prisoner no less?What can explain this? Can anyone explain this to me?Gore could have made a real difference if he had chosen honesty as the best policy in this situation. (The fact that honesty is a choice Gore doesn't seem to automatically make is disturbing in itself.)Gore's choice to rewrite the IOM report to his choosing was a devastating choice that hurt the patients in LA and hurt Democratic Party as well.I'm mad at him as a patient, I'm mad at him as an American, I'm mad at him as a scientist, and I'm doubly mad at him as a Democrat.
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Comment #7 posted by E_Johnson on June 22, 2002 at 10:59:51 PT
I can be mad at anyone I want
You frequently get mad at the wrong people, whats' up with that?First off, it is absolutely right to get mad at Al Gore, because he and Bill Clinton would have stopped this whole ugly nightmare going on now if they were the decent honest caring people that we Democrats insist on pretending they are, instead of the craven venal mendacious power-hungry ambitious exploitive SOBs that they really are.Clinton and Gore could have stopped this, Gore could have taken a strong position during his campaign.And by the way where is Al Gore now? I haven't heard his angry denunciation of Ashcroft over the California cannabis club raids just yet. Is he still writing it?Second, there is so much hatred and anger and so little love and caring in the marijuana movement itself that maybe we just have bad karma and we do not yet deserve to win this struggle.Everyone hates everyone else behind the scenes in this movement. People don't talk about it openly, it's all in conversation. I'm just being affected by it finally. All of the hatred and backbiting and rivalry and suspicion in this movement is finally rubbing off on me.
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Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on June 22, 2002 at 10:35:18 PT
I am mad at people in LA not Turmel
Don't ask what weed costs here. It's a sick situation.It's not all the government's fault. Individuals can make decisions, too.The individuals who sell weed in LA could watch you die in the street if you don't have the money.If weed dealers were not like that then nobody would be dying in LA.
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Comment #5 posted by Nuevo Mexican on June 22, 2002 at 09:50:30 PT
Whatever!
This sentence will be overturned on appeal, cannabis dealers are not evil E.J., I understand your frustration,but it is misplaced! You frequently get mad at the wrong people, whats' up with that? This man provides cannabis to 3 people in need, and you bash him! With that kind of support from Cannabis activists' who need enemies?
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Comment #4 posted by TroutMask on June 22, 2002 at 09:48:08 PT
Turmel
I agree that some (many?) people use the medical defense illegitimately. But Turmel is one of the true front-line heroes of the anti-prohibition movement, and as stated: "Mr. Turmel said the marijuana...was used medicinally and distributed to his chronically ill wife, his mother, who was a cancer patient, and a neighbour with back pain."Turmel has legally defended and gotten legal marijuana approved for a number of very ill people in Canada. His activities, using the Canadian Constitution as a shield and weapon, have helped bring Canada closer than ever to decrim/legalization for not only the sick, but or everyone. In fact, there is still a reserved court decision on Turmel's claim that the current Canadian marijuana laws are null and void. If the reserved decision is decided in his client's favor, marijuana will have been legal for everyone in Canada for a long time now, since the Canadian government didn't comply with an earlier court ruling to make access easier for sick people or the laws become invalid for everyone.The term "crackpot" has been used to describe him and his tactics, but if a crackpot is what it takes to get his results I think we should all strive to be one.Here's his web site: http://www.medpot.net/-TM
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Comment #3 posted by Zero_G on June 22, 2002 at 09:46:34 PT
Questioning Capitalism?
Just asking...Zero
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on June 22, 2002 at 09:39:34 PT
WHY people are dying in LA
Do you want to know why this guy is dying in LA:htto://www.vasilisa.com/LACRC/photos.htmlBecause the DEA closed his medical marijuana club and now he can't afford weed, because greedy marijuana dealers on the street don't care at all about sick people. The LACRC gave weed away to the needy, but the club is closed and now he has to rely on the heartless commercial sector.This guy is dying because the marijuana business is harsh and if you can't afford what they're selling, you can just go die in the street.THAT is the real reason why we need cannabis clubs -- because the dealers will let you die in the street if you don't have the exorbitant money they charge for weed in LA.Let's be honest about this situation for a change.
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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on June 22, 2002 at 09:15:32 PT
My fondest wish
That some moneymaking people in this movement would grow the balls they need to stop hiding behind sick people and stand up for themselves.If everyone tries to use a medical defense, eventually a medical defense will lose all credibility, and we'll all be back in the same boat soon again.Actually this whole movement is starting to make me sick.Dennis Peron makes me sick because he was an asshole for trying to start medical marijuana in Utah with someone who wasn't terminally ill. Thanks to Dennis Peron, medical marijuana is never going to happen in Utah now.Dennis wants to say that all use is medical. Maybe that might be true in some sense, but to say that while truly sick people are still being victimized is selfish, exploitive, cowardly, and could in the end kill innocent people.But you'd be surprised how many marijuana activists only care about who goes to jail, they don't really actually give a shit about who lives or dies.
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