cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Given Out at City Hall





Marijuana Given Out at City Hall
Posted by CN Staff on September 19, 2002 at 09:20:21 PT
By Kathryn Gillick of the Register-Pajaronian
Source: Register-Pajaronian 
The crowd at the medical marijuana giveaway outside city hall in Santa Cruz Tuesday was light-hearted, but the message given by the speakers was not. They spoke of pain, muscle spasms, severe weight loss and the trauma of having the federal government raid the farm where they grow the one medicine they say takes care of all of those symptoms without the side affects of conventional drugs - marijuana.
"I was in a surfing accident about two years ago," said 23-year-old quadriplegic Levi Castro, who is a member of the Wo/men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana, which was raided Sept. 5 north of Santa Cruz. "I have involuntary muscle spasms, I lost about 50 pounds when I was in the hospital and I have a lot of nerve pain. It helps with all that." WAMM provides medical marijuana, grown by members on a farm owned by Michael and Valerie Corral, to about 280 patients with recommendations from their doctors. The collective operates under a law approved by California voters in 1996. Although growing and distributing medical marijuana is legal under state law, the Supreme Court ruled last year that collectives like WAMM are not free from prosecution under federal law. The Drug Enforcement Agency has already raided marijuana clubs in San Francisco, Oakland, Sebastapol and West Hollywood. "I'm in pain all the time," said Tim Chambers, who has had colon cancer three times since 1988. "I don't use it (marijuana) recreationally. It is my medicine. If the DEA will take away my cancer, I'll never smoke pot again." Doctor Arnie Leff, a general family practitioner who serves many local HIV/AIDS patients, has written many recommendations for medical marijuana for his patients. He only writes recommendations for existing patients who either suffer from extreme weight loss, an inability to eat or a terminal illness. "We're here because City Hall is a sanctuary to us because some federal agencies have taken a harassment position against us," he said. Often, many of his patients use Marinol, a concentrated form of THC, the active chemical in marijuana, before turning to the plant itself. "For some reason, Marinol, which I can prescribe, doesn't always work," he said. "There are chemicals in the plant that aren't in Marinol." One patient, who identified himself only by the name Van, said, "Medical marijuana has enabled me to stop taking medications that affected my heart." The 83-year-old glaucoma and epilepsy patient added, "It's helped me for almost seven years." The Corrals have been in hiding since DEA agents raided the farm at their Davenport home. The raid netted 167 nearly mature plants. "We are not the enemy," Valerie Corral told the crowd. "We are the hungry, we are the infirm, we are the dying ... and when we speak to the federal government, they have no ears for us." Onlookers chanted slogans, played guitars, and after the distribution of the marijuana to WAMM patients, members of the street performance group Art and Revolution re-enacted the raid of the farm with a military-looking man harassing a female doctor and a blue-haired patient in a wheelchair. Plainclothes officers could be seen wandering among the crowd of more than 1,000 city and county officials, including Mayor Christopher Krohn and much of the Santa Cruz City Council, members of the press, onlookers and patients, however no arrests were made and the rally went smoothly. A green helicopter with unreadable markings circled over City Hall during the rally, pausing directly overhead when the 13 members chosen by pulling names from a hat went up one by one to collect their weekly ration of the drug, which was baked into muffins and brownies and other products. "We monitored the situation carefully and we take all violations of the law seriously, but we decided not to confirm or deny our presence at the rally," DEA spokesman Richard Meyer said when asked about the helicopter. He would not say whether any arrests would be made, but implied that some action would be taken. "We're still very concerned about the drug problem in Santa Cruz and we're willing to work with local law enforcement," he said. "It is regrettable that the mayor and the city took part in this action ... the mayor is not above the law." When asked if any more raids were planned, Meyer said, "Anybody that is distributing marijuana, that is trafficking marijuana, should be worried about the DEA." Suzanne Pheil, a post-polio patient who was woken up by DEA agents at the farm during the raid, said WAMM was not trafficking marijuana - its members grow marijuana for their collective use and does not charge any of its members. "We are not the victims of drug traffickers - we are victims of the DEA," she said. "With a gun to my head the DEA stole the medicine that over 250 sick and dying people worked to grow." Source: Register-Pajaronian (CA)Author: Kathryn Gillick of the Register-PajaronianPublished: September 18, 2002Copyright: 2002 Register-PajaronianContact: jchown register-pajaronian.comWebsite: http://www.register-pajaronian.com/ Related Articles & Web Sites:WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/Pictures From WAMM Protesthttp://freedomtoexhale.com/eventpics.htmCalifornia Town's Leaders Join Pot Protesthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14158.shtmlWorld Watches Pot Handouthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14154.shtmlSanta Cruz Defies U.S. On Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14153.shtmlDefiant California City Hands Out Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14151.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by karkulus on September 19, 2002 at 14:07:00 PT
I Hope they have a PLan..
 To protect the NEXT CROP!__They're so smug, like; "you can have it, as long as you don't have any where to get it from." I hope the city can fight back somehow.I still think this could be cultivated(NPI) as an election issue! ........AND a MINOR MEDIA ALERT>> George( Billionaire -legalizer)Soros to be on "Washington Week In Review" ,Friday night ON PBS>Check your local time,etc....If anyone is interested in what he's about.     
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on September 19, 2002 at 10:56:04 PT
Here is the article if anyone wants to comment
Judge Closes Hearing in Noelle Bush Case
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread14167.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Had Enough on September 19, 2002 at 10:52:28 PT
Hearing closed to public 
RepostedJudge closes hearing on Noelle to public. Check out the address below.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-nbush091802(0,4882999).story?coll=orl%2Dhome%2Dheadlines
 
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Comment #5 posted by Had Enough on September 19, 2002 at 10:49:42 PT
TV ad
 Posted again
This is Noelle. This is the crack that Noelle was found with. This is Noelle's drug warrior father saying this is a private family matter. These are the authorities agreeing. This is Jim. Jim had a job as a computer draftsman. This is the bag of cannabis that Jim had. This is Jim in jail. This is Jim’s lawyer. This is Jim’s house up for sale to pay for lawyer. This is Jim’s divorce papers so Jim’s wife can collect government support for her and her children because she is having a hard time paying the bills, because Jim was the bread winner of the house. These are the authorities, collecting government paychecks agreeing and praising, “good job men” “God Bless the government paycheck” over drinks at the local gin mill. (No slam intended on the gin mill, they have to serve them.) Special Note: 
Noelle allegedly committed 3 drug-related felonies since January. 
One for allegedly calling in fake prescriptions at pharmacies for Xanex, 
Second for allegedly stealing drugs from the nurse’s locker at the rehab center where she is staying.
Third for allegedly possessing crack at the same rehab center.
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Comment #4 posted by VitaminT on September 19, 2002 at 10:20:31 PT
DEA maintaining secret files?
The DEA is not so much about enforcing drug laws anymore as it is about supressing political dissent. Maintaining secret files on Cannabis dissidents, is what the DEA is engaged in.Much of their website for example is devoted to "Anti-legalization" clearly a political activity having nothing to do with law enforcement and everything to do with preserving the political status quo. Isn't this outside of the mission of law enforcement? I'd like to see a congressional inquiry into these activities, at the very least we need to more clearly draw the line between administration and politics. DEA and ONDCP are ostensibly precluded from spending taxpayer money to influence elections - how is that different from them posting an anti-legalization website?
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Comment #3 posted by michael segesta on September 19, 2002 at 10:13:12 PT:
video footage
I saw a few posts requesting video footage from the CNN coverage. Some of it can be viewed at http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-1522.html. Let's hope Santa Cruz is our Stonewall.
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Comment #2 posted by Dark Star on September 19, 2002 at 09:44:32 PT
DEA: We're Too Cute!
"We monitored the situation carefully and we take all violations of the law seriously, but we decided not to confirm or deny our presence at the rally," DEA spokesman Richard Meyer said when asked about the helicopter. He would not say whether any arrests would be made, but implied that some action would be taken. Isn't this the definition of terror? Striking fear in the hearts of the downtrodden? DEA agents should worry about how they're stacking up on the cosmic balance sheet. It doesn't look too encouraging right now.
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Comment #1 posted by p4me on September 19, 2002 at 09:29:30 PT
Day 9 of Colin Davies's trial from x-ile
DE trial - day 9 - prosecution case endsNot much today, Jacko turned up (yet again) to read out the interview "transcripts" and Pester for a final performance, answering a few short questions from Colin's brief. And then an early end to the day.Tomorrow, we'll have legal arguments from the defence - both Phil's and Robin's barristers will be argueing that there is "no case to answer" against them. Monday morning will see the defence witnesses start with Colin himself in all probability........One very sad bit of news ...... Phil's brother is seriously ill in France and Judge Fish allowed him leave to fly out today. All our thoughts are with Phil and his family and it has taken the shine off what otherwise has been a very promising week.Billy Barker
news'ound
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