cannabisnews.com: Court Knocks Medicinal Marijuana Off Ballot

Court Knocks Medicinal Marijuana Off Ballot

Posted by CN Staff on September 20, 2002 at 08:06:54 PT
By Guy Taylor, The Washington Times
Source: Washington Times

The U.S. Court of Appeals yesterday reinstated a 3-year-old amendment to the D.C. appropriations bill barring the District of Columbia from processing new laws that would legalize marijuana for medicinal use. As a result, an initiative to legalize pot for persons who get a doctor's note to use it won't be put before D.C. voters in November, although advocates of medicinal marijuana collected enough petition signatures to put the issue on the general-election ballot.
When the initiative appeared on the 1998 ballot, it was supported by more than 75,000 D.C. voters — more than double the number of voters who opposed it. But an amendment tagged onto the D.C. appropriations bill in 1999 by Rep. Bob Barr, Georgia Republican, made it illegal for the District to spend money processing the initiative. Congress has kept the Barr amendment in the 2000, 2001 and 2002 versions of the appropriations bill. The D.C.-based Medical Marijuana Policy Project, however, won a lawsuit against the federal government in March, when the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled the Barr amendment was unconstitutional. The court's finding was overturned yesterday by a three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals. Kenneth J. McGhie, the general counsel for the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics, said the board was in the middle of making preparations to put the medicinal-marijuana initiative on this year's ballot when the appeals court handed down its ruling. "Now we're back to square one, because the appropriations bill amendment prevents us from using any funds to further process this," he said. "We can't spend any money on sending the ballots to the printer if the ballots have the marijuana initiative on them." If Congress pulls the Barr amendment from the 2003 appropriations bill — an unlikely scenario, according to sources on both sides of the issue — the medicinal-marijuana initiative still won't appear on this year's ballot because they already will have been printed, Mr. McGhie said. Mr. Barr expressed satisfaction yesterday that his amendment was upheld. In a statement, he said that despite an aggressive campaign by medicinal-marijuana advocates, the appeals court's ruling "recognized the right and responsibility of Congress to protect citizens from dangerous, mind-altering narcotics." Mr. Barr, who was defeated in his bid for renomination in the Georgia primary Aug. 20, added that putting the medicinal-marijuana initiative on the D.C. ballot would be an attempt to move the drug-legalization process forward and would be "ultimately harmful to America's war against drugs." Medicinal-marijuana advocates were dismayed yesterday, saying their main disappointment is not that voters won't be permitted to weigh in on the issue, but that marijuana will remain illegal for seriously ill people who may be using it to subdue pain. "We're saddened," said Steve Fox, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project. "This decision by the court of appeals will cause the suffering of seriously ill patients in the city to continue." Nevertheless, Mr. Fox added that he and other medicinal-marijuana advocates can't help feeling pleased that "we were able to do the work necessary to show that we had enough signatures and the initiative may be able to appear on another ballot in the future." As it is worded, the goal of the medicinal-marijuana initiative is to prevent D.C. police from arresting "seriously ill people who use marijuana at the advice of their physicians." Nationwide, eight states have laws protecting people from being arrested for using marijuana if they have a doctor's note: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Stipulations on the laws differ in each state, and nowhere can doctors prescribe marijuana, because it's classified by the federal government as a Schedule I controlled substance. Generally, patients grow their own pot plants, or they can buy the drug on the black market. Source: Washington Times (DC)Author: Guy Taylor, The Washington Times Published: September 20, 2002Copyright: 2002 News World Communications, Inc. Website: http://www.washtimes.com/Contact: letters washingtontimes.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Court Blocks D.C. Vote on Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14185.shtmlMedical Marijuana Initiative Accepted for Election http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14141.shtmlMedical Pot May Again Go To Voters http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13336.shtmlMarijuana Advocates Submit Signatures http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13333.shtml

Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help

Comment #27 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 09:04:41 PT
Hopefully It will be Fixed Soon
I wanted to mention I just sent an e mail to Matt and he should be able to get it fixed. Sorry about not using html except links but it is a security risk. Thanks.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #26 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 08:31:50 PT
One More Thing
I was told that posting links are fine just not other html. So please post links if anyone wants too.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #25 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 08:26:28 PT

Jose
I'm sorry but I think I should remove this. I have reasons and need to get a fix done. I was told we need to stop posting html in the posts. I'll report it to Matt today. Thanks for understanding.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #23 posted by The GCW on September 20, 2002 at 18:16:45 PT

SCOTT
THERE IS MORE TO THIS STORY IN COLORADO.They found the missing uncounted petitions in (secratary of state, wasn't it?)Victoria Buckley's desk after she died, while holding office. It was found to have won, at the polls, but was not counted. That is when it was amendment 19.After they found the uncounted petitions in her office desk, they automatically put it on the next election AND IT WAS THEN CALLED AMENDMENT 20.IT WAS SAID: - VOTE 4-20!NICE, HUH? Who do You think done that?
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #22 posted by mayan on September 20, 2002 at 15:53:50 PT

Remember these Names...
Appeals judges David S. Tatel, Merrick B. Garland and Stephen F. Williams We won't forget the suffering you caused the sick & dying.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #21 posted by Sam Adams on September 20, 2002 at 13:33:26 PT

this is disgraceful
I'm ashamed to be a citizen of a country that would make a decision like this. All semblence of freedom is gone. The separation of power between the 3 branches is completely kaput.Does anyone outside of Cnews even care that we live in a police state. I don't think so. It's been totally normalized into our society. I just saw a promo of a movie where Jennifer Lopez is a cop, all made up to look tough & everything, shoving some handcuffed guy down. It's the American Way - it's become an icon of our culture. Maybe we should modify the flag with a little silhouette of a uniformed thug beating some guy down. It would look good in the upper left corner, where the 50 stars used to be. We're all one big police state now, from sea to shining sea, Cali to Washington. Call the cops on someone you know today! One nation, under God, in prison.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #20 posted by VitaminT on September 20, 2002 at 10:46:31 PT

pardon me.
The quote below in comment #19 comes from Americans for Safe Access
Epis' Sentencing Rescheduled
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #19 posted by VitaminT on September 20, 2002 at 10:44:03 PT

Epis' Sentencing Rescheduled
Bryan Epis' sentencing has been rescheduled from Sept 23rd to Oct 7th, evidently at the request of the prosecution. Prosecutors have summoned a former associate of Epis, Cathy Verbula, to testify, in the apparent hope of portraying Epis as some kind of ringleader.Is it that Ashcroft is just not satisfied with the 10 year Mandatory minimum for Epis' courageous assistance to the sick and dying? Or is he afraid of the OUR Firestorm of criticism and grasping at straws trying to appear justified in applying unjust laws?Our protests will go on as scheduled! And I know that I will be on the street again on Oct. 7. WE ARE MIGHTIER THAN THE DEA!

[ Post Comment ]

Comment #18 posted by FoM on September 20, 2002 at 10:25:28 PT

VitaminT
I hope I didn't accidentially remove it but I had to hurry and remove Jose's posts because it was causing my computer to act real bad. Please post it again. I'm really sorry if I did.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #17 posted by VitaminT on September 20, 2002 at 10:08:52 PT

Something IS strange on this thread
I posted a while back RE: Brian Epis sentencing rescheduling, and it's gone now.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #16 posted by Jose Melendez on September 20, 2002 at 10:03:12 PT

The rest of the story

While major-league players are not subject to random drug testing, as stipulated in the collective bargaining agreement, minor leaguers do undergo drug tests, although the results are not released to the public. One source said star prospects are sometimes warned in advance about coming drug tests or let off the hook after failing tests.

Phillips said that while team officials know when tests will be administered for coordination purposes, he doubted whether any club official has tipped off players. The general manager estimated that no more than three to five Mets minor leaguers test positive for drugs each year. Two former Mets prospects who have been sent home after failing drug tests are outfielder Rob Stratton and pitcher Erik Hiljus, sources said. Bill Pulsipher also was caught smoking dope by club officials.

Phillips strongly disputed any preferential treatment within the minor league ranks, citing the rigorous testing administered throughout the season. He said minor league players are tested for drugs by an outside agency up to four times a season.

"In my opinion, we have to be among the best organizations in addressing and educating our players on this. And we have among the least number of positive tests in the game," Phillips said.

The former prospect said that certain minor league players are not only given a heads-up about pending drug tests, but have learned how to cheat detection, using concoctions that flush traces of drugs from their system or mask it with bleach, ammonia or herbal teas. Many of these quick fixes are available over the counter at fitness stores.

"I've seen guys get busted even though they knew they'd be tested," one former Mets prospect said. "Everyone's going to test the waters, even if they know there are sharks."

The source blames the organization. "What ticks me off is that they know this is going on and they're not doing anything about it," said the close friend of a Mets player. "I've seen that firsthand, the lengths the team will go to protect the player."

When confronted before yesterday's game with a December of 1999 snapshot of Roberts, then a minor-leaguer, dragging on a bong, an apparatus used to smoke marijuana, Roberts was silent for a long time before saying, "I can tell you that wasn't recently."

Asked whether he still uses drugs, Roberts kept his head down and shook it "No" before walking back into the clubhouse.

The former Mets prospect said that many minor leaguers take advantage of promotion to the 40-man roster to more freely use drugs.

"A big goal is to make the 40-man," he said. "The players' association doesn't allow them to test if you're on the 40-man, so guys are more apt [to do drugs]. Guys lower down [in the minors] don't do it as much just because of the fear of getting caught. My first year out of school, I got caught. I never saw the result, but I confessed when they told me."

Phillips said that active enforcement is near-impossible once a player is put on the 40-man roster and no longer subject to random drug testing.

"Unless you have firsthand evidence, there's nothing you can do about it," Phillips said. "If we had definite evidence, we would act ... We want a drug-free environment for our players at the major-league and minor-league level. Unfortunately, the rules don't allow that right now."

The Corey incident, which took place on June 26, is an example of what can happen under the current system. Both Tarasco and Corey, who were called up from Triple-A Norfolk earlier this season, smoked marijuana during a short drive, and Corey suffered from seizure-like symptoms before collapsing in front of his hotel, the Ramada Plaza, located a quarter-mile from Shea.

While Corey said later that doctors described his sudden illness as nothing more than an "anxiety attack," a Newsday source who is a friend said he had to be revived by the hotel's security guard using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before an ambulance rushed him to New York Medical Center in Flushing.

Corey and Tarasco have been put into the Employee Assistance Program and will be subject to drug testing as first-time offenders. Corey was sent to the minors then recalled to the Mets and was traded July 31, along with Jay Payton, to the Rockies. Tarasco has remained with the team. People close to Corey said they had never seen him smoke marijuana before.

Tarasco, who reportedly admitted his marijuana usage to police, declined comment when reporters approached him the next day. After three days of medical tests, including one by a neurologist on July 1, Corey was medically cleared. The Mets said that doctors were unable to uncover a cause for Corey's seizure-like symptoms, but the friend believes Corey reacted badly to whatever the street-bought marijuana was laced with.

"I was kind of hoping it would be a wakeup call for everybody else," the source said. "Unfortunately, it's not. Not at all."

[ Post Comment ]

Comment #15 posted by Jose Melendez on September 20, 2002 at 10:02:20 PT

BaseBong

From:http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ny-spmets202932262sep20(0,2966399).story?coll=ny%2Dtop%2Dspan%2Dheadlines
At least seven Mets have been suspected of using marijuana this season, part of an alleged pattern of drug use that reaches from the team's minor league system right up to the major league roster, sources close to the team have told Newsday.

Manager Bobby Valentine acknowleged he worried about the drug problem on his team as early as spring training and said he spoke to general manager Steve Phillips about his concerns, although Phillips yesterday said he didn't recall such a conversation.

"I've seen signals, but nothing definitive," Valentine said yesterday.

A top team official, however, said the manager confronted rookie reliever Grant Roberts over his suspected drug use this season.

Valentine said he met with his team to discuss the "foolishness" of drug use when rookie pitcher Mark Corey was hospitalized with seizure-like symptoms June 26 after smoking marijuana with teammate Tony Tarasco mere blocks from Shea Stadium.

Tarasco, Corey and Roberts are three of at least seven major league Mets who have been suspected of using marijuana this season. Most of the players involved came up through the Mets' farm system. In addition to Corey, a number of those suspected are no longer with the team.

Phillips disputed there is a problem yesterday. "I don't think we have rampant drug use on our major league team," he said.

Interviews with a high-ranking team official, a former prospect and two people close to players in the organization in the aftermath of the Corey-Tarasco incident raised new allegations.

According to one friend of some Mets players, marijuana has allegedy been mailed into Shea Stadium inside a jar of peanut butter and at least one Met regularly smokes marijuana in the players' parking lot. The same source also said that a number of Mets players have been known to share a marijuana-filled limousine ride rather than taking the team bus from one city to another while on the road.

A former prospect and two friends of current Mets confirmed that the team's minor leaguers have been warned in advance of supposedly random drug tests and have learned how to avoid drug detection.

One of the friends said that Mets minor leaguers have been known to bury marijuana and drug paraphernalia near hotels on the road in order to access it on the next trip to town.

A team official and a friend of the players said in addition to marijuana Ecstasy was another drug of choice among Mets minor leaguers.

Valentine recounted how he talked to his team after Newsday reported the Corey-Tarasco drug use in June.

"After the one incident we had, I addressed the team about this stuff specifically, about how foolish it was, how it was illegal and how embarrassing it could be for it to continue," Valentine said.

In order to evade the bomb-sniffing dogs that occasionally patrol Shea Stadium, a source who refused to be named said one player instructed an accomplice to pack the marijuana in partly-filled peanut-butter jars.

"They leave about a half inch to an inch of peanut butter on the outside wall and then they just throw the bag inside the peanut butter," said the source, who also has knowledge that two of the young Mets may have provided drugs to teammates and players on other teams during spring training.

Told of the drug allegations, catcher Mike Piazza said, "It's kind of disturbing if that's the case. I'm not against having fun. For me, it's having a few beers, if you're of age. You have to blow off steam somehow. But you'd think guys at this level would be completely focused on their careers."

First baseman Mo Vaughn said yesterday: "I personally was never into drugs. It's hard enough to play this game if your brain is normal. I don't know if it's a problem on this team. I hope to God it's not. If there's something going on, we need to correct it."

None of the Mets contacted made any connection between the team's miserable 2002 season and drug use. However, medical experts say marijuana use can impair coordination.
(snipped)
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #14 posted by DdC on September 20, 2002 at 09:43:55 PT

Well It's Not Like We Live in a Democracy...
Maybe someday a group of concerned citizens will stand in solidarity and remove the fascist. Until then we have medicinal users against recreational and hempsters, hempsters against medicinal and recreational, farmworkers poisoned on cotton pesticides not used on hemp, afraid of being further stigmatized as lazy against using cannabis in any form. Doctors against cannabis taking profits from their Pharm stocks, politicians earning taxes from $20 billion/yr. WoD budgets along with cops and prisons. Propaganda groups partnered and payed by the chemical corporations not utilized on organic hemp or ganja. Fossil fuels from Alaska to Colombia to Iraq not wanting alternatives. Meat and the grain industries lobbying against nutrition along with the chemical korpses used on the 12 pounds of grain for every pound of meat. Lets face it, this plant is just too damn versatile for a fascist state to contend with. Now as an over 30 year user supplying the first patients with their canmeds I am stigmatized as keeping it from legality because of the D.E.A.th lies to perpetuate this profittable prohibition. Well it don't work both ways. Until we the sheople get our heads out of our asses and join against this New Weird Odor we will continue to see the actions of fascism along with secret trials and lies. It's always been up to us. Just that we like/need the profits of prohibition as much as the fascist. We also separate the movement for our own personal gain thinking we can win in this fascist system. Well I think Mike and Valerie proves differently. No one hasbeen more "legitimate" in their efforts to comply with the law. Yet I'm sure even they will continue in their fight, separating the healthy users and hempsters as illigitimate causes to their own. The same as the North American Hemp Council against medcan and religious use. Seems the only true patriots are the stoners supporting cannabis legalization, period. Its the right thing to do...Even if it takes huge profits from the underground economy. This latest bit of fascism shouldn't surprize anyone. They simply don't play fair and playing fair won't win against greed and denial. The only weapon we have is masses of people in solidarity and as long as the masses stay divided, prohibition will keep maintaining our dysfunctions.
Peace, Love and Liberty or the Merchants of D.E.A.th!
DdCCannabis Hemp: The Invisible Prohibition Revealed
http://www.sumeria.net/politics/invpro.htmlThe Elkhorn Manifesto
http://www.wealth4freedom.com/Elkhorn6.htmlThe Money Drug
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionstuff.showMessage?topicID=144.topicMaintaining Dysfunction
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionstuff.showMessage?topicID=142.topicNazism or WoD? SCAPEGOATING - Blaming social problems on a cultural, racial, or behaviorial group. PREJUDICE - Selling the public on the idea that all members of the targeted group are 'bad' people. LIES - 'Facts', which cannot be verified, and pseudo-scientific studies are used as propaganda against the targeted group. History is
rewritten. NO PUBLIC DEBATE - "These people have no right to have their viewpoiunt aired." and " Anyone who disagrees or questions us
must be one of them!" DEHUMANIZATION - Characterizing all members of a targeted group as subhuman and typically capable of monstrous deeds and/or
crimes. PROTECT OUR CHILDREN - "They corrupt, seduce and/or destroy our children." CIVIL LIBERTIES SACRIFICED - "We must give up some of our freedoms, liberties, and rights in order to combat this menace to
society." LEGAL DESCRIMINATION - Laws criminalize members of targeted group and they may be denied jobs, the right to own property
and/or be restricted as to where they may live or go. INFORMERS - Citizens are urged to 'turn in' friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members. SECRET POLICE - Non-uniformed police squads set up to wage war on targeted groups utilizing deception, infiltration, espionage and
entrapment. CONFISCATION OF PROPERTY - Property and assets are seized from people who are members of targeted group. Property may be
divided between the informer and the state. REMOVAL FROM SOCIETY - Prisons, rehabilitation camps, 'hospitals', executions and genocide ("kill them all" "Zero Tolerance")

D.E.A.th Deceptions
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #13 posted by FoM on September 20, 2002 at 09:43:45 PT

Jose
I removed the two posts because they were making my computer act real shaky and I have a satellite. I couldn't get the links to load either.Sorry about that.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #9 posted by Cannabis jarhead on September 20, 2002 at 08:43:14 PT

we the people
we the people don't mean shit anymore. hell the courts put bush in power not that i want gore either. that why we need some people to use the new fx show people candiadate to get some messages out there or railly around GOV.Johnson and Gov.Ventura for 2k4. Cannabis jarheadLove the country , fear the Government
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #8 posted by Jose Melendez on September 20, 2002 at 08:42:48 PT

Truth, Justice, or the American Way
Here is a great 4 page article free at salon.com:http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2002/08/05/drug_reform/Noelle Bush gets rehab, the poor and black get hard time
Noelle Bush gets rehab, the poor and black get hard time
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #7 posted by dankhank on September 20, 2002 at 08:41:34 PT:

last laugh
Bob gets the last laugh for now ...
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #6 posted by scott on September 20, 2002 at 08:34:22 PT

stonewalling and powerplay
This kind of thing happened in Colorado as well. An initial attempt to put MM on a statewide ballot initiative was thwarted when the number of valid petition signatures was found to be too low. Later, after voting day, a clean up crew found quite a few signed petitions(just enough to ensure the measure's failure) in filing cabinets at the offices of the recently deceased secretary of state. Of course, the powers that be showed no interest in determining why these petitions were "lost" and then glossed over the entire snafu by adding the missing signatures to the original official tallies, ultimately placing the initiative on the next cycle's ballot.
At least in DC (and around the country), the citizens know why and how their voices have been silenced. I am saddened that one man can muffle thousands, particularly when the citizens have made their wishes explicitly clear.
Perhaps according to Barr the Declaration should begin "You, the little people...."
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #5 posted by FoM on September 20, 2002 at 08:26:10 PT

That's OK st1r_dude
Hopefully someone with a subscription will send it to me and I'll get it posted.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #4 posted by st1r_dude on September 20, 2002 at 08:21:56 PT

FoM
sorry, FoM - i didn't realize this was "premium" content from salon - sheeesh...nope, no subscription - oooops.st1r
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #3 posted by Windminstrel on September 20, 2002 at 08:19:08 PT

damn
So will the MPP appeal?
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #2 posted by FoM on September 20, 2002 at 08:17:29 PT:

st1r_dude
Do you have a subscription to salon? If so please send it to me and I'll post the complete article. Thanks!
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by st1r_dude on September 20, 2002 at 08:10:00 PT

more noelle news from salon.com
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2002/09/20/druglaws/index_np.htmlFor Noelle Bush, a different kind of justice
In Florida, drug offenders face hard time -- unless you have money or connections.
Noelle Bush, a different kind of justice
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment