cannabisnews.com: Local Pot Advocate's Home Raided Local Pot Advocate's Home Raided Posted by CN Staff on September 24, 2002 at 19:45:43 PT McWilliams Handed Out Medical Marijuana Source: SanDiegoChannel.com San Diego -- Federal agents have raided a home where medical marijuana has been available by state law since 1996, 10News reported. Federal agents stormed the North Park home of advocate Steve McWilliams Tuesday. What led up to the raid goes back to last week, when members of medical marijuana advocacy group Shelter From The Storm distributed marijuana in front of San Diego City Hall. McWilliams serves as head of Shelter From The Storm. The move was similar to one that took place in San Jose. In both cases, marijuana was only distributed to patients with a doctor's approval. The headline grabbing stunt apparently grabbed the attention of the wrong people -- the feds. Although Proposition 215 allows medical marijuana use in California, it remains against federal law. McWilliams has a state permit to grow and distribute medical marijuana, but the federal government has chosen to overstep state law, 10News reported. Federal agents collected evidence and confiscated all the cannabis plants they could find at McWilliams' home, 10News reported. "Apparently, all of our medicine is being destroyed," McWilliams said. "We are just enforcing the law," an unnamed federal agent told 10News. However, McWilliams said that there were fewer plants to confiscate, since the raid has been anticipated for several days. An agent from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration approached McWilliams on the street Thursday and hand-delivered a letter warning him to stop growing marijuana or face arrest, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The letter, signed by U.S. Attorney Carol C. Lam, advised McWilliams that he is not protected by a state law that allows chronically ill patients to use and grow the drug, the newspaper reported. Over the weekend, Shelter From The Storm members purposely cut down some of its plants, so its patients could stock up. Some patients, like Summer Bello, said the drug is what keeps them alive. "I'm a manic depressive. I tried to kill myself. Then I discovered medical marijuana ... it prevents me from trying to kill myself, basically," Bello said. An attorney representing Shelter From The Storm said he feels the group's constitutional rights were violated, and he will file a motion to have their property -- or marijuana plants returned. Meanwhile, federal agents are reviewing the evidence and will forward the case to the U.S. Attorney, who will decide whether or not to prosecute. Source: SanDiegoChannel.comPublished: September 24, 2002Copyright: 2002 TheSanDiegoChannel.comWebsite: http://www.thesandiegochannel.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Americans for Safe Access http://www.safeaccessnow.org Pot Grower Gets Letter of Warning from DEAhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14191.shtmlActivist Prods S.D. on Medical Pot Rules http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14159.shtmlMarijuana Activists Give It Away at City Hall http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14144.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #15 posted by Hope on September 25, 2002 at 10:46:39 PT A little resistance? Sept. 16 Adweek.com Networks Balk at Pot Spots Wendy MelilloWASHINGTON -- The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's biggest anti-marijuana initiative is already stirring controversy, even before its launches this week.One network has rejected two ads for offensive language, and a second has imposed time restrictions on boundary-pushing spots that link pot smoking to violence and date rape.Two 30-second ads by Ogilvy & Mather, New York, featuring the tag, "Responsibility is a bitch," were turned down by ABC. The network accepted a version without the profanity, sources said. ABC declined comment.A CBS rep said the spots were being evaluated. NBC has restricted the spots to airing after 9 p.m. "We realize there is a substantially larger younger audience from 8 to 9 p.m. where people might find it inappropriate," said Alan Wurtzel, NBC president of research and standards. "Earlier than 9 p.m., we don't want the language in there."Said Ogilvy ecd Chris Wall: "We knew it was a controversial thing, and even if ONDCP approved, there might be network issues."The commercials, "Stacey" and "Dan," trace a marijuana purchase to a horrible end. Copy reads, "This is Stacey. This is the dime bag that Stacey bought. This is the dealer who sold the dime bag that Stacey bought. This is the supplier who smuggled the pot to the dealer who sold the dime bag that Stacey bought. This is Carla hit by a stray bullet from Stacey's supplier and paralyzed for life." Tagline: "Responsibility is a bitch, isn't it,Stacey?"In "Dan," the purchase is traced to a drug cartel and an innocent family is shot.ONDCP rep Jennifer de Vallance said Ogilvy made several versions of the ads in case of network rejection. Meanwhile, ABC has ruled that a date-rape-themed spot by Leo Burnett in Chicago can air only after 10 p.m. because of its sexual content, sources said.Burnett created four spots through the Partnership for a Drug-Free America's pro-bono process. In "Couple," a teen girl at a party gets high in episodic shots. When she is incapacitated, a guy reaches for the buttons on her blouse. The tag is, "Marijuana: Harmless?"Burnett referred calls to the client. A Partnership rep said the ads tested "superbly" and the results will be shared with the networks to address any concerns. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by afterburner on September 25, 2002 at 10:44:22 PT: gimme shelter What's with the news blackout on the Steve McWilliams (Shelter From The Storm) bust? Even the bay area sites don't seem to mention it. Just lots of superhero coverage, movie stars and sports stars and the flavor-of-the-month "idol" Kelly. I thought we got over this empty worship after 9/11. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by TecHnoCult on September 25, 2002 at 06:43:56 PT Ads My question is "Do these ads have any affect?" We can all see the hypocracy and lies in these ads because we are aware and we are educated on the subject. But how does the average citizen, when limited exposure to MJ see these ads? Anybody got any feedback from others whom do not have our experience?THC [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Dark Star on September 25, 2002 at 06:40:04 PT What Can You Do? When blinded by ONDCP lies in you paper, what you can do is write an LTE to the same paper. If everyone does this with every paper, they should have to print a few. It is even possible that an occasional paper will refuse the ads. Wouldn't that be the day! [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on September 25, 2002 at 06:24:43 PT ONDCP ads Opened the paper this morning and found ANOTHER full-page ad from the ONDCP. "If you can read this, you're driving too close. My son smokes pot and is a dangerous driver." Or something suchlike. There are contact phone numbers at the bottom, but it's not like writing a LTE, you can't just call them up and tell them to look in the Canadian Senate report... can you? I'd fear getting put on even more Lists than I am already. But how can we combat the ONDCP's lies? Is it even necessary, or is this just the last desperate attempt to keep the minority who still believes their lies from shrinking? I remember when the Libertarians ran their full page ad in USA Today and The Washington Times and it cost $60,000+ for one day. I assume the ONDCP ads are in many more papers - I remember hearing 300 or so, at least for the first ad. And they ran that first ad on a Tuesday according to the PR but there was an ad in Wednesday's paper too. Have they given themselves any deals like the two-for-one they have with TV ads, or are they really running these at full price? With taxpayer money?? What's the budget for this? And how can we fight back? [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Ethan Russo MD on September 25, 2002 at 04:39:08 PT: Onward I will be sparse for a few days due to a mission elsewhere.I have always enjoyed the spirit here. Everyone contributes in their own way. Some may protest in person. Others may protest in spirit. Remember: They also serve that only write LTE's! [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by BGreen on September 25, 2002 at 03:21:38 PT Thanks Robbie I think the participants of Cannabisnews.com will go down in history as major players in the demise of cannabis prohibition. Our voices speak loudly with intelligence, not as a bunch of loser stoners, but as productive citizens from all walks of life who have been unfairly discriminated against, and are damn mad and fighting back. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Robbie on September 25, 2002 at 03:00:20 PT Damn good letter, B Green I've seen replies to Donahue e-mails, and I think yours will merit attention. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by BGreen on September 25, 2002 at 00:46:40 PT My letter to Donahue re: 9-24-02 show Dear Mr. Donahue:Your story about the "Date Rape" drug, GHB, was a shocking example of what a truly dangerous drug is like. You left out a major detail which points to the hypocrisy and idiocy of our FDA, DEA and others involved in the regulation of drugs, the so-called war on drugs and the attack on cannabis, both medicinal and recreational.The FDA approved GHB in July to be marketed under the name Xyrem as a Schedule III drug used to treat cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy.Cannabis, on the other hand, is a Schedule I drug, even though it has never killed one human being due to toxicity or overdose, and our government continues to lie about the harm associated with cannabis use while arresting hundreds of thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens for using it.Approval of a heinous drug like GHB while inflicting mandatory minimum sentences on non-violent cannabis users is inhumane, and we need people like you to help get the truth out.Sincerely,Bud Green [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Hope on September 24, 2002 at 23:55:54 PT Why so many kids in "treatment" for marijuana http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/25/national/25BRFS2.htmlFLORIDA: PLEA BARGAIN FOR PROSECUTOR'S SON The son of Miami-Dade County's top prosecutor accepted a deal to avoid jail on a drug possession charge that was filed when he was caught carrying marijuana as he tried to board a flight to Puerto Rico with his mother. A judge agreed on Monday to allow Justin Robert Rundle, 18, to enter a program under which the misdemeanor possession charge will be dropped if he completes classes and community service. He is the son of the state attorney, Katherine Fernandez Rundle. (AP) [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by p4me on September 24, 2002 at 20:39:29 PT Day 12 of Colin Davies' trial from x-ile DE trial day 12Colin was in the witness box all day today - carrying on with answering questions from his own barrister, talking a bit more about his own condition and the MMCO and then explaining what happened on November 20th. That took up the morning and this afternoon the Crown Prosecutor cross-examined him. From where I was sat, it seemed to go fairly well, but we won't know until the jury give their verdict. Colin will be back to give final evidence under re-examination in the morning.Unfortunately, Colin's full day in the witness box meant that several defence witnesses have had to hang around all day today and will be staying over overnight. Many thanks to them for their patience and dedication to the cause!Estimates of when the trial might finish seem to have taken a drastic lurch into next week .... though much of the rest after Thursday will be taken up with closing statements by counsel which may be pretty boring (and no doubt we'll have yet more legal arguments if the trial so far is anything to go by!).woof,woof!Billy Barker news'ound1,2 [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by The GCW on September 24, 2002 at 20:23:53 PT Apostasy? Caging humans for using a plant is utterly vile, and a real let down to Our Father, who indicated to love Our brothers. If Christ God gave us all the green seed bearing plants as described on the very 1st page of the Bible, who prohibits cannabis? Perhaps the worst side effect of cannabis comes not to those who use it, but to those who separate their own souls from the Holy Spirit of Truth by partaking in this sin of plant prohibition, with out even knowing it. Sounds like the Apostasy in 1 Timothy 4:1-5. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by The GCW on September 24, 2002 at 20:18:45 PT Speaking about medical cannabis... Fall Fest Lecture Medical Marijuana Saturday, Sept. 28th, 2002 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. University Center - Room 307 University of Colorado, Colorado Springshttp://www.uccs.edu/map.htmlMedical marijuana, and the marijuana like compounds that are produced in our bodies, regulate many aspects of our health. Internally produced marijuana-like compounds (endocannabinoids) are the result of 600 million years of evolution. Modern science suggests that both types of cannabinoids may help prevent or treat some of the common age related diseases of the immune, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Similarly, certain cancers may be prevented or treated with cannabinoids. These topics will be discussed in the context of peer reviewed research articles, as well as with interviews from patients who used medical marijuana.For more information, contact: Dr. Robert J. Melamede Chairman, Biology Department Room 232 University of Colorado 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway PO Box 7150 Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7150 rmelamed uccs.edu 719 262-3135 W*************************************************************** Re-distributed as a public service by the: Colorado Hemp Initiative Project P.O. Box 729, Nederland, CO 80466 Email: cohip levellers.org Web: http://www.levellers.org/cohip/ "Fighting over 60 years of lies and dis-information with 10,000 years of history and fact." [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by BGreen on September 24, 2002 at 20:04:54 PT We won't let you down Steve You're not fighting in vain. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 24, 2002 at 19:54:28 PT SanDiegoChannel.com Message Board This is for marijuana discussion.http://forums.ibsys.com/viewmessages.cfm?sitekey=sand&Forum=79&Topic=3081 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment