cannabisnews.com: Weed Watch Weed Watch Posted by CN Staff on December 20, 2002 at 12:05:43 PT By Jordan Smith Source: Austin Chronicle On Dec. 4 the Marijuana Policy Project -- the advocates behind a number of November's failed drug-reform ballot initiatives -- filed a formal complaint with the federal Office of Special Counsel, calling for the ouster of drug czar John Walters, head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. In the three-page complaint, the MPP alleges that Walters was in "gross violation" of both federal and Nevada state law when he traveled to the Silver State in October to campaign against Question 9 -- a sweeping drug-reform initiative that would have both decriminalized marijuana possession and provided for the drug's legal sale. The MPP charges that Walters inappropriately acted in his official capacity to affect the fate of the defeated ballot initiative -- a clear violation, the group says, of the 1939 Hatch Act, which regulates the political activities of government officials and employees. Under the federal statute -- 5 USC 7323.1 -- "an employee may not use his official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election." Walters cut a wide swath across the Southwest this fall campaigning against drug-reform initiatives, spending at least two days in October stumping in Nevada against Q9, all the while acting in his official capacity and using his official title, the MPP charges. The group is calling for Walters' ouster from the ONDCP and also is asking that he be barred from any other government job. (The latter punishment is not prescribed under the Hatch Act.) "Given the disrespect for the law that Mr. Walters has demonstrated, we feel that disbarment from future federal employment would also be an appropriate remedy," the MPP complaint reads. In a press release, MPP Executive Director Rob Kampia didn't even try to disguise his contempt for the czar: "We want him out of the picture," he said. "We want him excommunicated from the federal government forever." Meanwhile, it appears that Asa Hutchinson, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, may be leaving his post as head honcho in the unwinnable war on drugs for a commission in the equally futile war on terror. According to the Drug Reform Coordination Network, the former Arkansas congressman and Clinton impeachment trial manager is favored to become the undersecretary for border and transportation security in the newly created Dept. of Homeland Security, tasked with securing the nation's borders to "prevent the entry of terrorists." Current DEA Deputy Administrator John Bert Brown III, a career "narcocrat," appears anointed to take over at the DEA, the DRCNet reports. The former police officer has served with the DEA for nearly three decades, manning posts in both El Paso and Dallas before returning to Washington to be Hutchinson's No. 2. In response to a September DEA raid on the Santa Cruz, Calif., medical marijuana cooperative Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana, the Santa Cruz City Council has voted 7-0 to "deputize" WAMM's owners Valerie and Michael Corral, the Drug Policy Alliance reports. The raid destroyed the medical marijuana farm that provided pot to ailing patients in compliance with the Golden State's medical marijuana laws. It was one of a handful of federal raids in California over the past year that prompted California Attorney General Bill Lockyer this fall to pen a terse letter to Hutchinson and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, asking the feds to kindly butt out of the state's affairs. The request went over like a lead brick on the federal narcs. According to the Corrals' attorney Ben Rice, the council move gives his clients the policing power necessary to carry out the city's drug laws, including Santa Cruz's own ordinance regulating the distribution of medical marijuana. And the latest from the Dept. of Overkill: Two 9-year-old Florida boys were arrested last week on felony drug charges after they were caught at school in possession of 15 small baggies of marijuana. While the total amount of drugs seized totaled under a half-ounce of pot, the two boys were charged with felonies because the alleged offenses took place inside a "drug-free" school zone, the DPA reports. And in Eugene, Ore., neighbors are hopping mad at Eugene police after an October drug raid turned their sleepy neighborhood into a war zone. According to the DRCNet, the cops came to the 'hood to serve a warrant on an alleged pot grower -- using an armored personnel carrier and 45 SWAT officers. Officers lobbed flash-bang grenades, kicked in doors, and handcuffed four people -- including two naked women, one of whom had her head covered by the cops with a black bag until she "agreed to cooperate" -- before discovering there was no pot to seize. Area residents have filed complaints with the Eugene Police Commission. The DRCNet reports that EPD Capt. Steve Swenson says the officers were within policy and that they "rely on the element of surprise and speed" and an "overwhelming display of force" to get the job done. But not, apparently, on ensuring they have the correct target. Source: Austin Chronicle (TX)Author: Jordan SmithPublished: December 20, 2002 - Vol.22 No.16Copyright: 2002 Austin Chronicle Corp.Contact: louis auschron.comWebsite: http://www.auschron.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:DRCNethttp://www.drcnet.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Pictures from WAMM Protesthttp://freedomtoexhale.com/eventpics.htmMPP Files Complaint Against Drug Czarhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14902.shtmlRebellion Against the Drug Czarhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14885.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #13 posted by TroutMask on December 20, 2002 at 20:22:25 PT Correction: On "Activating" THC with Heat This is a correction to a post I made a while back.I had heard from a couple people that you need to heat marijuana to "activate" the THC. I disagreed. My opinion was that this was a myth, that heat just happened to be a "by-product" of heating butter and/or baking brownies or what-not and that that the belief arose that therefore heat is required. I didn't know of any scientific reason to believe such an idea.But now I know better and would like to explain what I've learned. Here are a couple quotes:http://www.lycaeum.org/forums/rants/Messages/179.html"About half of the THC in uncooked cannabis is in the form of THC carboxylic acid which is much less absorbable than the free form. Heating above 140 degrees C, such as smoking (as in a joint not as in flavouring with smoke), roasting or a fast, hard fry will decarboxylate the compound to THC, doubling the potency."http://www.sky.org/data/grow/c21.html"More than 70 percent of the fresh weight of the plant os water. Drying is done to evaporate most of this water, so the marijuana will burn evenly and smoke smoothly. Additionally, the cannabinoids in fresh plant material are mostly in the acid forms, which are not psychoactive. The acid cannabinoids decarboxylate (they lose the gas, carbon dioxide) during the drying or curing processes, which convert them to their psychoactive neutral forms. Decarboxylation is complete if the marijuana is actually smokes."So it appears that technically, yes you need heat to activate all of the THC in marijuana. However, it would seem that well-cured marijuana should require less heat to activate and would therefore be more active without heat. Still, one probably shouldn't eat un-cooked marijuana as it isn't readily digestible and may cause digestive problems.-TM [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on December 20, 2002 at 19:08:02 PT mayan Fair and balanced to the right right right! LOL [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by mayan on December 20, 2002 at 18:49:51 PT Fair & Balanced I love it when our guys go on FOX News! It enlightens people to just how idiotic O'Reilly & his cronies really are. FOX News IS "fair & balanced" ya' know...balanced between fascism & totalitarianism! Here is an interesting piece regarding George McMahon, the fifth U.S. citizen to recieve federally approved medical marijuana...Federal Rx: Marijuana http://onlinejournal.com/Commentary/Largen121902/largen121902.htmlThe way out is the way in -U.S. BALKS AT IRAQI INVASION - GLOBAL ECONOMIC OPPOSITION SUCCEEDING - by Mike Ruppert: http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/121902_us_balks.htmlTerror Flight School Owner In Business With Whitewater Scandal 'Key Figure': http://www.madcowprod.com/Bush Nominates Himself to Chair 9/11 Investigation: http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0212/S00125.htmThe 9/11 Truth Movement - Selected Resources for Researchers and Activists: http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/LEV212A.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by knox42897 on December 20, 2002 at 18:36:35 PT: YUK I can't believe how rude they were to Rob. The whole damn thing leading into the show. I would suggest Rob limiting interviews to reports who will atleast give him a fair shot. File as many lawsuits as youhave to Rob, just get that paranoid, delusional, schizophrenic nazi out of office.LAS VEGAS NEVADANS FOR RESPOSIBLE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN AMERICA [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on December 20, 2002 at 18:00:15 PT Yuk! They cut him off before he talked about what else they are planning to do. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Patrick on December 20, 2002 at 17:59:05 PT Your welcome BGreen Not sure why O'Rightly isn't on. I switched in time to see the interview. I think O'Reilly is on vacation or something this other guy is back on now. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by BGreen on December 20, 2002 at 17:56:35 PT Thanks, Patrick Was a reason given for why O'Reilly didn't do the interview? Not that I can stand the constant stream of BS that's emitted every time he opens his mouth. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Patrick on December 20, 2002 at 17:50:10 PT The host... Pretty much berated Rob and said Rob was upset that Walters beat the state initiatives. He also stated the 1998 "law" that gives Walters the authority or power to use tax money to fight state ballot initiatives involving the legalization of drugs. While Rob argued the Hatch law that prevents the use of public money on state ballots. Seems some federal lawyers believe that Rob has a case. Guess we will see. And now O'Reilly is hurting my eardrums. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by BGreen on December 20, 2002 at 17:41:56 PT Darn I turned over just in time to see Rob cut off. What transpired before that? [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Patrick on December 20, 2002 at 17:41:47 PT Way to go Rob! He held his own and stated the objectives of the lawsuit quite well. Although the image of Walters in "iron underwear" was kinda scary. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 20, 2002 at 16:49:49 PT Thanks The GCW! My sister is visiting today and we are getting ready to watch O'Reilly! I sure hope it isn't bumped again! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by The GCW on December 20, 2002 at 16:03:07 PT As FoM posted before, this is on tonight. Dear Friend:Tomorrow (now today), December 20, I am scheduled to appear on "The O'Reilly Factor" on the national FOX News Channel at approximately 8:20 p.m. Eastern time. (The program starts at 8:00 p.m. and is repeated at 11:00 p.m. Eastern; please check your local cable listings for channel and non-Eastern airtimes.)I will be discussing the Marijuana Policy Project's "war on drug czar," which we launched on December 4 at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. For details, please see http://www.mpp.org/WarOnDrugCzar.html .In addition, tomorrow night I will announce new criminal charges that MPP will be seeking against the drug czar, in addition to those we already unveiled on December 4 -- one was filed with the federal Office of Special Counsel, the other with the Nevada Secretary of State's office.In the former complaint, we detailed how Drug Czar John Walters illegally used his title and office to campaign against our marijuana ballot initiative in Nevada. This complaint requests that Walters be removed from office, as well as disbarred from holding any federal office ever again.In the latter complaint, we noted that the drug czar failed to file any campaign finance reports whatsoever detailing the money that he spent opposing our ballot measure. As a result, we are asking the Nevada Secretary of State to fine him the maximum $5,000.Tomorrow night I will announce our third complaint.In January, we will be announcing the fourth prong of our attack against the drug czar. And a fifth attack -- and possibly a sixth -- will be announced after January.Drug Czar John Walters has been irresponsibly and illegally using his office to campaign against marijuana and other drug policy reform ballot initiatives, and we plan to take him down for it so that he -- or his successor if we succeed in removing him from office -- will be prevented from campaigning against any marijuana policy measures we launch in 2004.Sincerely,Rob Kampia Executive Director Marijuana Policy Project Washington, D.C. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Darwin on December 20, 2002 at 12:24:03 PT George Soros This is off topic, but George Soros has been found guilty of insider trading in France, at a cost to him of 2.3 million. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2594273.stm [ Post Comment ] Post Comment