cannabisnews.com: Minnesota: Activist Guilty — and Proud of It Minnesota: Activist Guilty — and Proud of It Posted by CN Staff on January 06, 2003 at 21:21:24 PT By Hannah Allam, Pioneer Press Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press Rabbi Ariel Pedersen desperately wants to be Minnesota's marijuana martyr. So, she's thankful to the Chisago County judge who sentenced her Monday to five years of probation and 90 days of home monitoring, clearing the way for an appeal she hopes will result in legalizing pot for medicinal purposes.Pedersen, a former burlesque dancer who fashioned herself into a rabbi within a fringe group of Jews, even managed to avoid urine testing for marijuana because of complications with prescribed medications. "Thank you, your honor," she said, exiting the courtroom. "If I had a doobie, I'd light it up right now."Pedersen, 43, who says she uses the drug to relieve a cancerous condition, was convicted of a 2000 felony charge of possessing about a pound of marijuana she picked from a field near her former home in North Branch, Minn. She now plans to take her case to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, backed by pot advocates such as the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.Many prosecutors and law enforcement officials consider the cause a pipe dream. Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled there is no exemption to federal law that would allow marijuana as medicine. And although a handful of states have approved ballot initiatives for doctor-approved use of the drug, similar legislative proposals haven't gone far in Minnesota.Former Gov. Jesse Ventura, a longtime proponent of legalizing pot for medical use, sparked renewed interest in the issue for Minnesotans. He taped a video supporting marijuana activists and encouraged a state Department of Health forum in April 2001 on potential benefits of the drug for people who suffer from cancer, AIDS and other illnesses."How much should people suffer because others won't use common sense?" Ventura said in the videotaped message. "I hope you push forward on this issue — there are a lot of people out there who are counting on you."In her district court battle, Pedersen used two main arguments to defend her use. The first is that preventing her from smoking a joint is akin to violating constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment because of her suffering without the drug.Pedersen's second argument is that marijuana laws bar her from practicing freedom of religion. She considers herself a messianic Jew, part of a small religious sect that practices an unorthodox fusion of Christianity and Judaism. Pedersen claims she is commanded in the Bible to use all of God's plants.Daniel Vlieger, the Chisago County prosecutor who handled Pedersen's case, said similar arguments have failed. He empathized with Pedersen's illness and said he didn't want to see her jailed. Still, he added, it's his job to uphold the law."If she wants to make a stand for the legalization of marijuana in Minnesota, the (Court of Appeals) is where she's going to have to go," Vlieger said. "People try all sorts of things."Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN)Author: Hannah Allam, Pioneer Press Published: Tuesday, January 07, 2003Copyright: 2003 St. Paul Pioneer PressContact: letters pioneerpress.comWebsite: http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by TecHnoCult on January 07, 2003 at 07:51:41 PT Great Article One of the best I have read. Thanks p4me.THC [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on January 06, 2003 at 22:32:40 PT p4me Thank you that was a good article. We had a couple good comments on the thread when I posted it too. I look back and see an article and remember how many quality articles there really are on drug policy reform issues. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by p4me on January 06, 2003 at 22:24:44 PT Reason.com has a good article Three former drug warmongers speak out against the mistake of continuing going in the wrong direction. The last interview is with Judge Gray that wrote a book calling the term "controlled substance" an oxymoron. http://reason.com/0201/fe.ml.battlefield.shtml [ Post Comment ] Post Comment