cannabisnews.com: Med Marijuana Groups Posting Roadside Billboards Med Marijuana Groups Posting Roadside Billboards Posted by CN Staff on January 22, 2003 at 16:43:20 PT By The Associated Press Source: Associated Press Along with roadside advertisements for beer, liquor and fast-food, California motorists will now see billboards promoting medical marijuana. The 30 billboards, which began appearing Wednesday in San Francisco and across the state, feature an 8-year-old Chico girl whose father, Bryan Epis, is serving 10 years on federal marijuana cultivation charges. "Medical marijuana, compassion not federal prison," read the billboards, which are sponsored by a host of marijuana groups. They also show young Ashley Epis holding a sign that reads: "My Dad is not a criminal." Her photo was taken at a rally outside the federal courthouse in Sacramento last year, where her father was sentenced for growing cannabis for a Chico medical marijuana club. California voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996, allowing people to use marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. The federal government, however, does not recognize the medical marijuana law and has been raiding California medical pot clubs and arresting growers who say they were cultivating for patients. A spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Richard Meyer, said the marijuana groups are "certainly entitled to express their opinions." But he added that "marijuana has no accepted medical use" and "our job is to enforce federal laws." Third-grader Ashley Epis said she agreed to be on the billboard. "I want everybody to know that my dad is not a criminal," she said. Mike Gray, chairman of Common Sense for Drug Policy, said the campaign was designed to "wake up the federal government." Billboard company Clear Channel Outdoor donated the space for a month. The marijuana groups said they paid about $20,000 for the banners. "As a company, any unsold corporate space is donated back to the community," said Ben Scott, the company's governmental affairs manager. Complete Title: Medical Marijuana Groups Posting Roadside Billboards Source: Associated Press Published: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Sites:CSDPhttp://www.csdp.org/Pictures: MMJ Protests - Sept. 23, 2002 http://freedomtoexhale.com/protestpics.htmMarijuana Protest Leads to Arrests at White Househttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14216.shtmlFirst Federal Medical Marijuana Conviction http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13398.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by BigDawg on January 23, 2003 at 05:04:33 PT Now we're talking Time to fight back.This is how we're going to win IMHO. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by afterburner on January 23, 2003 at 03:35:00 PT: Schedule One Lie...going down. A spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Richard Meyer, said the marijuana groups are "certainly entitled to express their opinions." But he added that "marijuana has no accepted medical use" and "our job is to enforce federal laws." The Schedule One Lie shall not stand!ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 22, 2003 at 22:10:20 PT News Brief from The Associated Press Medical Marijuana Groups Post BillboardsMedical Marijuana Advocates Post Roadside Billboards Across CaliforniaThe Associated Press San Francisco - Jan. 23, 2003http://www.medicalmj.org/http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/protestpics.htmMedical marijuana advocates Wednesday began a billboard campaign that features the 8-year-old daughter of a man in prison for cultivating pot.On 30 billboards across California, Ashley Epis holds a sign that reads, "My Dad is not a criminal." Her father, Bryan Epis, is serving a 10-year federal sentence for growing cannabis for a Chico medical marijuana club.The billboards, sponsored by a host of marijuana groups, also read, "Medical marijuana, compassion not federal prison."California voters in 1996 approved a measure that allows people to use marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. The federal government, however, does not recognize the law and has raided California medical pot clubs and arrested growers who say they are cultivating for patients.Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Richard Meyer said the groups are "entitled to express their opinions," but added that marijuana remains illegal.The marijuana groups said they paid about $20,000 for the banners. Billboard company Clear Channel Outdoor donated the space for a month.Photo credit and caption: Ashley Epis, 8, of Chico Calif., who is pictured on a series of billboards advocating medical marijuana, poses before one of the signs on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003, in Oakland, Calif. Epis' father, Bryan Epis, is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for conspiracy to grow marijuana. The Third-grader said she agreed to be on the billboard. "I want everybody to know that my dad is not a criminal," she said. http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/ashley.jpg(AP Photo/Noah Berger) Copyright 2003 The Associated Press [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on January 22, 2003 at 19:23:48 PT Picture of Billboard http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/ashley.jpgAshley Epis, 8, of Chico Calif., who is pictured on a series of billboards advocating medical marijuana, poses before one of the signs on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003, in Oakland, Calif. Epis' father, Bryan Epis, is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for conspiracy to grow marijuana. The Third-grader said she agreed to be on the billboard. 'I want everybody to know that my dad is not a criminal,' she said.(AP Photo/Noah Berger) http://freedomtoexhale.com/protestpics.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by The GCW on January 22, 2003 at 17:15:35 PT Billboards today Superbowls tomorrow.I'd like to see Our ads in the Superbowl competing with the urine sucker's ads.And not next year. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on January 22, 2003 at 17:10:42 PT I Like It! I hope we get some pictures of the billboards. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment