cannabisnews.com: Bill Seeks To Provide Medical Pot Defense





Bill Seeks To Provide Medical Pot Defense
Posted by CN Staff on February 20, 2003 at 07:14:28 PT
By Brian Seals, Sentinel Staff Writer
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel 
Medical marijuana users and growers in California could cite state law as a defense against federal prosecutors who criminalize their actions, under a bill planned by three federal lawmakers.U.S. Reps. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, and Lynne Woolsey, D-Petaluma, plan to co-sponsor the bill next month with Rep. Dana Rohrbacher, an Orange County Republican.
The proposed legislation comes in the wake of stepped-up federal raids on medical marijuana gardens over the past year, including one at a Santa Cruz County cooperative last September.The legislation also comes after marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal was convicted on federal charges of growing pot in Oakland in a trial during which his lawyers weren’t allowed to mention he was growing it for Oakland’s medical marijuana patients."The purpose of this bill is to allow defendants in federal criminal trials to introduce evidence that their marijuana-related activity was performed for a valid medical purpose under state law," Farr said in a written statement.Farr is to be honored today in Sacramento during a press conference hosted by the marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access. He was to be joined by family members of people recently convicted on federal marijuana charges.Eight states have approved medical marijuana use, but the bill recognizing state marijuana law is likely to face an uphill battle in a Republican-controlled Congress.Rohrbacher said the bill was a reasonable approach to settling the conflict between federal and state laws."As far as I know, it is the people of the state who are supposed to be determining criminal laws," he said by telephone Wednesday. "I just think that if the majority of people in a state vote to permit people to use marijuana for medical purposes, the federal government should not interfere with that."The tension between federal enforcement and state laws was highlighted in Santa Cruz County during last September’s raid of the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana’s Davenport garden.About 167 plants were uprooted by federal drug agents, and co-founders Mike and Valerie Corral were briefly jailed. No charges have been filed.Ben Rice, an attorney for the cooperative, said that while he wasn’t optimistic a federal measure would pass, he welcomed the proposed legislation."The WAMM and Rosenthal cases have really galvanized national attention to the problem we have here," Rice said. "I think this is a terrific move."While the DEA hasn’t filed charges, WAMM has gone on the offensive, filing suit against the feds. Having lost the first round of a court battle to get the marijuana back, the group is appealing the decision.The group also plans to seek an injunction prohibiting similar raids in the future. The county and city have voted to join that suit as plaintiffs. Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)Author: Brian Seals, Sentinel Staff WriterPublished: February 20, 2003Copyright: 2003 Santa Cruz SentinelContact: editorial santa-cruz.comWebsite: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/Americans for Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/News Articles -- WAMM Raidhttp://freedomtoexhale.com/valc.htmEd Rosenthal's Trial Pictures & Articleshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/trialpics.htmState Lawmakers Craft Bill on Pot Defensehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15513.shtmlCounty May Join WAMM Suit http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15434.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by Virgil on February 20, 2003 at 07:53:41 PT
Just more stupidy from Congresscritters
By now, I hope Californians and everyone else sees the need to replace every single member of Congress for their conspiracy in this fraud shoved down America's throat. This half-measure is still stupidity. If they cannot address the issue of the Schedule One Lie in this year of 2003, they do not belong in office.They made up the guidelines. Follow them goddammit. If they don't have enough sense to see the Schedule One Lie then they cannot see what an average Joe can see. If they do not represent what is right in this case, when will they represent what is right? If they do not speak out against the failure of the WOSD and the misery it has caused, what will they speak out against? They are still conspirators in the fraud they call the WOD and they need to be removed from public service.11 score and 7 years ago, this country gave the world a new definition of freedom. We still have taxation without representation and the corporations and wealthy want all the representation with subsidies and tax-breaks. The courts cannot decide the crucial issue of states rights just like they cannot address the issue of legislative branch of the DEA that wants to ban hempfoods. The adaptation of the Emperor Has No Clothes is that Moronarchy has no brain and the individuals have no sight and no spine. They put their reelection ahead of the public good and their duty to the public. This legislation is pitiful and it still will not get out of committee.People should be outraged. It is the duty of a patriot to fight the corruption of government. I call on all patriots to release all Congressmen from public service and to voice the fact that they see the need for this. Xero tolerance to the corruption is called for. Zero tolerance for conspiracy and non-action is needed. Take no prisoners. Throw them all out.
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