cannabisnews.com: Pot Advocate Seeks Refugee Status in Canada










  Pot Advocate Seeks Refugee Status in Canada

Posted by CN Staff on March 05, 2003 at 08:11:12 PT
By CBC News Online Staff 
Source: CBC 

Vancouver - An American man who fled to Canada after being arrested for cultivating marijuana for medicinal purposes will have a refugee hearing in Vancouver Wednesday. Steve Kubby is the founder of the American Medical Marijuana Association and has been living in British Columbia for more than a year. Kubby suffers from adrenal cancer and says he faces persecution in the United States. because he uses marijuana to ease the symptoms of his disease. 
He is claiming refugee status in Canada and if he's successful he would be one of few Americans to gain that status. Police raided Kubby's home in Lake Tahoe, Calif., in January 1999 and laid charges after seizing hundreds of marijuana plants. A jury found Kubby not guilty on those charges, but he fled to B.C. to avoid jail time on a lesser conviction. Kubby says denying him access to pot would kill him. He says U.S. authorities are waging a deliberate campaign against him. "We're going to provide documentation of illegal activities by law enforcement to target the political leaders of the medical marijuana movement in California," he said. After Canadian immigration officials attempted to deport Kubby, he filed for refugee status. Canadian Alliance MP Randy White says Kubby is using the refugee hearing as a soapbox to air his side of the medical marijuana debate. White says the debate over the medical use of pot in the U.S. belongs there and not in a hearing in Canada. "Does that mean people who don't like gun control in Canada should claim refugee status to the United States because they feel they're being persecuted? I don't think so," White said. White successfully applied to have the hearing open to the public. He says the fact that Kubby has gotten this far is a precedent refugee officials can do without. Complete Title: American Pot Advocate Seeks Refugee Status in Canada Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Published: Wednesday, March 05, 2003Copyright: 2003 CBCWebsite: http://www.cbc.ca/Contact: cbcinput toronto.cbc.caRelated Articles & Web Site:Pot TV http://www.pot-tv.netAMMAhttp://americanmarijuana.org/The Drug War Refugees http://freedomtoexhale.com/smk.htm Hearing Focus of War on Drugshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15637.shtmlWhite Wades Into Immigration Watershttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15607.shtml

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Comment #13 posted by FoM on March 05, 2003 at 22:17:58 PT
Steve & Michele Kubby on News World International
I just saw a very nice interview with Steve and Michele on the news. A Doctor said that it appears that Cannabis is really helping Steve. It was a positive piece. They did say it was an uphill battle for them. We know they will win!
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Comment #12 posted by The GCW on March 05, 2003 at 18:49:57 PT
Sharp contrast between Cannadian Courts &
U.S. courts... Lately.420
 
It is hard to comprehend having to deal with cancer and then (if that is not enough), sheer ignorance from His brothers.
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on March 05, 2003 at 17:51:47 PT

Virgil
Thank you for the link. We just finished watching the show. I feel so bad for the Kubbys. Life itself has problems and then add possible deportation to it and life could become almost overwhelming. They will do a fine job. I have no doubt that they will win. They represent the issue with dignity and will be respected. We all are lucky to have them. 
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Comment #10 posted by Virgil on March 05, 2003 at 16:47:41 PT

pot-tv discussed refugee trial
http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-1813.html - Today's show outlined the media coverage in Canada concerning the hearings that began today. Pat McCartney is writing a book concerning the situation in California that developed after the Nov. 5, 1996 success of Prop 215. He will be testifying with knowledge accumulated from 5000 pages of his research. He alone is enough to say the Kubbys, who are representing themselves, are loaded for bear. It is bull that stands in their way. Success is inevitable and Steve Kubby will probably live to see his 57th birthday.Pat McCartney spoke at length given the opportunity to run the informational blockade on anything cannabis. The fact that the California narcotics officers is 7000 in size overwhelmed even me.McCartney made them and the LE establisnment of California look terrible, which is because he has researched the reality that the government wants secreted.What amazes me is the fact that only 773 people have viewed this. Tomorrow it will probably be over 2000. It still seems like a small number, especially considering it has only the opening commercial.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on March 05, 2003 at 15:37:25 PT

Got It Now!
Here's the audio link and it should work.http://www.npr.org/dmg/dmg.php?prgCode=ME&showDate=05-Mar-2003&segNum=14&NPRMediaPref=RM
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on March 05, 2003 at 11:36:20 PT

puff_tuff
Thanks. I could get morning edition from the 4th but not the audio link for today. I've always had trouble with NPR. Maybe Pot-TV will post it. I will try again later. Thanks again!
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Comment #7 posted by puff_tuff on March 05, 2003 at 11:11:48 PT

Audio Link
I had no problems, I use Realplayer. If my old computer (The Wombat) can do it, anyone should be able to.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on March 05, 2003 at 10:55:49 PT

puff_tuff
Thank you but it says I need to download a player but I have them already and they work with Pot-TV. Is anyone else having a problem connecting to NPR?
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Comment #5 posted by puff_tuff on March 05, 2003 at 10:51:31 PT

NPR
Medical Marijuana Mar. 5, 2003In Vancouver, British Columbia, the first of four Americans will make his case to become political refugees in Canada. They say they face persecution in the United States because they smoke marijuana for medical purposes. A profile of medical marijuana expatriates from Cathy Duchamp of member station KUOW in Seattle. 
Medical Marijuana 
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Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on March 05, 2003 at 10:22:18 PT

cruel propaganda
So here we have a guy who is fleeing a government that wants to jail him merely for getting up each day and using a herb - on himself- to fight fatal cancer. So far, White has compared him 1) a draft dodger 2) a thief 3) someone who sells guns illegally (I'm assuming this is the person that would feel persecuting by gun control laws).We should respond by publicly comparing him to Hitler, Stalin, McCarthy, IMO. 
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Comment #3 posted by WolfgangWylde on March 05, 2003 at 09:13:53 PT

How does this compare to Gun Control
Defining an object as bad, as opposed to only misuse of that object, is what the Drug War is all about. Its also what Gun Control is all about.
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Comment #2 posted by TecHnoCult on March 05, 2003 at 09:01:43 PT

Gun Control?
Does that mean people who don't like gun control in Canada should claim refugee status to the United States because they feel they're being persecuted? I don't think so," White said. This is so pointless. Kubby is a political target whose very life is in danger. How does this compare to gun control?THC
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 05, 2003 at 08:18:40 PT

Good Luck Steve & Michele
I hope it goes in their favor. It has too!
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