cannabisnews.com: Malicious Tactics Malicious Tactics Posted by CN Staff on May 15, 2003 at 12:36:04 PT Letter To The Editor by Steve McWilliams Source: San Diego City Beat I am but one of many individuals caught-up in the legal conflict between the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington D.C. and the right of a growing number of sovereign states to implement voter-approved initiative statutes that sanction the medical use of cannabis by seriously ill patients under the direction of state-licensed physicians. Other states with such legislative or voter-approved initiative statutes are: Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Alaska--almost the entire nation west of the Rocky Mountains. These western states comprise one quarter of the population of the entire United States. At this very moment, tens of thousands of sick people across the nation are using marijuana for medical purposes under the protection of these laws. Additionally, other states in the nation, including Maryland and Vermont, are expected to approve the medical use of cannabis by legislative action shortly. Rather than taking these states and their Attorneys General altogether into court to challenge their combined medical marijuana laws on constitutional grounds, the federal government adopted the tactic of avoiding a discussion of states' rights entirely by prosecuting seriously ill patients and their treating physicians directly. The United States Justice Department's decision to bypass the proper course of legal challenge comes after John Ashcroft lost his suit against the state of Oregon's death with dignity law, which allows physicians there to assist the terminally ill comfortably into the next life. In that case, the U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jones ruled against Ashcroft, and in favor of a state's right to determine proper accepted medical practice. A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is now considering the case again. The U.S. Attorney's decision to federally prosecute individual patients who are in compliance with California's medical marijuana law purposely ignores the state as a proper defendant. Such wrongful prosecutions force individuals, already in poor health and with limited financial resources to, in effect, defend the state of California in federal court--an arena, by the way, in which a medical marijuana defense is not even admissible. If Ashcroft doesn't like our state law, he should take it up with the Attorney General of California. Targeting those of us who trusted in the sanctity of the law is wrongful, malicious and vindictive prosecution. Steve McWilliams, Normal Heights Editor's note: The letter writer was sentenced recently to six months in prison for cultivating marijuana. He uses cannabis for various ailments and has been an outspoken advocate for the use of medicinal marijuana. Newshawk: The GCWSource: San Diego City Beat (CA)Author: Steve McWilliams, Normal Heights Published: Wednesday, May 14, 2003Copyright: 2003 San Diego City BeatContact: editor sdcitybeat.comWebsite: http://www.sdcitybeat.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Medicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmMcWilliams Pleads Guilty To Felony Pot Chargehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15419.shtmlMcWilliams Gives Up Hope for Federal Court http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15405.shtmlPolice Raid Home of Medical Marijuana Activist http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15014.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 16, 2003 at 11:24:43 PT Jose Thank you. That should work! I hope you comment more and add your feelings to other peoples. That is the only way we can learn. We are mighty when we work together. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Jose Melendez on May 16, 2003 at 04:13:27 PT policy check: snipped articles As below... is that OK, FoM? Lighter penalties for minors in pot bill - complete article [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Jose Melendez on May 16, 2003 at 04:12:19 PT Lighter penalties for minors in pot bill Ottawa — Smoking pot while driving would not be a crime and penalties for minors would be lower than for adults, according to draft legislation decriminalizing the possession of marijuana.The Cannabis Reform Bill was to have been introduced to Parliament this week, but sources report that Prime Minister Jean Chrétien ordered it delayed until the end of May to give caucus members more time to consider it, and to let Justice Minister Martin Cauchon fine-tune its provisions. Details of those provisions have been obtained by The Globe and Mail.As currently envisioned, the act would make possession of less than 15 grams of marijuana (the equivalent of about 20 joints) a non-criminal offence punishable by a fine of $150 for adults. Minors, however, would be charged only $100, although police would notify their parents of the offence.If the offender possesses between 15 and 30 grams, the police officer would decide whether to issue a ticket or lay a criminal charge. Possession of more than 30 grams would be a criminal offence.(snip) Lighter penalties for minors in pot bill - complete article [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on May 15, 2003 at 16:03:38 PT More Malicious Tactics... US CA: Column: Rosenthal Trial Shows Crazy LawSource: East Bay Express (CA)http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n712/a08.html?397Ed Rosenthal's story with some additional insight. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment