cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Guru Ed Rosenthal Faces Sentencing





Marijuana Guru Ed Rosenthal Faces Sentencing
Posted by CN Staff on June 03, 2003 at 16:56:10 PT
By Terence Chea, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press
Ed Rosenthal, the self-proclaimed "Guru of Ganja," will be sentenced on Wednesday for growing marijuana in a highly publicized case that pits state medical marijuana laws against a federal ban on cannabis.Rosenthal, 58, was arrested last year and convicted in February of growing more than 100 plants in an Oakland, Calif. warehouse.
In his defense, Rosenthal said his actions were legal under a 1996 law passed by California voters that permits marijuana use for medical purposes. He also said he was acting as an agent for city of Oakland's medical marijuana program.But U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer did not allow the jury to hear Rosenthal's defense.The jury found Rosenthal guilty of marijuana cultivation, but several jurors later said they would have acquitted him if they had known he was growing the plants for patients in Oakland."I think it was wrong," Rosenthal said from his home Tuesday. "Once the jury found out the whole truth, they agreed. They repudiated their decision."Rosenthal's case is being watched closely by marijuana advocates who support the drug's use by the sick and dying. California is one of nine states that have passed laws to allow patients to grow or smoke marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.In May, Breyer denied requests by Rosenthal's attorneys for a new trial.Last week, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer asked Breyer for leniency in Rosenthal's sentencing, citing the California Compassionate Use Act of 1996. The federal probation department recommended a 21-month prison term. The maximum sentence is 60 years.Rosenthal said Tuesday he hoped the judge would allow him to stay free on bail while he appealed the case."This is a tipping-point case because it puts the issue in stark black and white," said Rosenthal, who has written magazine articles and books about marijuana cultivation. "It's a question of whether patients will be able to get the medicine they require."Complete Title: Marijuana Guru Ed Rosenthal Faces Wednesday SentencingSource: Associated PressAuthor: Terence Chea, Associated Press WriterPublished:  Tuesday, June 3, 2003Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Ed Rosenthal's Pictures & Articles http://freedomtoexhale.com/trialpics.htmPassions High as Ganja Guru Awaits Sentencing http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16512.shtmlFederal Persecution - New York Timeshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16464.shtml Calif.'s Lockyer Urges Leniency in Marijuana Casehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16431.shtml 
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