cannabisnews.com: Government Worried by Sentence for Ganja Guru Government Worried by Sentence for Ganja Guru Posted by CN Staff on June 05, 2003 at 16:17:24 PT By Reuters Source: Reuters San Francisco -- A top U.S. government anti-drug official said Thursday that a one-day sentence for the ''ganja guru'' convicted of growing marijuana sent a wrong signal to medical patients and would-be drug users. A federal judge in San Francisco sentenced Ed Rosenthal on Wednesday to a day in jail -- the minimum possible punishment -- for growing marijuana in violation of federal law because the pot advocate believed its cultivation was allowed under California law. Growing marijuana for medical purposes is legal in California under a voter-approved state law. ''I'm very concerned as a professional in the area of addiction medicine that this is going to send the wrong signal,'' Andrea Barthwell, deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said in an interview with Reuters. ''This undermines our ability to communicate very clearly to the youth of the country who are, you know, at risk to develop more severe forms of dependence on marijuana.'' During the trial, the judge had barred Rosenthal from giving evidence he had cultivated pot as an ''officer'' of the city of Oakland, which had a medical marijuana program. After his conviction in January, some jury members later said they would have issued a different verdict had they known the medical marijuana background of the case. Barthwell said she worried that ''people who are suffering from very serious medical conditions will believe that marijuana is a medication and they can be helped by it.'' ''Seeing this as a victory for making marijuana more available is a serious concern,'' she added. Complete Title: Government Worried by Lenient Sentence for Ganja GuruSource: Reuters Published: June 05, 2003Copyright: 2003 Reuters Related Articles & Web Site:Ed Rosenthal's Trial Pictures & Articleshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/trialpics.htmTwist Ends Medical Marijuana Case http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16545.shtmlPot Guru Walks - San Francisco Examinerhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16541.shtmlGuru's Tirade on Marijuana Earns Respect http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16540.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by Commonsense on June 06, 2003 at 08:04:51 PT RE: "It aint the beggining of the end" Well Kevin, it looks like you are pretty frustrated. I for one see a light at the end of the tunnel. I just can't tell how long the tunnel is yet. I don't think Rosenthal's case was the beginning of the end. I don't now that it will be that important in the long run. But it is part of the onslaught on the drug warriors. It helped the reform movement get exposure and may do more for us in that regard as the appeals process moves on and as the pundits argue about what it all means. I love this country, and I have faith that cooler heads will prevail in time. Some day, many years from now, all of our efforts will pay off. The tide of public opinion will turn against this drug war in a big way. Savvy politicians will ride this wave against the drug war and work toward dismantling our present system of "drug control." The war on drugs, as we know it, will be over.The war against the negative effects of drugs on our society will never end, and it shouldn't. But the witch hunt will end. Or as Max Flowers so aptly described it, the "POSITIVELY UNAMERICAN, WITCH-HUNT, McCARTHYIST, STALINIST BULLSHIT" will end. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Kevin Spencer on June 06, 2003 at 06:23:27 PT It aint the beggining of the end. America will never give up it's war on drugs. Just like the war on terrorism, and every fucking other war they have participated in. The american government is a bunch of war mongering capitalists who only care about there own agenda. Fuck even the national athems about war. FUCK [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by mayan on June 05, 2003 at 18:27:31 PT "Wrong Signal" What kind of "signal" does it send when the federal government continually harrasses a man who is doing nothing more than helping the sick & dying? It sends the message that the feds are inhumane & cannot be trusted. Andrea Barthwell is terribly worried that her job will be obsolete someday soon. This is the beginning of the end of the cannabis laws in the United States.The way out is the way in...The Failure to Defend the Skies on 9/11: http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/archive/scoop/stories/48/32/200306051312.263f1d60.htmlExposing NORAD's Wag The 9/11 Window Dressing Tale: http://www.standdown.net/index.htm9/11: The American Connection http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/archive/scoop/stories/b5/f9/200306041648.1a3098ea.htmlDocuments From Congress' Joint Inquiry into 9/11: http://www.thememoryhole.org/911/hearings/Bush trying to hide 9/11 information, Graham says: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/5993628.htmMike Ruppert on Amy Goodman and the 9/11 Latecomers: http://www.questionsquestions.net/docs04/0518_ruppert911.html9/11 Film Draws Overflow Crowd: http://onlinejournal.com/Media/050703Lynn/050703lynn.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by The GCW on June 05, 2003 at 18:15:52 PT If Ed's conviction didn't make the ignoids squirm funny, it would be less enjoyable.These people are pigs. (no disrespect for the pig of course).Never try to teach a pig to sing. It only wastes Your time and it annoys the pig.I like what Dr. Russo, said about another cager, that is, that they are irretrievable. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by kaptinemo on June 05, 2003 at 17:02:21 PT: Buzzz...buzzz...buzzz... The noises an irritating insect...or a drone sucking off the government teat...tends to make.Doctor Barthwell, if you're such an 'expert', then answer me this: what is the TD-50 of cannabis? There isn't one, O Font of Conventional (and therefore, suspect) Wisdom. So, if health is the operative concept, and cannabis doesn't kill half the people who are exposed to it within a certain period of time, why the concern?Buzz off, Doctor, you're annoying us... [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by global_warming on June 05, 2003 at 16:58:42 PT: Andrea, start looking for another job ...''I'm very concerned as a professional in the area of addiction medicine that this is going to send the wrong signal,'' Andrea Barthwell, deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said in an interview with Reuters. ''This undermines our ability to communicate very clearly to the youth of the country who are, you know, at risk to develop more severe forms of dependence on marijuana...I guess that you would rather keep incarcerating people with a health problem..?This "Pee In The Cup" mentality and society that you perpetuate is unworkable, we the people, don't like it, we think that it is a deep intrusion into our privacy and america, please go away, find some other job, do something good with your life, and please, if you don't have something good to say or do, don't make a bad situation worse..The message that you would continue to send is a message of brutallity, stripping people even more of any hope in this world.When the crime is no longer worthy of the punishment, you should examine your position in this matter..Oh,John Boy, please go to church and beg forgiveness, of all the souls that you have incarcerated, maybe those souls will find the compassion to pray for your wretched and clouded soul.gw [ Post Comment ] Post Comment