cannabisnews.com: Reefer Progress Reefer Progress Posted by CN Staff on July 23, 2003 at 09:47:05 PT By Ethan Fletcher Of The Examiner Staff Source: San Francisco Examiner A collection of politicians, doctors and activists as well as growers, patients and friends of patients gathered Tuesday to discuss Proposition S, an attempt to strengthen San Francisco's support of medicinal marijuana against federal intervention.The public meeting at the First Unitarian Church on Franklin Street, sponsored by the Drug Policy Alliance among others, featured talks by experts concerning the logistical and legal issues in Proposition S, two workshops, an open-mike question-and-answer session, and a forum featuring a stream of current and hopeful politicians. The talk happened on the same day as the introduction of an amendment to a House appropriations bill in Washington on preventing the federal Drug Enforcement Agency from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. The issue of medical marijuana has become a hot topic recently as George W. Bush's administration has targeted California's and specifically San Francisco's liberal marijuana laws. The DEA and federal prosecutors have put pressure on weed growers, distributors, activists and doctors who prescribe the drug. A map displayed during the conference showed the high number of pot clubs around San Francisco."If I look at a map and I'm opposed to medicinal marijuana, I see a bull's-eye right here," said Dale Gieringer, state coordinator of the California National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, pointing to the Bay Area.San Francisco voters overwhelmingly passed Prop. S last November in response to the federal pressure. Prop. S dictates that San Francisco policymakers explore the possibility of The City procuring control of the growth and distribution of marijuana, taking the heat off individuals. The conference tried to focus on the problems of logistics, physician willingness to prescribe, and separating the needy patients from the rest of the pot culture, according to Steve Heilig from the San Francisco Medical Society.Eddy Lepp, owner of Eddy's Medicinal Garden, a ganja-growing cooperative in Lake County that harvests several thousand pounds of marijuana a year, said the feds really don't have any control over state drug enforcement."Why would I be leaving and going out to my truck to smoke a joint right now, if the federal government had any authority over it?" said Lepp, who survived two drug raids and currently has a $36 million lawsuit pending after a raid in August 2002, as he left the conference.A stream of city politicians spoke supporting Prop. S, including mayoral and district attorney candidates, with current DA Terence Hallinan getting a standing ovation.Mayoral candidate Angela Alioto received one of the warmest reactions to her impassioned speech that touched on her husband, who died of stomach cancer and could not receive medicinal marijuana to help his suffering. "What a great city we live in where all three candidates for DA support the use of medical marijuana," joked candidate Bill Fazio.Note: Meeting on S.F. pot farming as Congress considers states'rights bill.Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA)Author: Ethan Fletcher Of The Examiner StaffPublished: Wednesday, July 23, 2003Copyright: 2003 San Francisco ExaminerContact: letters sfexaminer.comWebsite: http://www.examiner.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:CaNORMLhttp://www.canorml.org/Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/ Eddy's Medicinal Gardenhttp://www.eddysmedicinalgardens.com/ Prop. S: Challenging the Feds http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14669.shtmlProp. S -- Medical Pot, Again http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14598.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #14 posted by MOTAVATION on August 07, 2003 at 09:59:42 PT: WHY HAVE A CARD IF YOU DONT FIGHT! MANY PEOPLE ARE SCARED AND HAVE CARDS 4 NO USE, AND JUST DONT KNOW THERE RIGHTS! I SEEN A OLDER MAN IN COURT TAKE CHARGES AND FINES BUT HE WAS A LEGIT PATIENT. THE JUDGE TALKED HIM INTO IT. DONT GIVE UP FIGHT LIKE EDDY AND THE OTHERS OUT THERE. 419STORE.COM A MEDICAL NOVELTY STORE, AND GIFT SHOP FOR SMOKERS! [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by CorvallisEric on July 23, 2003 at 22:50:23 PT The House rollcall vote For anyone who hasn't seen the other threads, the correct rollcall number is 420, not 407. That answers the questions in comments 7, 9, 11.http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=420 [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on July 23, 2003 at 17:55:17 PT Virgil They are beautiful pictures. I never was to the Falls. Near the Falls in Buffalo but never there. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by FoM on July 23, 2003 at 12:55:13 PT druid I saw your question but didn't have an answer. I don't know! It is odd to say the least. Maybe as the day goes on we'll find out. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on July 23, 2003 at 12:51:24 PT Off Topic How in the world did a shooter get into City Hall in New York? Where is the security? Maybe they should redirect the police to serious concerns and stop chasing Cannabis people. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by druid on July 23, 2003 at 12:50:14 PT I don't get it Can anyone answer my question I asked here:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16928.shtml#36 [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on July 23, 2003 at 12:48:12 PT Sam Thank you. I believe what you are saying but how can the DEA control Marijuana Use as Medicine since they aren't in the medicial profession? No wonder young folks are confused and disenheartened. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Sam Adams on July 23, 2003 at 12:44:43 PT Sched. 1 The DEA controls Schedule assignments and it's pretty clear they'll never willingly move it out of Schedule 1. Eventually, Congress will have to vote to allow medical MJ. This shows we're not there yet. It shouldn't really be a surprise, politicians at the state level have been overwhelmingly voting down medical marijuana for decades.I saw that Barney Frank voted against the amendment, which seems highly unusual. I wonder if there was something bad stuck in the amendment that turned off some of our supporters in Congress. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on July 23, 2003 at 12:16:33 PT Question and Comment Since I am not politically minded this might not make sense but I'll try. There is an old expression that says don't put the cart before the horse. Are we spinning in circles because they haven't removed Cannabis from Schedule I? I think very simply about things. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 23, 2003 at 11:34:00 PT Sam http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=407http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16928.shtml#32 [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on July 23, 2003 at 11:23:12 PT vote? So was there a vote or was it tabled? Anyone know? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on July 23, 2003 at 10:44:20 PT Text of Yesterday's House Vote on MMJ Paul Armentano sent me the text and I quick put it on my personal page so here's the link. Congressional Record: Text of yesterday's House vote on med-mj: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/dofcomm.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Virgil on July 23, 2003 at 10:33:09 PT Declaration of Independence I think it was the Conn. report that denounced the schedule one classification of cannabis. Anyway, I wish they would draft a Declaration of Independence from the Insanity of Washington and call the Schedule One Lie what it is. Have the handwriting in the style of the 1776 document and print it on grocery bags and on the back of business cards and for framing on the wall.Bring the stonewall that defends the Schedule One Lie to the attention of the public and lets use this insight to clean House and Senate. What the hell is wrong? Is the lie just to big to see around or what? Here are a few pictures of Rainbow Bridge between Niagara Falls, NY and Niagara Falls, Ontario.http://www.michaelmccumber.com/pictures/newyears-niagara17.shtmlhttp://members.visi.net/%7Elawrence/niagara1.htmlhttp://www.gibbard.org/%7Escg/photos/niagara.htmlhttp://niagara-falls-pictures.com/images/Niagara_Falls_Picture_14.jpg [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 23, 2003 at 10:01:40 PT What a Nice Web Site Eddy's Medicinal Garden: http://www.eddysmedicinalgardens.com/ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment