cannabisnews.com: WAMM Holds Benefit





WAMM Holds Benefit
Posted by CN Staff on September 15, 2003 at 07:49:17 PT
By Ramona Turner, Sentinel Staff Writer
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel 
Santa Cruz — Thank you, Santa Cruz. That was one of the messages sent during Sunday’s first annual WAMMfest, an event for the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana at San Lorenzo Park."Everybody has been so supportive," said Michael Corral, who co-founded WAMM with his wife, Valerie. The seven-hour event drew about 1,000 people, Corral estimated.
The event also was meant to raise money for the nonprofit medicinal-marijuana co-op, about a year after federal drug agents raided their Davenport property, taking at least 130 plants that were being grown for more than 200 people who rely on the plant to ease symptoms of various diseases."Money raised will be spent to keep WAMM alive," Michael Corral said. "The DEA really hurt us."Corral, asked whether the garden has been replanted, declined to comment.The Corrals and their lawyers, including Gerald Uelmen of O.J. Simpson fame and Ben Rice of Santa Cruz, will appear in the U.S. 9th District Court of Appeals on Wednesday to try to overturn a previous ruling denying the return of the seized plants."We have 30 minutes for our side," Rice said Sunday, adding that Uelmen will be the lead lawyer addressing the court, joined by a lawyer from the American Civil Liberties Union. Uelmen will argue that people have a constitutional right to make their last days on earth tolerable, while the ACLU representative will argue the "commerce clause," he said.The clause prohibits state laws that interfere with interstate commerce. WAMM’s attorneys will argue that California law allowing medical marijuana is not a violation of that clause, and that the federal government overstepped its bounds when it raided WAMM’s garden.WAMM is being represented for free, Corral said, receiving legal services that could add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, Corral said.Anyone interested in donating may call 425-4580 or visit: http://www.WAMM.org/Sunday’s festival was a fair-like, with food and information booths, vendors and entertainment. The crowd consisted of the able-bodied along with those who rely on crutches, canes and wheelchairs. A few families with small children picnicked on the grass and danced to bluegrass music. Event-goers had been urged not to light up, but a faint hint of burning marijuana was in the air.Rice and other WAMM attorneys set up a booth at the event, and among the questions they answered was how much marijuana could people grow for medicinal purposes, Rice said. The answer was not a simple one, he said."A lot of cities and counties have guidelines, but Santa Cruz does not," he said. "Unofficially, the rule is seven plants or less. But it’s very arbitrary in that it leaves it up to law enforcement. Oakland allows 99 plants, based on federal guidelines."Levi Matthews, of the Silicon Valley’s peninsula region, said setting guidelines is a good idea, while efforts to legalize marijuana across the board is not.Matthews said eating, drinking and smoking cannabis two to five times a week helps his asthma and indigestion."We need to look at marijuana’s use, whether it’s responsible or abuse, and separate the categories," he said as he sat in the sun, taking in the festival’s sights and sounds. "If you gave people prescription drugs without any direction, they would abuse it too," he said. "But it’s different when you give people prescriptions, educate them about the drug and how to use it."Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)Author: Ramona Turner, Sentinel Staff WriterPublished: September 15, 2003Copyright: 2003 Santa Cruz SentinelContact: editorial santa-cruz.comWebsite: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/Pictures From WAMM Protesthttp://freedomtoexhale.com/eventpics.htmSmoke Signals - Metro Santa Cruzhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17286.shtmlMedicinal-Pot Raid To Be Rememberedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17265.shtmlWAMM Plans Family Dayhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17153.shtml 
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Comment #1 posted by motavation on September 17, 2003 at 14:01:59 PT:
New California Forum!
I hope everyone had fun at the WAMMFest! Sorry I didn't make it, hopefully next year!Any packets or info from there would be great, email me!"supply is left in the hands of patients"Anyone got idea's for California Cannabis Problems?"If you gave people prescription drugs without any direction, they would abuse it too," he said. "But it’s different when you give people prescriptions, educate them about the drug and how to use it."look at the CCC forum I found while searching aol! 
CA Cannabis Community Center Forum-Support, Education, Advice, and help!
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