cannabisnews.com: SF Looking At How To Grow Marijuana For Patients SF Looking At How To Grow Marijuana For Patients Posted by CN Staff on September 25, 2003 at 21:46:42 PT By The Associated Press Source: Associated Press San Francisco -- There could soon be fewer places for patients to buy medical marijuana in Oakland, because City Council members are considering shutting down several cannabis clubs. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, supervisors are trying to figure out how the city can grow marijuana for local patients. NBC11's Jean Elle reported San Francisco city leaders are moving forward with voter-approved Proposition S, which directed the city to figure out a system for growing and distributing marijuana. For the first time, supervisors are collecting ideas and taking a serious look into the possibilities. An emotional crowd packed a City Hall hearing for San Francisco's first meeting about Prop S Thursday. "I'd say do it now, before any more people go to prison at the federal level," said Robyn Few, a supporter who spoke at the hearing. Supporters say San Francisco's 7,000 medical marijuana cardholders deserve access to medicine, and they shouldn't have to struggle to get it. "There are thousands of San Franciscans battling AIDS, cancer, M.S. and others who need you to be heroes," said Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project. Suggestions include: * Having a city sponsored crop with SFPD providing security. * Turning pot clubs into licensed clinics where a certain number of plants are grown for a matching number of patients. * Open licensed distributors or deputize growers.Erik Levy, a cardholder, uses marijuana to ease the affects of insomnia. He's been arrested for buying pot on the street and says pot clubs help keep buying medicine safe. But he says under federal law no club or patient is safe from the drug enforcement agency. "What's essential to patients and clubs in S.F. is that we have assurance that we're not going to be raided by machine-gun-toting DEA agents in the middle of the night," Levy said. The DEA says there will be serious consequences if San Francisco elects to violate federal law. "We support the exchange of ideas but no institution, no person is above the law," said Richard Meyer of the Drug Enforcement Agency. San Francisco police officers are concerned that a city-sponsored medical marijuana program will jeopardize federal crime fighting dollars. District Attorney Terrance Hallinan supports the idea, but is warning supervisors to proceed with caution. Members of the City Services Committee will ask the board of supervisors Tuesday to have the legislative analyst look into suggestions made Thursday. They also plan to form a task force to take this issue over and continue to move it forward, Elle reported. Note: Oakland Is Considering Shutting Down Cannabis Clubs.Source: Associated Press Published: September 25, 2003Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Committee To Study 'Oaksterdam' Ideahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17388.shtmlState Assembly To Consider Medical Marijuana Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16050.shtmlSan Francisco To Explore Growing Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14702.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #17 posted by Max Flowers on September 27, 2003 at 11:22:28 PT thanks Treeanna Thanks for sharing the name of that subhuman. He's going to be hearing from me and my "lawyers". No threats or anything illegal at all, but all the same he'll be hearing from us. I'm glad you have a smart lawyer, that's 90% of the battle. I wish you great luck, but you won't need it, you have what's right on your side.DeVoHawk thank you, I know others here care as much as I do... but what it's going to take is to stop preaching to each other about it (even though that is therapeutic) and start talking that outrage directly back to the people who are causing the problems. My orientation is simple---I just can't stand to see gross injustices done and do nothing about them. Could you stand there and watch someone stomp a puppy to death? Me neither and this is the same thing.If any of you talented writer/activists want to help me draft a letter to send to this cop's bosses, contact me at kamandha hushmail.com. Not to harass them, but to explain what's on the line as a result of their people conducting illegal raids on law-abiding Californians. MF [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by FoM on September 26, 2003 at 17:50:48 PT Treeanna Good luck to you. I think listening to your lawyers advice is wise. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by DeVoHawk on September 26, 2003 at 16:01:10 PT: Max it rocks how much you care Max Flowers my hats off to you for your desire to help Treeanna and I imagine many others and to rest of the readers at CN who bust ass to help others. I believe standing up, forming groups, supporting one another, and telling everyone "I'm Mad as Hell and I'm Not Gonna Take it Anymore" is the turning point in prohibition.I love the links that people put in comments and almost every web site I regularly visit I learned about here at CN. I learned about Dennis Kucinich at CN.Everybody keep up the hard work. We are fighting the Battle of the Bulge right now as the sick prohibitionist try to defend a lost inhumane cause like the Nazi's. I think of the Berlin Wall and the partying that took place when it fell as I imagine the night that prohibition is repealed again. Marc Emery has already started the party in Canada [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Treeanna on September 26, 2003 at 15:47:25 PT Thank you for the support :) Thank you all very much.I have been advised not to post or discuss any details of the case until it is resolved.Happily, it seems that since my recommendation WAS still valid, and in light of the recent Mower decision by the CA Supreme Court (July 18, 2002), I stand a very good chance of having the case tossed at my prelim early next month. After that, I will move for return of my property, my medicine, and apply for damages. Undoubtedly there will be additional civil action.The attorney that is coordinating the efforts to derail the runaway train of abuse by our local constabulary is John Lawrence, PO Box 912 Yreka, CA 96097 530-842-6900 I would refer contacts to him, as I provided him with all of my background information, as well as release of information to my medical files. He and the rest of the victims have a very detailed program in mind, and certainly we would appreciate any help, but please remember that too much publicity before I am cleared might actually hurt me.As some posters here have noted, the detective (his name is Darrel Lemos of the "Marijuana Eradication Team" of Siskiyou Co.) is NOT representative of the very great majority of cops here. He is indeed one of the few evil sons of Ashcroft, Inc. None of the cops here that I saw or have spoken to approve of what he did, or helped him in any way, and they refused to participate in his search/seizure of my home. His name is the only one that appears on any of the paperwork associated with this string of arrests/confiscations as far as I know. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Max Flowers on September 26, 2003 at 14:05:44 PT oh, and... ...also wanted to say that while I agree 100% that what you describe does happen a lot in non-mmj states, I think it's VERY possible that the cop in Treeanna's case might not be directly influenced by the feds or grant money. This is a CA case, remember. He might just be stupid and arrogant. I think it's quite likely in fact. She describes his peers being embarrassed by his zeal. I'll betcha this case happened somewhere in the southern half of CA or at least not in the bay area. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Max Flowers on September 26, 2003 at 13:59:45 PT Kaptin... I agree with you generally but my point with my below post is that the depraved relationship you describe cannot go on with people yelling and pointing at the injustices each time they are done. If the victims take it quietly, yes it could go on forever, but if each time this stuff happens, people react and do it publicly and angrily, the dynamic of it all changes, and it shines too much light on those sleazy relationships for them to continue. To use a somewhat lame analogy, like the philandering husband at a dingy motel for a tryst, if someone he knows sees him leaving and starts talking, the game has changed, he can't go on doing it for long.I had hoped to inspire readers here to do similar things and not just hunker down expecting to take more blows. F%ck that, it's time to fight back.Treeanna, please post the names/area/dates so me and my buddies can give them some humiliation back. I'm not letting this stuff go unanswered any longer. There are courts of law and then there is the very powerful Court of Public Opinion, and I've got some warrants to serve for the latter.MF [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by kaptinemo on September 26, 2003 at 13:40:54 PT: "Brush fire wars" Many here might not recognize the term, so think of it as dirty, behind the scenes battles in dark or faraway places where the main forces cannot engage...except through proxies. Viet Nam and Nicaragua are good examples of brushfire wars.The Feds, exactly as predicted here more than once, have exerted pressure on their police to engage in what amounts to a 'brushfire war' against MMJ patients. Please note: I said THEIR police, not 'local' police or 'community' police, but THEIR police. Bought and paid for, like whores. You'll forgive me if I toot my own horn, but I've mentioned quite a few times here how Federal funding of local police via 'drug control' funding grants subverts local CONTROL of local LEO's. In Treeanna's case, it is obvious that this impetus is not coming from the State or local level, but the Feds. They are the only force capable of doing this.It's very simple: If you feed your dog kibble and your much wealthier neighbor seeks to subvert your control of the dog, he'll start feeding it steaks and petting it and telling it what a good dog he'd be if he were owned by the wealthy neighbor. Day by day, the dog slowly switches his allegiance to the wealthy neighbor who feeds him steaks and turns up his nose and makes scratching motions at your kibble as if to bury some offal he's dumped. Then one day said neighbor attacks you and you turn to your dog for help - and the dog tries to rip out your throat...on the neighbor's command. That's what has happened with Treeanna's situation. the Feds have told the locals that the Feds will protect them from any actions taken against them locally or at the State level by claiming Fed suzerainty. That was the carrot. The stick waved over their heads is the loss of all that juicy, sweet tasting taxpayer-extorted Fed money that they have become addicted to like opiate junkies. They know they are losing the public relations battle, so they will engage in more of this behavior as time goes on. Like the old KKK, what they couldn't do to you openly, they will use their local cat's-paws to do for them. It will happen more often as the antis get desperate to stem the tide of reform. I keep saying it, folks: Local 'drug task forces' will totally cease to regard any local control as having validity, while still taking a local paycheck and wearing a local uniform. They will in effect become Federal agents. They will get ever more vicious and unrelenting...until this particular dog is put down for the menace it is. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Max Flowers on September 26, 2003 at 12:28:33 PT to clarify... Treeanna, now that I've calmed down a little I realize that we can't provide backlash on your case without referring to it in some way, so I will need if not your name, at least the approximate date this happened to you, your city, and the dates on which the others in the area were violated by this maniac cop. You can send that to me privately of course, but I still think you should publicly expose the name of this cop and his department. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Max Flowers on September 26, 2003 at 12:11:51 PT Treeanna Treeanna, if you don't want to post it here, please write me privately at kamandha hushmail.com and tell me your city and the department and *most importantly* the sick cop in question's name. I'm going to get some resources together and we will make this department sorry they ever hired this guy. I'm going to bring a PR nightmare on them, and they are going to want to fire him when we're done. He's going to see what it feels like to have someone trying to ruin him. I don't even know your name so don't worry, these efforts won't be linked specifically to you, especially since he did it to several people.Personally I think you should just post the info right here for all to see in public, especially the involved police/sherriff's dept.This is what it is going to take... EVERY time they do this shit they are going to pay a price in public humiliation and outrage. I'm outraged right this minute! Post his name and dep't right now! Why not?? Expose these pricks! [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by ekim on September 26, 2003 at 10:37:14 PT Treeanna ck out marijuananews.com The first, H.R. 2233, "the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act," would reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II under federal law so that physicians may prescribe it in states that have legalized the medical use of marijuana under state law. Representative Frank, who introduced the bill along with Reps. Paul (R-TX), Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Schakowski (D-IL) said, "The notion that [the federal government] would prosecute people who are trying to alleviate pain is truly appalling. ... If people and their doctors agree, then federal regulators should not stand in the way." Frank's bill presently has 37 co-sponsors.The second bill, H.R. 1717, "the Truth in Trials Act" would amend federal law to provide an affirmative defense for patients who use marijuana in compliance with the laws of their state, but are facing federal drug charges. Representative Farr, who sponsored the bill along with Reps. Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Woolsey (D-CA) said, "The right of a state to determine its own laws is an integral part of the Constitution and our laws today." [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by ekim on September 26, 2003 at 09:13:04 PT more Saturday, September 277:45 – 9:00 am San Francisco, California Event: Live television interview Location: KPIX Channel 5, CBS affiliate, “Morning News”, 885 Battery, San Francisco 415-771-3200 Interviewer: David Walsh10:00 am – 12:00 noon San Francisco, California Event: " Waking Up America" series - Brunch with Dennis Kucinich and friends! Location: Golden Gate Room - Fort Mason, Marina and Buchanan, San Francisco Reservations: 415-927-2004x3312:30 – 2:00 pm San Francisco, California Event: Town Hall Meeting Location: Southeast Community College, 1800 Oakdale Street, San Francisco Phone 415-550-43082:30 – 4:30 pm San Francisco, California Event: Public Panel Discussion and Public Forum Location: LGBT Community Center, Rainbow Room, 1800 Market Street, San Francisco Local Contact: Shivaun Nestor 145-931-61106:30 – 9:00 pm Oakland, California Event: “Representing Tour” Panel with Davy D Location: The Oakland Box, 1927 Telegraph, Oakland at 19th and Telegraph Audience: Hip Hop Cultural “Tastemakers” Contact: Lora O’Connor 415-215-9353 [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by ekim on September 26, 2003 at 09:01:41 PT Treeanna please write letter to ed. Treeanna all those of you that have been effected ask Kucinich for help. Maybe a event will be near you, best to you. This is one more reason that Jerry Brown should be AG. Kucinich events http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htm Sept.27 Sat.2:30 – 4:30 pm San Francisco, California Event: Public Panel Discussion and Public Forum Location: LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street, San Francisco Host Committee: Enrique Asis, VP Political Affairs, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club; Sally Buchmann, Co-chair Northern California, San Francisco Bay Pride Network; Denise D’Anne, community activist, San Francisco City and County Commissioner; Pamela (Pam Pam) Gaddies, community activist; Michael Goldstein, Board Member, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club; Esperanza Macias, community activist; Terrance Marks, Man2Man Project, Tommi Mecca, longtime queer and anti-war activist; Randall Miller, Grants Director, Vanguard Foundation; Andre Robertson, Director of Prevention, Black Coalition on AIDS, Howard Wallace, union/community organizer; Peter Wong, Board Member, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, Black Coalition on AIDS; Man2Man Project call 415-455-9502 for more information event flyerSunday, September 2812:00 noon – 1:30 pm Los Angeles, California Event: Yoga Expo Location: Los Angeles Convention Center, Local Contact: Nina Merson 310-838-5600 [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on September 26, 2003 at 08:42:27 PT Treeanna I am so very sorry. My husband and I just read your comment and we are angry for you. Please keep us posted and maybe someone can give you information that you need. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Treeanna on September 26, 2003 at 07:56:12 PT Appeal for information/assistance, and a warning. Four days ago, the local maniac from the task force came to my home, declared my recommendation for medi-pot "expired" (I live in CA, the statute does NOT require that they be renewed yearly, so I only do so when my file needs updating), and proceeded to throw me on the ground and violently arrest me. He then ripped up my plants (I had 12, 3-4' skimpy ones), invaded my home without consent, and arrested my friend who was visiting from out of state "because he walks by these plants every day", but I think it was because my friend is pre-law and kept telling the cop what he was doing wrong and how his actions were illegal.I was hit by a car 2 weeks after I graduated from high school, and was paralyzed for a year. I have had 5 major spinal surgeries, the last in July of 2002 that fused my spine in two places. I have had a valid recommendation from Dr. Tod Mikuriya since 1998 (updated and reissued most recently in 2001).After the incident, when I appeared in court, the DA tried to block my release, but the judge refused to keep me imprisoned.When I got out, I learned that the same cop that arrested me had gone to every medical garden they knew of and taken the vast majority of everyones plants (and in many cases all of them). He even arrested a tiny old lady!Through local contacts, a meeting was set up between the victims of the task force and an attorney (about 25 people showed up) and it seems that the reason for all of this is the feds are pushing for more arrests and plant siezures by way of either promising more funding, or the threat of witholding same. The actions here were coordinated with as yet unknown federal agents, the sheriff, the maniacal detective (who did NOT get much support from the other deputies at the scene, I might add...kind of telling), and a local assistant DA.It would be interesting to learn if similar things are happening in other places, and/or if the feds have at least approached other, more scrupulous counties and been rebuffed.Any suggestions, citations of applicable law (I intend to file for return of my property), attorneys who are interested in working on this sort of case, and so on would be appreciated.Thank you :) [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by WolfgangWylde on September 26, 2003 at 04:14:04 PT Off topic Swiss update... HOUSE REJECTS PLANS TO EASE CANNABIS LAW Government plans to decriminalise dope smoking have been thrown out by the House of Representatives. The Senate had already approved legislation that would allow possession and production of cannabis for personal use, as well as limited trade in the drug. The bill will now have to go back to the Senate. The proposal, which would have left Switzerland with one of the most liberal policies on cannabis in Europe, has aroused passions on both sides of the debate. Luzi Stamm, a Swiss People's Party parliamentarian, told swissinfo that even if it makes it through parliament, Swiss voters should have the final decision on the matter. "This is an exception to most issues that come before parliament," he said. "It's a situation in which the population can judge better than most politicians." Everyday reality Many feel new legislation is necessary to bring the law into line with everyday reality in Switzerland. Around half a million people are thought to be regular cannabis users even though its consumption, trade and production are all illegal. Implementing the law is a cantonal responsibility, and while some are vigorous in enforcing the law, others turn a blind eye. Martin Cechi of the Federal Health Office insists the law needs to be changed to close existing loopholes. "The present situation is unacceptable," he told swissinfo. "People aren't always aware that they can be prosecuted for smoking, planting or growing cannabis." Cannabis capital Stamm also believes the current policy is intolerable, but is concerned that the government's proposals will create even more problems. "The question of how to prevent children getting their hands on cannabis remains unanswered for me," he said. "And obviously there are international implications: people will come to Switzerland simply to buy cannabis here and then export it." But Cechi insists Switzerland would not become a magnet for tourists looking for easy access to a drug that is illegal back home. He says the new legislation would prevent foreigners from buying cannabis. "That would solve what is already a very big problem for example in canton Ticino," he said. "Because foreigners will not be allowed to buy cannabis, the local authorities will be able to stop its export." Cross-border trade with Italian customers has soared in recent years, and even though Italian customs services have beefed up their checks at the border, there is still a thriving trade [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on September 25, 2003 at 22:35:52 PT It's that time again, kiddos! Everyone sing along!My baloney has a first name - It's R-I-C-H-ard.My baloney has a last name -It's M-E-Y-E-R.The public snubs you more each day.Your agency is doomed, they say - because every word from the D-E-Ais B-O-L-O-G-N-A. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 25, 2003 at 21:49:21 PT NBC11.com Poll Current Results:Do you support the use of medical marijuana? Choice - Votes - Percentage of 191 Votes Yes -- 176 -- 92% No -- 15 -- 8% Please Vote: http://www.nbc11.com/index.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment