cannabisnews.com: SF Supes Committee Considers Medical Marijuana










  SF Supes Committee Considers Medical Marijuana

Posted by CN Staff on September 27, 2003 at 22:23:21 PT
Breaking News 
Source: Bay City News  

With the one-year anniversary approaching for the passage of a San Francisco ballot proposition to look into farming medicinal marijuana, city leaders held a hearing this week to consider options. Proposition S, proposed by then Supervisor Mark Leno, was intended to consider ways to provide a reliable and safe source for the city's 7,000 or so medically approved patients authorized under state Proposition 215 to use marijuana - particularly since the threat of federal raids seemed to be ever present.
Leno suggested open land beside Laguna Hospital in the Sunset District as possible sites for organized marijuana farming. But implementing Prop S, which passed by more than 60 percent in November, has been slow. Before Thursday's Board of Supervisors hearing got under way, members met with attorneys to go over possible legal ramifications should San Francisco get into the marijuana growing business. "A key is to keep your heads down,'' advised District Attorney Terence Hallinan at the City Services Committee hearing, noting that federal law enforcement agencies do not recognize California's exception for medically approved use of the generally illegal plant. He said he was in favor of recognizing existing cannabis clubs as clinics and then calculating the quantities such places could grow based on the number of patients they serve. The best situation, according to Hallinan, would involve close monitoring so no excess pot would be produced that could be stolen. The issue of security was also raised as a pressing issue by police Capt. Tim Hettrich, who oversees narcotics. He said 24-hour security at "tremendous cost'' would be required for any large operation. "I don't think the city would want their marijuana being ripped off by a gang,'' he said. Hettrich also wondered how far the term caregiver could stretch in terms of volume, since the state proposition authorized patients or those who care for them to grow the authorized marijuana. "Can you be a caretaker for thousands of people?'' he asked. "I don't know.'' But the many patients and medicinal marijuana advocates who stepped up to speak to the City Services Committee argued that better ways need to be developed soon for people suffering from cancer, AIDS and other serious diseases to obtain the relief that marijuana provides. Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who heads the committee, said afterward that he was overwhelmed by the testimony. "I wish this hearing could be watched by every member of Congress,'' he said. "The existing system isn't working and the federal government is wasting a lot of time on an issue where we could actually be helping people.'' His colleague, Supervisor Fiona Ma, said she would ask for the board's legislative analyst to report on a Santa Cruz-based group called Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana, or WAMM, which operates as a patients' collective.Source: Bay City News (CA)Published: September 27, 2003Copyright: 2003 Bay City News Contact: bcn pacbell.net Website: http://www.baycitynews.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/SF Looking At How To Grow Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17403.shtmlState Assembly To Consider Medical Marijuana Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16050.shtmlSan Francisco To Explore Growing Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14702.shtml 

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Comment #10 posted by FoM on September 28, 2003 at 15:03:49 PT

That's Right Gary
I know that I want the laws changed now for everyone's sake but I will always put a person who is seriously ill before my wants. That's how I feel about reform. Cannabis helps MS patients and they shouldn't have to endure such a devastating disease and then need to feel they are breaking the law just to get a little relief from their pain. As more and more MS patients discover the comfort Cannabis can bring them more activists will be born and then our light will shine all the brighter.
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Comment #9 posted by Gary Storck on September 28, 2003 at 14:55:24 PT

And now more!
Thanks FoM,The beauty of the Cheryl Memorial is that it stirred the pot, and brought a lot people previously unknown to each other together.Jim and Cheryl fought the battle virtually by themselves for many years. Thanks to the memorial, some of "the Other Cheryls" have gotten together and organized. The MS Society can no longer turn it's back on medical cannabis. They will soon have to acknowledge it works much better than the harsh chemicals they champion. Instead of a few patients lobbying Congress, there were many this time.For those like us who have been at it for some time, FoM, we need the new blood to bolster our efforts. We shall overcome, and hopefully soon, before more patients are harmed.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on September 28, 2003 at 14:47:02 PT

You're Welcome Gary!
What is so very special about you is your Spirit! Back in our serious newshawking days when we were both sending in the same articles almost at the same time I realized you thought like me and I wasn't alone in what I felt was important news to share. You inspired me and I know many others. We shall overcome someday! 

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Comment #7 posted by Gary Storck on September 28, 2003 at 14:34:35 PT

Thanks FoM!
The Cheryl Miller Memorial events were very special. The MS Society visit was electric, as patients told their stories to the local MS chapter officials, who were obviously very moved. There were over a dozen MS patients there, plus other patients, Mary Lynn Mathre and Keith Stroup and others from NORML, with Jim Miller acting as facilitator and making his own points about how the MS Society has hurt patients by failing to support mmj. We were respectful, and we all learned so much about what patients face every day. It is just barbaric America treats it sick and dying this way for using a gift from the creator to try to hold on to what is left of their health.Those "other medicines that are available" the prohibitionists are always citing have been exhausted by the time we turned to marijuana, or the side effects so debilitating there is no quality of life.The vigil was very spiritual, with sporadic rain showers and wind that made it hard to keep the candles lit. At the conclusion, Jim asked the 100 or so assembled folks, many in wheelchairs, to yell, "We Love You Cheryl" toward the Supreme Court on a count of 3. We screamed it out and the echo came bouncing back off the marble of the Court toward the Capitol across the street. We headed off to a reception at NORML, and later the skies opened. But Cheryl kept us from getting wet at the vigil.The press conference was amazing too, and patient lobbyists and others visited many offices after. Thanks to all who participated in the Phone Slam, BTW.The common thread is that so many of the patients I met have been victimized not only by their respective medical conditions, but also by the criminal justice system. America needs to heal and stop treating good people like Cheryl and all the other Cheryls like the enemy.Congress must also wake up to their constituents, and constituents must speak out until it is done. Please write your Senator and congressperson, and get them to put their position on mmj in writing. 
Scene from candlelight vigil at Supreme Court
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 28, 2003 at 14:04:37 PT

Gary
Thank you for all you do. I was talking to my husband about you this morning. I said that Gary is a person who is making a difference. You aren't an organization but a special individual. Never think you aren't. 
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Comment #5 posted by Gary Storck on September 28, 2003 at 13:47:21 PT

Every member of Congress
Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who heads the committee, said afterward that he was overwhelmed by the testimony. "I wish this hearing could be watched by every member of Congress,'' he said. "The existing system isn't working and the federal government is wasting a lot of time on an issue where we could actually be helping people.'' [snip]The Cheryl Miller Memorial Project's press conference was also quite riveting,with patient after patient testifying as to the benefits of mmj.Unfortunately, there were only two members of Congress present, and only a few members of the press, because MPP couldn't be bothered to use it's large staff and tremendous clout try to get more there. So, these heartfelt patient stories did not get heard by many people. That is pretty sad, because the American people need to hear how essential mmj is for so many people, who have no other alternative but suffering and a premature death.During the press conference, Rep. Sam Farr did say, about his bill, HR 1717, Truth in Trials, that it was not as good of a bill as Rep. Barney Frank's HR 2233 States Rights to Medical Marijuana Act, and that he would prefer Frank's bill be passed before his. So why are there even 2 bills? Ask MPP!
Cheryl Miller Memorial Project
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 28, 2003 at 10:02:05 PT

charmed quark 
This is the last Article that mentions what is happening.The Med Board v. Mikuriya hearing resumes and is expected to conclude on Wednesday, Sept. 24. The dignified Berkeley psychiatrist has spent five hours on the stand defending his treatment of 16 patients. He has yet to be cross-examined. The lawyers will have three or four weeks to submit briefs to Administrative Law Judge Jonathan Lew, who will then have three or four weeks to make his "recommended decision" to the Medical Board, which will then have three or four weeks to publish it and as much time as they want to act on it. The Board can depart from the ALJ's recommended decision in either direction -punishment or leniency.http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17400.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by charmed quark on September 28, 2003 at 07:46:04 PT

Any updates on Mikuriya's hearing?
I haven't heard anything since the patient testimonies over a week ago. Is everything still OK? His web site doesn't do frequent updates.On this topic - perhaps SF should help set up patient coops similar to the Wo/Mans approach, where ambulatory patients help grow a crop for the clinic. Although I admit the crime problem is a factor in urban areas. Wo/Mans did their growing in a near-rural area and had patients and care givers living at the site.My main interest is access to medical cannabis. I have nothing against recreational use, and believe people have a right to do what they want to their bodies, but my focus has been to get safe (from crime and the government) medical access as soon as possible to everybody in the USA with all other issues taking a back seat.However, I'm beginning to come around to the point of view that, in the USA, the only way we are going to get real medical access is to legalize all uses. The government just won't let it happen any other way. When this happens, it will become an herbal medicine like feverfew or St. John's Wort. Kinda boring.This will make pot a lot less romantic to teenagers, and I predict its recreational use will fall. It will be the end of an era that started in the 60's when marijuana become the symbol of membership in the counterculture.Sad, in a way.-Pete
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Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on September 28, 2003 at 04:39:15 PT

who is to blame?
"The existing system isn't working and the federal government is wasting a lot of time on an issue where we could actually be helping people." Did 'we the people' elect John Ashcroft?Did 'we the people' even elect George Bush?Did 'we the people' elect the drug czars John P. Walters and Karen Tandy?Are 'we the people' getting a raw deal when it comes to representative republic that should govern and not rule?'We the people' are wasting our time putting up with the yahoos that rule us.What a bunch of snarling, growling, surily old Adams they've become. 'We the people' are becoming digusted with the old Adams that rule us and laugh at us and treat us like dung.  The path those old Adams are following is leading 'we the people' to destruction.have a nice day, while they last. Hope your power does't go out this winter.
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Comment #1 posted by gloovins on September 28, 2003 at 01:58:15 PT

CA Gov candidates MJ responses
Marijuana Supporters See Appealing Candidates as Recall Election LoomsMarijuana supporters are paying careful attention to the California governor's race, where a host of appealing candidates are running to replace Gov. Gray Davis. All of Davis' leading rivals have voiced support for medical marijuana. Speaking at a debate hosted by KTVU, candidates Tom McClintock, Peter Uebberoth, Peter Camejo, Arianna Huffington and Cruz Bustamante all stated their support of medical marijuana to relieve suffering. Elsewhere, Huffington and Camejo have attacked the drug war in general, calling for outright decriminalization or legalization. In light of the state's budget crisis, marijuana legalization is an obvious means of raising tax revenues to bridge the deficit, a point emphasized by Democratic candidate Bruce Margolin of Los Angeles NORML, who is making marijuana legalization the keystone of his campaign.With so many attractive alternatives to choose from, marijuana supporters have little incentive to keep Davis in office. Many are waiting to see whether Davis signs Sen. Vasconcellos' medical marijuana task force bill (SB 420), which would establish a voluntary identification card system and guidelines to protect Prop. 215 patients from arrest. SB 420 is widely viewed in Sacramento as a test of support for Prop. 215. Last year, Gov. Davis held up passage of similar legislation due to objections by law enforcement. Many activists are waiting to see how he acts this year before deciding whether to support his recall.CANDIDATES' POSITIONS ON MARIJUANA & DRUG REFORM ISSUESGov. Gray Davis has a notably dismal record on marijuana and drug reform issues, having opposed the state's two popular pathbreaking initiatives, Prop. 215 (medical marijuana) and Prop. 36 (drug treatment instead of incarceration). Known as a straight arrow, Davis has consistently opposed easing drug penalties, catering instead to the interests of his leading campaign contributor, the prison guards' union, the only public employees to receive a raise in his latest budget. Stubbornly resisting proposals for sentencing reform, Davis has also taken a hostile line against drug users. Marijuana supporters were outraged when Davis tried to revive the state's unpopular "smoke a joint, lose your license" law, an effort that was quashed by the legislature. Davis also vetoed a bipartisan bill to restore welfare benefits to drug offenders who accept treatment. Other drug reform bills vetoed by Davis include Sen. Vasconcellos' bill to legalize over-the-counter needle sales in pharmacies, and a forfeiture reform measure. Davis' one positive gesture to marijuana supporters was to approve generous funding of the California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, which has launched the first NIDA and FDA studies of medical marijuana. Given that the bill was also supported by arch-pothibitionist ex-Attorney General Dan Lungren, that isn't saying a whole lot.Unlike Davis, his leading opponent, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger actually enjoyed smoking pot in his younger days. In an interview with Sean Hannity, Schwarzenegger said he supported legalizing medical marijuana, though he agreed drug legalization was a "bad idea." His campaign spokesman Rob Stutzman, added that he has no position on third-party cannabis dispensaries. Schwarzenegger is remembered for having relished a joint in his movie, Pumping Iron. "I did smoke a joint and I did inhale," he told the AP last November. "The bottom line is that's what it was in the '70s, that's what I did. I have never touched it since." Some pot advocates are nervous about the prominent presence of veteran drug warriors Pete Wilson and Rep. David Dreier in Schwarzenegger's campaign, but others take heart in his support by George Schultz and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. www.arnoldgovernor.netLt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the Democrats' designated backup contender, voiced his support for medical marijuana in the KTVU debate "as long as it is distributed properly." In the Assembly, he compiled a moderate voting record on drug reform issues. On the plus side, he supported the medical marijuana bills by Sen. Marks and Sen. Vasconcellos, the legislative forerunners of Prop.215 that were vetoed by Gov Wilson. He also supported needle exchange legislation. Like most legislators, he straddled the vexing "smoke a joint lose your license" issue, supporting efforts to opt out of the federal mandate, but buckling to pressure from Gov. Wilson to impose a temporary license suspension law in order to save federal highway aid. On the down side, Bustamante shied away from efforts to amend the Three Strikes law to exclude non-violent felonies, and voted for an unsuccessful measure to raise penalties for marijuana traffickers caught with more than one kilo of pot. Based on his record, drug reformers rate Bustamante more favorably than Davis.The second leading Republican in the race, Sen. Tom McClintock, is a social conservative with libertarian inclinations, primarily noted for his tight-fisted opposition to government spending. Unlike Davis, McClintock says he voted for Prop. 215. He also voted for Sen. Vasconcellos' medical marijuana task force bills in the legislature. On the other hand, his penny-pinching ways led him to vote against the state medical marijuana research program, a hemp research bill, and restoring welfare benefits for drug offenders. Like Bustamante, he waffled on the "smoke a joint, lose your license" issue. While reluctant to support expensive new tough-on-crime programs, he has also been reluctant to buck the party leadership by opposing them. As a result, he has often absented himself on key drug reform votes, including Assemblyman Mark Leno's resolution condemning federal raids on the cannabis clubs, the needle sales bill, and SB 131 (though he supported a similar bill last year). www.tommcclintock.comThe third leading Republican candidate, Peter Uebberoth, has generally eschewed taking positions on social issues, but stated his support for medical marijuana in the KTVU debate. (Uebberoth has since dropped out of the race).Independent candidate Ariannna Huffington is a favorite of many reform activists because of her many witty and trenchant columns against the drug war. Denouncing the "special interests", Arianna has taken specific aim at the powerful prison guard's union, calling for a rollback in the pay hike approved by Gov. Davis and a halt to new prison construction.. A former Republican, Huffiington left the party after quarreling with Newt Gingrich over an article in which she criticized the Republicans' conduct of the war on drugs. Speaking in support of medical marijuana in the KTVU debate, she promised to go farther than the other candidates in fighting the Bush Administration. Her campaign is managed by veteran drug reform consultants Bill Zimmerman and Dave Fratello, who directed the campaigns for Prop. 215, Prop, 36 and other state drug reform initiatives. www.votearianna.comDemocrat Bruce Margolin, a marijuana defense attorney and longtime director of Los Angeles NORML, is making marijuana legalization the central plank of his campaign. He argues that legalization would create a multi-billion dollar industry like the wine industry, save the state millions in prison and enforcement costs, and generate up to $ 2 billion in revenues. If elected, Margolin promises to sue Attorney General Ashcroft against federal meddling in California's marijuana laws and to pardon non-violent marijuana offenders in state prison. www.margolinforgovernor.comGreen party candidate Peter Camejo also favors marijuana legalization. Camejo, who is running on a progressive platform in alliance with Arianna, calls the drug war a "complete failure." In addition to supporting an end to marijuana criminalization, he promises to "treat drug addiction as a disease, saving our state billions of dollars by avoiding the need to imprison thousands of non-violent people." He also opposes the Three Strikes law. www.votecamejo.org.Another candidates favoring marijuana legalization is former Green legislator turned Democrat Audie Bock, who advocates creating a state marijuana monopoly, in which revenues from licensed stores would be used to bridge the state budget gap. www.bettercalifornia.org A second actor running for governor has good things to say about marijuana. Independent candidate Gary Coleman, star of the sitcom "Diff'rent Stokes," professes to love pot reform. "Nobody gets hurt, so why not? People still smoke marijuana, and they still go to work.," he says. Independent B.E. Smith, Trinity County constitutionalist, has personal familiarity with the evils of marijuana prohibition, having served two years in federal prison on cultivation charges. B.E. was the first medical marijuana grower to be arrested on federal charges after Prop. 215 was passed. If elected, he promises to pardon those convicted of victimless crimes.*ME....As A calif resident, I'm teetering for Arianna or Camejo or Margolin , BE, (in that order) def NOT arnold, he's like any republicrat, they will say ANYTHING to get the most votes nr election day, Fuc it just get me in, unfortunetly thats how sheeple vote these days but i dunno this election is def a circus free-for-all...any calif voters reading this care to respond?? "*Think about Ed Rosenthal, barred from voting for growing a medicinal herb/plant for sick people, o yes that def should be a felony ladies and gentlemen....wash dc is lost i love this country still but it gets harder ea day. I think the issue of industrial hemp farming (hempcar.org) for starters and all its 25,000 diff uses -- this SO SO pressing issue is being ignored very very unfairly could it could sove our energy , deforestation and fossil fuel reliance, Arianna is right, its corporations who run this country and they couldnt be more scared than this plant with 25,000 diff uses.
The prohib wall is crumbling, but the rocks are hitting me on the head, I dont feel glooviny lately in usa..."*
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