cannabisnews.com: What Grows On Behind Closed Doors





What Grows On Behind Closed Doors
Posted by CN Staff on October 30, 2003 at 08:48:13 PT
By Jordan Wittman, Staff Writer
Source: The Orion
Marijuana. The plant that knows a thousand names and a million faces. For some it's the prescription to ease pain, to cure insomnia, to take away the horrible memories and flashbacks best left in the past.For others it's a stone, a high, a mind-altering substance used to provide entertainment or escape from an unwanted reality. Behind doors, inside closets, under stairs, beneath foliage, it continues to be smoked; it continues to be grown.
These are the faces behind the weed."Prisoner of Pot" A short drive outside of Chico's eastern border lie oak-clustered canyons tucked away among the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas.A gentle, warm autumn breeze descends from the bluffs, rustling leaves as it makes its way into a hidden valley. With the wind comes a distinct odor -- musk-like and augmented by a twist of citrus.Coming up the gravel-pitted road, the smell of ripe marijuana mimics the calling sign of a skunk one might expect to find in these parts."I don't know how many times I said I wish I was killed that night," Big Smoke began, thinking back to the motorcycle accident that would eventually lead him to Proposition 215, California's medical marijuana initiative. "Big Smoke" is a nickname a friend gave him after sampling some of his homegrown pot."You see this," he said, motioning with both hands to the length of his nose, divided down the middle by a distinctive, recessed scar. "This is all forehead and rib tissue, reconstructed by skin grafts." It's the classic story of life changing in an instant -- an 18-year-old man in his prime suddenly brought down by a motorcycle accident. The year was 1969.Over the next 20 years, the former Chico State and Butte College student would undergo some 30 or 40 reconstructive surgeries.While the surgeries could address the cosmetics, they did little to address the pain.The constant throbbing inside his head left him with insomnia, he said.It was by chance that he stumbled across pot. Smoking it with friends, he found something that could take the edge off the pain just enough to get in a good night's sleep -- three, maybe four hours."I wish there was something else," Smoke said. "I've tried pills, but the problem with pills is you can get to sleep but you can't get up in the morning."Before there was a Proposition 215, Smoke was put on a number of prescription painkillers such as Percodan. After the medical marijuana initiative passed in 1996, his doctor wrote him a recommendation for pot. He has grown his own since becoming a medical marijuana patient seven years ago. By 1998, he was cross-pollinating strains and working on developing one of his own. In 2000, the police raided his house and busted him for growing 34 plants, 28 more than Butte County medicinal marijuana guidelines allow."My idea was to do it once, fill up the freezer and wait till the laws changed," he said. "There's an endless number of problems that come with growing your own. It takes so much time that I have become a prisoner of pot." Eventually, the charges were dropped.Two weekends ago, Smoke woke up to find his pot garden had been raided again, this time in the middle of the night. He'd harvested the bulk of his pot a few days before, so the thieves made off with only a small portion of the crop. Regardless of how much was taken, Smoke said he still feels violated."Once you get ripped off, you get paranoid about people watching the house waiting for you to leave," he said. "I was just hoping that people would leave me alone, but it didn't work out like that."Just because you have a prescription for medical marijuana doesn't mean you're protected. Crop raiders are just one in a long line of risks associated with growing pot outdoors, he said.Economically, it still beats growing indoors, he said, where monthly electricity bills can reach as much as $120 to $150.Smoke said he knows a number of people who qualify for medical marijuana but don't pursue it, partly because they don't trust the government and partly because of the way society perceives it."As long as the laws are the way they are, they make you feel like some sort of lowlife or criminal just because you smoke pot," he said.They Are LookingSgt. Dennis Cooley of the Butte County Sheriff's Department is the supervisor of the Special Enforcement Unit under which the Marijuana Eradication Unit operates. It's his unit's job to shut down illegal crops and make sure Proposition 215 gardens are in compliance.The Marijuana Eradication Unit gained temporary notoriety in September after killing two men in a raid on a marijuana farm near Feather Falls. It was later determined by District Attorney Mike Ramsey that the officers involved in the shooting were justified in firing on the suspects, one of which was armed with an AK-47 assault rifle.For raids on large outdoor gardens like the one by Feather Falls, which had more than 10,000 plants, a number of agencies will "posse up." The Department of Justice, the Forest Service and the Drug Enforcement Agency were all called in on the raid.Cooley said such incidents like the one by Feather Falls are really rare, and most raids on illegal gardens go down without any incident.Cooley said that this season, which for outdoor growers is pretty much winding down, they found about 70 or 80 gardens, a number of which were medical marijuana gardens. He was unable to give specific information.The Marijuana Eradication Unit discovers marijuana gardens in a number of different ways, Cooley said, but added that he couldn't disclose all of their methods.The most common way is the anonymous tip, courtesy of a phone call. Many tips come from disgruntled ex-lovers seeking revenge, Cooley said. Other times a concerned neighbor suspicious of bright lights seeping out of windows or a lingering skunk smell around their house will call in, he said.Cooley said another method used is helicopter patrols, flying over areas known to be appealing to outdoor pot growers. Law enforcement also uses Forward Looking Infrared technology to detect "hot spots" typical of indoor marijuana gardens, he said.After receiving a tip or observing a suspicious area, the first move officials make is simply to knock on the door of the residence and introduce themselves. Many situations turn out to be medicinal marijuana patients, in which case officers inspect the garden and the certificates to make sure the patients are in compliance. Butte County currently allows for up to six plants per patient to be grown at a time. Medical marijuana patients can also act as caregivers for other patients and grow pot for them. As long as there is a recommendation posted for every six plants in the garden, everything is within the law, Cooley said.If the suspected grower turns out to be suspicious and not a medical marijuana patient, officers can set up surveillance and pursue a search warrant to inspect the residence.Penalties for growing marijuana illegally can be severe. If a person is convicted of growing illegally, regardless of the number of plants, they face a maximum of three years in prison and a $10,000 fine, said Ramsey.However, if it's a defendant's first offense for growing marijuana, there are alternatives to drastically reduce a sentence."If they can show it's for personal use then they can seek a diversion," Ramsey said. "It's generally some sort of counseling and is a one time deal. It's not available on a second offense." Medical marijuana patients found growing more than six plants for their personal use can face the same sentencing. "If they're not in compliance then we'll pull their excess on the spot and destroy it," Cooley said. "We'll file a complaint with the DA and they can pursue it if they want to."Paranoia Sets InDrew, Brady and Stan grow pot in Chico."Don't say it so loud," scolded Drew. With a chuckle, he apologized. "Sorry, I'm paranoid. That's what happens when you grow pot."These three Chico State students, whose names have been changed to preserve their anonymity, have been growing pot indoors for a little more than a year. They said saving money is their main goal. Any money they make by selling pot to close friends goes to cover expenses. Monthly electricity bills can range anywhere from $150 to $200, but the bulk of the expenses come at the beginning.Altogether, they have invested close to $2,000 on lights, trays, fertilizers, specialty growing equipment and, of course, the marijuana plants themselves. All the equipment they own is available at hardware stores or specialty indoor garden shops around Chico, they said.The plants, purchased as clones or clippings from other plants, come from other pot growers in the area or friends with medical marijuana who have access to cannabis clubs in California, they said.Their garden lays hidden behind a false wall. It's a room that very few know exists, they said.As they peeled back a section of the wall, a warm orange glow slipped through and the whirring of an oscillating fan was heard. The three of them giggled with each other, slightly embarrassed about what was behind the door. Pulling back a curtain reveals a white room, about 12 feet by 12 feet and 8 feet tall. Shelves line the walls; bottles of chemicals and fertilizers are strewn across the floor.In the center of the room, under the direct beam of a 1,000-watt high-pressure sodium lamp, a special bulb used in indoor gardens and streetlamps, sit three marijuana plants. Each plant is about 4 inches tall.They'd had a few technical difficulties with timers and electricity a few days before, costing them 12 of their 15 plants, Brady explained."It's definitely harder than it looks," Brady said. "The pump could go out for just one day and ruin your whole crop. And that's happened before -- twice."While there have been a few kinks in their system this cycle, they've been successful in the past. Just as school was letting out in May, they said they harvested a pound and a half of pot with a street value of about $8,000. Brady and Drew said they have considered getting their medical marijuana recommendations, but feel that it would be more of a hassle than a benefit. They said they know a number of people in Chico that grow pot without medical marijuana recommendations.According to the text of Proposition 215, a doctor's recommendation allows a person to legally obtain, grow and use marijuana medicinally."It's expensive, not fail-safe and regulated ... it only allows you to grow six plants," Drew said. "Basically, there's a lot of people that grow pot and not a lot that get busted." The household said they are not worried about getting busted. Only close friends know about the operation and they are confident their friends will keep it a secret. Even if their house smells like pot when people come over, most people just assume they were smoking it, they said.Brady, who has been smoking pot for more than seven years, said he knows the laws and knows that police officers need a warrant to enter his house.He said it's silly that they have to go through such a hassle just to be able to smoke a little pot. Not only does he feel that people should question the motives behind criminalizing marijuana, Brady also said that smoking marijuana led him to question many other governmental practices."I think that smoking pot is the first step toward realizing that the government has excess control over our lives that doesn't need to be there," he said. "(Smoking pot) leads people to questioning authority in other dimensions as well."Drew said he just likes the idea of having a garden. "It's like having a garden, except when your garden's done, well, let's just say it's better than growing tomatoes," he said.Note: 'Green thumb' takes on a whole new meaning with Chico's legal and illegal marijuana gardens.Source: Orion, The (CA Edu)Author: Jordan Wittman, Staff WriterPublished: October 29, 2003Copyright: 2003 The OrionWebsite: http://www.orion-online.net/Contact: opinioneditor orion-online.netCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by ekim on October 30, 2003 at 19:51:37 PT
Dennis the menis
Democrat Kucinich Endorses Medical Pot Use 
Posted by CN Staff on May 29, 2003 at 09:25:27 PT
By Carla Marinucci and John Wildermuth 
Source: San Francisco Chronicle  Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio became the first Democratic presidential candidate to endorse the legalization of medical marijuana when he told The Chronicle on Wednesday it should be available "to any patient who needs it to alleviate pain and suffering," regardless of the current federal drug laws. 
"Compassion requires that medical marijuana be available" Kucinich said during a telephone interview after a campaign stop in Cupertino. "We must have health-care systems which are compassionate . . . so I support it without reservation." Federal law enforcement authorities have raided medicinal marijuana clinics in California arguing that despite the voters endorsement of the drug for medical purposes, its distribution still violates federal laws. Federal law lists marijuana as an illegal substance under the Controlled Substances Act, regardless of its use, U.S. authorities say. Ed Rosenthal, an advocate of legalizing marijuana, was arrested and convicted in federal court of cultivating marijuana, even though Oakland had made him an official supplier for a city-approved pot dispensary. He is scheduled to be sentenced next Wednesday and faces up to five years in federal prison. Kucinich said that as president, "I'd sign an executive order that would permit its use." "I think that we're at a point where we understand that the maintenance of human health and the alleviation of human suffering involves a dialogue between the physician and the patient," Kucinich told The Chronicle. "This is a matter that many people find quite vexing. I have known people who have had cancer and who have been in horrible pain. Anything that can alleviate their suffering should be available." Note: He says he'd issue executive order if elected president.Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/05/29/MN147381.DTL Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Author: Carla Marinucci, John Wildermuth, Chronicle Political Writers
Published: Thursday, May 29, 2003 
Copyright: 2003 San Francisco Chronicle - Page A - 3 
Contact: letters sfchronicle.com
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
 
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on October 30, 2003 at 18:32:34 PT
Dave
I wish I wasn't right on this one.
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Comment #6 posted by Dave in Florida on October 30, 2003 at 18:12:04 PT
FOM, You are right..
 The patriot act is an excuse for all kinds of civil liberties to be eroded away.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 30, 2003 at 12:11:12 PT
Dave
I am not sure if the ruling stands because of the Patriot Act but they weren't allowed to use infra red. This ruling happened before 9-11.http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10123.shtml
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Comment #4 posted by Dankhank on October 30, 2003 at 11:08:24 PT:
Doesn't Know?????
I personally handed a Cannabis Research Library CD and a pamphlet detailing the WAMM raid and the amazing studies of by GW Pharm re: MS.Joe Lieberman is a LIAR!!!Ask him when you see him if he ever looked at the CRL he got in Stillwater OK and if he has looked at it and if so how can he say "No known studies...?"Evil abounds ...Peace to all who resist.
Hemp N Stuff
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Comment #3 posted by Arthropod on October 30, 2003 at 09:52:03 PT:
Dave
I'm pretty sure that particular technology is only illegal in Canada. FoM had posted an article about it a while back.
Infrared snooping illegal in Canada
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Comment #2 posted by Dave in Florida on October 30, 2003 at 09:00:51 PT
Don't they know that's illegal !
Law enforcement also uses Forward Looking Infrared technology to detect "hot spots" typical of indoor marijuana gardens, he said.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 30, 2003 at 08:59:08 PT
New Article from Snipped Source
Activists Push Causes To CandidatesBy Sara FaiwellOctober 29, 2003 Iowa City, Ia. - When Sen. John Kerry campaigned on the University of Iowa campus last week, he intended to talk about financial aid and rising tuition costs with local students.But one student had something different in mind. U of I senior George Pappas approached Kerry in front of about 50 people to ask the Massachusetts senator's stance on medical marijuana.Kerry told Pappas that as president, he would put a stop to the Bush administration's raiding of medical marijuana patients, adding that he favors more research on the issue.Pappas, the president of the U of I chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, along with about 20 others, is taking advantage of the time Democratic candidates are spending in the state before Iowa's Jan. 19 caucus."This is one of the most important social justice causes the country is facing right now," said Pappas, 22, of Lombard, Ill. "Medical marijuana is the number one issue in front of drug reform policy."Other groups are similarly hoping to get their chance in the spotlight while the candidates are parading through Iowa. Two of the most visible so far besides the student group have been Iowa for Health Care and the Every Child Matters Education Fund.Students involved in the drug policy group say they know the idea of medical marijuana has a certain"shock value" when raised at political gatherings. Members say no one in the group condones smoking pot."There is such an injustice being done when it comes to this," said drug policy group member Natalie Wicklund, 20, of Bloomington, Ill., who had two grandparents die of cancer. "I've seen what it's like to watch someone suffer -there is research that shows marijuana helps cancer patients."Although federal law bans the use of marijuana, the Supreme Court ruled last month in favor of state laws allowing ill patients to smoke the drug if a doctor recommends it. In Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, marijuana is legal for people with prescriptions. The U of I drug policy group hopes to add Iowa to this list of states. An additional 35 states have passed legislation recognizing marijuana's medicinal value.Wicklund questioned former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean at a Johnson County Democratic barbecue last month about the issue. Although Dean, a medical doctor, says marijuana should be treated no differently from any other drug, Wicklund said she was impressed with how receptive Dean was to talk with her.Interest groups have always focused on getting involved in the caucuses. These groups have an incentive to try to get their ideas across not only to the presidential candidates, but also to caucus participants, said U of I political science professor David Redlawsk."Groups get access to presidential candidates in a way they usually can't anywhere else," he said. "The caucuses are not only about candidates but also about issues."Anyone who has attended a campaign event probably has seen some of the 3,500 Iowa nurses, donning their signature purple T-shirts and stethoscopes, questioning candidates in past months about a universal health-care plan.Each time the Democratic contenders land at a state airport, they are immediately greeted by a poster reading, "Running for president? Health care better be your priority.""Nurses have a unique perspective from the bedside, so who better is there to be the voice of this change in the country?" said Sarah Swisher, director of Iowa for Health Care and a nurse at University Hospitals. For example, Mary Jo Meggers, also a nurse at University Hospitals, has already talked with Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt, Kerry and Dean about the harmful effects of soaring health care costs to her patients.Volunteers from Every Child Matters, a nonprofit organization that aims to make children a higher political priority, is buying print and TV ads, along with putting up yard signs and billboards. The Washington, D.C.-based organization has three paid staffers and more than 500 volunteers in Iowa, spokesman Tom La Pointe said.The group is pushing for programs to stop child abuse and improve child care and health care for children.For the most part, the Democratic candidates have been open to questions asked by these interest groups, members say. However, members of the drug policy group say some candidates are reluctant to talk about the controversial marijuana issue.At a "Hear it from the Heartland" forum last month with Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, Pappas said he sat intently in the audience waiting to fire off a question about medical marijuana. He said he was "blown off" by Lieberman staffers because they were screening questions.Afterward, Pappas confronted the senator in front of C-SPAN cameras to talk about medical use of the drug and Lieberman answered Pappas' question.Pappas said none of the candidates he's spoken to has ignored him completely, and Lieberman was the least receptive to the medical use of marijuana.Lieberman does oppose legalizing the drug and the senator isn't aware of any reputable studies that support the use of it medicinally, campaign spokesman Adam Kovacevich said.Members of the student drug policy group say they feel empowered.Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/22620209.html
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