cannabisnews.com: Kubby Defense Fund Announces Canadian Board Ruling





Kubby Defense Fund Announces Canadian Board Ruling
Posted by CN Staff on November 20, 2003 at 17:11:35 PT
Press Release 
Source: PRNewswire
Vancouver, British Columbia -- The Kubby Defense Fund -- http://www.kubby.org/ -- announced today that Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board has made a final decision on whether American medical marijuana advocates Steve and Michele Kubby are entitled to permanent refugee status in Canada. The 60-page decision was officially entered on Tuesday November 18th, but must await translation into French before it is released next week.
Steve Kubby has been diagnosed with a rare form of adrenal cancer and has survived much longer than expected by using large quantities of marijuana to control its deadly symptoms. A decision against Kubby could force him back to the U.S., where he would be arrested and denied medical marijuana. A Canadian cancer specialist has testified that Mr. Kubby could die of a heart attack or stroke if he is denied medical marijuana.However, if the Board ruling is in the Kubbys' favor, it could open the door for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other U.S. citizens to seek refuge in Canada. In the past, Canada has been reluctant to offer refugee status to U.S. citizens. Canada and the US take the 'official position' that there is no political persecution of citizens in either country, and therefore refugee status is not appropriate.The Kubbys have argued that the U.S. government's "War on Drugs" is in fact political, and that Steve Kubby, an outspoken opponent of anti-pot laws, has been singled out for persecution by both Federal and California law enforcement agencies. A national poll shows a majority of Canadians want the Kubbys to be allowed to stay in Canada.The full story of the Kubbys' battles with the drug warriors is chronicled in a forthcoming book, REEFER REFUGEES, written by Richard Cowan, the former National Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. A Preview Edition of REEFER REFUGEES has been published by the Kubby Defense Fund to provide background information to the news media. News reporters and publishers interested in rights to the completed version of the book may obtain a copy of the Preview Edition by contacting the Kubby Defense Fund's publicist, David Nolan: dfnolan cox.netNote: Decision Could Impact U.S. - Canadian Relations Complete Title: Kubby Defense Fund Announces Canadian Board Ruling On Refugee Status for U.S. Medical Marijuana UsersMore information:http://www.kubby.com/poll.pdfhttp://www.cic.gc.ca/english/irpa/index.htmlhttp://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/index.html   Source: Kubby Defense FundSource: PRNewswire Published: Thursday, November 20, 2003Copyright 2003 PRNewswire Website: http://www.prnewswire.com Contact: http://www.prnewswire.com/news/Related Articles & Web Sites:The Kubby Defense Fund http://www.kubby.org/The Drug War Refugees http://freedomtoexhale.com/smk.htm Kubbys Await Refugee Ruling http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17775.shtmlMedical Marijuana User Claims Persecution http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15907.shtmlRefugee Hearing for Pot Advocate http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15906.shtml 
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Comment #24 posted by FoM on November 26, 2003 at 21:40:45 PT
BGreen
It would be a wonderful Thanksgiving Day present if we knew if the Kubbys won. I believe they did. I can't believe they didn't. I guess I believe if anyone can move a mountain it's the Kubbys. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Comment #23 posted by BGreen on November 26, 2003 at 21:27:32 PT
What A Terrific Thanksgiving Present It Would Be
to give the Kubby's their freedom on this american day of thanksgiving!I'm going nuts waiting for this decision. Steve and Michelle must really be anxious.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #22 posted by Truth on November 21, 2003 at 10:02:17 PT
Kubby
I asked Steve last May if they would win this and he was very confident that they would.
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Comment #21 posted by kaptinemo on November 21, 2003 at 07:29:05 PT:
Another reason why the K-man is getting my vote
The issue of the voting machines - and Diebold and other's attempts to prevent you from knowing about their flaws - is serious business, folks. First, they leave the software open to tampering, and then leave the proof of that on the Web. When they are caught with their pants down, trying to cover it up, they sicc their legal dogs on those who have tried to warn the rest of us by posting those notes elsewhere while they unceremoniously remove their own damning evidence of their incompetence/culpability from the 'Net.Mr. Kucinich has taken a mighty big gamble in posting those notes. But he's also (IMHO) the only Dem who hasn't sucked up or kow-towed to the Korporate Aristokracy. This is more proof.After this, he BETTER have security he can trust; he's getting awful close to pitching the shoe into the machinery the KK uses to remain in power. They won't take to that kind of threat sitting down...
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Comment #20 posted by Virgil on November 21, 2003 at 07:13:16 PT
Sam Adams
I went through about a hundred links at democraticunderground in yesterday's history and this was the very last one of them all. There is a late breaking news section they call LBN that offers many articles to read in a day. Here is the link- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=118&topic_id=23921
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Comment #19 posted by mayan on November 21, 2003 at 07:04:09 PT
Steve & Michele...
My fingers are crossed for you! I'm trying to figure out why this decision has to be translated into French before it is released and why it takes so long to translate? This is a life or death matter for Steve. One would think that Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board could just come out with it! And why didn't they just write it in French in the first place??? If they had initially written it in French would they then have to translate it into English? How long would it take to translate from French to English? Do those on the board even know French? If not, is it really that important that it has to be translated into French? If those on the board know both French and English then why didn't they make two copies of the decision in the first place? Do the Kubby's know French? What if they don't know French and they are accidentally given the French version? If the Kubby's lose(God forbid!) can they appeal? If so, would they have to appeal in English or French? Would their appeal then have to be translated into either English or French? I'm confused.On an unrelated note...For all of you Kucinich fans out there, Dennis has posted the controversial "secret" Diebold memos on his web site! Our ability to choose our leaders and reform the cannabis laws at the ballot box is in great danger. Read on...Voting Rights:
http://www.house.gov/kucinich/issues/voting.htm 
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Comment #18 posted by Sam Adams on November 21, 2003 at 06:15:21 PT
Wesley Clark
Virgil, where did you see Clark's statement on the WOD? I would love to see that, I couldn't find anything on his website
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Comment #17 posted by goneposthole on November 21, 2003 at 05:44:00 PT
days before Trinity 
J. Robert Oppenheimer was born in the USA. J. Robert Oppenheimer (22 Apr. 1904--18 Feb. 1967), theoretical physicist and director of the Los Alamos Laboratory (Manhattan Project), was born Julius Robert Oppenheimer in New York City, the son of Julius Oppenheimer, a wealthy textile importer, and Ella Friedman, a painter. Although the family was of Jewish descent, they had no religious affiliations. The boy, known as Robert, grew up in a sumptuous Manhattan apartment whose walls were decorated with paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, and Paul Gauguin. In the summers he went sailing at the family estate on Long Island.http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/ai/aboutopp.htmDon't forget J. Robert OppenheimerTest question:Given the choice, Steve and Michele Kubby would rather be in where?a) Canadab) USA
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Comment #16 posted by The GCW on November 21, 2003 at 05:43:46 PT
US MI: Medicinal Pot Headed to '04 Detroit Ballot
Detroiters will have a chance to vote on the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes next August. If the issue passes, authorities said users in Detroit would be exempt from marijuana-possession laws if they have a medical need for the drug. Earlier this month, Detroit City Clerk Jackie Currie validated 7,779 of the signatures submitted by the Detroit Coalition for Compassionate Care, a group of metro Detroiters that has been fighting to get marijuana on the ballot for several years. The law requires 6,141 valid signatures. In 2001, the group gathered more than enough valid signatures, but the City of Detroit's law department challenged the petition, citing technicalities, and kept the measure off the ballot. "The law department has raised no objections this time," said coalition founder and chairman Tim Beck of Detroit. "So the Detroit Medical Marijuana Initiative question will finally appear on the primary ballot next August." Even if the proposal is adopted, it would affect only Detroit. It would not prevent Wayne County sheriff's deputies, Michigan State Police or federal agents from arresting users in Detroit. "I think it's more symbolic for the proponents of medical-marijuana use," said Michael Karwoski, an attorney for the city. "The impact on the city is probably negligible because they are not changing state law." National advocates said medicinal marijuana use will be a good thing for Detroit. "It keeps police from wasting time and valuable resources," said Kevin Zeese, president of Common Sense for Drug Policy, based in Washington, D.C.. Zeese estimated that it can take police up to four hours to arrest, book and release people during a routine marijuana arrest. "And for the patient, it would make them feel secure that they won't be harassed by law enforcement," Zeese said. The medicinal value of marijuana has been recognized by numerous national organizations and medical institutions. Medical use of the drug has been approved in California, Nevada, Oregon, Maine, Washington, Colorado, Alaska, Arizona and Hawaii. And last fall, the Canadian Parliament legalized medical use of marijuana. But that is not enough to win over critics like Detroit Councilwoman Alberta Tinsley-Talabi, who said that drug use has had such a devastating effect on Detroit that the argument for legal use of the drug for medicinal purposes makes no sense. Proponents note that the drug has been used to treat multiple sclerosis, chronic pain and glaucoma. Dan Solano, a retired Detroit police officer, said marijuana has helped him recover from being crushed between two cars while on duty in 1991. Solano said he used prescription drugs for about three years, and in 1994, a friend recommended using marijuana to help with severe headaches, sleeplessness and recurring nausea. He said marijuana helped him sleep and made his headaches bearable. He also said that overall, he could function better. Prescription drugs "had serious side effects, and they would leave me in a zombie-like state," Solano said. "The side effects of marijuana were benign in comparison. . . . Marijuana helped. It made a difference." http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1806/a04.html?397
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Comment #15 posted by kaptinemo on November 21, 2003 at 05:29:35 PT:
The Brain- (and currency) Drain cometh
Refugee status will do more than just help those that are already there.Imagine what happens when a nation chases out it's 'best & brightest' on the basis of their choice of medication...and they go across the border, bringing not only their need for MMJ but their CURRENCY, their SKILLS and their KNOWLEDGE.I can tell you without any reservations at *all* that a great many people in the IT field would up and leave, sell their homes as fast as possible, pack what they needed and GO.Without a single look back.Al those skills and funds - being put to the uses of Canadian busineses, not American ones. Benefiting the Canadian economy, not the American one. Enriching the Canadian society...not the American one.Hitler lost WW2 in part because he chased out the creative few who gave The Bomb to Uncle. What will Uncle lose if he chases out his creative few to settle in metereologically - and socially - cooler climes?
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Comment #14 posted by Patrick on November 20, 2003 at 21:43:04 PT
God Bless You Steve and Michele!
Well said FoM.
I too pray that their refugee train be a coming. What a statement that status will make about the U.S., a country recently bumped from the World Human Rights Commission. If they are forced to return it could be a big enough event to spark a revolution. Of course the main stream media wouldn't cover this issue as they lick a secret governments boots.
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Comment #13 posted by The GCW on November 20, 2003 at 21:33:47 PT
Bush honors commitments
A LTE, from the Boulder Weekly After his campaign promise to uphold existing environmental regulations, Bush, upon taking office, withdrew the U.S. from the Kyoto initiatives citing that "they would be bad for business," thus allowing campaign donors who are pouring greenhouse gasses into the air to relax their emission control efforts and improve their bottom lines.Next he cut funding to the EPA , specifically affecting its clean water programs, thus making good on campaign promises to industries that discharge pollutants into rivers and streams.To reward those contributions received from the big automakers, he ordered that EPA-mandated goals for autos be relaxed, thus trashing decades of efforts to clean up auto emissions and increase mileage. Shortly thereafter he jumped on the alternative energy bandwagon by stating that the future in emission reductions would come through hydrogen fuel cells–but, of course, it would take 15 years for the oil cartels to gear up to produce hydrogen from petroleum. By then, maybe his specially appointed panel on global warming would have arrived at the same conclusion as our scientists and school children have, that we indeed are causing the earth to overheat.Not to ignore his helpful friends in the timber industry, as he toured the huge fire in Oregon he took the opportunity to announce "his" forest-trimming idea, which would decrease fires–although we would have to eliminate environmental considerations like endangered species. "We don’t care about a few owls and mice. What we need are jobs and cheap lumber."Putting even more in the payback envelope to big energy, under his direction Gale Norton announced plans to open up millions of acres of pristine national forest lands for oil and mineral exploration and off-road gas engine enthusiasts. Doesn’t he know anybody in the garment industry?By the way, I’m not the only one who interprets his go-it-alone war in Iraq as payback to Haliburton, Bechtel, Enron and a host of other military industrial partners–many given carte blanche contracts without the formality of competitive bidding. I’m sure Bush thought it would slip through unnoticed, but probably 3 billion people worldwide saw through that one.Recently I read that Bush wants to lift U.S. bans on big game hunting worldwide. "Thinning should be allowed even if the species are endangered because we don’t have enough animals on our walls in Texas." This in return for a big chunk from the NRA.Not to ignore the real estate development community, he recently announced plans to junk important wetland conservation guidelines so that his donors in the construction industry can build in, and dry up, specially protected areas–thus further eroding nature’s ability to heal the land from man’s greedy exploits.Certainly one of the grandest of all political paybacks ever is Bush’s recent lifting of pollution controls affecting 17,000 utility companies. This after 50 years of efforts by our government to clean up known harmful emissions from coal-fired smokestacks. I guess some debts are just so important that we should trust his wisdom and wear a gas mask.Lastly and possibly the most horrendous of all campaign payoffs is the little-known shelter provided to polluters absolving them forever from liability if they disclose–confidentially, of course–to the state department the extent of their harmful emission practices. This all done in the name of national security and thus safe from scrutiny from the public and even Congress.I guess I spoke too soon. This just in: Now Bush has increased the allowable level of mercury pollution after claiming that his Clear Skies legislation cuts mercury emissions by 69 percent and that his is the first-ever national cap on mercury emissions. We can’t even talk about his catastrophic exploits fast enough.Yes, George Bush honors his obligations. Unfortunately for the individual, he has decided to surrender his honor to those who will profit from the wholesale wrecking of our land and air, while leaving the individual–whether Republican or Democrat; white, black, brown, red or yellow; or Christian, Jew, Muslim or Atheist–to eventually gag, choke, vomit blood and die from diseases that have been slowly put under control since the beginning of the industrial revolution. It’s already making me cough!Tom Lopez/Longmont http://www.boulderweekly.com/letters.html
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Comment #12 posted by Virgil on November 20, 2003 at 20:34:33 PT
Have I got a bumperstick for you
I read Clark's stance on the WOD and he is happy to war on all of Latin America. Dean is the Nazi answer to buSh taking a dive and knocked out by blunder. So the only one that has enough courage to admit things in the War of Insanity is Kucinich.So in hopes of better times- Kuchy Kuchy Coup
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Comment #11 posted by Virgil on November 20, 2003 at 20:04:52 PT
Swing high sweet chariot, coming o'r to carry me 
home. That seems like good theme music for a website advocating the Logical Conclusion. This was probably up here already, but I get confused where I read things. Some people may not know that Judge Gray who said "controlled substance" is an oxymoron, is running for Senate on the Libertarian ticket in California - http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-gray20nov20,1,2197342.story?coll=la-editions-orangeLike, dude, please vote.
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on November 20, 2003 at 19:32:28 PT
One More Comment
I really want to believe they won and deep inside I believe they did. I know how important this is for the Kubby's and others. The reason I believe they will get a refugee status is because he has been approved by Canada for medical use and growing. It would be hard to discard those reasons in making a decision.RasAric,Yes The times they are a changin' I really like Bob Dylan. 
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Comment #9 posted by Virgil on November 20, 2003 at 19:23:46 PT
If Souder can get low and not get prison
then people should not lose dignity over getting high much less just getting level.It is liberty or death for Steve Kubby. It does seem like he would at least been told in French and let him worry about translating. 
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Comment #8 posted by RasAric on November 20, 2003 at 19:06:05 PT
 Kubbys, we are praying for a positive response
 FoM, Dylan had it right on the money in that the times they are a most definitely changin'.Souder, you're a sick bastard!!! My Represetative won't allow this(Thank you Sabo!)and I expect that the dookie will continue in hitting the fan if this bill passes. Seems as though they're pushing for a new Revolutionary War.About time this country wake up and smell the herb! We're sick of being dictated to by what is essentially nothing but fallout from dinosaur lobbyists like W.R. Hearst & friends.
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Comment #7 posted by Richard Lake on November 20, 2003 at 19:01:02 PT:
Urgent -- Congress Targets Marijuana
URGENT -- CONGRESS TARGETS MARIJUANA - TWO ALERTSAt 06:36 PM 11/20/03, mpp.org wrote======================================================================TO:   Marijuana policy reform advocatesFROM:  Steve Fox, MPP director of government relationsDATE:  Thursday, November 20, 2003SUBJECT: Take action -- New bill in Congress would increase penalties
     for marijuana-related offenses and increase harms to
     marijuana users======================================================================Can you imagine a bill that intentionally forces marijuana users to inhale a greater amount of tar and carbon monoxide? What about a bill that dramatically increases penalties on medical marijuana providers who develop high-quality strains of marijuana for seriously ill patients?The Drug Sentencing Reform Act, scheduled to be introduced by U.S. Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) within the next few days, would accomplish these "goals." Please call your U.S. representative today and urge him or her not to cosponsor this bill. See below for details about how to do this.While the most prominent objective of this bill is to ensure that individuals convicted of drug-related offenses in federal court receive the longest possible prison sentences, the bill would also -- for the first time in history -- increase penalties for marijuana producers based on THC levels. For example, under the provisions of this bill, a medical marijuana provider in California convicted in federal court for possession of just 33 plants with a THC content of between 13 and 25 percent would be sentenced "to a term of imprisonment which may not be less than 5 years." Previously, a 5-year mandatory minimum applied to the possession of more than 100 plants.By dramatically increasing penalties on the distribution of marijuana with higher THC content, this bill would ensure that lower-quality marijuana is sold to children (and adults, of course). This will not decrease the number of Americans smoking marijuana; it will simply increase the amount of tar and carbon monoxide inhaled by Americans while they are smoking.Members of Congress must understand that their constituents support harm reduction policies, not harm exacerbation policies.Please call your U.S. representative toll-free by using the Capitol Switchboard at 800-839-5276. This switchboard operates 24 hours a day. So if you are inspired to call after normal business hours, the operator will transfer you to your U.S. representative's office and you can leave a voice mail message. Of course, calling during business hours is preferable.Here is a sample script for you to use when you call:  "Hello, my name is ______________ and I live in ______________.
  I am calling to urge Representative __________________ not to
  cosponsor the Drug Sentencing Reform Act being introduced by
  Representative Souder [rhymes with powder]. This bill would
  dramatically increase penalties on individuals growing medical
  marijuana in accordance with state law. It would also ensure that
  smoking marijuana is even more harmful to children than it is
  under current law. This is not a bill that Representative ________
  should support."If you are not certain who your U.S. representative is, go to http://www.house.gov/writerep , enter your state and zip code (your five-digit zip should work), and click the "Contact My Representative" button. The name of your U.S. representative should appear on the next page.As noted above, this bill is also designed to limit the ability of federal judges to reduce prison sentences for defendants convicted of drug-related offenses. For example, under the provisions of this bill, a judge would be prohibited from reducing a defendant's sentence based on family or community ties -- factors that could still be considered in non-drug-related cases.The Marijuana Policy Project will be working with many other individuals and organizations to fight this bill. It will not be passed without a major fight. Thank you for doing your part to stop it.============================================ At 03:39 PM 11/20/03, NORML Alerts wroteTake Action Now!http://capwiz.com/norml2/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=4243021Dear Supporters:As the 2003 Congressional legislative session comes to a close, Rep. Mark Souder, one of the most ardent drug warriors in Congress, intends to introduce legislation to drastically increase penalties for certain marijuana offenses. The bill also enacts new draconian penalties that could sentence compassionate Americans that grow and provide medical marijuana to decades in federal prison.The "Drug Sentencing Reform Act" would tie the hands of judges by making it harder for them to grant sentences below federal sentencing guidelines when special circumstances call for it. This will mean longer sentences for non-violent marijuana offenses, with taxpayers like you picking up the cost!Further, the bill calls for new draconian penalties for growing, distributing, and providing 'high-potency' marijuana to others. This means that someone caught with a bag of high grade marijuana would actually face a stiffer sentence than someone with an equal amount of shwag! The potency provision will be especially damaging to medical marijuana patients and providers who rely on higher potency marijuana to alleviate their suffering from AIDS, cancer, and other maladies.If this wasn't bad enough, Souder's proposed bill mandates that most people on parole, probation, or supervised release be subjected to random drug testing, even when their original offense is non-drug related. If enacted, thousands of non-violent Americans could be sent to prison for years for smoking marijuana in the privacy of their own home and then failing a drug test.We know that Rep. Souder wants to introduce this bill within the next couple of weeks, and that he is currently seeking co sponsorship from other Representatives. Please take five minutes to send your member of Congress a letter asking them to oppose this dangerous legislation by visiting: http://capwiz.com/norml2/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=4243021To make sure your voice is heard on this important issue, we also ask that you follow up your letter with a phone call to your Representative's office. To reach your representative by phone, call the US Capitol switchboard at 1-800-839-5276 or call your representative's office directly by looking up the phone number at: http://capwiz.com/norml2/dbq/officials/?lvl=CTell your Representative: "I'm a constituent and I'm calling to urge Rep. [Name] not to co-sponsor Rep. Souder's "Drug Sentencing Reform Act," which he is about to introduce. The Drug Sentencing Reform Act ties the hands of judges and will punish nonviolent Americans and compassionate citizens that provide patients with medical marijuana. I would like Rep. [Name] to tell me where s/he stands on this bill. S/he can send a letter to me at [Address] or an e-mail to [Address]. Thank you for your time."Please forward this to all of your like minded friends and family. With your help, we can stop this dangerous piece of legislation before it is introduced. Regards,Kris Krane
Associate Director
NORML#################### 
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Comment #6 posted by Richard Lake on November 20, 2003 at 18:59:07 PT:
Hoping For The Best For Steve and Michele!
Though I have never met them in person, I feel like I have. In the very early days of MAP they both provided support. Steve wrote about MAP in his popular magazine, which had nothing to do with our issues.Then came his bust in California, and calls in the middle of the night from his son. We organized many calls and emails to where he was being held, fearing for his very life.So here we are, years later, waiting on the Canadian government to translate a document so we know if they will send Steve back to California, where he will be jailed and die.I pray for him. It is all we can do now.Richard
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on November 20, 2003 at 17:54:51 PT
I Am Hoping For The Best For Steve and Michele
This will be a first for Canada if they allow them refugee status. I wish I felt sure that it would go in their favor and I really hope it does. The news is so bizarre from Rush Limbaugh, The School Raid, Michael Jackson ( definitely off topic but hard to ignore comments) Protests in Miami. Protests in The UK. Bombs going off in different places. I saw them tear down a fake statue of Bush like the one that was torn down of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. The times they are a changin'God Bless You Steve and Michele!
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Comment #4 posted by Treeanna on November 20, 2003 at 17:45:01 PT
Kepping my fingers crossed
Here's hoping they win!
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Comment #3 posted by Virgil on November 20, 2003 at 17:44:10 PT
Sour Souder must be sipping some sause
This is up at http://www.marijuana.com/article.php?sid=7927&mode=nested&order=0Source: themillionmarijuanamarch yahoogroups.comSent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 3: 16 PMSubject: FW: Dear Colleague; Criminal Justice; Drug Sentencing Reform ActHELP IMPROVE FAIRNESS AND EFFECTIVENESS IN DRUG SENTENCINGCO-SPONSOR THE DRUG SENTENCING REFORM ACTNovember 19, 2003Dear Colleague:Before we adjourn for the year, I would like to ask for your support for important legislation that will help ensure fairness and effectiveness in drug sentencing: the Drug Sentencing Reform Act (DSRA). A recent GAO Report has revealed problems with the judicial enforcement of Congressionally mandated penalties for drug trafficking; in addition, the changing narcotics threat has exposed some gaps in our drug laws. Here is a summary of how this bill addresses these issues:Regularizes the Use of "Downward Departures" in Sentencing* Extends the "Feeney Amendment" sentencing reforms of the PROTECT Act (restricting the grounds of downward departures to those specifically approved by Congress and the Sentencing Commission) to drug offenses and drug-and gang-related violence offenses.Makes Additional Needed Improvements to Drug Crime Sentencing* Ensures that drug testing will be mandatory to verify a no-drug-use condition of parole or supervised release.* Directs the Sentencing Commission to ensure that irrelevant personal characteristics are not used as grounds for modifying sentences in drug offenses and drug-and gang-related violence offenses.* Amends certain parts of the Sentencing Guidelines to ensure their compatibility with national policy on drug crimes, including the prohibition on the use of dangerous weapons in connection with drug offenses, and the requirement that defendants cooperate with authorities to obtain certain sentence reductions.Deters Drug Traffickers From Taking Advantage of Expedited Entry Programs* Provides for enhanced penalties for persons convicted of smuggling drugs into the U. S. through special facilitated entry programs for frequent crossers (such as the SENTRI and NEXUS programs in use at land border crossings, which allow participants to avoid most standard customs inspections).Modernizes Marijuana Sentences To Reflect the Rise in High-Potency Marijuana* Amends current law to apply tougher penalties to persons smuggling high-potency marijuana (such as "B. C. Bud"). Our marijuana laws were drafted in an era when the potency of marijuana, as measured by the percentage of THC (the psychoactive component of the drug) was only 3 percent. Today, even low-grade marijuana is at 6 percent, while "B. C. Bud" is at levels of 25 percent and even higher.I will be introducing this legislation before the end of this session, and I would very much appreciate your support. If you are interested in co-sponsoring the DSRA,or have any questions about the bill, please have a member of your staff call Nick Coleman at 5-2577. A copy of the legislation and a more detailed explanation of its provisions will be provided to you upon request.Thank you very much for your time and concern. I look forward to working with you to address the continuing problem of illegal drug trafficking and abuse in our communities.Sincerely,
/s Mark SouderMark E. Souder
Chairman
Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources
Government Reform Committee 
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Comment #2 posted by gloovins on November 20, 2003 at 17:42:59 PT
Hey Canada
try altavista.com then go to TRANSLATE. Ok where is my translator fee!!!??Ok ok you can pay me with medical cannabis...;)
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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on November 20, 2003 at 17:37:41 PT
Oui or Non?
How hard is it to translate that into French?So much suspense!
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