cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Evidence Can't Be Returned 










  Marijuana Evidence Can't Be Returned 

Posted by CN Staff on September 25, 2004 at 08:23:40 PT
By Cecily Burt, Staff Writer 
Source: Alameda Times-Star  

Emeryville -- Police Thursday returned some medical marijuana plants and growing equipment seized from a patient in December. But what James Blair got back was shriveled remnants of what officers had originally taken, in part because thieves raided the city's evidence locker earlier this year. Blair was arrested Dec. 12 after police officers serving a search warrant at his Emeryville apartment found about 30 marijuana plants, growing lights and other indoor cultivation equipment.
Blair said he had a prescription from his doctor for marijuana because he broke his neck and needs the medicinal herb for chronic pain and to help him sleep. He was released after posting bail but rearrested a few days later and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Although the case against him was eventually dismissed, Blair said Emeryville police refused to return his property, even after he got a court order in April. He said he had to threaten a lawsuit before police allowed him to retrieve the plants at noon Thursday. But it appears that Blair's goods were long gone months before. In May, Emeryville police Chief Ken James confirmed the city's Public Works storage building on Horton Street was broken into three or four months earlier and lots of equipment was stolen. The building also contains two locked police evidence cages to hold large items police don't have room to store. The pot plants and Blair's other property were inside. The city suspected the theft might have been an inside job because the crooks knew the code. They also backed a truck inside and loaded it with chain saws, post hole diggers, pressure washers, generators and other equipment used by city workers. They cut the locks on the evidence cages and took three unclaimed big-screen televisions that were to be auctioned off, James said. They took a lot of the marijuana cultivation equipment but left the plants, which James described last May as "dead ... little seedlings with 6 to 12 inches of growth." He said the plants weren't watered, and they died. But Blair said the plants were about 3 feet high and a week or two from harvest, so somebody must have snipped off the tops and left the rest to dry up. Whatever the case, Blair will have to estimate the loss and submit a claim to the city attorney, James said. "I'm sure that if a claim is filed, the city would make good on it, but they have ... to go through government claim procedures, and then the City Council has to approve and act on the claim," James said. William Dolphin, spokesman for Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy group, said the seizure of medical marijuana continues to be a problem around the state, and cities need to create policies that protect patients. "We need to point out that they shouldn't be doing that," Dolphin said. "It costs taxpayers money, in addition to causing pain for patients." Note: Cops say patient's equipment stolen when thieves raid locker.Source: Alameda Times-Star (CA) Author: Cecily Burt, Staff WriterPublished: Saturday, September 25, 2004 Copyright: 2004 MediaNews Group, Inc. Website: http://www.timesstar.com/Contact: triblet angnewspapers.com Americans for Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/Medicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml

Home    Comment    Email    Register    Recent Comments    Help





Comment #22 posted by Truth on September 26, 2004 at 12:49:00 PT
WoW
sierge and dave, great stuff. Yeah, I, too, have seen how those exhaust gasses f*ck the air. It makes us ALL unhealthier. Now if those Jets fired up on hemp oil it would be totally healthy. The Earth would come back in balance and the storms would moderate.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #21 posted by FoM on September 26, 2004 at 11:59:53 PT
Dan B
I'm glad you are still reading CNews. I hope life is going well for you. We are so busy I can't see straight these days so I can sure relate.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #20 posted by Dan B on September 26, 2004 at 11:42:10 PT
Thanks FoM
I've been very busy, but it is always good when I can break away and visit Cannabis News. I read much more often than I contribute, but I still love this site and am committed to its purpose.Thanks for all you do, FoM.Dan B
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #19 posted by E_Johnson on September 26, 2004 at 07:54:49 PT
Don't do to others what they do to us
Correlation is not causation. They confuse correlation and causation with us deliberately, and it has haermful consequences. I don't think we ennoble ourslves by duplicating the feat with others.That being said, my brother's doctor tried him on Paxil and the results were awful. His doctor tried to resassure him that only one percent of the people who take Paxil suffer side effects.I know three people who tried Paxil and they all quit because the side effects were too severe for them. They had horrible nightmares that didn't completely stop when they woke up. That's three out of three. Not one out of a hundred.So I can believe that the drug companies are hiding some information about these drugs that the public ought to have the right to access.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #18 posted by John Tyler on September 26, 2004 at 07:26:33 PT
goneposthole
It is interesting that you brought up this fact. Antideressants have been implicated in many violent incidents involving teenagers, but I have not seen their use associated with he incidents you mentioned. This fact was probably left out of the original story as it might reflect badly on the big pharmas. (Look how they have been trying to suppress evidence of adverse results of teenages using antideressants.) But as we all know, let one person do something and get in trouble and cannabis use is always mentioned, even if it is irrelevant, as at least a contributing factor, even if they hadn't used any in a long period of time. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #17 posted by goneposthole on September 26, 2004 at 04:52:47 PT
legal drugs are safe and effective!
Hot damn!March 24, 1998: Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, opened fire on their classmates. Johnson was on psychotropic drugs at the time; the details of which were kept private.
May 21, 1998: Klip Klinkel, 15 years old, murdered his parents and then opened fire on students at his school. He killed 2, wounded 22. He was on both Ritalin and Prozac.
April 16, 1999: A 15 year-old named Shawn Cooper fired 2 shotgun rounds at staff and students at his school. He was on Ritalin at the time.
April 20, 1999: Two 18 year olds, Eric Harris and Dylan Kleebold, killed 12 students and a teacher at their school, then killed themselves. Harris had been under the influence of Luvox (a new kind of antidepressant) prior to the shootings.
May 20, 1999: A 15 year old, TJ Solomon, opened fire on and wounded 6 classmates. He was taking Ritalin for depression at the time.http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/darkside.htm
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #16 posted by FoM on September 25, 2004 at 22:17:16 PT
Dan B 
I just wanted to say it's good to see you. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #15 posted by Dan B on September 25, 2004 at 21:40:05 PT
P.S.
Notice how these crazy stories about people going berserk after smoking cannabis always come from someplace like Malawi, where it is difficult for most of us to verify the truth of the account.Also, does it strike anyone else as odd that this guy was writing reggae lyrics on the walls of his house? Two things: it is an attempt to implicate reggae in the crime, but it is also one indication that this guy probably had far more problems than cannabis can account for.Not to mention the violence.Interesting.Dan B
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #14 posted by Dan B on September 25, 2004 at 21:34:37 PT
On Another Note: A Stupid Article
Folks, just when you think that the propaganda couldn;t get worse, along comes a ridiculously stupid story like this one from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=6328946The lengths these people will go to in order to assume links where there are none. So, the guy may have been smoking cannabis, and because he beheaded these two women, it must have been the cannabis that did it? And what's this I hear about a "cannabis overdose"? A synonym for "cannabis overdose" is "horse turds." There is no such thing as a "cannabis overdose." Look for Ashcroft to use this stupidity in an upcoming lecture about the "evils of the demon weed."Dan BP.S.--I hope the word "turds" is acceptable here. I used it instead of a more accurate (in terms of standard idiom) but also more objectionable word. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #13 posted by FoM on September 25, 2004 at 21:31:59 PT
Just Something About Hurricane Jeanne
I've been watching MSNBC's coverage of the hurricane. All night as I have been watching nature do her thing I think of how really insignificant we are compared to the elements. People are remarkable to me. We are resilient. We can't control what happens most times but we can get up and go on. I feel bad for those who have been hit hard by this hurricane season and I hope this is the last storm for a long time. Hang in there everyone in Florida.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by Dan B on September 25, 2004 at 21:22:39 PT
You bet, goneposthole!
I agree with you 100% that this stuff needs to end, and I too focused on the load of ca-ca that "thieves raided the city's evidence locker earlier this year." I suspect that those thieves were wearing badges and carrying handguns. How else does one explain the raiding of what is supposed to be the most secure spot in the cop shop?Which means that either someone looked the other way while the "thievery" was going on, or the person who was supposed to be watching the locker was the person who stole the evidence. Either way, someone with a badge needs to be charged with theft.Dan B
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by goneposthole on September 25, 2004 at 21:15:02 PT
Thieves stole the pot from the evidence locker?
It's comical. Keystone cops to the rescue.It's time to stop this stuff. Time to legalize. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by siege on September 25, 2004 at 19:16:29 PT
                Cannabis gran
KAY DIBBEN chief reporter 26sep04
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,10874641%5E2765,00.htmlPassive smoking of cannabis 'enough to get banned'http://www.onlypunjab.com/real/fullstory-newsID-2205.htmlFremont nips pot shops in the bud
http://www.theargusonline.com/Stories/0,1413,83~1971~2426230,00.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by siege on September 25, 2004 at 18:26:30 PT
             Truth off topic 
we have an air force base about 18 miles when the big ones just get up out sight there com trial gos from white to BLACK the next day the atmosphere gos to HE** for 2 or 3 days high gos low, dry gos wet. or other way around. we are over what we are to have in rain 5 1/2 to 6 inchs. no gardens for the last 4 years they have been drowned out and rot in the ground.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by FoM on September 25, 2004 at 15:04:11 PT
wozhemp
I removed your posts. They sounded like you were telling someone off. You are new here ( just registered ) so maybe you didn't know to e-mail privately if something is wrong between you and someone else. 
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 25, 2004 at 14:14:29 PT

Dave in Florida 
Good luck to you. I know you might lose power but let us know when you can that you made it thru ok.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #5 posted by Dave in Florida on September 25, 2004 at 14:10:26 PT

Hurricanes
We just missed Charley, It hit just south of us in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. Then Frances came across the state and was just to the North of us. Then Ivan hit the pan handle. Now Jeanne is coming across the state. I hope it turns like predicted instead of heading straight for us like it shows. We are located between Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay on what the media calls "The Sun Coast" near Sarasota. Thanks for everyones concerns for all of us Floridians. I used to say "Keep florida green, bring dollars" but now I think "keep florida green, grow cannabis".
Peace
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 25, 2004 at 12:10:29 PT

Truth
I have two nephews that live in Florida. I wonder if they will stay after all of this. Florida is a beautiful state but it's too flat. I like hills and trees because they help break up storms. I remember somewhere on I-95 seeing a sign that said sea level and it was straight out from where the Interstate was. I thought oh my goodness there isn't anywhere to go if a big storm surge would come. 
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #3 posted by Truth on September 25, 2004 at 12:02:32 PT

but
with the bushies messin' with the atmosphere and all I think it could only lead to more highs, more lows, more storms, bigger storms, more hurricanes, more quakes, etc. etc. I wouldn't by land in florida, I sold mine.It's the law of nature, or should I say the rape of nature.If the world economy were based on hemp oil rather then petroleum oil we would ALL think and be healthier.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #2 posted by FoM on September 25, 2004 at 09:27:46 PT

Good Luck To All Florida Residents
Maybe this will be the last hurricane of the season. I hope everyone stays safe.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 25, 2004 at 08:32:19 PT

Off Topic: Article from The New York Times
California's Bold Step on Drug AddictionSeptember 24, 2004Intravenous-drug users who spread disease by sharing dirty needles and engaging in unprotected sex are responsible for more than a third of all the AIDS cases in the United States and more than half of the new cases of hepatitis C. Addicts will continue to drive these epidemics until the country takes a more enlightened approach to drug treatment. That means discarding the laws that criminalize needle possession because such laws encourage addicts to share needles. It also means developing large-scale treatment programs that admit addicts right away instead making them wait months or years. A blueprint for such a program has been put forward in California, which has embarked on the most ambitious drug treatment effort yet seen in the country. Complete Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/24/opinion/24fri3.html
[ Post Comment ]





  Post Comment