cannabisnews.com: Judge Rules Police Must Return 39 Marijuana Plants










  Judge Rules Police Must Return 39 Marijuana Plants

Posted by CN Staff on November 27, 2007 at 20:45:38 PT
By John Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News 
Source: Rocky Mountain News  

Colorado -- A Fort Collins couple and their lawyer plan to visit the Larimer County sheriff's office Wednesday in hopes of recovering 39 marijuana plants seized by narcotics officers during a raid at their home in August 2006.A Larimer County District Court Judge ruled Monday that authorities must return the plants and growing equipment taken from James and Lisa Masters. Their lawyer described them as medical marijuana providers for themselves and about 8 to 10 other people.
Brian Vincente, lawyer for the couple, hopes authorities have taken care of the plants as provided by the state's medical marijuana law, which was approved by voters in 2000."If they've allowed these plants to die, they've broken the law," said Vincente, executive director of Sensible Colorado, a non-profit advocacy group of medical marijuana patients.He described the ruling as the largest return of medical marijuana to a grower since the law went into effect.If the plants were destroyed, Vincente said his clients will seek compensation for the plants, which he estimated to be about $100,000.Representatives of the Sheriff Department and the Larimer County Drug Task Force could not be reached for comment Tuesday.However, Larimer County District Attorney Larry Abrahamson said his office is weighing whether to appeal the decision issued verbally in court by Judge James Hiatt."We're getting a transcript of the ruling itself," Abrahamson said. "Then we'll sit down and evaluate it."If prosecutors appeal, he said they would likely seek an order staying the judge's order to return the plants and equipment to the Masters.According to Vincente, the plants first came to authorities' attention after police accompanied a social service worker on a visit to the couple's home.Masters allowed the officer into his home on the assumption that he was protected by the medical marijuana statute, his lawyer said.Later, police raided the home using the earlier visit as the basis for a search warrant.In June 2006, Hiatt tossed out the charges against the Masters after ruling that the search warrant was illegal.Vincente argued that the officer who drafted the warrant, "wrote up a search warrant on what he had already searched."Monday's hearing concerned the issue of whether the marijuana and equipment seized was contraband or property that needed to be returned to the Masters.Hiatt heard about four hours of testimony from police as well as people who said they rely upon the couple not only for medical marijuana, but for rides to hospitals and doctors and other care.While no one had designated the Masters as caretakers at the time of the raid, Vincente argued that the couple's actions met the definition of the term as spelled out in the law.Complete Title: Judge Rules Police Must Return 39 Marijuana Plants To CoupleSource: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)Author: John Ensslin, Rocky Mountain NewsPublished: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 Copyright: 2007 Denver Publishing Co.Contact: letters rockymountainnews.comWebsite: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/Related Articles: Drug Case Against Pair Droppedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23027.shtmlCouple Cites Medical Defense in Pot Casehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22498.shtml 

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Comment #43 posted by Hope on December 01, 2007 at 19:17:52 PT
Museman
Dang. That all doesn't sound good.Humans are such fragile and vulnerable beings, it's a wonder we get on as well as we do.You can still get well, and learn to cope with that back and how to live well within the boundaries of not hurting yourself again.  
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Comment #42 posted by FoM on December 01, 2007 at 11:16:00 PT
museman
The medicine you are taking slow parastolysis. Try Activia that might help. http://www.activia.com/
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Comment #41 posted by museman on December 01, 2007 at 11:05:27 PT
Hope
I have a "degenerative spinal disease" with a wierd medical term I never remember.I am convinced that the initial damage was done during menengitis vaccine experiments conducted on some 'lucky' few like me back in 1970.I lost a lot of bone mass contributed to by smoking tobacco for 33 years, and one day I woke up with a stiff neck that turned ugly, and never went away, just moves around my spinal cord. I had a bit of recovery, but lost about 30% of my left arm muscle mass and useage.This is my lower back. I try not to do anything stressfull, but I'm still discovering things I can no longer do, like swim. I almost drowned figuring that one out.I'm not sure what tipped the scale, I think it was when I helped a guy and his wife push their truck to get it started. Stupid, but that's just me. I can't sit back and watch suffering if there is anything I can do. Lots of times there isn't, and I guess pushing vehicles has been added to the list.So I have in my ongoing spinal meltdown, either slipped a couple or one of my lumbars, or it's herniated. Sometime this month we'll probably get the fine print, after I get an MRI.I had almost recovered, when I just sat wrong in a lotus position, and 2 weeks of recovery time set back to square one. I am about 1 week recovered, the pain levels are under control for the moment, and my biggest concern is lack of bowel movements - a condition indicative of herniated or slipped disk in the lower lumbar region.Which makes me think of this;"You know you are getting old, when a common topic of your conversation is about bowel movements. The sixties were such a great s__t we're still talking about it!"
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Comment #40 posted by Hope on December 01, 2007 at 09:09:45 PT
Museman
What happened? Did you try to lift something too heavy?
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Comment #39 posted by FoM on December 01, 2007 at 06:33:23 PT
museman
Talking to a Psychiatrist seems to be part of some tests at the VA because my husband had to do that and our friend who had a Liver Transplant and then a Stroke had to do that too. She was a nice lady. Monitoring our friends health is critical to his survival and they do a good job. One time they asked our friend why he had long hair. He smiled at the nurse and said because the girls like it that way and she laughed and that was the end of that. 
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Comment #38 posted by FoM on December 01, 2007 at 06:22:09 PT
museman
I hope you can get home as soon as possible. I also hope the pain eases up. The VA isn't by any means perfect and yet they do seem to follow up with expensive tests if they are needed. Every 6 months you go in for a check up. You can set up your visit usually when you are finished with the one you are having. They do blood tests and compare them every six months and if a symptom stands out by test results or you telling them about a problem they set up more tests. Sometimes you must go to a big VA Hospital to get those tests done but you aren't charged. Wade Park is in Cleveland a long way from where we live but worth the drive. If a Veteran is too ill to make the drive himself they send a VA van to take them there. Take care, rest up, have some chicken soup (just kidding) and seriously get well soon.
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Comment #37 posted by museman on November 30, 2007 at 22:09:45 PT
FoM
It is good to have the VA there, I agree (never thought I'd say that...must be all the legal drugs I'm taking) and if it comes to that, its about 60 miles. It's just that -and I'm sure a lot of folks know what I'm saying, but the pain gets so intense, you'd think you would pass out from hyperventilating, or have a heart attack and just finish the job, but no you just get waves and waves of more pain, and time is meaningless. I don't have the kind of pain response that the AMA and FDA and DEA approve. If I have to I'll find a van to put a mattress in and at least have a shot at getting there without turning into mr medulla oblongata (no higher brain function just pain and screaming). An ambulance would work of course, but I've seen enough of their financial boondoggles and one of my sons credit record (yucchh) is wrecked because he was unfortunate enough to have a Grand Mal seizure that scared the holy crap out of me when it happened. Their collection agencies hounded him for years. When the Navy first used me as a menengitis guinea pig back in 1970, they screwed me big time. A good percentage of every doctor I have ever met except one private and one in the VA (there it is again dammit!) have all been wasted space. Don't get me going about dentists.Shrinks! Ha. The biggest joke of all 'professions.' Kind of like a chaplain telling the young men who are about to kill and be killed that 'God is on their side.' nice fairy tales, but they just don't do nothing for the pain.So I have very little faith in the medical community in this country. Some places are definitely better than others. And having done some time in Roseburg for the Rainbow Farm pot bust, Roseburg is an uncomfortable town for me. But don't worry FoM. I am making improvement. I am obviously going to have to get some kind of treatment, and for the real deal I guess the VA is my only option. After how I got treated by my own doctor, his staff, and the emergency staff at the hospital, I just don't want to give them any more. They crossed the line with me.I signed up for the new VA Health Care (new to me) and intend to take myself to White City, which is more in my neighborhood. I just have to recover enough to get home. It's going to be a month before I get in, but I'm in their data base as of this afternoon.I appreciate your concern, but don't worry. I don't like it, I'm not ready for this kind of stuff and it does help to share the feelings, maybe some of those people who are out there lurking and reading of my misery will identify and see that we have to seriously get real with our world and the terrible things being done just for greed. How the defenders of this country's ideolgy of liberty and freedom are used by unscrupulous characters with no damn soul.I guarantee that if I lived in the America my friends died for in Nam, this discussion would have never happened. They lied to us then and they're lyin' still.They lied about tobacco. They lied about sugar. They lied about DDT. They lied about Nuclear power. And they REALLY LIED ABOUT CANNABIS! They lied about everything dammit!They used and abused us, and it's all i could do through most of my life to not pick up the rock and throw it through that cadillac windshield. I never did.Not to worry. I ain't done yet. I aim to witness victory.Shalom 
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Comment #36 posted by FoM on November 30, 2007 at 17:47:34 PT
museman
Appointments and tests are set up but they told my husband in an emergency to go to the nearest VA Hospital. For us it's over 100 miles to a big hospital but it's better then no help. They will take you. Don't suffer please just go. We love you. They took my brother in law immediately and he had lived in Mexico for 10 years until the family flew down and flew him home. He went right into Intensive Care. The VA Ambulance picked him up at the airport too.
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Comment #35 posted by FoM on November 30, 2007 at 17:41:48 PT
museman
You aren't at home now right? We went to a VA Hospital today for a 3 year chest x-ray for my husband. I love the VA. I love the men that are there and the people who take care of them. I told my husband as we were going home how much I like the Veterans. A Vet heard them telling my husband where the x ray department was and he saw we were looking for it and he said it's right over there and pointed us in the right direction. The men are so polite. One thing that I believe is the discipline of being in the Armed Services helps with manners. I guess I love all of the Veterans no matter what war they were in. They are kind and make me feel like a lady.
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Comment #34 posted by museman on November 30, 2007 at 17:17:34 PT
hope#32
Well ordinarily that would be the case, but due to my condition and situation, I find myself stranded in Eugene with my sons. Lynn had to go home without me, because I cannot sit up long enough for the drive.
One of my sons has volunteered to help me with the hair, but I am goign to have to at least trim it back, because I'm currently shedding like a dog or a cat, strands of broken hair and dreads I've accidentally ripped out during my periods of delerium all over the placce where I am layting. I just began the process of getting into the VA health care system, but its going to take 30 days to process. my only other quick option is to check myself into the nearest VA hospital, which is in Roseburg oregon, about halfway between here and home. Can't handle the travel in the regular way. a situation chock full of catch 22s.
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Comment #33 posted by FoM on November 30, 2007 at 16:22:47 PT
museman
This one's for you! (Student Animation) New World Cominghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXfll2ICon0
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Comment #32 posted by Hope on November 30, 2007 at 13:13:48 PT
Museman
Don't cut your hair.Can't Mrs. Museman wash and comb and braid it for you?Braiding it will keep it under better control and it will tangle less, of course.
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Comment #31 posted by Hope on November 30, 2007 at 13:09:00 PT
I'm glad to see this. I'd missed it.
"PS: We are going to the VA Hospital tomorrow for a chest ex-ray so I will be gone for a while."
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Comment #30 posted by Hope on November 30, 2007 at 13:06:02 PT
I know that feeling, Museman.
"After 20+ years of kids here, kids there, and all their multitude of friends running across my moments without much of a break, suddenly I am on the last rung of that ladder of parenting. It's both scary and a tremendous relief. My future is a new chapter now, and frighteningly enough it's pretty much up to me to determine."Empty Nest Syndrome.It can be rough. But it is good, too. And then, if so blessed, come the grandbabies.Before the decade is out, I could experience being a great grandmother.
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Comment #29 posted by museman on November 30, 2007 at 12:20:10 PT
thanks, my friends
It is surely a struggle for me right now, an uphill battle, but there are small victories,.. like actually being able to stand up for about 3 minutes. I have years of bad habits and bad health choices to deal with. I am kind of like Humpty Dumpty right now, in pieces, trying to pull myself back together. Times of adversity seem to clear the focus of what is really important, and what is just some psychological attachment to 'being a contender' in the games and contests of modern human life.After 20+ years of kids here, kids there, and all their multitude of friends running across my moments without much of a break, suddenly I am on the last rung of that ladder of parenting. It's both scary and a tremendous relief. My future is a new chapter now, and frighteningly enough it's pretty much up to me to determine.We live in times of great import. Every thought and action has direct and observable effect on the collective perceptions and awarenesses of reality. What we choose for our reality becomes manifest and real.The fact that our culture has most of the brain cells of the greater mind bound up in waste and triviality is not just a condition of happenstance, or chance, there is millennia of deliberation behind it. For years I have labored to find the ground upon which to stand to move the earth, but the juggernaut of the blind leading the blind has always covered the space.Trying to focus on solution instead of problem, is not a skill that is taught, but it is one that we all need a crash course in. Keeping the balance between what has to be revealed as error and examined thoroughly and realisticly, and the solution, is not easy. I have one metaphorical foot planted on the threshold of that understanding, and wonders of wonders! I can see other feet starting to show up!This earth belongs to the one that created it, and for a time we recieve the opportunity to share in that bounty. For one of my fellow sojourners to expect me to give them tribute for the access and right-of-way of the providence of creation, is just perverted and sick. That's a fact, So theres no giving ground there, or the juggernaut will carry us all into great darkness. But there is a catch.In biblical mythology, Michael the Archangel wrestled with satan, and in the process had to bear all manner of foulness and false judgement, and accusation. Knowing that if he allowed himself to succumb to the accusations, he would lose the struggle, he said, "May YHWH rebuke you."It's too easy to get caught in the accusaton game, and for those of us who are warriors of Spirit, the anger and frustration at what we see can easily overwhelm our normal sensitivities, and lead us 'into the pit.'It is necessary to reveal the problems, to investigate all the nuances as much as possible, but as I have witnessed in the past few decades, there is a tendency to find yourself as much, and more of the problem, as the solution. Many book deals have been made. Prophets for profit. Blind guides. The revelation of the problems becomes mistaken for the solutions.We are builders by nature, co-creators in this miracle of life and being, but our long dark history of the blindest few leading those without a clue has made us think that we need to have nose rings being pulled by the blind guides, in order to move forward in the progress of creation. This one collective disability is perhaps the greatest barrier to success.We have to claim our reality with confidence, trust in our Spiritual Nature, as well as our physical host. I know, you know that cannabis is the best example of what I mean.Is it 'harmful' like the blind guides want you to repeat after them? Not in the least. Is it a healing agent? Most definitely. Is it my 'god given right' to avail myself of it's benefits? Absolutely! Are cops, lawyers, politicians, doctors, or rich people God?The reality that I choose to live in does not give these people that power, so why should anyone else? Unless they just have some kind of kinky need to be dominated. There are no real people in evidence within the walls of status quo, so why keep feeding the false illusion?Freedom comes with embracure of the truth, because only the truth is real. Forced compliance of falsehoods should be denied wholisticly, and very soon.I have seen the sun rise on a new age. I have had the elemental spirits dance to the strains of my psychedelic guitar, the trees speak to me. My fellow creatures have paraded their being in front of my awareness for decades before I actually saw, and what I see is just so far beyond this crappy illuison of man's society that there is no going back ("What fool clings to blindness when he's been allowed to see?")It is a new day. A new millennium. The first order of business is to clean up the BS. Deny, and refuse to be part of the problem (a real labor of love if there ever was) and then we can start building like we should have so many aeons past.I hope my ramblings are not too far from your grasp. When all is revealed, I hope you all know that my heart and intention is at its best, the same as anyone striving to align with the truth. There is much work ahead of us, more struggle, and always challenge to spur the adventurous. Despite my angst, frustration, and pain, I believe in us.peace
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Comment #28 posted by Had Enough on November 30, 2007 at 06:39:01 PT
Museman Is Valid... we all are...
“ Invalid. That's not just a term for someone suffering form debilitating disease, it's also the way our government and conforming physicians (and I bet they all go to church and sing hymns about love, forgiveness, compassion, and charity) designates it's cast off fodder from past wars- the scarred survivors.”They do go to church, sing songs about forgiveness of sins, love thy neighbor, yada yada yada. One hour after, business as usual... Hate thy neighbor but don't forget to say grace!!!... selfishness…Some think an hour a week forgives all the damage they leave behind in their wake.We are all valid. The puritans can’t see or hear themselves.Heal up & keep us updated. Many thoughts are with you…Keep the hair if you can, I’d like my ponytail back, back to where it/we once belonged, halfway down my back.Beatles performing Get Back live on a London Rooftop.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlWFpdPX45g
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on November 29, 2007 at 17:42:27 PT

Museman
I am so very sorry. Please have someone tell us if you go into the hospital. Please tell us what hospital. My sister said the VA Intensive Care floor was great when her husband had to be there. You jump thru hoops at the VA but not when it is serious. You'll be in my prayers.PS: We are going to the VA Hospital tomorrow for a chest ex-ray so I will be gone for a while.
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Comment #26 posted by Hope on November 29, 2007 at 17:15:35 PT

Museman
Man, I'm sorry to hear you're completely laid up. I hope you get some relief from your pain and get to feeling better soon.
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Comment #25 posted by museman on November 29, 2007 at 15:40:50 PT

#4,,
As I lie on my back, unable to sit, walk, stand, or otherwise function normally, (I am using a laptop) I find the spectre of the VA hospital looming large in my future. Because of the greedy nature of the insurance companies, the credit system , the bankers, and a lot of the doctors themselves (like mine -what a spoiled golf ball he is!) I cannot even get a straight answer about dealing with my condition.I am so doped from crappy pain meds like hydrocodone, oxycodone, muscle relaxers, anti-inflamatories, that the only time I even feel like it's worth seeking one pain-free moment, is when I smoke. It's the only reason I feel human enough to type this post.Before my recent relapse, I was able to watch M. Moore's Sicko. Man this country is F--KED UP!Feed the beast, keep producing cannon fodder, believe the lies the politicians spout... NOT ONE OF THEM HAS EVER DONE ANYTHING outside their own need for power FOR ANY ONE not in their immediate circle...actually sounds like the American Credo at this point. It is ironic that so many people are herded around like slaves, servants, and chattel, by such a tiny but powerful group of psychic/spiritual deviants with all the tools of coercion, brainwashing, and manipulation at their disposal.I am anything but proud to be a veteran (just a fool who survived, sortof) of this damned illusion of a nation, but nevertheless, I performed my 'duty and service' HONORABLY and should not be left out in the place of condemnation, profiling, accusation, and in general being ignored by the more fortunate for the simple fact of their oppulent ignorance. I may have to cut my hair now because I haven't been able to brush it in over a week of insaity in the pain department- its completely matted and looking quite dread.Invalid. That's not just a term for someone suffering form debilitating disease, it's also the way our goverment and conforming physicians (and I bet they all go to church and sing hymns about love, forgiveness, compassion, and chariy) designates it's cast off fodder from past wars- the scarred survivors. I am not valid. The only real voice I have is right here.As the last of the ww2 vets slowly fade away, there's an abundance of vietnam vets still suffering from that war.I have more to say, but pain wins. I must desist.peace

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Comment #24 posted by greenmed on November 29, 2007 at 11:31:47 PT

Dankhank
I agree with you, the police would never grow, but wouldn't it set a great precedent! In the future, I expect, they won't make that type of seizure if there's the threat of a monetary suit. Sue 'em.
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Comment #23 posted by Dankhank on November 29, 2007 at 11:12:27 PT

greenmed
great idea, but see the cops growing Cannabis ???never happen ...plus, it's been said many a time in here that the best way to budge a prohib is to get into his/her/their wallet ...sue them to oblivion ...
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Comment #22 posted by greenmed on November 29, 2007 at 08:36:38 PT

They let them die
If the Larimer County Sheriff's Department allowed the plants to die, the least the city could do, and possibly avoid the $100,000.00 litigation, would be to procure some Cannabis seed packets of varieties of Mr. and Ms. Masters' choosing, and grow them out, giving the Masters well-rooted plants to restart their caregiving grow.
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Comment #21 posted by fight_4_freedom on November 28, 2007 at 22:08:25 PT:

They let them die
Judge: Pot Plants Must Be Returned To CoupleMike Hooker
Reporting(CBS4) FORT COLLINS, Colo. A couple from Fort Collins is threatening to file a lawsuit if police don't return their marijuana plants that they seized during a raid alive. Police say there's no way they'll return them.A judge ruled Monday that the 39 marijuana plants were seized illegally more than 15 months ago. But Wednesday, the Fort Collins city attorney filed a motion asking the judge to reconsider, so returning the pot is now on hold.The police spokeswoman said the plants are in evidence and they're dead, but the couple's attorney said police are required to keep the plants alive."The law cannot be more clear, the Colorado constitution clearly says that any marijuana plants seized in association with the claimed used of medical marijuana need to be unharmed by law enforcement agents," said Brian Vincente, Executive Director of Sensible Colorado. "Essentially, when police confiscate marijuana designated for medical use, they need not to destroy those plants. In fact, they need to upkeep those plants so they don't become damaged."Sensible Colorado advocates for people who use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Vincente said using government figures, the plants are worth more than a $100,000."If the plants are dead, we will take legal action against the city," Vincente said. "We feel they have violated the constitution and we feel that our patients should be compensated for their property which was taken."Police referred questions about the drug task and the seized marijuana plants to the city attorney. He said he couldn't comment on the case since it's in litigation.Now both sides are waiting to see if the judge changes his mind about ordering the now dead pot plants returned to their legal owners.The couple with the marijuana, James and Lisa Masters, was not licensed as medical marijuana caregivers when police searched their home, but earlier this year a judge found they did qualify for caregiver status and threw out criminal charges against them.

http://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_332223209.html
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on November 28, 2007 at 18:23:32 PT

fight_4_freedom 
I doubt it too.
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Comment #19 posted by fight_4_freedom on November 28, 2007 at 18:22:22 PT:

Half hour left
I'm hoping to see some type of cannabis question asked. The way it's going I doubt it's going to happen though. We shall see.
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Comment #18 posted by Max Flowers on November 28, 2007 at 17:57:37 PT

Ron Paul blows them all away
Yeah, Ron Paul kicked ASS. People love hearing the truth. There's a big article in the SF Chronicle today about how he's no longer a fringe candidate...
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on November 28, 2007 at 17:26:40 PT

Dankhank
We're watching it and it is kinda funny to me.
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Comment #16 posted by Dankhank on November 28, 2007 at 17:03:38 PT

repug youtube debate ...
starting now on CNN
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on November 28, 2007 at 16:49:55 PT

Update from The Coloradoan
Judge Denies City Request To Reconsider Marijuana DecisionNovember 28, 2007Colorado -- A judge has denied a city request to reconsider his ruling to return marijuana to a Fort Collins couple who are medical marijuana patients and act as caregivers for other patients.Chief District Court Judge James Hiatt denied the motion, which was filed this morning by the City Attorney’s Office, this afternoon. The motion sought to block the return of the marijuana seized in August 2006 from the home of James and Lisa Masters. 
“Intervention by the city of Fort Collins and (Fort Collins Police Services) in this criminal case needlessly expands this litigation and is not necessary for the City to assert any defenses regarding this court’s order, and to have its “day in court,” if relief is sough against it by (the couple) due to the order to return property,” Hiatt wrote in the order.The cultivation and possession charges against the couple were dropped in June after Hiatt ruled that the search that led to the search warrant was illegal.He ruled Monday that the property seized — which included paraphernalia, growing equipment and 39 marijuana plants in various stages of growth — be returned.A provision of the medical marijuana amendment requires that property seized in connection with the claimed use of medical marijuana be returned following an acquittal at trial, the dropping of charges or a decision not to prosecute.See Thursday's Coloradoan for more. Copyright: 2007 The Fort Collins Coloradoanhttp://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071128/UPDATES01/71128040
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on November 28, 2007 at 16:23:56 PT

News Article from The Orange County Register
Court Orders Garden Grove Police To Return Seized Pot***Wednesday, November 28, 2007Ruling by state appeal judges is a win for medical marijuana patients, advocates say.SANTA ANA – The Garden Grove Police Department must return seized marijuana to a medical marijuana patient, a state appeals court ruled today, setting a precedent for police agencies statewide to refrain from such seizures.Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.ocregister.com/news/marijuana-law-kha-1931328-state-garden
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Comment #13 posted by mayan on November 28, 2007 at 16:03:01 PT

"Evidence" "Destroyed"
Brian Vincente, lawyer for the couple, hopes authorities have taken care of the plants as provided by the state's medical marijuana law, which was approved by voters in 2000.Yeah, right. The cops probably smoked it all months ago. Maybe that's why they don't want to turn it over!THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...Society of St. Pius X Catholic Bishop: 9-11 Was an Inside Job:
http://mujca.com/williamson.htmAlleged Trainer Of 9/11 Hijackers a CIA Informant:
http://prisonplanet.com/articles/november2007/271107_cia_informant.htmThe Dentist, the 9/11 Hijackers, and the FBI -- Video from Collateral News:
http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=2007112884651875Barrett Responds to Scripps' "Many Americans Still Believe in Conspiracies":
http://mujca.com/scrippsnewsletter.htmAE911Truth.org: Announcing A Massive Membership Drive!
http://911blogger.com/node/126859/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB - OUR NATION IS IN PERIL:
http://www.911sharethetruth.com/

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Comment #12 posted by FoM on November 28, 2007 at 15:43:19 PT

They Threw a Pot Confab and No One Came 
Wednesday, November 28, 2007What if you arrange a meeting to tell parents how to recognize when their kids are using marijuana and no one shows up?That's what happened in Aberdeen last night. A group called Positively Parents scheduled an informational meeting at which a police officer was to make a presentation on what to look for when kids are using pot. No one showed up.Complete Article: http://northernbeacon.blogspot.com/2007/11/they-threw-pot-confab-and-no-one-came.html
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on November 28, 2007 at 14:28:15 PT

fight_4_freedom 
I saw a program on tv that now the Taliban guards the poppies because they know that an addicted nation will fall so they use it for their gain. Vietnam was the same with heroin back then. Supplied by the people of Vietnam to the soldiers. 
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Comment #10 posted by fight_4_freedom on November 28, 2007 at 14:20:02 PT:

Government selling out
Two years before this, three Canadian activists were arrested in Halifax by the RCMP at the request of the American Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). These three now face extradition to the US and life imprisonment in its overstuffed prison system.One of the three could also face the death penalty. In Canada, no legal action was taken against two of the activists and fines totaling $5000 were given to the other. Not one of them has a criminal record.
full article
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Comment #9 posted by fight_4_freedom on November 28, 2007 at 14:05:57 PT:

military.com article
"ABC News was able to interview numerous U.S. servicemembers who say they turned to drugs to help cope with their PTSD symptoms.Gamal Awad, a former major in the U.S. Marine Corps, said he smokes marijuana to help cope with PTSD. Awad was first diagnosed with PTSD by a Marine psychiatrist after the 2001 attack on the Pentagon during which he said he picked severed limbs out of the rubble."
http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,157153,00.html
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Comment #8 posted by fight_4_freedom on November 28, 2007 at 13:48:51 PT:

Douglas County, Oregon
Drug abuse at the forefront of local concerns, panel told
	
JOHN SOWELL, jsowell newsreview.info
November 28, 2007Last year, Douglas County sheriff’s deputies were called to Mercy Medical Center after a 10-month-old child was treated after ingesting methamphetamine.The child’s mother, who also had two other young children at home, told officers she and her boyfriend had consumed meth earlier that morning. However, authorities were unable to determine how the baby got the illegal drug into its system.All three children were taken into protective custody. Three months later, the mother was re-arrested, again on meth charges, Janet Judd, executive director of the Douglas County Methamphetamine Task Force, told members of the Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse at a meeting Tuesday in Roseburg.Five members of the 13-member statewide panel, which currently has three vacancies, took part in two days of meetings in Roseburg. The group meets 10 times a year in Salem and scheduled visits to two counties annually.The council heard from representatives of 14 different groups during the daylong session Tuesday at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center. Information presented will be used in a biennial report to Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The report examines drug and alcohol abuse problems in the state and makes recommendations for improving the situation.Authorities are starting to see a second generation of meth users locally, Judd said, and problems caused by the extremely addictive drug are growing. It’s increasingly difficult to “get kids out of the addiction loop,” she said.Judd called drug use the single greatest preventable health problem in Douglas County. Raising public awareness only scratches the surface in dealing with the problem, she said.“In order to make a lasting impact, it will take fundamental changes to the system to get people adequate treatment when they want it and need it,” Judd said. “Like other chronic medical conditions, it’s not a problem we expect to go away after an initial treatment plans or multiple treatment plans. It must be managed appropriately over a lifespan.”The council also heard that southwestern Oregon ranks among the top 3 percent among areas in the United States for abuse of prescription opiate drugs. John Gardin, a psychologist at Roseburg-based ADAPT, said prescription opiates are the fastest-growing drugs of abuse in the country.Last year, there were more new people abusing that class of drugs than started using marijuana, he said.ADAPT is taking part in a three-year study being conducted by Harvard University on treatment of prescription opiate abusers. Thirty-four participants are being monitored locally, and ADAPT is looking for up to 20 more.Several of the people who spoke Tuesday expressed frustration with the mixed message society sends teenagers by decrying drug use while at the same time condoning the use of marijuana for medical purposes.Douglas County ranks fifth in the state in the number of residents with medical marijuana cards issued by the Department of Human Services. A total of 1,033 Douglas County residents are registered in the program. The four counties at the top of the list, Multnomah, Lane, Jackson and Clackamas, have much larger populations than Douglas County’s 104,675.Kathe Linden, executive director for Douglas County Communities Aligned to Prevent Substance Abuse, which works to prevent substance abuse among teenagers and in the workplace, said it was ironic that the Alternative Medicine Outreach Program, which prescribes medical marijuana for a significant number of its patients, is located near Roseburg High School.“We’re telling out kids ‘Don’t do drugs,’ and, yet, across the street, drugs are medicine. So that conflicting message to our kids really fuels some of the high rates of substance abuse,” Linden said.Linden also told the council how area employers struggle to maintain a drug-free workforce.Bill Hall, a Lincoln County commissioner from Newport who serves on the council, said Douglas County faces many of the same issues found in other counties. The council continually hears about the inadequacy of resources for treatment and prevention of drug and alcohol abuse and pushes for higher funding levels.He said he was impressed by the number of public and private nonprofit agencies that work together here to combat problems with substance abuse.“This is one of the stronger communities that I’ve seen in terms of collaboration,” Hall said. “There’s a lot to be proud of in this county.”• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell newsreview.info.Well, Drugs are Medicine Kathe Linden. And if you are so serious about this horrible message we are sending the kids, why don't you petition to try and remove every rite-aid, walgreens, and every other DRUG store on every corner in America? Let's just stop providing all citizens of the united states with their medicines, that way we can send a good message to our kids.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on November 28, 2007 at 11:34:57 PT

City Seeks To Block Turnover of Marijuana
November 28, 2007Colorado -- The city of Fort Collins has filed a motion asking a judge to reconsider his decision to return marijuana to a Fort Collins couple who use medical marijuana and provide it to other medical marijuana patients.Chief District Court Judge James Hiatt ruled Monday that James and Lisa Masters were entitled to get back their property — including paraphernalia, growing equipment and the marijuana plants themselves — which was seized from the Fort Collins couple’s home last August. The couple had planned to retrieve the property from Fort Collins police today. 
The marijuana was found by officers who accompanied child welfare workers to the home, but cultivation and possession charges against the couple were dropped in June after Hiatt ruled that the search that led to the search warrant was illegal.A provision of the medical marijuana amendment requires that property seized in connection in connection with the claimed use of medical marijuana be returned following an acquittal at trial, the dropping of charges or a decision not to prosecute. See Coloradoan.com for updates. Copyright: 2007 The Fort Collins Coloradoanhttp://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071128/UPDATES01/71128022
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Comment #6 posted by fight_4_freedom on November 28, 2007 at 09:42:39 PT:

Dispensary Denial
Supes Deny Permit For Medical Marijuana Dispensary Near SonomaSANTA ROSA, Calif. -- Sonoma County's Board of Supervisors denied a use permit late Tueday afternoon for a medical cannabis dispensary off Riverside Drive just outside the limits of the City of Sonoma.The 3-0 vote with two board members absent came after a three-hour hearing. Most of those who spoke during the public portion of the hearing favored the proposal by Dona Frank who operates the Organic Cannabis Foundation of Northern California dispensary on Santa Rosa Avenue in Santa Rosa.But Sonoma area neighbors said they are concerned about traffic, crime and reduced property values they believed the dispensary would cause.The proposed dispensary within an existing 2,624-square foot commercial space occupied by other commercial uses is 53.16 feet within the nearest residential zoning district. The county's ordinance that regulates medical marijuana dispensaries requires a 100-foot setback."I missed it by 46.84 feet," a disappointed Frank said after the hearing.Board Chair Valerie Brown, in whose district the dispensary would have been located, and Supervisor Mike Kerns said they were mainly concerned with the location of the dispensary so close to a residential area in violation of the ordinance. Supervisor Tim Smith agreed but also cited concerns about traffic and security."I hate deviating from an ordinance we worked so hard on. The burden (to obtain a use permit) falls on the applicant to assuage the fears of the neighbors," Smith said.The county's Permit and Resource Management Department recommended denying the use permit "based on the proximity to a residential neighborhood and compatibility concerns related to noise, crime, and presence of school children in the vicinity."Lisa Gygax, Frank's attorney, called the decision a "backwards ban."No existing medical marijuana dispensaries in the county, two in Santa Rosa and one in Sebastopol, are more than 100 feet from a residential area, Gygax said after the hearing.Frank's proposed dispensary was the first application for a dispensary in the unincorporated area of the county. Proponents of the dispensary said other commercial units operating in the building on the 4.14-acre site do not have use permits.Frank said her dispensary in Santa Rosa, which has been operating for three years, does not have a permit and is surrounded on three sides by residential zones. It opened before a permit was required."No one can traverse this ordinance. The rules are so strict, no one in the county can comply. I feel the deck is stacked and they know it," Frank said.Copyright 2007 by KTVU.com and Bay City News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Comment #5 posted by fight_4_freedom on November 28, 2007 at 09:18:00 PT:

I never knew they had to take care of the plants
"If they've allowed these plants to die, they've broken the law," said Vincente, executive director of Sensible Colorado, a non-profit advocacy group of medical marijuana patients. If the plants were destroyed, Vincente said his clients will seek compensation for the plants, which he estimated to be about $100,000."They took the plants in August of 06'. Which is like 15 months ago. So it'll be interesting to see if they actually took care of them.I wonder if they added this as a stipulation in the Michigan initiative. I'll have to check that out later today.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on November 28, 2007 at 06:17:55 PT

For Veterans, Marijuana Can Mean Life
November 28, 2007Switching from marijuana to legal "prescribed" drugs can be a killer.http://www.salem-news.com/articles/november282007/med_mj_lifedeath_112107.php
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on November 28, 2007 at 05:41:42 PT

Just a Comment
I wish them good luck and I hope it works out for them.I can't find any news but I think that we all are getting caught up in the holiday season and doing other things that we feel are important but after the holidays things will be on a roll again. I won't wish time away but 08 will be an interesting year. I have hope for change more now then I ever had. 
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Comment #2 posted by runruff on November 28, 2007 at 02:17:28 PT:

Glory hallelujah.
Just imagine one day when this will be the norm and not the exception. Imagine one day, when politicians and public servants are actually obeying the will of the people. This incident looks a lot like justice, wouldn't we just love to see an outbreak of justice across the land. Articles like this one does give us hope.
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Comment #1 posted by fight_4_freedom on November 27, 2007 at 21:18:50 PT:

Judge Rules Police Must Return 39 plants. 
Doesn't that sentence have a really nice ring to it??? 
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