cannabisnews.com: Political Refugee or Drug Dealer? Political Refugee or Drug Dealer? Posted by FoM on October 28, 1999 at 07:20:28 PT By Barry Kliff, MSNBC Source: MSNBC When Renee Boje went to a friend’s house back in the summer of 1997 to discuss providing artwork for a book on the medical uses of marijuana, she never dreamed the meeting would mushroom into an international incident. Next week, in a courtroom in Vancouver, British Columbia, it does. BOJE, WHO HAS been charged with conspiring to sell marijuana, is fighting extradition to the United States on the grounds that she is a political refugee — a refugee from the war on drugs. Her extradition hearing is set for Nov. 1. If convicted, the 30-year-old native of Staten Island, N.Y., faces 10 years to life in a U.S. prison. Not surprisingly, her strategy has raised a few eyebrows. “We’ve never heard of anyone trying this before and our organization is in the forefront of this area,” said Robert Garner, who specializes in refugee cases for Amnesty International. “People make political refugee claims for a number of reasons, but this is the first one like this I’ve ever run into.” But Boje, a U.S. citizen, insists her claim is valid. “The U.S. system lets murderers and rapists go free. The only reason I’m being persecuted is because of my political beliefs about the medicinal value of marijuana, said Boje, a freelance artist, now living in British Columbia. “I’m a political refugee in every sense of the word.” CLAIM IS ‘NONSENSE’ Officials at the Justice Department say that’s nonsense. “This was not a nickel bag case, there were several thousand marijuana plants at her friend’s house,” said Thom Mrozek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. “She was indicted and charged because she broke a federal law. This case has nothing to do with her political beliefs.” ‘This was not a nickel bag case, there were several thousand marijuana plants at her friend’s house.’ — THOM MROZEKU.S. Attorney's Office Even so, Justice Department officials and Boje’s lawyer agree that her unprecedented legal gambit could have far reaching implications about both the medical uses of marijuana and defining who should qualify as a political refugee. “We will be trying to show that the United States is acting like an oppressive regime when it comes to the war on drugs,” said Boje’s lawyer, John Conroy of Abbotsford, British Columbia. ” As an oppressive regime, they are taking unjust actions against people like Renee.” CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 215 Boje’s troubles began July 1997, while she was visiting the California mansion of Todd McCormick, a high-profile advocate of the use of medical marijuana. At the time, McCormick was cultivating several thousand marijuana plants for what he said were medicinal purposes. Both McCormick and Boje are strong supporters of California’s Proposition 215, which legalizes marijuana for medical use. Under federal law, however, using marijuana is still considered a crime. Testing marijuana as medicine http://www.msnbc.com/news/289116.asp A few days later, Boje and several others were arrested. Police say she was cultivating the plants for sale. Boje insists she was only discussing doing the artwork for a book on the medical uses of marijuana that McCormick wanted her to illustrate. In October, Boje learned that the charges against her had been dropped. But in the spring of 1998, she fled to Canada after being tipped by a friend that the charges were going to be reinstated. Boje came to the attention of Canadian police in February, 1999 after she and several other people were arrested for growing marijuana in British Columbia for the Compassion Club of Vancouver. A registered charity, the Compassion Club supplies seriously ill people with marijuana for medical uses. In Canada, however, Boje’s lawyer said his client faces a maximum of seven years in jail — not life in prison as in the United States — if she’s convicted for aiding and abetting marijuana cultivation. On a first offense, Conroy says it’s likely she would just receive a fine. U.S. PRISON SYSTEM ON TRIAL Conroy, however, will not be limiting his defense to differences in the drug laws between the United States and Canada. Boje’s lawyer plans to put the entire U.S. justice system on trial in Canada by citing Amnesty International reports on the abuse of women in U.S. prisons. In March, Amnesty International released a report called “Rough Justice for Women Behind Bars.” In this report, the U.S. prison system is criticized for reports of rape and other forms of sexual abuse, lack of medical care and lengthy periods of confinement in so-called super-maximum units. Amnesty International: Rough justice for women behind bars in USA http://www.amnesty.org/news/1999/25103299.htm Boje says that during her three days in prison after her initial arrest, she was not given any food and strip-searched more than a dozen times in the presence of male prison guards. Conroy is planning to argue that Canada should not send anyone to prison system where they will be “abused.” “It’s been shown that women are abused in U.S. prisons and Canada should not be sending people there,” he said. LEGAL PROCESS COULD TAKE YEARS U.S. officials say they don’t expect the Canadian judge will give much credence to arguments about conditions in American prisons when deciding Boje’s case. They also said they will seek another extradition hearing if their case is rejected. “We have a treaty with Canada and we expect them to abide by this treaty,” said John Russell, a Department of Justice spokesman in Washington. Irene Arseaneau is a spokeswoman for Canada’s Justice Ministry. Because the Boje case is now before the courts, Arseaneau said she can not comment on it specifically. ‘I shouldn’t have to spend the rest of my life in prison just because I support the medical use of marijuana. What I did was both legal and compassionate.’ — RENEE BOJE But she did explain that under Canadian law, people challenging an extradition order can have their claim for refugee status heard at the same time. Before any decision is made, the case is also reviewed by the Minister of Immigration. Once a decision is reached, it can be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. Legal experts point out even if Boje is unsuccessful in her bid to obtain refugee status, Canadian officials can still refuse to extradite her to the United States. “The whole process might not be decided for a matter of years,” Areseneau said. That prospect, suits Bojee just fine. ” I shouldn’t have to spend the rest of my life in prison just because I support the medical use of marijuana,” she said. “What I did was both legal and compassionate.” Newshawk: CryotePubdate: October 27, 1999Related Articles & Web Site:Renee Boje Case Could Bring Scrutiny To MMJ - 10/20/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3356.shtmlCanada and US in Drug Debate - 10/18/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3333.shtmlRenee Boje's International Indictment - 10/16/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3309.shtmlCanada: Drug War Refugee Faces New Challenges - 10/08/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3205.shtmlWanted American Flees To Canada - 9/26/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3035.shtml CRRH Video:http://www.crrh.org/hemptv/docs_mmjvd.htmlGrow Medicine - Todd McCormickhttp://growmedicine.com/Click the link and vote for Renee Boje's Freedom!http://www.msnbc.com/news/325980.asp?cp1=1#BODY Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by Doc-Hawk on October 28, 1999 at 09:08:55 PT: The War On Some Drugs Continues The War on Some Drugs continues unabated. Worse yet, the war is begin best and most vigorously persecuted again medical marijuana. Let us hope that the Canadian Courts have the good sense and courage to tell the prohibitionists in the US that their war is an unjust and immoral crusade against their fellow Americans.For more on the conditions of women incarcerate in the US, just check out the latest news....or: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1169/a12.html?397 .Then go to the link below to help Renee financially...she needs it!I may be just a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.... Someday my cannabis certificate may be redeemable, but until then everyone needs to get involved. Renee Boje Defense Fund [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: