cannabisnews.com: Soros Group Funded Case for Medical Marijuana





Soros Group Funded Case for Medical Marijuana
Posted by FoM on August 08, 2000 at 09:14:38 PT
By Nate Hendley, National Post
Source: National Post
A Toronto man who won the legal right to use marijuana for medicinal purposes received financial support from a U.S. think-tank funded by billionaire philanthropist George Soros.The Lindesmith Center gave more than US $25,000 to help cover Terry Parker's legal bills. Mr. Parker uses the drug to fight his severe epilepsy. Last month, the Ontario Court of Appeal not only upheld his right to use marijuana, but it declared Canada's cannabis law to be unconstitutional. 
The court gave Parliament 12 months to rewrite the legislation so legitimate patients can get medicinal cannabis.Founded in 1994, the Lindesmith Center wants to "end marijuana prohibition for adults" and soften drug laws in general, said director Ethan Nadelmann.This summer, the Lindesmith Center merged with the Drug Policy Foundation and is now "the leading organization in the United States advocating alternative drug policies," Mr. Nadelmann said.It has helped draft medical marijuana initiatives that have passed in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Maine and Nevada. It is now backing a California ballot initiative that would divert drug offenders into treatment instead of prison.It also operates an annual US $125,000 defence fund to cover the legal expenses of those seeking to change drug laws through the courts.In 1997, Toronto criminal lawyer Aaron Harnett approached the Lindesmith Center to help cover court costs for his client, Mr. Parker, who had been charged the previous year with growing cannabis plants in his apartment.The Lindesmith Center provided a few thousand dollars for expert witnesses who testified at Mr. Parker's trial about the medical efficacy of marijuana.Mr. Parker won his case and the Lindesmith Center dramatically boosted its support so Mr. Harnett could fight off a Crown appeal. Mr. Parker won that appeal last month.Over a two-year period, the Lindesmith Center provided Mr. Harnett and one other lawyer a total of roughly US $25,000. These funds covered day-to-day legal expenses and the cost of providing more expert witnesses for cross examination, says Mr. Harnett.He calls it "money well spent."Mr. Harnett doesn't see anything unusual about using U.S. dollars to pay for a court case in Canada."It's naive to think our drug policies are unrelated to American drug policies," he said. "I don't see anything offensive about taking a North American approach to drug policy reform."The Lindesmith Center enjoys a high profile in the United States, largely because of generous funding from George Soros, a wealthy currency speculator who runs an international investment fund.Born in 1930 in Hungary, he survived that country's takeover by Germany and then fled to England in 1947.Mr. Soros has devoted millions to fight what he perceives as threats to democracy.Last year, Mr. Soros's charities handed out more than half-a-billion dollars, to fund everything from establishing e-mail access in poor countries to developing democracy in eastern Europe.Since the mid-1990s, Mr. Soros has also pumped tens of millions of dollars into organizations opposed to the so-called "war on drugs."In addition to footing most of the Lindesmith Center's $3-million annual budget, Mr. Soros gave $1-million in 1996 to promote ballot initiatives that legalized medical marijuana in California and decriminalized drug use in Arizona.Now, Mr. Soros's money might lead to major drug law reforms in Canada: Within days of the appeal court's ruling, Anne McLellan, the Justice Minister, said Ottawa would consider reducing penalties for possessing marijuana.The Parker ruling also might open the door to a legal medical marijuana market in Canada. Such a move would be welcomed by U.S. activists who complain their federal government remains bitterly opposed to the medical use of pot."If medical marijuana can be accepted in Canada, by its people and judicial system, and if medical marijuana distribution centres can be set up by government and police, certainly the same thing can be done 60 miles away in the United States," said Daniel Abrahamson, director of Lindesmith legal affairs.Contact Information:http://www.nationalpost.com/contactus/Write a Letter to the Editor:http://www.nationalpost.com/contactus/edletter/Published: August 8, 2000Copyright © 2000 National Post Online Related Articles & Web Sites:The Lindesmith Centerhttp://www.lindesmith.org/Ontario Court Says Law Against MJ Unconstitutionalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6576.shtmlCannabisNews Search - Lindesmith Centerhttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=Lindesmith
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Comment #3 posted by observer on August 08, 2000 at 12:47:56 PT
Soros $
I hope I didn't come down too hard on the poor Post! Still, by dwelling on "Soros $" the Post is right on message...When voters in California and Arizona passed ballot measures legalizing medicinal marijuana in November 1996, White House drug czar Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey mobilized his troops . . .During the meeting, attendees viewed television commercials paid for during the elections by proponents of the medical marijuana initiatives. The notes summarize the remarks of Orange County Sheriff Gates as follows: "Money made the diff. on [California's] Prop 215. $2 million spent - advertising campaign - Drug Policy Foundation - Soros $." The last references are to a reform group and billionaire financier George Soros, a major financial backer of medical use initiatives. A second participant, who requested anonymity, told Salon, "People were talking of Soros money at the meeting. . . "Fighting Cheech & Chong Medicinehttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread6533.shtml more Soros articles herehttp://www.cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=Soros&H=40&T=B"Soros $" is a constant propaganda theme that prohibitionists hit at over and over. The initiatives that people vote for, the propositions that majorities have passed, and now this Ontario Court of Appeal ruling is presented as somehow tarnished because it was just "Soros money." Comparing such articles over time, it seems that the resources by the government spent to criminalize adults who use cannabis are not mentioned. So these types of articles that dwell on "Soros $" seem to be mixed blessings, at best. 
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Comment #2 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on August 08, 2000 at 10:57:01 PT:
Controversy
I am glad this article appeared. The headline appears to raise controversy, but the overall impression of the article is one that a fair person would interpret as supportive and thought-provoking. McCaffrey and his henchmen would like to imply that Mr. Soros and other donors are subverting the Amerikan consciousness and bribing judges with their filthy lucre. Rather, what they are providing is a forum for debate, and the opportunity to allow rationality to prevail. The drug warriors appear in contrast as desperate propagandists who are mean-spirited and dogmatic. The public is slowly understanding the distinction.
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Comment #1 posted by observer on August 08, 2000 at 09:55:43 PT
Balance? What is the Government Spending?
And how much did the Canadian government spend to prosecute the ailing Mr. Parker? Not one word. Completely silent on this point. Not even an estimate.Why do you think they forgot to mention this little detail? Same reason, perhaps, as most articles on "legalizing marijuana" (small print: for medical purposes) just happen to accidently forget to mention the detail of PRISON, and like to argue the relative health merits or this or that, instead? Is it that they can't (knowingly) report facts that would cast in a negative light the governments' ruthless oppression of adults who use cannabis?I think I understand. Rest assured: whatever Soros (bless his heart) tossed Mr. Parker's way is a mere pittance, a tiny sliver of a fraction of the amount that the Canadian government has spent and is spending to prosecute the man. But, this piece don't mention how much the government is spending to prosecute Mr. Parker. That fact must be so unimportant that the National Post just couldn't squeeze it in. 
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