cannabisnews.com: Kubby Asks Supes To Stop Pot Raids 





Kubby Asks Supes To Stop Pot Raids 
Posted by FoM on March 21, 2001 at 07:13:31 PT
By Mike Fitch, Journal Staff Writer 
Source: Auburn Journal 
Steve Kubby made an unusual appearance before the Placer County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, seeking its help in ending a contentious legal battle over medical use of marijuana.Wife Michele also addressed the board, calling for a negotiated end to the battle. The couple spoke during a part of the meeting set aside for public comments on topics not already on the board agenda.
Supervisors listened attentively to the Kubbys, but didn't say anything in response. Legally, the board can't act on topics brought up during public comments, but can schedule them for discussion at later meetings."I was not surprised they didn't respond," Steve Kubby said afterward. "We had no right to expect any response."At the heart of the controversy is confusion over Proposition 215, a law passed by the state's voters in 1996 that allows people to possess marijuana for medical use if they have the blessing of doctors.On one hand, the Kubbys and their supporters charge the county Sheriff's Department frequently ignores the law, saying deputies are in the habit of sometimes mounting overzealous raids against people who are legally growing marijuana for medical purposes."These raids are wrong. They're immoral," Michele Kubby told supervisors. "I understood that in the United States of America, if you passed a law, it was followed."Department officials say they are just doing their jobs as best they can, noting they have no state or local guidelines on how to carry out Proposition 215."We are, in fact, pursing that very issue," said Sheriff's Lt. Rick Armstrong Tuesday, emphasizing that local and state authorities are working to develop the needed guidelines.A lingering hard-to-answer question is: What is the dividing line between the amount of marijuana a person needs to grow for medical uses and the amount that signals a person is cultivating marijuana for sale."That's a difficult issue," Armstrong said, reporting his department walks away from raids when it's convinced people are legitimately cultivating marijuana for medical use, as allowed by Proposition 215.The medical marijuana controversy has dominated the Kubbys' lives since a January 1999 raid on their Olympic Valley home netted 265 marijuana plants. Steve Kubby says he needs marijuana to help battle a rare form of adrenal cancer.The couple faced felony charges arising from the raid, but those charges were dropped recently after a mistrial was declared in the case. At that point, the jury was leaning 11-1 in favor of acquittal.At Tuesday's meeting, Steve Kubby said he feels vindicated by the decision to drop the felony charges."But that really doesn't affect you," he told supervisors.Kubby said he also believes his convictions on misdemeanor charges of possessing a psychedelic mushroom stem and peyote buttons ultimately will be reversed. Judge John L. Cosgrove sentenced Kubby on March 2 to 120 days of house arrest and three years of probation on those charges.On Sunday, Kubby said in a letter to friends that he's unwilling to subject himself to electronic monitoring and other conditions of house arrest, acknowledging his decision may mean he will have to spend time in jail.After Tuesday's meeting, Kubby said house arrest would threaten his health and impose a financial burden his family can't bear. Source: Auburn Journal (CA)Author: Author: Mike Fitch, Journal Staff Writer Published: March 21, 2001Phone: (530) 885-6585Copyright: 2001 The Auburn JournalAddress: 1030 High St., Auburn, CA 95603Contact: ajournal foothill.netWebsite: http://www.auburnjournal.com/Related Articles & Web Site:The Kubby Fileshttp://www.kubby.org/Kubby Says He Won't Accept Terms of Sentencinghttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9079.shtmlCounty Faces Lawsuits Over Pot Raids http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9075.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by New Mexican on March 23, 2001 at 01:09:52 PT
True Patriot!
This man is doing what he has to do to stay alive! Lookhow compassionate the legal system is to sick and dyingpeople, let alone the able-bodied...there's a war on ourvery humaness and it know no bounds! Steve Kubby will be victorious, against all odds!
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