cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Sparring Before Hearing Marijuana Sparring Before Hearing Posted by FoM on March 27, 2001 at 18:15:31 PT By Jesse J. Holland, Associated Press Writer Source: Star-Tribune A day before the Supreme Court was to hear arguments on the issue, Republican lawmakers sparred on Tuesday with the leader of a group advocating the medical use of marijuana. " What's really going on here is people are trying to legalize smoking marijuana and they're using cancer and AIDS patients as a prop, " said Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., at a hearing of the House Government Reform Committee's criminal justice subcommittee. Rob Kampia, the executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said his organization " believes that sick people as well as healthy people should not be put in jail for using marijuana. " But if we can keep sick people out of jail in the short run, then by God we're going to do it, " he said. The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday on whether marijuana can be provided to patients out of " medical necessity" even though federal law makes its distribution a crime. At least eight states have medical-marijuana laws in place or approved by voters: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Colorado. Subcommittee Republicans were candid about their dislike of medical marijuana advocates, represented at the hearing by Kampia. " This is really an effort by the druggies to legalize marijuana, " said Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., who was the only Democrat in the room for most of the hearing, urged lawmakers to be civil and said he respected all the witnesses for agreeing to show up and present their views. " I don't respect Mr. Kampia, " Barr said. " You're not a wonderful person. You're doing something despicable, and you' re putting a nice face on it." Kampia retorted: " I' ll be cordial with Congressman Barr, but I don't respect him either because he's supportive of a policy that criminalizes seriously ill people who have their doctors' approval to use what is a legitimate medicine." Subcommittee chairman Mark Souder, R-Ind., urged civility from all participants but added to Kampia: " You are an articulate advocate for an evil position." The conflict between the state and federal laws is causing problems between law enforcement officials, said Laura Nagel, the deputy assistant administrator of the Office of Diversion Control at the Drug Enforcement Administration. " For example, local officers assigned to a federally funded task force might find themselves in the situation of having to seize marijuana in order to enforce federal law, knowing that the local prosecutor will refuse to prosecute or the local judge will order the marijuana returned to the grower, " she said. " In essence, allowing traffickers to carry on with impunity in this manner simply undercuts enforcement of the Controlled Substance Act, " Nagel added. On the Net: Marijuana Policy Project: http://www.mpp.org U.S. Supreme Court: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/ Drug Enforcement Administration: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ House Government Reform Committee: http://www.house.gov/reform Source: Associated PressAuthor: Jesse J. Holland, Associated Press WriterPublished: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Associated PressCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by Frank on March 29, 2001 at 18:59:02 PT Washington is a Rats Nest of Lies Washington can go to Hell. If you need marijuana health reasons smoke it. What are they going to do? Put 80 million people in prison? No longer cooperate with Washington in any way with the "Drug War". If called for jury duty and it's a pot case give the government the shaft. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by MDG on March 28, 2001 at 22:33:20 PT Gore for Prez? That would suck too! Now, there's a person who admitted he smoked reefer, but still had no problem saying "it's blah-blah stronger", "it's wrong blah-blah".Let me ask you this: If Clinton were able to have been elected thrice, do you believe he would have said a word about not jailing pot-smokers? I think not! F*cking hypocrite! Gore wouldn't have been some Knight in Shining Armor. Get real. Nader would have given smokers some slack, only to pull out their wallets and bury them further in the grave of Social Security.The most important thing in this country is the restoration of Constitutional Rights not the environment, not health care, not any of that. Give us our Constitutional Rights, and we can work on the rest.Vote Libertarian!Mmmmmmmike... [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by aocp on March 28, 2001 at 07:02:12 PT: bobbarr the clown "This is really an effort by the druggies to legalize marijuana," said Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga.Hey, if your drug war cannot survive short of imprisoning and harrassing the sick and dying, i'd say that's your problem. The only argument put forth by the feds thus far against MMJ is that it would undermine the feds' ability to enforce the REST of the drug war. That's the best they can do? By any logical standards, this should be over so quick that if you blink, you'd miss it. Then again, this is dealand. Enjoy. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Rambler on March 28, 2001 at 04:45:47 PT Anti herpes weed You must mean that new Cannabisoltec strain by Pfizer,ormaybe the other stuff from Roche,I think it's called Herptiva.They say the stuff works on hemoroids too,butt I dont know ifthat's true. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by metooosee on March 28, 2001 at 04:23:16 PT herpes There is a strain of marijuana that keeps herpes outbreaks from appearing I wish I could find more info on this [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by said it on March 28, 2001 at 04:21:18 PT ya i said it i cant believe these morons especially souder and barr you make me ashamed to be an american you do not deserve to have america give it back to the indians and go back where your family come from while we SMOKE the constitution cause it doesn't mean jack in your views. You sell our jobs right out from under us and our freedom too now REAL FREEDOM is NORTH of AMERICA not NORTH AMERICA [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on March 28, 2001 at 03:59:40 PT: "Evil", huh? Hitler called the Jews and anyone else who opposed him "evil". So did Stalin. Mao referred to the peasants who refused to be collectivised as "evil". Castro played the same hand.But History remembers who's acts being as being evil. Tens of millions of people were slaughtered out of hand for being 'evil'...by the truly evil.Bob Barr certainly has first-hand experience at dealing with 'Old Nick' (that's an old slang term for The Devil, children); his leading the pols' charge in suppressing the vote count from the popular referendum that legalized MMJ in the District of Columbia can certainly be described as being 'evil'. To use unConstitutional chicanery to deprive hundredes of thousands of people their Constitutional rights - and in the process, condemn those who need cannabis to stay alive to an ignominious, painful death - can't be described as anything but evil.I'd say Mr. Barr has more than a passing acquainance with the concept of evil; he has become an expert practitioner of it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by dddd on March 28, 2001 at 00:53:59 PT The deck's stacked against us Yea,,you're right CongressmanSuet.....I now have this sortof mild pang of guiltyness,when I think about your warnings,and the somewhat likely possibility that you were right aboutthe Nader factor.I just couldnt bring myself to vote for Gore. Democrats are almost as disgustingas Republicans,and I really expected Gore to win anyway,(he actually did,,uhh??).I couldnt imagine Dubya actually buying his way into office.I grosslyunderestimated the devious nature of todays demockracy.So far,Bushhas really outdone himself in a dazzling display of blatant ignorance ofany factor other than money.The next four years are gonna be shocking,and tragicly astonishing.You were probably more right than I was.....we are both disgusted by dubya.At least you get to say 'told ya so'.....May JAH be with you.....dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by CongressmanSuet on March 28, 2001 at 00:14:00 PT: Yeah Imprint.... And I also wish that the man who won the majority of the vote for president WAS president. The conservative bible thumping idiots will win out this time. The deck is stacked against us big time, yet we all wax and wane prophetic, hoping for better times, the writing is on the wall.... [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 27, 2001 at 23:08:50 PT THE 420 REPORT RADIO SHOW This Episode: MEDICAL MARIJUANA ON TRIALWednesday March 28 2001 1-2 pm Pacific Standard Time on KPFA Community Radio 94.1 FM You can also listen live online at: http://www.kpfa.org/On the morning of March 28 2001, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case United States of America v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative. The hearing determines whether a medical necessity defense can be used by the Oakland Cooperative in Federal court as a defense for providing medical marijuana to patients.420 Report Host Ed Rosenthal will be with us live from Washington DC to bring you the highlights from this very important hearing, including interviews and reactions from those present. The Supreme Court decision on this case, expected in June 2001, impacts the future of buyer cooperatives as providers of medical marijuana-tune in for up-to-the-minute news about the hearing on the 420 Report.Plus National Marijuana News with Chuck Thomas of the Marijuana Policy Project Local California News with Dale Gieringer, president of California NORML The Cannabis Calendar The latest 420 tunesTHE 420 Report can be heard Wednesday March 28 1-2 pm PST KPFA 94.1 FM or listen live online at: http://www.kpfa.org/ Please send calendar events to fred quicktrading.com The 420 Report is produced in conjunction with Weyland Southon and is a monthly feature on the "Seven Generations" radio program. The 420 Report can be heard on the last Wednesday of every month from 1-2 pm PST. Stay tuned for the next episode on spring planting, April 25. -- ---- Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml igc.org 2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114 [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Imprint on March 27, 2001 at 21:41:36 PT: Fear " This is really an effort by the druggies to legalize marijuana, " " You're not a wonderful person. You're doing something despicable, and you' re putting a nice face on it." " You are an articulate advocate for an evil position." These statements that have an air of loosing or being worried or impending doom. I hope their instincts are correct and the Supreme Court rules in favor of the Oakland Cannabis Club. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: