cannabisnews.com: Patient Detained After Bill Sinks in Committee





Patient Detained After Bill Sinks in Committee
Posted by CN Staff on February 18, 2005 at 07:34:03 PT
By Shelby Sebens, H&R Springfield Bureau Writer 
Source: Herald & Review 
Springfield -- The longest surviving federally legal medical marijuana patient was briefly detained for possessing cannabis after a state House committee shot down a proposal to make the drug legal."The two cops took it upon themselves to detain this person," said state state Rep. Larry McKeon, D-Chicago, sponsor of House Bill 407. "It is a clear example why we need this legislation."
Proponents of McKeon's proposal say medical cannabis eases pain caused from diseases such as AIDS, multiple scleroses and cancer.McKeon was upset with the Secretary of State police Thursday when they detained a proponent of his initiative."I think part of the issue is training, education and common sense," McKeon said. "I've been a sergeant, I've been a lieutenant, I've been a captain. Supervision, management, training, that's your job. That's Secretary (Jesse) White's job. That's the job of the chief of police and Capitol security, and it's the job of the commander in charge of the Illinois State Police that augment that security. That's what I will tell Secretary White."However, Brad Demuzio, director of Secretary of State police, said, "Secretary of State police was not familiar with the federal exemption."Demuzio said Irvin Rosenfeld, a stockbroker from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and medical marijuana patient, agreed to head downstairs of the Stratton Building for questioning. Once Rosenfeld explained his exemption, the two officers called Washington, D.C., for confirmation."We found out that he is one of seven from 1982 that has a federal exemption for medical marijuana," Demuzio said.Rosenfeld smokes 10 to 12 marijuana cigarettes a day and goes through 13 ounces a month. His medical condition causes tumors to grow on the ends of his bones at random. Rosenfeld said his marijuana prescription is the only thing that eases his pain."To me, it's lifesaving," Rosenfeld said. "When I pulled out my marijuana in the hearing, it was to show people that the government is giving out marijuana to patients. I'm living proof that it works, and I'm also living proof that the government doesn't want to know it works well."Judy Kreamer, president of Educating Voices, feels marijuana is too uncontrolled and unsafe to be a legal prescription."Our primary focus is the young people," Kreamer said. "The message that you're sending to children is that this is a safe drug and you can use it."Although McKeon's measure was voted down 7-4 in committee, he is determined to push ahead. Supporters of the bill and the representative already have plans to meet with officers and conductors of medical marijuana programs in other states.McKeon said he would also consider amending some language of the bill and bringing it back to the House.Complete Title: Medical Marijuana Patient Detained After Bill Sinks in State Committee Newshawk: MayanSource: Herald & Review (IL)Author: Shelby Sebens, H&R Springfield Bureau Writer Published: Friday, February 18, 2005Copyright: 2005 Herald & ReviewContact: ddawson herald-review.comWebsite: http://www.herald-review.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Patients Out of Timehttp://www.medicalcannabis.com/Medical Marijuana Users Look To Change Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20258.shtmlCommittee Rejects Medical Marijuana Proposalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20256.shtmlFighting for Your Life Shouldn't Be a Crimehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20239.shtml 
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Comment #8 posted by ekim on February 21, 2005 at 09:37:59 PT
welcome Rev
Mar 2 05 Campus Greens Present: Social Impacts of American Drug Policy 07:00 PM Jim Gierach Chicago Illinois USA 
 The Campus Greens of Northwestern University welcome Jim Gierach as their primary speaker when they present "The Social Impacts of American Drug Policy". 
http://www.leap.cc/events
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on February 21, 2005 at 08:11:24 PT
RevJoeJohnson 
Welcome to CNews. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
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Comment #6 posted by RevJoeJohnson on February 20, 2005 at 23:58:06 PT:
HB 407
Hello all,I was present for the hearing regardin HB 407 and got a chance to listen to the Drug Czar himself spout off decade old propaganda. When he was finished going on and on about how bad it would be for society (the Gov), the committe started to ask him questions; none of which he gave a straight answer for, actually, he'd allude to the answer then go off on a tangent about why they shouldn't do this due to federal concern. Eventually, the committe asked him to finish up... When he did, The Czar and his Nazi Enforcers left immediatley.The testimony provided by Mr. Rosenfeld and the other medical marijuana patients was filled with conviction and emotion; it's obvious these people aren't criminals or "potheads." Anyway, as I said, I was present and I wasn't even aware that Mr. Rosenfeld was detained by the Law. In fact, there were several officers present throughout the hearing.. So, for them to say that they were unaware of the Federal Medical Marijuana propgram, I find this to be rediculous! They were informed during the hearing that the Fed's were running this program.Anyway, this Government is corrupt; either, we must reform it or emmigrate. Personally, I'm fighting for refrom until they force me to flee. Prase Jah Rastafari, The Most High,
Peace and One Love, Brothers and Sisters,Reverend Joseph Johnson
The Church of Khidr
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Comment #5 posted by runderwo on February 19, 2005 at 12:51:49 PT
Hah
"The message that you're sending to children is that this is a safe drug"Truth hurts?"and you can use it."Assuming that she means minors using it for recreational purposes, she has read something into the bill that simply isn't there.
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Comment #4 posted by afterburner on February 19, 2005 at 07:40:18 PT
Amen, mayan
"All this mainstream media attention of Rosenfeld is actually exposing the true colors of the fascists and their failed prohibition. I'm sure this incident is stirring some enlightening conversations among the folks of Central Illinois!""enlightening conversations among the [local] folks," not "outside agitators" as one Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago once bleated during Chicago's 1968 Democratic National Convention, regarding the protesters there against the Vietnam War. Gee, isn't Johnny P. an outside agitator?
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Comment #3 posted by observer on February 18, 2005 at 08:54:00 PT
Federal MMJ Patient ''Detained'' - for Having MJ
The longest surviving federally legal medical marijuana patient was briefly detained for possessing cannabis ...
"The two cops took it upon themselves to detain this person," ...
I'm living proof that it works, and I'm also living proof that the government doesn't want to know it works well."(from _Drug War Propaganda_, http://drugwarpropaganda.news-bot.net/ , chapter 8)
Reformers Should be JailedExperts, officials and authorities agree that drug policy reformers are
causing children to take drugs. What is to be done? Prohibitionists have
various suggestions. Government force, coercion, punishment and jail
are, for them, the preferred tools.The idea that it is acceptable to jail those who suggest changing the
laws is the idea the propagandist is peddling. Some subjects are
acceptable, perhaps, for debate. To the prohibitionist, however, no
debate may be permitted, if the subject is the drug laws. The next
logical step is to jail those who disagree with drug laws. Some have
already suggested this.In California, a man gathering signatures for a petition was arrested
because his petition was for "a countywide initiative to legalize the
personal use of marijuana."118 ...Police, prosecutors and bureaucrats whose incomes depend on
continuing and escalating the drug war agree: those who disagree are
threatened with jail. When police tell reformers to get out of the state,
for example, jail need not even be mentioned.121 ...In one instance, an activist who wrote a book about medical marijuana
was jailed; police insisted that the man's views on changing the law had
nothing to do with the matter.124 Another activist was also hounded by
police after "he gave a speech to the Libertarian Party National
Convention in which he fulminated against both the Clinton
administration and the DEA."125 When government officials threatened
to seize his mother's house if he did not quit using marijuana, the
activist died, choking to death on his own vomit after being denied the
only medicine which had worked for him: marijuana.
Police actions to stop citizens from speaking out on matters of drug
policy are not surprising. Indeed, a report issued by a US secret drug
police agency (the National Drug Intelligence Center), recommended
that "legalization advocates" be targeted for scrutiny by police
intelligence units.126from the book: _Drug War Propaganda_ (now in print)http://drugwarpropaganda.news-bot.net/
http://drugwarpropaganda.news-bot.net/
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Comment #2 posted by mayan on February 18, 2005 at 08:08:22 PT
Thugs
Wasn't Johnny Pee at this hearing? He had to have had an entourage with him and they very likely knew who Rosenfeld was. They could have told the "SS police" to leave Irv be. The fact that the "federal puppet" Walters was there interfering with state business and intimidating state lawmakers leads me to believe he himself may have instigated this unwarranted harassment. Jackboot Thugs. All this mainstream media attention of Rosenfeld is actually exposing the true colors of the fascists and their failed prohibition. I'm sure this incident is stirring some enlightening conversations among the folks of Central Illinois! More...Legal marijuana sparks skepticism Man detained by secretary of state police after he testifies before House committee: 
http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/48237.aspSupporters of medical pot lobby at Texas Capitol: 
http://www.lmtonline.com/news/s15.htmTHE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...Popular Mechanics 9/11 Challenge:
http://69.28.73.17/thornarticles/popularmechanics.htmlPop goes the Bush Mythology Bubble - Part 6:
http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/021205Schwarz/021205schwarz.htmlSeptember 11, 2001 Revisited:
http://www.davesweb.cnchost.com/
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on February 18, 2005 at 07:50:11 PT
Primitive
Stockbroker? He's got a suit on, but he looks more like a dirty POTHEAD to me! Off with his head! Round up his family for the dungeon!It's just so primitive! You give us a bunch of technology & we call ourselves "advanced" and "modern", but humanity never changes. It's the same stuff, over and over. Witches, Communists, aboriginal "savages", Jews, blacks, the scapegoats change but we don't. Weak-minded people need someone to be flagged and persecuted as evil, so they can feel better about themselves.
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