Cannabis Hemp News

Portland, Ore. -- A quadriplegic Vietnam War veteran sued the U.S. government on Monday, saying the Drug Enforcement Administration illegally seized medical use marijuana he grew under a license from the state of Oregon. The suit filed in federal court on behalf of Leroy Stubblefield, 55, and two of his caregivers, who are also licensed to grow marijuana, is the latest challenge by liberal Oregonians to what they see as a heavy-handed federal government pushing a conservative agenda. "The federal government doesn't tell the state of Oregon what to do and the state doesn't tell the federal government what to do," Stubblefield's attorney Anne Witte said at a press conf…

http://www.green-aid.com/news.htm No Talk of "Medical" to be Allowed in Federal Medical Marijuana Trial of Ed Rosenthal Judge Grants Prosecution Motion to Exclude State Law, City Programs, Federal Immunity Statute Monday, January 13, 2003 - Despite passionate pleas from defense attorney Robert Eye for consideration of the context of marijuana activist and author Ed Rosenthal’s involvement in carrying out the City of Oakland’s program for supplying medicinal marijuana, Federal Judge Charles Breyer ruled in favor of the prosecution’s motion to exclude all discussion of medical issues, the City of Oakland’s marijuana ordinance, California’s Compassionate Use Act legalizi…

Ottawa - Marijuana advocates don't expect the drug to be decriminalized any time soon, despite promises from Justice Minister Martin Cauchon. Skeptics predict Cauchon's promised legislation will die on the order paper, and suggest it is being introduced as a time-buying sop without backing from the prime minister. "There won't be enough time to pass it," said Alan Young, a professor at Osgoode Hall law school, in an interview Monday. "He (Cauchon) knows it's going to die on the order paper." Last month a Commons committee recommended that people be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana without risking criminal penalties. Cauchon welcomed the recommendation…

Mother caught drug running By BOB WATT Court Reporter January 14, 2003 A mother-of-five found guilty of taking part in an attempt to smuggle nearly 300g of cannabis was sentenced yesterday to four months' jail. Darwin Magistrates Court heard Maurisa Luanna Henwood tried to remove a backpack containing the cannabis when her luggage was about to be searched at a Territory airport. Police found the ``football-sized pack of cannabis'' in the backpack, which Henwood tried to put into a motor vehicle. Magistrate Anthony Gillies, after a hearing in December, found Henwood, 26, of Gray, guilty of possessing a traffickable quantity of cannabis (291.9g) on February 6 las…

About.com The Office of National Drug Control Policy has teamed up with the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) as part of its escalating war on marijuana. In recent letters sent to every prosecutor in the United States, NDAA president Dan Alsobrooks and the drug czar's Deputy Director for State and Local Affairs, Scott Burns, hoisted the battle flag against pot, signaling prosecutors that they should make the prosecution of marijuana crimes a high priority and urging them to fight efforts to reform the drug laws. While Alsobrooks portrayed the latest push as a matter of public safety, he also made it clear that the effort was inspired by attempts to refo…

Time Magazine The crowd is young, hip and thirsty. But there is plenty of cold beer around and the spirits are, um, high, especially when the word gets out that the brew is made with hemp — marijuana's non- psychoactive cousin. Despite the rowdy comments about getting stoned, this is not a seedy bar in a back alley, but the respected Salon of Taste in Turin, a gourmet fest organized last October by Slow Food, a worldwide organization promoting healthy eating. Here the message in the bottle is that since hemp is rich in nutrients and essential fatty acids, beer containing this fibrous plant is good for what ales you. It is also controversial. The hemp used in the bee…

SierraTimes.com With the onslaught of television commercials now running on the airwaves staring "Nick and Norm" at the dinner table, I wonder why no one has really challenged the notion that the "war on drugs" causes terrorism. Yet it continues unchallenged. A script written to counter it might sound something like this: Two men are sitting at a table in a restaurant, both nicely dressed. Nick, the younger one, begins the dialog. "So, let me get this straight: The drug war supports terrorism. And I should just believe that??" Norm: "yes" "Why?" "Because it's true" "It's true??" "Yes, it's true." "Fine, let's say - hypothetically - I pay taxes" "Let…

Capital News "Marijuana is a gateway drug." A phrase almost as recognizable as "Just Say No." But a study by the private, nonprofit RAND drug policy research center may be underpinning many US anti-drug policies and educational campaigns. Robin Barkenhagan, who favors the legalization of marijuana, said this is old news. Barkenhagan said, "I've known all along that marijuana is not a gateway drug. Gateway drugs are cigarettes, alcohol and hopelessness, to be frank about it." The study states 50 percent of teenagers tried marijuana by the time they were 16, while the majority had no exposure to cocaine, heroin or hallucinogens until they were 20. He said the four-…

Halifax Herald Toronto - A series of recent court rulings that have left Canada's marijuana law in limbo isn't providing relief for those with illnesses, say people who need to use the drug for medical reasons. "Pot possession laws, decriminalization, whatever the government is doing, whatever the courts are doing, is not helping us at all," said William Palmer, an HIV sufferer, who can legally smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes. "They are still not helping the sick. Where are the priorities here? I don't care if they decriminalize it tomorrow, we need pharmacies that can sell marijuana and we need them now." Those who have exemptions from the Controlled Dr…

The only medical-marijuana case to end in conviction in Long Beach Superior Court has been overturned on appeal, and prosecutors have not yet decided whether to retry the case. Marie Rutledge was charged last year with possessing marijuana in her car but claimed it was medically prescribed to treat her asthma, muscle spasms and migraine headaches. Her Long Beach jury disagreed, finding her guilty of cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana and public intoxication. After reviewing the case and hearing oral arguments in Los Angeles last month, the Second Appellate District Court of Appeal reversed the jury verdict based on a recent California Supreme Court decisi…

Source: Daily Herald-Tribune Since the Herald-Tribune ran a front-page story and subsequent feature material outlining the proliferation of the illicit street drug known as crystal meth in Grande Prairie, the specifics of the drug itself and the terrible effects it can have on the user and the family, a debate has ensued on the letters section of this page with respect to that drug’s relationship to marijuana use. One letter writer, once a user of many drugs and alcohol, who now - six clean years later – works in drug rehab and counselling – made reference to a “gateway” theory and that reference has touched off a maelstrom of response from across North America see…

If you want to see drugs and violence on television, you don't need to bother tuning in to "NYPD Blue" or loading up a game of "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City." You can just watch one of the Office of National Drug Control Policy's latest anti-marijuana ads. Two teenagers in a marijuana-induced haze sit in a family den, foggy with smoke. After some typical silly banter ("your sister is hot"), one of the kids pulls out his father's gun, says it's unloaded, and to prove it, aims at his friend's head and fires. ONDCP, showing some residual good taste, spares viewers the splattered brains, but we are supposed to learn that smoking pot will kill you. Other spots suggest that…

Source: BBSNews In November of 2002 the president of the National District Attorneys Association, Dan M. Alsobrooks, opined in a newsletter that "Attempts to legalize or decriminalize controlled substances, and particularly marijuana, are springing up around the country. Those who support legalization are well funded and highly adept at manipulating the media. And they do not mind deceiving the American public as well." The newsletter continues with numerous other factual innaccuracies. In mid-November, the Whitehouse issued a press release that "World-wide, approximately 2290 terrorist-related arrests were made in 99 countries between September 12, 2001 and October …

Source: National Post After a decade of U.S. government scare propaganda that convinced Americans that crazed Mexicans, blacks and fans of jazz clubs were pushing marijuana "reefers" on school children and honest youths, turning them into raving murderers, politicians decided to act. The U.S. Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act. Growing and selling marijuana were still legal, but only if you bought a $1 government stamp. And that stamp was not for sale. On the day the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act was enacted -- Oct. 2, 1937 -- the FBI and Denver, Colo., police raided the Lexington Hotel and arrested Samuel R. Caldwell, 58, an unemployed labourer and Moses Baca…

After appearing hesitant before Christmas, Jean Chrétien is now ready to move quickly to decriminalize possession of marijuana. "The PM is strong on this," said a spokesman from the Prime Minister's Office. "The government is determined to address this issue." The spokesman, who did not want to be named, denied that Mr. Chrétien has changed his mind since he said in an interview with Global TV last month that there would have to be a full debate on the issue and that the government would make a decision "one day." "I don't think he has ever had a change of heart," said the spokesman. "I just think that he really wanted to make sure that before legislation is introduc…