US Activists being deported from Canada 17/06/05

[Alison Myrden]

Well known US Activist living in Canada Renée Bojé, will be deported by US Authorities after Court on Friday, June 17, 2005.

 

Renee's story is posted below:

 

For more information go to the American Medical Association's website at:

http://americanmarijuana.org/

 

This is terrible news for this Community around the Globe !!

 

PLEEEEASE do what you can to help...

 

Write to the Justice Minister in Canada who made this awful decision today...

 

Cotler.I@parl.gc.ca

 

Thank you for us all...

 

 

Love and a squish,

Alison

xx

The Medical Marijuana Mission

www.themarijuanamission.com

 

 

*********************************************************

 

In a heartless decision, and unlike 3 preceding Justice Ministers, Irwin

Cotler released a negative decision yesterday in the Boje Extradition case.

Renee Boje, who is married to a Canadian citizen and is the mother of a

Canadian son, is being sent back to US authorities to serve a ten year to

life sentence for her involvement in a medical marijuana growing operation

in California, shortly after the state of California legalized medical use

of marijuana.

 

Cotler's decisicon is available on line at

http://americanmarijuana.org/boje/

 

Mr. Cotler, a purported champion of human rights, ignored evidence that Ms.

Boje would be subject to cruel and unusual punishment and treatment at the

hands of US federal authorities. Mr. Cotler also ignored the fact that Ms.

Boje will be prevented from arguing that her actions were legal under

California law and that the marijuana being grown was for medical purposes.

Finally, the decision fails to even mention the recent US Supreme Court

decision allowing federal prosecutions against persons who were legally

entitled to grow marijuana under state law and the US government rhetoric in

the wake of that decision expressly claiming that marijuana had no medical

value.

 

Renee Boje's trials and tribulations began after California medical

marijuana activist Todd McCormick was arrested growing thousands of cannabis

plants in a rented Bel Air home in the summer of 1997. Inspired by the

recent passage of Proposition 215 that effectively legalized medical

marijuana in the state, McCormick began growing the plants as part of his

research for a book he was working on, "How to Grow Medical Marijuana."

 

Renee was initially arrested along with a number of other people on the

premises, but her charges were later dropped. In 1998, Renee's lawyer

advised her that the charges against her were about to be reinstated so she

fled to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia and eventually filed for

refugee status. Renee offered to return to the US and stand trial if the

former US Attorney General Janet Reno would drop the charges against

co-defendant Peter McWilliams, who was dying of AIDS. Tragically, the US

Federal authorities denied Peter his legal right to use medical marijuana, a

proven powerful anti-nauseant, and Peter died alone in his apartment from

choking on his own vomit.

 

The other defendant, cancer survivor Todd McCormick, was convicted and spent

4 years in jail without access to the only medicine which eased his pain

from his medical condition.

 

Disallowing any differences in Canadian and US Law, Irwin Cotler has

rendered a decision that has devastated Mrs. Boje and her Canadian family.

With the current ban on all things marijuana related from the US, Boje's

Canadian husband, who has no criminal record, cannot even travel into

America purely based on his association with cannabis activism and his

wife's high profile case. If Renee is extradited, she will be effectively

cut off from her family, based solely on their political and religious

beliefs.

 

Mrs Boje, her husband Chris Bennett and son Shiva will be appearing at

Vancouver Federal Court House, 800 West Smithe St at 8:30 am to surrender

herself to the authorities, the decision will be read in court at 9:30 am

and the Boje family and their lawyer hope to see bail granted while they

challenge this unjust and devastating decision.

 

Contact Chris Bennett

work (604)682-0039

home (604)612-8785

 

Renee's Lawyer, Sarah Roach (Conroy and Co.) (604)852-5110

[Bubble Bags Australia]

Renee and her husband Chris are good freinds of mine, I really wish I was there in person to give them support, sigh Edited June 17, 2005 by Meerkat

[Alison Myrden]

CKNW reports Renée is free on Bail until September 30, 2005!

Woohooo!!!

 

Here is the CKNW Report on Renée

 

http://www.timmeehan.ca/boje/CKNW.mp3

 

Next hearing September 30th, 2005

 

More News to follow...

 

Love and a squish,

Alison

xx

[Smartypants]

To find out more about Renee's case and how to help go to www.reneeboje.com

 

Thanks!