Together Over Kommon Enemies Presents:

All the Marijuana news that DOESN'T fit on its' own page!

Judge who admitted smoking marijuana at rock concert to return to bench

City clerk validates marijuana petitions

A group of University of Missouri-Columbia students seeking to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana gathered enough signatures on an initiative petition to ensure that their proposed measure will make the April ballot.

The Columbia City Clerk’s office yesterday said the petitions, circulated by the Columbia Alliance for Patients and Education, contained 1,285 valid signatures. The group needed 1,191 valid signatures.

Two ordinances related to the petition drive are scheduled for introduction at a Columbia City Council meeting Monday. The ordinances would be voted on at the council’s Jan. 20 meeting.

The first ordinance would adopt the proposed measure, which seeks to direct all people charged with possessing 35 grams of marijuana or less to municipal court, limit punishments for possession to small fines and ask city prosecutors to dismiss charges against people who use marijuana for medicinal purposes under the direction of a doctor.

If the council defeats the first ordinance, it would pass a second ordinance that would place the proposal on the April 8 ballot.

Administrator Accused of Returning Marijuana To Inmate

Muskogee (AP) - An administrator at the Haskell County Jail will appear in court to answer to charges that he returned marijuana to a man who was being released from jail.

Rodney Pearce was arrested on a complaint of delivering a controlled and dangerous substance in a penal institution. He is being held in the Stigler City Jail and will be formally charged tomorrow morning.

Haskell County officials say Pearce had been promoted to jail administrator just two weeks ago.

The Haskell County Sheriff says this appears to be a one-time incident.

According to police, the suspect was booked into the county jail on Thursday and searched by Pearce.

Pearce found the marijuana, kept it and returned it to the man when he was released later that day.

Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press.

Police find marijuana packages in house

Court: Pot grower not covered by medical law

BEE STAFF REPORTS AND NEWS SERVICES

SACRAMENTO -- A state appellate court on Thursday said California's medical-marijuana law does not protect a Calaveras County man charged with growing and selling pot.

The 3rd District Court of Appeal upheld the ruling of Calaveras County Superior Court in the case of Robert Michael Galambos. The case stems from 1997 when sheriff's deputies arrested Galambos on one count of cultivation of marijuana and one count of possession of marijuana for sale.

Authorities said they caught Galambos tending a garden of more than 300 pot plants.

Galambos claimed to be using marijuana as a treatment for ailments resulting from a car crash, and that he was growing more plants for a medical-marijuana club.

No immunity for grower

A Superior Court judge ruled that a medical-marijuana grower does not have immunity from prosecution, under the medical- marijuana law, if he or she does not have a doctor's recommendation to use pot. The judge also ruled that a grower does not qualify as a primary caregiver under the law; such caregivers are granted immunity for their work with patients who receive marijuana.

Galambos argued that the marijuana that he grew was medically necessary, and that the immunity offered to patients and primary caregivers should cover him as a grower.

Voters approved the medical- marijuana law in 1996.

Galambos said the law, presented to the voters as Proposition 215, did not spell out what constituted illegal conduct.

The appellate court concluded that the proposition was not vague about what is legal and illegal in terms of cultivating and possessing marijuana.

The appellate court sided with the lower court in ruling that Galambos did not meet the requirements for medical necessity.

The appellate court also agreed that Galambos did not qualify as a primary caregiver and therefore could not receive immunity.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Lode pot grower not covered by 215 (AP)

Published Friday, December 27, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A state appeals court upheld a Calavera County court ruling Thursday that Proposition 215 does not grant a medical-
marijuana grower immunity from prosecution if the grower does not have a doctor's recommendation or does not qualify as a primary caregiver for the patients who receive the marijuana.

Robert Michael Galambos was arrested in 1997 by Calaveras County sheriff's deputies and charged with one count of marijuana cultivation and one of possession of marijuana for sale.

Galambos used marijuana as a treatment for ailments resulting from an automobile accident and sought to distribute it to a medical-marijuana club.

Galambos argued that the marijuana was medically necessary and that the immunity offered to patients who use medical marijuana and primary caregivers who recommend it should cover him as a grower.

He also said the proposition did not spell out what constituted illegal conduct, but the higher court concluded that the proposition is not vague about what is legal and illegal in terms of cultivating and possessing marijuana.

The Third Appellate District court sided with the lower court in ruling that Galambos did not meet requirements for medical necessity. The court also agreed with the Calaveras County Superior Court that Galambos did not qualify as a primary caregiver and couldn't receive the immunity that Proposition 215 gives to primary caregivers.

California voters passed Proposition 215 in 1996.

The case is People vs. Galambos, C032873.

Harvest Festival to highlight marijuana legislation

By Adam Edelman, News Reporter October 04, 2002

These aren't your typical potheads. They're not lying around listening to Phish and eating Teddy Grahams. These potheads are up and about, advocating the substance they cherish -- marijuana.

The 31st Annual Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival will be held in downtown Madison this weekend to inform the public of the possible benefits of legalizing marijuana, in addition to what the event's sponsors assert are the harms that marijuana's prohibition has already caused.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, claims that the festival is "up there among the famous Madison events."

This year's Harvest Festival, which is being run -- as it has since it's inception -- by marijuana activist Ben Masel, will address such topics as alternatives to U.S drug policies, civil rights, efforts to pass medical marijuana legislation, local drug policy, and drug testing in schools.

The complete event will feature speakers, live bands, DJs, workshops, and a celebration of the Cannabis plant.

Although Madison police are not anticipating considerable problems, they will be prepared to deal with any disturbances of the peace.

"We'll be monitoring the event, but the history is that we've not had any significant problems in the recent past," said Madison Police Department Capt. Luis Yudice, of the Central District Police Force.

The police say they really have no reasons to be concerned, as many past festivals commemorating marijuana have been executed very well.

However, five or six years ago, this was not the case.

"Things [in the past] got a little out of hand and we had to make some arrests," Yudice said. "But since then it's been fine."

One of the matters police are aware of is the fact that many people will smoke marijuana at the festival. In fact, it has become a tradition to make a pilgrimage to the Capitol and light up on the steps.

But Yudice remains composed.

"For people who are smoking pot, we'll deal with them as they come up ... some people try to provoke the police by smoking something that looks like marijuana, but actually isn't," he said.

Yudice said he does not think medicinal marijuana should be legalized.

"The medical use may be appropriate, but I think that we have seen the affects of illegal drug use and the impact it has on society, so I'm a little leery on the idea of free drug use," he said.

Conversely, Verveer voiced support for legalizing marijuana.

"Not only do I think that medicinal marijuana should have been passed by the U.S. years ago, but also that personal possession and consumption should be legalized," he said.

Speakers at this year's festival will include Elvy Musikka, one of seven patients who receive 300 pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes monthly as part of a federal government program; Steve Silverman, director of Flex Your Rights, a Washington, D.C., based organization that teaches individuals how to protect their liberties from overzealous law enforcement; and Valerie Gremillion from the Global Dialog Project. Closing the festival will be a march Sunday from State Street to the State Capitol at 3 p.m. end of article dingbat

Police find marijuana in barn surrounded by bee hives

KIRKVILLE, N.Y. (AP) _ Authorities say a beekeeper used his hives to protect a 15-pound marijuana harvest in his barn.

Eric Rasmussen, of Kirkville, was charged with first-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a felony, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor, and unlawfully growing cannabis, state police said.

Troopers received a number of tips about suspicious activity near Rasmussen's residence, 15 miles northeast of Syracuse. When police arrived, they found a locked barn surrounded by several beehives of honeybees.

After entering the barn by a small rear window police found a large-scale marijuana operation on the barn's second floor.

Authorities seized 56 harvested and drying marijuana plants, marijuana seedlings started for next year's crop, growing lights and other drug paraphernalia. They also found 19 rifles and shotguns, police said.

Rasmussen, who listed his occupation as a beekeeper, was sent to Madison County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press

129 pounds of marijuana found in tank; 2 men held

By Sean Ingram judicial@couriernews.com
Members of the Russellville Police Department’s Narcotics Unit arrested two Hispanic males Thursday after 129 pounds of marijuana was discovered in the gas tank of the vehicle they were driving on Interstate 40, according to authorities.
The two occupants were driving a white Dodge pickup truck with Utah license plates when officers conducted a traffic stop at a convenience store at the intersection of I-40 and Highway 7 North, RPD Public Information Officer Wilson Short stated Friday. The driver of the vehicle stayed inside and the passenger got out and appeared to be acting very oddly, according to the report by the arresting officer.
“After the passenger went to the gas pump and began pumping gas, the narcotics officer walked over and identified himself as a Russellville Police officer, at which point the man became very nervous and began talking very erratically,” said Short. “The officer told the man he was making sure that he was OK due to the nature of his behavior.
“At this point, the man said he was OK and that they both were from Mexico traveling to Georgia for vacation. The officer noticed that they only had two small duffle bags in the truck and both had conflicting stories. Upon further investigation, the officer asked the man if he could search his truck, and the owner gave consent.”
The Russellville officer contacted Arkansas State Police Trooper Kyle Drown and his drug dog, Rudy, to assist in the investigation and search. Both officers noticed that the bolts that hold the gas tank on had been recently tampered with. Rudy did indicate the possibility of narcotics on the gas cap of the truck. The Russellville officer asked the man if he would follow authorities to a mechanic to further investigate, Short stated.
“The passenger agreed, and they all went to a local mechanic at which point the gas tank was removed,” Short said. “Officers found 129 pounds of marijuana in the gas tank. The men were placed into custody, transported to the Pope County Detention Center and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.”
Short added the individuals, who are illegal immigrants from Mexico, are currently being incarcerated at the detention center.
Copyright © 2002, Russellville Newspapers, Inc.

3 garbage bags full of marijuana found

Second marijuana harvest worth $220,000

Leave Holland's dope scene there

Kathleen Parker, in her column printed Aug. 20 in the Herald-Tribune> ("In drug war, honesty is best"), advocates the legalization of marijuana. She reasons that in some way we would all benefit because such legalization would be honest. I trust she doesn't suggest that the parents of schoolchildren would consider themselves beneficiaries of her plan. If we have a problem now with the use and sale of drugs in schools, how bad does she think it would be if drugs were legalized for adults? Where does she think the current supplies sold to our schoolchildren come from?
While it may be true that marijuana is not physically addictive, I am sure Ms. Parker understands the concept of gateway or threshold drugs. Figures from the National Institute of Drug Abuse indicate that 70 percent to 75 percent of hard-drug users began their drug use with marijuana.
However, let's look at how this plan worked in real life in Holland. That country's experiment with legalization is now about 30 years old. If Ms. Parker walked the streets of Amsterdam she would observe a subculture of juvenile and adult potheads and addicts lying in alleys and doorways, day and night. Amsterdam has become the drug supermarket of Europe. Every weekend people flock to Holland from all over Europe to stock up and then return home, where addiction is on the rise. The Dutch government is beginning to understand the social consequences of its "enlightened" drug policy, which seemed so promising 30 years ago. The country is now beginning to try to deal with these consequences by reinstituting tougher laws and controls.
We are trying to teach our children and, for that matter, all our citizens the serious health dangers from smoking tobacco. What kind of a message are we sending when at the same time suggesting that we legalize cannabis?
Frank P. Rock Sarasota
Article published Aug 27, 2002 from www.heraldtribune.com
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(The following response was sent 8/27/02 - Let's see if they publish it!!!)

Frank P Rock while being earnest in his dissent "Leave Holland's dope scene there" proves why dis or misinformation in the so-called war on drugs is so prevalent!
His comments about Amsterdam are very misguided at best and untrue at worst!
1) The increase of drug use is ECSTACY an illegal an unregulated drug! And there is no "re-instituting of tougher laws and stricter controls"
2) I have been to Amsterdam twice this YEAR and saw no potheads lying in the streets ANYWHERE! Juvenile's can get ecstasy easier than then can get marijuana! What I see are thousands of law abiding individuals from all over the world contributing to the economy, behaving themselves while partaking in legal intoxicants! The difference between a coffeeshop and a bar? The Police are never called to a Coffeeshop to break up a fight or disturbance!
And contrary to what Mr. Rock states, instead of filling other countries with "marijuana addicts", other countries are beginning to see the light! Britain, Switzerland, Jamaica, among MANY OTHERS are beginning to understand Holland and are instituting SANE and reasonable drug laws, some refusing to arrest cannabis users (Britain) others (Switzerland) you can walk into a shop and purchase a clone (marijuana plant)
Prohibition does not work! Disinformation the tactic of those against sane and reasonable drug laws will not work any longer! While Asa Hutchinson lies to good people like Frank, who then extrapolate statistics that aren't real (75% figure, actually even NIDA admits there is no proof that marijuana is the gateway or as Amsterdam believes, the fact that it is illegal is the gateway!)
Lastly, what we tell our children is that like alcohol and tobacco there is a substance called Marijuana that some adults use. Unlike tobacco, which kills thousands (1st hand and 2nd hand), and alcohol, which is a leading cause of death to innocents through DWI crashes, marijuana has never been documented as causing a single fatality! That it was used therapeutically since the time of Emperor Shen Nung (2700bc) and that Eli Lilly produced it in 1913. That you should research the lies and deception of Anslinger and Hearst who started a campaign to take a benign American crop hemp and turn it into the devils weed!
That while a person would be better off if they didn’t put any foreign substances in their body it's better for the country to end prohibition and stop arresting sick and dying people and people who prefer a safer intoxicant than currently sanctioned by the Govt.
I invite Frank to be my guest at the 2002 Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam this year, and see for himself what is fact and what is fiction. At the least, if he writes me, I will send him the National Drug Monitor Cannabis Policy Fact Sheet Update 2000 so he can read for himself the facts and not get it second hand from Asa/Nida or the Partnership for a Truth Free America!
Brother John High New York City, NY
www.tucmh.org www.toke.org
Brother John is a minister working to end Prohibition in our time.

Cannabis new 'wonderdrug' 11/5/01

London - Cannabis could be a new wonder cure, the Observer reported on Sunday, following the first results of clinical trials of the drug in Britain.

Tests sanctioned by the government were proving highly successful, and some patients were calling cannabis a "miracle", the left-liberal weekly said, basing its claim on a British Broadcasting Corporation Panorama documentary.

The drug, which is still illegal for doctors to prescribe, has allowed a man previously so crippled with pain that he was impotent to become a father, a woman paralysed by multiple sclerosis to ride a horse for the first time in years, and a man who couldn't sit up in a chair on his own to live without constant assistance.

Until now claims of the benefits of the drug for certain conditions have been anecdotal, but preliminary results from the government trial, started last year, suggest that 80 percent of those taking part have derived more benefit from cannabis than from any other drug.

The Observer predicts the government will be forced to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes by 2002. Some scientists are predicting cannabis, which was first used for medicinal reasons 5 000 years ago, will be ranked with aspirin and penicillin.

PAST HEADLINES

Tuesday, April 24, 2001; Page HE06


WEED KILLER National Institutes of Health researchers have discovered how to take the fun out of marijuana. When pot is smoked, a chemical called THC enters the bloodstream and latches onto cannabinoid receptors in the brain, triggering intoxication, hunger and a desire to view "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" repeatedly. The investigators gave an experimental drug that blocks the receptors to healthy habitual users -- in an unusual twist, urine tests were used to ensure subjects were users -- and asked them to smoke a joint. The researchers found that a single dose of "SR141716" reduced the effects of marijuana dramatically, without affecting the amount of THC in the blood. The results have implications for treating certain psychotic disorders and pot addiction, researchers say.