[robertpaulsen]

"An acknowledged expert in growing hemp"

I ask you, how does one become an "expert" in an illegal activity? And this was before he was hired by the City of Oakland.

"deputized by the city of Oakland"

Rosenthal was deputized as a City of Oakland official, that's all. This means he was a city official, not some sheriff's deputy. I know you didn't say that he was, but I just wanted to clarify his standing.

and approved by the state to grow and distribute marijuana.

So what? He knew, the City of Oakland knew, the State of California knew it was against federal law. He violated federal law and was convicted in federal court of doing so by a jury of his peers. The fact that this was legal under state law does not make it more or less likely for him to violate federal law -- two different things.

What if the State of California allowed Rosenthal to keep slaves? Would that fact be relevent in a federal trial concerning a violation of the 13th amendment?

[dread78645]

I ask you, how does one become an "expert" in an illegal activity? And this was before he was hired by the City of Oakland.

• High Times "Ask Ed" marijuana cultivation columnist 1983-2000.
• Author of more than a dozen books on growing and preparing marijuana, co-author or editor of another dozen more.
  
• Frequent expert witness on marijuana cultivation in federal and state trials.
  
• Consultant for the US Government's "pot farm" of the University of Mississippi Marijuana Research Project.
  
• Consultant for hemp and marijuana growers in France, Germany, Switzerland, India, Morocco, Nepal, England, Canada, Australia, and Holland.

He violated federal law and was convicted in federal court of doing so by a jury of his peers.

Yes he was. A jury without the full facts of the crime.

<sarcasm>
And, by God, there would be a whole lot more convictions if the state prosecution could just keep any evidence from the jury that's awkward.

Hell, let's just get rid of trial by jury. We don't need 'em to ponder the facts and the law when the DA & judge can suppress either to suit the moment.

</sarcasm>