Judge orders release of medical marijuana patient arrested in Canada

AP ^ | 10/12/5 | GENE JOHNSON

[SmithL]

Seattle -- A U.S. Army veteran who fled to Canada to avoid prosecution because he grew marijuana to help control chronic pain was yanked from a hospital by Canadian authorities, driven to the U.S. border with a catheter still attached, and turned over to U.S. officials — who provided him with no medical treatment for five days, his lawyer said.

Steven William Tuck, 38, was still fitted with the urinary catheter when he shuffled into U.S. District Court for a detention hearing Wednesday, said his lawyer, Douglas Hiatt.

U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Donohue ordered Tuck temporarily released so that Hiatt and Sunil Aggarwal, the president of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, could take him to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.

"The guy comes into the jail with a catheter ..., you'd think they'd do something about it!" Hiatt said, launching into a profanity-laced tirade after the hearing. "This is totally inhumane. He's been tortured for days for no reason."

However, by the time Donohoe issued his order releasing Tuck, King County Jail officials had received a detainment request from Humboldt County, Calif., officials, so he was not released Wednesday, Hiatt said.

"I can't believe we've run into another snag here," the lawyer added.

Tuck is charged federally with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and Donohue ordered his release on the condition that he face the charge in the Northern District of California upon his release from the hospital. The U.S. attorney's office in Seattle did not oppose that release.

But he also faces prosecution in state court in Humboldt County.

[SmithL]

And you thought that you were having a bad day.

[gondramB]

Yeah, this sounds extreme and harsh if its a simple case of medical marijuana.

But if he was in custody or out on bail when he fled then that becomes a serious crime in itself.

They still should have gotten him medical attention, for PR if for no other reason.

[PositiveCogins]

The war on pot is a war on the American people. And most people don't even know why it's illegal anyway. The same reason the Feds won't do any thing about illegal immigration is pretty close to reason pot is illegal. Industry.

[ravinson]

"Compassionate conservatism" strikes again.

[BlazingArizona]

The war on pot is a war on the American people. And most people don't even know why it's illegal anyway.

Why are we surprised when Canada won't support us on foreign policy when we pull this kind of crap? So far as I'm concerned, the DEA committed an act of war and Canada would be perfectly justified in gunning these bastards down when they invaded the hospital.

(Posting from Rotorua, NZ this week).

[Ekoa]

Pot's illegal?

[loboinok]

"the DEA committed an act of war and Canada would be perfectly justified in gunning these bastards down when they invaded the hospital."

I hope you aren't arguing for legalization!

1. Advocating for Canadians gunning down Americans.

2. It was the Canadians who removed him from the hospital, took him to the border and turned him over to American officials.

[Wolfie]

ping

[headsonpikes]

"Compassionate conservatism" strikes again.

Thanks for making me laugh out loud this morning - before my coffee, too!

[sweet_diane]

"he grew marijuana to help control chronic pain "

There's no such thing as chronic pain...only druggies looking for drugs, right? Whatever pain one has can be cured by all kinds of chemical cocktails put out by the Rx companies. Dibilitating side effect? deal with them and stop your whining.

::end sarc..

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

The History of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937

[winston2]

Whatever pain one has can be cured by all kinds of chemical cocktails put out by the Rx companies. Debilitating side effect? deal with them and stop your whining.

::end sarc..

Marijuana smoked while using lortab counters the drowsiness caused by the lortab, helps with pain and can deliver a sense of euphoria. (It happened to me one time.)

[BlazingArizona]

I hope you aren't arguing for legalization!

Yes. What you put into your own body is your own responsibility. By the same token, 'society' should have no obligation to shield you from the results of any addiction.

1. Advocating for Canadians gunning down Americans.

In this case, yes. Extradition should be reserved for real crimes. If we bully a friendly government into yanking people out of hospitals for smoking pot, how much help from the Canadians can we expect next time we need to retrieve a serial killer?

[robertpaulsen]

"Last Friday (when he found out about the U.S. extradition order), he checked himself into a Vancouver hospital for prostate problems, and it was there that he was arrested.

There. I fixed it.

[loboinok]

"Yes. What you put into your own body is your own responsibility."

Too many anti-prohibitionists agreeing that smoking should be unlawful does not exactly win me over to this line of reasoning!

1. "Advocating for Canadians gunning down Americans."

"In this case, yes."

Thats Treason, anyway you carve that turkey!

"Extradition should be reserved for real crimes."

Interstate Flight to Avoid Prosecution is a legislated law, passed and signed. It is a Federal crime...REAL crime!


"If we bully a friendly government into yanking people out of hospitals for smoking pot..."

1. "was yanked from a hospital BY CANADIAN AUTHORITIES, driven to the U.S. border with a catheter still attached, and turned over to U.S. officials"

There is NOTHING in the article that would lend credibility to your claim that we 'bullied' Canadians.
We have an extradition treaty with Canada that BOTH countries signed.
And again... he wasn't yanked out of the hospital for 'smoking pot' but for Interstate Flight to Aviod Prosecution... a real crime.