Posted on 10/14/2006 3:09:24 PM PDT by kiriath_jearim
SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal grand jury has again indicted the self-proclaimed "Guru of Ganja" on charges that he grew hundreds of marijuana plants for a dispensary.
Ed Rosenthal was convicted in 2003 for cultivating the plants for a city of Oakland medical marijuana program. An appeals court overturned the conviction in April, citing jury misconduct, but it upheld federal powers to charge marijuana growers.
An indictment unsealed Thursday charges Rosenthal with 14 felonies, including conspiracy to manufacture marijuana at his Oakland warehouse and distribute it to a San Francisco pot club.
He also faces four counts of money laundering and five counts of filing false tax returns related to the marijuana operation. Also named in the indictment were Kenneth Hayes and Richard Watts. All three men were charged in 2002. Hayes remains a fugitive, and Watts was too ill to stand trial then, Rosenthal said.
The three were scheduled to be arraigned Monday.
Rosenthal, 61, who has written books on how to grow marijuana and avoid getting caught, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the indictment was part of the federal government's campaign to shut down dispensaries aimed at helping patients who need medical marijuana.
"What they're trying to show is that they can close down anybody, a legitimate club, a legitimate provider who's sanctioned by the city," he said, referring to his official status as an agent in Oakland's medical marijuana program. "They're trying to stop patients from getting their medicine."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Why don't they just lock him up for the hell of it? That was good enough to put Tommy Chong away, wasn't it?
From the NJ Star-Ledger:
"Chong was arrested in 2003 with 54 others in the Drug Enforcement Administration's "Operation Pipe Dreams." Chong was selling bongs and pipes on the Internet as Nice Dreams Enterprises. He was the only one of the 55 arrested to serve jail time."
Selective prosecution?
L
What could be safer than going after potheads? The worst danger is that a cop might slip on an empty bag of sour cream and onion potato chips and fall on his toosh.
Lots of safe easy busts on that case record. Means promotions for the boyz all around.
Next time Homeland Security or the F.B.I. whines for more money, we need to remind them they got money for this nonsense.
Donutwatch pinged.
Judicial thuggery - the handmaiden of zealotry
Worse than that, he took a plea so they wouldn't prosecute his wife and son. Nothing like a little leverage to ensure a defendant toes the line.
There goes the book sales.
After his guilty plea, he probably shouldn't have joked around with the press about putting the criminal case in his next movie with Cheech Marin. It seems the federal prosecutors and judge felt that showed a lack of remorse. He could gave gotten community service.
He was offered home detention, by the way, but chose to go to jail. The martyr status is probably better for his career.
And this is what passes for a hero with the drug legalization crowd.
The heros of WODdies are DEAmen in black armor hiding behind black masks of mystery who knock down doors in the night to steal children and property from citizens in an anti-Christian terror campaign! I will side with those who plant seeds.
Uhhhh....yeah.
The Pope of Pot, the Wizard of Weed, the Doctor of Dope, the Godfather of Grass...
You're salivating.
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