D.A. Calls Pot Good Medicine, Part of Religious Experience

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 4/18/02 | Steve Rubenstein

[GSWarrior]

Marijuana advocates cheer on Hallinan D.A. calls pot good medicine, part of religious experience

San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan, preaching to the choir, told 200 marijuana advocates this morning that marijuana is not only good medicine but "unquestionably part of religious experience."

The chief law enforcement officer of San Francisco said "thousands of people are being locked up for their religious beliefs" for smoking marijuana.

In a half-hour address to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Hallinan said prosecution for marijuana possession makes no sense and reiterated his policy opposing prison sentences for any marijuana conviction.

The delegates whooped, stomped, applauded and rose to their feet for several standing ovations for the two-term district attorney and former member of the Board of Supervisors, long a supporter of marijuana law reform.

"To consider marijuana in the same category as heroin and crack cocaine, as federal statues do, makes no sense and does not reflect reality," Hallinan said.

"Right on, Terence," hollered a delegate in a hemp hat.

San Francisco, said the district attorney, is a "second-chance city that represents freedom" and is an "appropriate place for people who believe in repealing prohibitions against marijuana."

Hallinan stood in the front of the Crowne Plaza Hotel ballroom, beside giant posters from NORML's controversial new $500,000 ad blitz featuring New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg saying he had smoked and enjoyed marijuana.

In his off-the-cuff remarks, Hallinan, a former defense attorney, recalled four decades of battles against prosecutors, cops, feds, attorneys general and various other nonbelievers.

To cheers, he said that he was the only district attorney in California to endorse Proposition 215, the medical-marijuana initiative, and that he had successfully fought to get charges dropped against the late Mary Jane "Brownie Mary" Rathburn in Sonoma County in 1992.

To boos, he recalled how former attorney general Dan Lungren tried to keep him from speaking to a law enforcement meeting in Sacramento.

Following Hallinan's speech, the delegates viewed a videotaped message from Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura. The former pro wrestler told the delegates that he wanted to "show my support for the good work you are doing."

He went on to say he had eaten up an entire order of hemp-fed beef sent to him by actor and marijuana advocate Woody Harrelson, another speaker at the convention.

"Tell Woody I could use another order," Ventura said.

Afterward, the sidewalk outside the hotel was pungent with the smoke of delegates taking their morning break. Hallinan, departing from the hotel, did not stop to check for delegates' medical certificates.

[GSWarrior]

I'm all for decriminalizing marijuana. But unless he is referring to wicca or some other pagan "religion", this is quite a stretch.

Hate to post and run, but I Freep at work and, well, its time to go home.

[What Is Ain't]

Shouldn't that be "heap good medicine?"

[Loyalist]

If I'm not mistaken, Terrence Hallinan is the son of Vincent Hallinan, the Communist civil rights lawyer and 1952 Progressive Party presidential candidate. By then, everybody knew the Progressive Party was a Communist front.

Hallinan ran for President while he and his wife were under indictment for tax evasion. His wife got off, but Hallinan got 18 months and a $600,000 fine.

[Squawk 8888]

unless he is referring to wicca or some other pagan "religion", this is quite a stretch.
Rastafarians use pot as part of their ritual, they regard it as sacramental. Similar to the North American Indians using tobacco and Catholics using wine.

[vin-one]

This is a good,
BTTT

[GSWarrior]

Rastafarians use pot as part of their ritual, they regard it as sacramental. Similar to the North American Indians using tobacco and Catholics using wine.

Good point. I hadn't thought of that. Maybe Hallinan is correct on this. North American Indians also use peyote and other hallucinogenics, don't they still?

[Squawk 8888]

Could be. I've heard that the use of hallucinogens is still fairly common among some of the tribes in South America but FWIW it's all secondhand info- I never got the urge to read up on it too much so I really don't know for sure.

[EBUCK]

And my father is a Union Steelworker. Does that mean that I'm a Union Steelworker? No.

Don't bring up in-yur-endos just for the sake of smearing the guy. If he's done something you think is wrong call him on it. Otherwise leave his political motivations free to be judged objectively using his actions as foundation.

EBUCK

[GSWarrior]

Politicians admitting they smoked and enjoyed marijuana seems to be in vogue now. Good for them.

[Loyalist]

What smear? I'm merely pointing out who his father is. I think you're reading too much into it.

[Loyalist]

Incidentally, I think what D.A. Hallinan said is dubious at best and downright silly at worst. There are far better analgesics out there than marijuana, and I don't know what religion a marijuana high is supposed to be an experience of, except maybe the Rastafarians.

[kidd]

Micheal Bloomburg
Jesse Ventura
Woody Harrelson

Some of my favorite people < /sarcasm>

[EBUCK]

Pointing out that someone’s father is/was a commie and a tax evader (talk about hypocritical, expecting the gubment to pay for everything by way of taxes then not paying your taxes..) even though the father doesn't even appear in the article seemed like a smear to me. I apologize if that wasn't your intent.

EBUCK

[GSWarrior]

If you agree that pot should be decriminalized, which apparently you don't, there are bound to be a lot of lefty nutballs fall that will fall in behind you. Price of war, I guess.

[EBUCK]

This is what my father told me to watch for as I was growing up. He said I was going to have to wait until the bulk of our old-school EO's were replaced with those from his generation before social liberty came about. He also warned me that along with the social freedom I could expect from them beware the gun-grabbing instincts they would have aquired durring the peace-love era. He seems to have been right on both counts.

EBUCK

[EBUCK]

I agree. Trying to tie MJ to any religion (other than Rasta/Native Amer.) is stretching the subject pretty thin. I didn't see what religion he was trying to tie into it but you can bet that if he brought one up by name the leadership of that particular sect would howl to high heaven to get him to retract.

EBUCK

[kidd]

Actually the religious experience part of this article is what makes the most sense. The people that I know who smoke pot think about it all day at work, think about how to smoke it, discuss Grateful Dead bootlegs with their friends, start their weekend on Thursday night, are never available for other recreation because they spend Saturday and Sunday afternoons recovering, spend most of Monday telling about the partys they went to on the weekend, their rooms are decorated with Dead posters, they try to dress like hippies, etc.

Its not an addiction, but it really is more than just simple recreation - its a lifestyle that is all-consuming.

[vin-one]

Your father was wise beyond his years. That was a very astute, Prediction;
End the WOD now, and save billions on wasted LEO's

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

WE spend MILLIONS and MILLIONS of DOLLARS to try and keep drugs out of the hands and lungs of our children and society we fight dealers of this hideous drug not mention otherdrugs even more haneous than pot amd now all of a sudden because a DISTRICT ATTOURNY says pot is good all hail the weed suddenly its a religious experiance sheeze what a fickle society we live in

UP NEXT GOD is a curse and not a word of him in any church for to worship him is bad for you pot is the new religion mandatory for every citizen to consume freely supplied by your loving government free of charge