Posted on 01/21/2003 4:28:02 PM PST by Libloather
Marijuana columnist goes on trial on charges of illegally growing pot
Tue Jan 21, 3:28 PM ET
By DAVID KRAVETS, Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO - An author of how-to books and columns on growing marijuana and evading the law went on trial Tuesday on federal charges of illegally cultivating pot.
The case against Ed Rosenthal represents the latest clash between federal agents and state and local authorities over the medical use of marijuana.
Rosenthal, a former columnist for the pro-marijuana magazine High Times, has said he was growing pot to help the sick, which is legal under California law. But marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
Prosecutor George Bevan told the jury that agents seized some 3,000 plants growing in Rosenthal's warehouse in Oakland.
"It's a federal offense," Bevan said.
Rosenthal, 58, could receive a life sentence if convicted.
California and seven other states — Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon and Washington — allow the sick to receive, possess, grow or smoke marijuana for medical purposes without fear of state prosecution.
Nearly two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court said it was a violation of federal drug laws for medical marijuana clubs to dispense pot.
Armed with that ruling, the government has raided several marijuana clubs and growing operations in California over the objection of marijuana advocates and local prosecutors and politicians.
Nothing at all, unless it eliminates freedoms, which is what I believe a puritan theocracy would do.
I assume then that you are in favor of prohibiting alcohol again, even though the first attempt was a total failure with all sorts of bad side effects, just like the War on Drugs has now.
Some things, though foolish to do are simply not the business of government to criminalize. Once you open that Pandora's box, there is no practical limit to the power that the government can usurp. For example, using your logic, we should criminalize Twinkies since they have well documented negative health effects and the sugar gives people, particularly children, a rush.
You can be as pure as you like, according to your own definition of purity. You have no right to impose your definition on me at the point of a government gun. Is that clear enough?
Well said, but always lost on "conservatives" who believe that being caged for years by government decree with sociopathic homosexual rapists is the appropriate fate for someone caught "possessing" a natural herb.
Ok name me one pot head caught with an ounce of weed("natural herb" in your pot world parlance) who is in jail for "years" being a prison bitch to "buubba".
You can't, but what the hey you got an issue and ideaolgy to promote.
You are no different than Kate Michealman of NARAL, whose main tag line is that keeping abortion legal, keeps "back alley abortions(baby killings)" from happening.
Some day you may see that your arguement is as ridiculous as Kate's, but with your stridency for the cause of weed, I highly doubt it.
10,000 Americans serving prison sentences RIGHT NOW for MJ POSSESSION ONLY.
And the FEDERAL crackdown on CA medipot growers started in October 2001: SIX WEEKS AFTER 9/11.
'Nuff said.
10,000 Americans serving prison sentences RIGHT NOW for MJ POSSESSION ONLY.
And the FEDERAL crackdown on CA medipot growers started in October 2001: SIX WEEKS AFTER 9/11.
'Nuff said
Oh wow dude it is a "Bush" conspiracy now(9/11 and all that jazz), while your closet heros Clinton/Reno did nothing against your cause.
Oh BTW, have you seen the news, the newly elected Republican Governor of Maryland has said he will sign a medical marijuana bill that makes "sense"(and "sense" for this purpose doesn't mean the medical Libertarian "sense" of the "medicinal" use of smoking pot and saying "oh wow dude, gnarley" and then going down to the corner 7-11 and clearing out the Cheeto's shelf).
Even your comrades in arms(vin-one, anti-guv) in the pot jihad on FR have basically stated that they see medical patients who may benefit from medicinal uses of cannabis are no more than "useful idiots" in the jihad for total pot validation.
I would provide a link but it seems that another of your "comrade in arms(dcwusmc)" within the pot jihad got the thread pulled with his belligerant remarks.
Some things, though foolish to do are simply not the business of government to criminalize. Once you open that Pandora's box, there is no practical limit to the power that the government can usurp. For example, using your logic, we should criminalize Twinkies since they have well documented negative health effects and the sugar gives people, particularly children, a rush.
Well said.
And your comparing me to David Westerfield and Jeffrey Dahmer on the now defunct thread means total diddly to you. Those in glass houses, should not throw stones.(Oh that's right I forgot, to the true and blue Libertarians moral messages have no effect, never mind)
Uh look up the word stigma in your dictionary. But you go ahead with your, IMHO, naive Libertarian/ACLU view that stigma is a "four letter word".
Be careful with your wish of the "idealistic" world you propose( where there is no such word as stigma), you may get what you want and not like it. Don't come complaining to me about the outcome.
First, it is not true that no one goes to prison for mere possession. Mere possession of "too much" is automatically deemed to be for sale, even though no sale took place.
Secondly, until the sale is legal, the bad side effects will not stop. Growing and sale must be legal to put the black market out of business and make sure all the MJ cigarettes are made in factories with QA.
The government certainly knows this as well as anyone so we must make the normal assumption. "If you do not know why something is the way it is-It must be the money." There will be an economic upheaval in several industries when MJ is legalized: prison industry, drug testing and treatment, beer, lawyers, black market sellers-all these will suffer large losses in employment. It follows that the pressure to keep it illegal comes from them and the puritan drug warriors are the useful idiots of drug prohibition.
Wow did you just get that quote from an ACLU blast fax?
Non sequitur; there are ways of maintaining stigmas other than through criminal law.
Huh I guess you live in the world of legalese and not common sense, just like the ACLU, why am I not surprised.
No, that just came from my head full blown.
The idea that someone is making money from prohibition is nothing new. It has always been obvious. Putting it together with the "useful idiot" remark came to me from an earlier post on this thread.
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