The Cannabis FREE Newspaper of Record

www.WestCoastLeaf.com ISSN 1945-221X • Volume 4 No. 2 Summer 2011 FEDS PUSH BACK AT Reaching for new heights MEDICAL MARIJUANA By Kris Hermes, Americans for Safe Access aimed at local and state officials in at least Oakland City Attorney John Russo asked nine different medical marijuana states: Mendocino the Obama Justice Department In February Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, County’s 2011 whether the federal government Maine, Montana, Rhode Island, Vermont tag-permit would approve a city plan to regulate and Washington. large-scale medical marijuana cultivation. At the same time, a blistering wave of process uses As expected, US Attorney Melinda Haag federal raids in several states seems to con- third-party responded with a declarative, “No!” tradict a 2009 federal policy memo on state inspectors for Little did patient advocates realize then medical marijuana laws. that Haag’s letter signaled the launch of a “Every time there’s a raid, or a threat- compliance barrage of similar US Attorney letters ening letter is sent to an elected official, Story inside. hundreds if not thousands of patients are left wondering where they’re going to get Delaware newest their medication,” said Steph Sherer, Executive Director of Americans for Safe Julia Carrera, who medical use state Access. ASA recently launched its ‘Sick and works as a third- Tired’ campaign to bring attention to the party inspector for By Morgan Fox, Marijuana Policy Project continued harassment, discrimination and the Mendocino Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed SB 17 County medical stigmatization of patients and to call for a marijuana garden into law May 13, making it legal for state comprehensive federal policy. permiting program, residents with certain serious medical con- seen inspecting a The tactic of sending letters threatening ditions to use cannabis with a doctor’s rec- crop last October. public officials with criminal prosecution is Photo courtesy of ommendation. The bill had bipartisan Please turn to page 15 Julia Carrera sponsors and support in the legislature, as Delaware became the 16th state to pass an effective medical marijuana law, along with the District of Columbia. Kentucky decriminalizes 8 ounces for personal use Qualified patients will not be permitted to cultivate their own medicine, but may By Mickey Martin, TCompConsulting.com haul is set to save Kentucky taxpayers a Governor Bershear hailed the passage obtain up to six ounces of medical-grade Kentucky is not known as a hotbed of drug whopping $422 million dollars over the of HB 463 as a major step forward, stating, cannabis from state-licensed compassion policy reform, but in March the State next decade by reducing the cost of prose- “Over the last three years, we’ve made centers regulated by the state Dept. of Legislature and Senate overwhelmingly cuting and jailing low-risk drug offenders. Please turn to page 6 Health and Social Services, which will also passed House Bill 463, which was signed It reinvests some of those savings into issue ID cards to patients who receive a rec- into law by Governor Steve Bershear. treatment options for those needing help. ommendation from their doctors. Public The bill reduces personal possession of California legislature use of marijuana and driving under the up to eight ounces of marijuana to a Class Hemp backers praise may reduce cultivation influence are prohibited. B misdemeanor with a maximum penalty Please turn to page 8 of 45 days in jail. This landmark legal over- Cal farm bill, SB 676 penalty to ‘wobbler’ By Steve Levine, Hemp Industries Assn. By Dale Gieringer, Cal NORML Five years for Doc Fry California state Senator Mark Leno intro- California legislators are considering sev- duced Senate Bill 676 Feb. 18 to make the eral interesting bills this session, the fates Clemency sought for Cal legal distinction that industrial hemp is of which remain to be determined. doctor and attorney husband separate and distinct from the forms of On the plus side, the State Senate cannabis used to produce marijuana. Judiciary Committee approved SB 129, a By William Dolphin, Americans for Safe Access Industrial hemp is the non-psychoactive, bill by Sen. Mark Leno to protect medical Heads still held high, medical cannabis low-THC, oilseed and fiber varieties of the marijuana patients against employment patients Dr. Mollie Fry and her husband, Cannabis sativa plant and has absolutely no discrimination by protecting qualified attorney Dale Schafer, turned themselves value as a recreational drug. If passed, SB cannabis patients from drug testing in non- in to federal authorities in Sacramento, CA 676 will allow commercial farming of safety-sensitive jobs. May 2 to begin serving five year prison industrial hemp, which occurred in the Another ‘plus’ bill by Leno to legalize terms for cultivating cannabis. state until shortly after World War II. Dale Schafer (l) and Dr. Mollie Fry (on bull- industrial hemp, SB 676, was approved by First, they spoke to the assembled horn) spoke to a throng of supporters in Leno said that hemp farming will help the Senate Public Safety Committee. Like crowd about why they remain committed Sacramento before surrendering into federal revitalize California’s economy. “The time SB 129, the hemp bill is based on previous to helping other patients. Dr. Fry ended custody. Photo by Dale Gieringer. is long overdue for California farmers to be legislation that was passed but vetoed by with the shout, “Free God’s medicine!” allowed to grow this sustainable and prof- former Gov. Schwarzenegger. Fry and Schafer were joined by family, itable crop once again. The passage of SB never grew more than 44 plants. Federal Meanwhile, the Assembly Public Safety friends and dozens of cannabis patients 676 will create new jobs and economic prosecutors argued that they were guilty of Committee has approved a bill to down- and advocates for a rally and press confer- opportunities for many farmers and manu- felony cultivation and conspiracy, which grade marijuana cultivation from a manda- ence at the federal courthouse. Activists facturers throughout the state.” carry five-year mandatory minimum sen- tory felony to a ‘wobbler,’ meaning an also protested the sentences and federal tences, because the number of grown over A variety of products made from optional misdemeanor. The bill by Tom policy at the Dept. of Health and Human several years added up to more than 100. imported industrial hemp, such as healthy Ammiano, AB 1017, is sponsored by Services building in Washington, DC. Dr. Fry used cannabis to ease the effects food, natural body-care products and eco- Mendocino County District Attorney “Today is an affront to justice,” Don of chemotherapy she underwent for breast friendly clothing, are already being made David Eyster and other North State DAs, Duncan, California director for ASA, told cancer; she had a radical mastectomy in in California. with predictable opposition from mainline the media covering the rally. “We’re 1997. This led her to start a specialized clin- “Dr. Bronner’s currently purchases 20 law enforcement groups. demanding clemency for Dale and Molly. ic for cannabis patients. tons of hemp oil each year from Canada,” Several more dubious bills address the And we’re demanding an end to the war Schafer used cannabis to manage said David Bronner, President of Dr. knotty issue of medical marijuana distribu- on all the other sick and dying patients.” chronic back pain and symptoms related to Bronner’s Magic Soaps of Escondido. “We tion. A pair of ambitious bills to establish A clemency petition was filed at the his hemophilia. A candidate for district look forward to the day that we can meet statewide regulatory systems, SB 847 by end of April on their behalf in the federal attorney of Eldorado County in 2001 and our supply needs from hemp produced Sen. Lou Correa and SB 626 by Sen. Ron Eastern District Court of Sacramento and contributor to the county’s guidelines on right here in our home state.” Calderon, were withdrawn by the authors sent to President Obama in an effort to cultivation, he helped grow his wife’s med- “Farmers in California want to grow in view of the many political difficulties avoid or shorten their imprisonment. icine and went on to provide free cannabis hemp and manufacturers are ready to buy involved. Both bills had attracted criticism The couple were prosecuted in federal to a handful of local patients and to teach their crops,” agreed Hemp Industries Assn. from medical use advocates. court for cultivating cannabis, though they classes on cultivation. (HIA) President Steve Levine. Senator Calderon subsequently revised were both state-qualified patients who Please turn to page 4 Please turn to page 7 Please turn to page 6 Summer 2011 Page 2 West Coast Leaf

West Coasterdam Report

CITY REAPS CANNABIS TAX HARVEST — The City of San Jose, CA, reported first month revenues of $290,000, collected in March, 2011 from the 7% tax levied on med- ical marijuana collectives in the city. The tax was passed by voters Nov. 2, 2010. It is esti- mated that the city could reap about $3.4 million for the year if payments continue at the same level, which would help offset a $115 million budget deficit. “The new revenue col- lected has the potential to cover approximately 17 to 18 police officers or three libraries year-round,” Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio, sponsor of the tax measure, told the Julianna of Auntie Dolores Edibles urges people at the Oaksterdam Cannabis Museum meet- Mercury News. This tax is on top of the city business tax and sales tax collected. Of the 105 and-greet to join NCIA. Aaron Smith (center) and Etienne Fontan look on. Photo by Mikki Norris collectives identified in San Jose, 73 submitted the tax payment. The non-paying collec- tives are threatened with a 25% penalty plus interest on late taxes once the program is in New cannabis lobby presses for tax code reforms place. However, it is unclear what to expect if and when new city regulations are imple- By Aaron Smith, NCIA Executive Director toward getting it enacted into law. mented which currently would allow only 10 collectives to operate. — Mikki Norris For decades, groups like the Marijuana The group held its first Congressional Policy Project (MPP), Drug Policy Alliance lobby day March 30, when five prominent OAKLAND GETS NEW TOURIST ATTRACTION — The Oaksterdam (DPA), National Organization for the members of the medical supply industry Cannabis Museum (oaksterdamcannabismuseum.com ) and Information Center opened Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and — Michael Backes of Cornerstone Research its doors at 1776 Broadway, Oakland, CA for preview showings April 20, 2011. It is the first Americans for Safe Access (ASA) have lob- Collective, Brian Cook of Altitude Organic cannabis museum in the US to show living medical marijuana plants in an exhibit. The bied in Washington, DC on behalf of Corporation, Stephen DeAngelo of garden is being grown legally under state law. The museum is seeking donations or loans cannabis patients and consumers. That Harborside Heath Center, Tripp Keber of of artifacts of particular historic significance as well as patrons, sponsors and volunteers. advocacy has helped bring policy changes Dixie Elixirs and Edibles, and Jill OREGON GROWERS CUP RESEARCH — In the month and legal victories that increased medical Lamoureux of Colorado Dispensary leading up to the seventh annual Oregon Green Free (OGF), Care access in more than a dozen states. Services — joined NCIA lobbyist Steve Fox Growers Cup, 90 cannabis judges tested 22 strain samples and five The National Cannabis Industry Assn. for a series of meetings on Capitol Hill. hash samples. Greg Barton, an OGF Board member with a Masters has now joined this effort in the nation’s Never before had medical cultivators Degree in Microbiology, tested each entered sample for cannabi- capital. As its name implies, NCIA repre- and distributors joined together to assert noid content. Information gathered by judges has been compiled sents businesses involved in the rapidly their rights as legitimate business people in for years, and OGF is working to formulate its data into a paper for growing cannabis industry. Its primary the US. The delegation focused its advoca- publication. Over 500 people gathered in a huge log cabin to see mission is to lobby on behalf of member cy on Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Central Oregon patient Tony Gibson, who grows for his girlfriend businesses in DC, where it is also promot- Code, which bars businesses involved in who suffers from cluster migraines, win first place with Grand- Angela Fairless announcing winners ing the societal and economic benefits of “drug trafficking” from deducting stan- Daddy Purple. Five Star won first place for the Tasters’ Choice the industry. dard operating expenses. The IRS is using with his Pfrut cut. First place for hash was an “ice-made mix of three strains from Muddy. The NCIA has taken the lead in advo- this provision during audits of California A live painting was done by Portland-based artist Eatcho and at the end of the evening the cating for a fix to the tax code so it will not dispensaries to penalize state-legal painting was auctioned off to benefit OGF. All money raised at this year’s events goes to be applied to providers of medical cannabis distributors. support the work of OGF, a federal 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to helping patients in the cannabis in states where such activity is The NCIA contingent explained to Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. — Angela Fairless legal. Months of dedicated work by the members of key committees that the sec- CANNABIS CAFÉ HOSTS NWA EVENT — The NORML Women’s Alliance NCIA and the businesses it represents will tion, if fully enforced, would make it (NWA) hosted a clothing swap at the World Famous Cannabis Café with the Oregon be rewarded soon, when Rep. Pete Stark extremely difficult for medical cannabis NORML Women’s Council March 20. A sister event took place in Salem at the same time (D-CA) introduces “The Small Business providers following the letter of the law to thanks to Salem Oregon NORML. Proceeds were donated to the local Dress for Success Tax Equity Act” in the US House of compete with the still-existent under- chapter and the Japan Relief Drive, with support from Brothers with Glass, Stoned Made Representatives. Now, the work turns Please turn to page 7 and Urbage Designs. The value of the donations to Dress for Success was estimated at $5000 worth of usable career clothing. “With many human-service programs suffering from severe budget cuts, the NWA and World Famous Cannabis Café anticipate more events like this to help those in need,” said Café owner Madeline Martinez. — Anna Diaz, NWA Steering Committee 503-239-6110, [email protected]. LA WELLNESS CENTER 312 W. Olympic Blvd. LA CA 90015 213.746.3355 DOWNTOWN • LOS ANGELES COLLECTIVE Over 35 strains of primo medicine at excellent prices Home of the $45 1/8ths all day everyday 1/8 starting at $25 Oz as low as $250 Healthy Clones Quality edibles and concentrates Daily internet specials Membership reward cards Here to heal, here to help. Hours: Monday - Sat 11 am - 8 pm Sunday 11 am - 7 pm Convenient free parking Send us an email at [email protected] and we will send you coupons for happy hour specials

• FIND A LOCATION Nassiri • INCORPORATE & OPERATE LEGITIMATELY • FIGHT TO KEEP YOUR COLLECTIVE DOORS OPEN • CONSULTATIONS & LEGAL DOCUMENT PREP GET LEGAL CALL NOW Howard 714.937.2050 • www.cannabislawgroup.com Check out our blog at MarijuanaLawNews.com West Coast Leaf Page 3 Summer 2011 Wash governor intimidated, vetoes safe access Feds threaten Evergreen State registry requirements. During a May 11 public hearing, detractors contended that over dispensary plan many locales would simply use the new By Martin Martinez, www.medmj-wa.com rules to ban the co-ops. Yet, without it, Washington State patients have had med- Officer Pierce of the Sheriffs’ Association ical cannabis rights since 1998, but few described the new legal mess as “chaos.” have had legal access. Most patients have Police generally oppose dispensaries relied on black- or grey-market sources. and support the registry, but at least one With the 2010 increase in the number of lawman strongly supports SB 5955. King Medi-Coneʼs George Bianchi and Matt Witemyre join Alex Toccoli of Port City April 20 to cele- medical recommenders allowed, thou- County Prosecutor and Seattle’s top cop brate their Oaksterdam Spring Bowl trophies. Photo by Mikki Norris sands of new patients have entered the Dan Satterberg released a letter in favor of marketplace, along with a plethora of dis- the ‘fixer’ bill, explaining that, “... the law Medi-Cone wins Oʼdam 4/20 Spring Bowl pensaries that bravely opened their doors. that will go into effect, if no alternative By S.G. Farmer Shiva Skunk, a potent yet mellow, earthy This year, Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles comes forward, makes these dispensaries For the second year in a row, West Marin and relaxing member of the indica family. introduced Senate Bill 5073 to allow regu- clearly illegal, setting up a showdown with collective Medi-Cone took top honors at The entry was submitted by Port City lated dispensaries. Following months of no winners.” Oaksterdam’s 4/20 2011 Spring Bowl, tak- Health and Wellness, one of three newly wrangling, it passed the Senate and House Seattle Mayor McGinn and City At - ing home both the coveted People’s Choice permitted dispensaries in Stockton. with bipartisan support. Cannabis patients torney Pete Holmes publicly support legal- and Judge’s Choice trophies. This hybrid, stabilized by Medi-Cone and providers rejoiced in the proposal. ization, and with special cannabis policy This year’s winning strain, recently Director of Strain Development Mark Advertisement of medical distributors meetings on the city’s calendar, it appears named “JV-86,” is a cross between the Martin, produces dense, lavender-colored exploded, turning a grey market green and the City is poised to take a stand to protect famous Northern California sativa strain buds when it finishes at eight weeks. astonishing the medical marijuana com- public safety and implement legal access. with its soaring high, Trainwreck, and Matt Witemyre, Medi-Cone Chief of munity that had remained underground Staff, emphasized that Medi-Cone canna - for longer than a decade. Oregon bill to give police full access to patient registry bis is tested at SteepHill Lab for potency The burgeoning culture was not unno- and pathogens, and only organic fertilizers By Russ Belville, NORML Outreach Coordinator patients under the age of 18 and that the ticed by federal drug enforcers. Spring of and pest control methods are used. “Our Law enforcement will be given warrant- physician specialize in the treatment of 2011 marked a new assault on medical commitment is to the patients and to mak- less, at-will access to the patient and care- children. Furthermore, an age requirement access across the nation, and pointedly in ing sure they have access to safe, effective, giver registry if a bill sponsored by Oregon of 21 is added to the qualifications for care- the Evergreen State. Feds threatened to high-quality cannabis, and we’re excited Rep. Andy Olson becomes law. givers and growers. prosecute providers, and followed through about any partnership that furthers that A recent decision by the state attorney by raiding shops in Spokane, just as SB House Bill 3664, a hostile Omnibus goal,” he added, general recognized that Oregon’s Medical 5073 landed on the governor’s desk. Gov. Medical Marijuana Bill, would require the This 4/20 success brings some Medi- Marijuana Act does not require patients to Gregoire caved in to the pressure, citing the Health Authority to provide to law Cone staff full circle. Witemyre is a product be Oregon residents. threat of federal prosecution as her reason enforcement a list of addresses of regis- of Oaksterdam University, where he taught for a veto of most sections of the bill, in a tered medical grow sites every quarter. House Bill 3664 would require state res- Civics and Advocacy after his win as cam- move that negated the new business model Robert Wolfe of the OR Marijuana idency and add national background paign manager for the 2008 Michigan ini- already in place at more than 100 locations. Policy Initiative, a coalition of state activist checks to the law, with additional fees to be tiative to legalize medical use. paid by the patients, caregivers and grow- That twist of events turned the grey market groups, has been lobbying Rep. Olson to Director of Operations and head of ers. There would also be a new fee for reg- jet-black, leaving scores of dispensary strike the worst provisions of the bill. security Jeff Studdard, a decorated former istration of a grow site address. owners exposed, without a legal leg to “I believe that Olson is quite serious LA County Sheriff’s Deputy and current stand on. Belville produces a blog at stash.norml.org and streaming about this bill,” writes Wolfe in a recent media at live.norml.org L.E.A.P. speaker, attended classes at both Sen. Kohl-Welles and other sponsors email. “We need to take this threat more OU campuses and taught at the LA branch. quickly whipped up SB 5955, a modified seriously than any of the previous bills. Oregon High Court protects Finally, Medi-Cone’s anonymous master bill to allow, in place of dispensaries, coop- The final bill is much less dangerous than gardener earned valedictorian of his OU eratives with strict rules, such as a 99-plant the original proposal he showed me — that patients’ concealed gun rights class in spring 2010. limit, nonprofit licensing, and mandatory said, it still has some terrible provisions, In a unanimous opinion authored by the Witemyre indicated that the company registration for those seeking arrest protec- particularly regarding law enforcement chief justice, the Oregon Supreme Court may soon be expanding to include the sale tions. To counter Gregoire’s fears, regula- access to the patient registry.” May 19, 2011 in Willis v Winters ordered of its proprietary grow-light technology. tion authority was placed in the hands of In addition to the unfettered access to Oregon state sheriffs “to issue CHLs To stay up to date on Medi-Cone’s new local jurisdictions. patient information by law enforcement, [Concealed Handgun Licenses] to qualified developments or inquire about stocking A majority of advocates have voiced the bill contains provisions requiring quar- applicants, without regard to the appli- Medi-Cone products at a cooperative or opposition to SB 5955, largely due to the terly physician recommendations for cant’s use of medical marijuana.” collective, see medi-cone.com.

Antique & Vintage Pharmacy & Drugstore Items Chris & Sandra Jennings (530) 275-0637 Cell (530) 209-9054 [email protected] PO Box 531 Shasta Lake, CA 96019 The Holistic Coop (THC) 60 varieties of medicine 40 varieties of clones 50 varieties of seeds 562-787-2008 12882 Valley View St., Suite 5 Garden Grove, CA 92845 Summer 2011 Page 4 West Coast Leaf Veteran allowed medical use in federal probation Competitive application processes shape up modeled on Oakland’s, with a list of cate- By Vanessa Nelson ation. He eventually took a guilty plea but Napa, Stockton, Richmond gories to submit plans and a test on local MedicalMarijuanaofAmerica.com qualified for a strict set of safety-valve con- By Mickey Martin, TCompConsulting.com and state law. Three finalists were chosen Michael Lombardo entered a federal prison ditions that give judges discretion to sen- The process of selecting organizations to for the planning and public hearing camp this spring, having lost his home and tence below the mandatory minimums. He operate permitted medical cannabis dis- process and hope to open by August. his freedom in a legal struggle with the fed- ended up sentenced to one year and one pensaries has begun in several California There was a controversy when former eral government. His is the latest story of a day in prison, just long enough to make cities over the past months, including CannBe partner and land-use attorney well-intentioned grower caught in the vice him eligible for good-time credits. If all Napa, Stockton and Richmond. between state laws that allow medical mar- James Anthony accused an applicant of goes well, he could be puffing on probation These processes attempt to quantify the ijuana and federal laws that prohibit it. by 4/20/2012. plagiarizing a CannBe application and worthiness of an organization before issu- falsely stating that CannBe would repre- What’s distinctive about Lombardo is Or, if government attorneys successful- ing a permit in an effort to find the best- sent them. The final three applicants were that the 52-year-old Air Force vet has a ly challenge the order, Lombardo’s ‘federal qualified applicants. The process can be rated by cumulative scores from seven prize awaiting him when he’s released next probation pot pass’ could get revoked costly, with application fees, leases, profes- committee members, one appointed by spring. Unlike other patients on federal before he has the chance to use it. sional services, and much hard work probation, Lombardo has formal permis- each councilperson. The applicant that Whatever the outcome, Judge Karlton’s involved in submitting a good application. came in third was not granted a permit: sion to use cannabis in accordance with probation order is a signal of progress for The processes can also take months to com- California law. During a March sentencing although they got the third-highest score medical marijuana, and a brave gesture of plete, with hearings, meetings, testing and they were in the same council district as the hearing, US District Judge Lawrence compassion. waiting for city bureaucrats to act. But this Karlton held that state law — not federal — other two highest-scoring applicants. has not discouraged potential operators Under the ordinance, the permit passed to will apply to Lombardo’s substance use from putting their names in the hat, hoping during his three years of probation. the fourth-highest- scoring applicant, since to be a part of this emerging industry. Some their location was in a different district. Lombardo didn’t explicitly request the applicants are industry veterans expand- Richmond put out an application in order, but he did make a compelling ing their horizons, while others are inter- April for three permits to operate collec- speech explaining why he needs marijuana ested and optimistic newcomers. to treat his pain from work-related back tives there. The application was structured Napa was the first to begin taking differently, asking for minimally detailed injuries. He grew up watching family applications in October 2010, and required members destroy their health through sub- operational information categories and detailed information on operations, inven- inviting applicants to offer additional stance abuse, he told the judge, and was tory control, quality assurance, record determined to avoid that fate for himself information showing they were competent keeping, security and more. It was mod- to run a dispensary. The city reports six by choosing the safe, natural and effective eled after Oakland’s competitive process of relief marijuana offered. If he couldn’t use applicants came forth by the May 2 dead- 2005. As of May, there had been no decision line to go through a process to verify com- it, he said, he expected to spend the rest of The Schafer children hold a photo of their par- made on their ‘preferred applicant,’ and ents from the Human Rights and the Drug War pleteness. The decision process will his life in pain. recently the City sent out a request to all exhibit April 23. Photo by Mikki Norris involve the Regulatory Unit of the Rich- That fate is not just theory. Lombardo applicants for additional information, mond Police, Public Safety Committee, and was forced to live it for years, while he Fry and Schafer behind bars including tax records for the last three the entire Council in some capacity, but it waited for his criminal case to resolve. Pre- Continued from page 1 years and proof of capital. has yet to be made clear what that will look trial services prohibited him from using More than 20 state and federal agents The drawn-out process has proved like. If applications are deemed complete cannabis, and failed urine tests led to court raided their home and offices on Sept. 28, costly, as some continue to maintain prop- they will go through building, planning hearings and threats of jail time, which he 2001, seizing 34 plants and less than two erties and pay bills. Seven groups are vying and other city channels before being sched- barely escaped. pounds of cannabis. Dr. Fry’s private for one dispensary permit, including some uled for a public hearing. Lombardo’s life and bodily functions patient records were also seized. well-known local business owners and dis- The planning agent tasked with the came under government scrutiny back in Nearly four years later, in June 2005, pensary operators from other areas. issue said she believed there would be no September 2007, when federal agents Fry and Schafer were arrested on federal The deadline for the latest information final decision until July at the earliest and it uprooted 93 marijuana plants growing at charges of manufacturing and conspiracy request was May 20, with an interview could be weeks later, depending on his Northern California home. The agents to manufacture and distribute. They process on June 3. It is unclear when staff appeals and unforeseen issues. Richmond also seized 18 clones and 76 dead plants refused a plea deal of 18 months in prison will select an applicant, or when a dispen- forced roughly 10 dispensaries to close from a previous harvest, for a total of 187. for Schafer and probation for Fry, were sary would actually open. There likely will their doors through cease-and-desist convicted at trial in 2007, and sentenced to State medical-use laws don’t provide a be appeals and possible litigation regard- orders last year while crafting its ordi- mandatory five years each by Judge Frank defense in federal court. The government less of which applicant is chosen. nance, in some instances through litigation. was quick to initiate forfeiture of Damrell. They also had their licenses to In Stockton, 11 applicants came for- Several other cities have considered or Lombardo’s home and to charge him with practice medicine and law revoked. They ward to seek three permits offered for dis- are in the process of developing competi- cultivating at least 100 plants, a felony that lost their final appeal in November 2010. pensaries who submitted applications in tive applications for dispensaries. Some carries a minimum of five years in prison. Urge Obama to grant clemency through ASA’s action center at AmericansForSafeAccess.org/clemency. December. Its application process is also Please turn to page 5 Lombardo made the best of a bad situ- James J. Clark Law Offices P.C. Robert E. Sullivan, M.D. BARRY MELTON Robert E. Sullivan, M.D. James J. Clark Criminal Defense Lawyer Medical Cannabis Lawyer Specializing in DUIs, Evaluation “I exclusively handle criminal cases involving Misdemeanors, Felonies, cannabis and medical cannabis issues. Available for Drug Offenses Advice & Back-Up included consultation on cases throughout California.” • We return follow-up calls C A LL NOW for a FREE confidential 7770 Healdsburg Ave. Ste A, Sebastopol, CA 95472 consultation, protected by attorney-client privilege 4441 Auburn Blvd Ste. P 916-978-9777 Oakland 510-420-8484 [email protected] 204 F St., Ste. B-3 • PO Box 72505 Davis, CA 95617 SACRAMENTO CA 95841 Fax 916-978-9830 Sonoma 707-823-4209 Fax 707-861-9187 1-800-991-6530 • www.yololegal.com Safe and Appropriate The Lentz Law Firm MEDICAL CANNABIS Evaluations Expert Legal Representation • Criminal Defense Frank H. Lucido MD Counsel For Medical Marijuana Collectives Maria Mangini PhD, FNP 1055 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1996 Serving the Bay Area since 1979 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Primary Care / Family Practice Jacek W. Lentz New patients welcome • Patient-centered care Tel. (213) 250 - 9200 2300 Durant Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704 Fax (213) 250 - 9161 For Appointment: 510-848-0958 lentzlawfirm.com Steve H. Spiegelman Attorney & Counselor at Law Criminal Defense Collectives • Consultations [email protected] 707-575-1103 703 Second St. Suite 401, Santa Rosa CA 95404 West Coast Leaf Page 5 Summer 2011 Most Californians want to reduce drug penalties Not just marijuana, poll finds port reducing the charge for possession of a small amount of illegal drugs for person- By Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, Drug Policy Alliance al use from a felony to a misdemeanor. Just weeks before Californians came close The poll found that 51% of state voters to voting to tax and regulate marijuana in believe that people caught with a small 2010, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger amount of drugs for personal use should signed legislation to reduce the penalty for spend fewer than three months (27%) or no possession of less than an ounce of mari- time at all (24%) in jail. The current penalty juana from a misdemeanor to an infraction. for heroin, cocaine or methamphetamine This single sentencing reform will keep possession is up to three years behind bars. about 60,000 Californians a year from Support for reducing drug possession being saddled with a criminal record. penalties crosses all the partisan, regional, LANDMARK MURAL — Oaksterdam Universμity, the first institution of higher But what about penalties for possession and demographic lines that normally learning for the cannabis industry, boasts a new mural on the northern wall of the campus, located at 1600 Broadway in Oakland, CA. of other drugs? divide voters. Most Democrats (79%), inde- A Lake Research Partners poll, con- pendents (72%) and Republicans (66%) ducted in late March, 2011, commissioned from every corner of the state agree that it’s Emerald Triangle Coalition brings together 3 northern counties time for a new approach. by the Drug Policy Alliance, the ACLU of By Pebbles Trippet, MMMAB The role of the counties includes: Northern California and the Ella Baker The overwhelming consensus is so Northern California can - • promoting sustainable farming Center for Human Rights, finds that a broad and so strong that politicians now nabis activists announced practices with market access for whopping 72% of California voters sup- stand in the way of sentencing reform at in May the formation of producer counties; their own risk. the Emerald Triangle • linking up small collectives A 41% plurality of those surveyed say Coalition (ETC) as a and mom-and-pop growers for Groups must compete for they’d be more likely to support a candi- multi-county, com- mutual benefit; and date who reduced the penalty to a misde- cannabis dispensary permits munity-based rural meanor, compared to just 15% who say • developing resources for post- coalition for the Continued from page 4 they’d be less likely. petroleum regional economies have decided that the benefits outweigh purpose of developing cannabis-friendly as alternatives to corporate models. At a time when California is slashing the issues and look toward new revenues, policies that will enhance the character of funds for education and health care and Three meetings were held in while others have seen programs work in the Emerald Triangle region, encompass- billions wasted on incarceration remain Mendocino and Humboldt, with represen- other cities and believe this is a good ing Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity untouched, this poll offers important proof tation from policy organizations, farmers’ option for theirs. Sacramento has accept- Counties in Northern California. that voters believe subjecting people to collectives, local dispensaries and small ed applications from the 39 dispensaries The region has a reputation as the lengthy jail or prison terms for possession businesses including Emerald City, Hemp that registered before a deadline and met ‘cannabis capital,’ where prized, high-qual- of a small personal supply of drugs is both Connection, MMMAB, Humboldt Growers a costly and detailed process to ensure ity marijuana increasingly sustains a rural wrong and costly. Assn., Humboldt Seeds, SunBudsFarm, compliance. San Jose is attempting to shut way of life, as the counties’ other industries HuMMMAP, Leonard Moore Wellness Simply reducing such penalties from down most of its 100+ dispensaries and (logging, fishing) collapse. Center, LoveInIt, and others. felony to misdemeanor levels would cut limit the number to 10, using a first-come- With a theme of “All Things Cannabis,” down prison costs by hundreds of millions The cultural and agricultural history of first-served process that has applicants ETC seeks to represent the voice of the of dollars every year — up to $4.5 billion the Emerald Triangle is rich in back-to-the- talking about camping out on the street to rural producer counties, to coordinate poli- over 10 years — and free up resources for landers who became owner-builders, be first in line. cies and strategies among them, to consoli- other much-needed services that are far expert organic gardeners and stewards of a As time passes and these processes date multi-county voting blocs, and to more cost-effective, including treatment rural way of life. These authentic stories morph from city to city, there will be more influence statewide, county and local and prevention. link us to one another and to the future. hurdles to jump and more costs simply to cannabis regulations and ballot initiatives. seek consideration for permits. Hopefully It would also reduce the number of this will help ensure that patients are people saddled with felony conviction served by qualified and compassionate records, a stigma that can be harder to organizations that are capable of provid- overcome than a drug problem. ing lasting care. Poll results are online at drugpolicy.org.

OMAR FIGUEROA ATTORNEY AT LAW COMPLIMENTARY CASE CONSULTATION. Years of experience defending growers, patients, caregivers and members of collectives / coops in CA & Fed courts. Graduate of Yale University, Stanford Law School and Trial Lawyers College. 707-829-0215 415-489-0420 [email protected] • [email protected] 7770 Healdsburg Av. # A Sebastopol, CA 95472 www.omarfigueroa.com

The Inland Empire’s No. 1 “420 Lawyer” • Collective Incorporation Services • SB 420 Legal Advice • Zoning Issues • Criminal Defense • Felonies and Misdemeanors • All State Courts Allen Bartleman, Attorney at Law

32 Years in Practice • Defending Your Rights Since 1980 Cal NORML-listed Lawyer • Member of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice

505 N. Arrowhead Ave. Suite #509, San Bernardino, CA (909)-885-8388 “IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE LAW, KNOW YOUR LAWYER” Call for Consultation Appointment Summer 2011 Page 6 West Coast Leaf Cal legislature tinkering with dispensary laws Chronic pain patients benefit from cannabis Continued from page 1 committee on a unanimous vote. By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director cannabis “found a positive effect with no serious adverse side effects,” they added. SB 626 to establish a state study of how best Yet another bill, AB 1300 by Assembly Cannabis inhalation and administration of to regulate medical marijuana, with a task member Robert Blumenfield, seeks to cannabinoids are both associated with “Of special importance is the fact that force including representatives from the explicitly define marijuana cooperatives “significant analgesic effects” in treating two of the trials examining smoked BOE, law enforcement and medical mari- and collectives, which are referred to but chronic non-cancer pain, according to a cannabis demonstrated a significant anal- juana groups. Patient advocates subse- not defined in state law SB 420. The sug- systemic review of randomized controlled gesic effect in HIV neuropathy, a type of quently endorsed SB 626, and it was gested definition would make clear that trials published online in April by the pain that has been notoriously resistant to approved by the Senate Governance and they are establishments where qualified British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. other treatments normally used for neuro- Finance Committee. patients collectively or cooperatively “cul- Investigators from the University of pathic pain. In the trial examining cannabis Senator Correa took a different tack tivate or dispense” medical marijuana. Toronto Hospital for Sick Children con- based medicines in rheumatoid arthritis, a with SB 847, turning it into a bill that Opponents in law enforcement object that ducted a literature review on the efficacy of significant reduction in disease activity would prohibit the location of medical this would effectively legitimize the sale of cannabinoids in treating chronic pain, was also noted. This is consistent with pre- marijuana collectives within 600 feet of a medical marijuana, which they would like including neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, clinical work demonstrating that cannabi- residential zone. The bill extends last to make illegal. AB 1300 would also explic- rheumatoid arthritis and mixed chronic noids are anti-inflammatory.” year’s Buchanan bill, which forbade them itly authorize local governments to regu- pain. Eighteen randomized controlled tri- Investigators added, “[C]annabinoids within 600 feet of a school. Like that bill, SB late the location, operation and establish- als published between 2003 and 2010 met are a modestly effective and safe treatment 847 would allow local governments to ment of collectives and cooperatives, effec- inclusion criteria, involving a total of 766 option for chronic non-cancer (predomi- override the restriction if they wish. Unlike tively putting an end to numerous lawsuits participants. Four used inhaled cannabis; nantly neuropathic) pain. Given the preva- other bills, which were opposed by that have challenged the authority of local others assessed the analgesic properties of lence of chronic pain, its impact on func- Republican lawmakers, SB 847 passed the governments to regulate or ban collectives. plant-derived or synthetic cannabinoids. tion and the paucity of effective therapeu- The bill was approved by the Assembly “Overall the quality of trials was excel- tic interventions, additional treatment Health Committee. lent,” they wrote. “Fifteen of the 18 trials options are urgently needed. More large- US Supreme Court Like the other bills, AB 1300 faces that met inclusion criteria demonstrated a scale trials of longer duration reporting on uncertain prospects in the legislature, significant analgesic effect of cannabinoid pain and level of function are required.” expands search power which has become skittish about dealing as compared to placebo, several reported “Cannabinoids for treatment of chronic The US Supreme Court ruled 8-1 to over- with marijuana in light of ongoing local significant improvements in sleep. There non-cancer pain; a systemic review of ran- turn another protection against unreason- controversies and lawsuits, the loss of Prop were no serious adverse effects.” domized trials,” appears in the British able searches in Kentucky v. King, a case in 19, and heavy-handed federal opposition. All four trials involving inhaled Journal of Pharmacology. which police officers saw a drug deal and followed a suspect to an apartment build- ing with two doors. They went to the door from which was coming an odor of smoked marijuana and officers claimed that there was a scuffling sound, which made them fear that evidence was being destroyed, so they went in without a warrant. It was the wrong unit. The KY Supreme Court held that the resulting search was illegal and suppressed the evidence found. The US Supreme Court reversed that protection. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg strongly dis- agreed with the majority. “The court today arms the police with a way routinely to dis- honor the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement in drug cases,” she wrote.

Kentucky decrims half pound Continued from page 1 headway with aggressive efforts to bring common sense to Kentucky’s penal code, and our prison population has dropped each of the past three years. House Bill 463 helps us be tough on crime, while being smart on crime.” The change in law takes effect on June 24, 2011. The bill was a collaborative effort between legislators, prosecutors, the chief judge of Kentucky, local officials and mem- bers of the Justice Cabinet, forming a diverse and experienced task force of experts and stakeholders. It passed the House with a 92-2 vote and the Senate unanimously on a 38-0 vote. Kentucky is the second state to lower its marijuana penalties this year. In January 2011, California law SB 1449 went into effect, making possession of up to one ounce an infraction rather than a misde- meanor, in another effort to reduce the cost of prosecuting marijuana offenders.

Medical Cannabis Collective Consultations William McPike

Attorney at Law California 1-888-420-BUDS 1-888-420-2837 [email protected] West Coast Leaf Page 7 Summer 2011 FDA blesses research, but NIDA still blocks it By Stephen Morseman and CO in November, where prominent Rick Doblin, Ph.D., MAPS.org reformers and researchers discussed what In a significant step forward for medical was in store for medical marijuana. It marijuana research April 28, 2011 the Food recently hosted educational booths at the and Drug Admin. approved a new study of Colorado Cannabis Cup and the Deep cannabis for treatment of PTSD in war vet- Green Festival in the San Francisco Bay erans. Yet resistance from two other federal Area, and co-sponsored NORML’s 40th agencies — the National Institute on Drug anniversary conference. MAPS is also co- Abuse and the Drug Enforcement Admin. sponsor for the upcoming International — has prompted researchers to reach out to Drug Policy Reform Conference in Los the broader reform community. Angeles this November. The nonprofit Multidisciplinary There’s no legal limit to how long Association for Psychedelic Studies NIDA/PHS may take to respond to MAPS’ request; it could be a year or more. NIDA’s (MAPS), sponsor of the study, has tried for CALIFORNIA LEGALIZATION VOTER INITIATIVE FILED — Office of the Attorney General Initiative the last year to get approval to explore the monopoly and its mandate to support only Coordinator Krystal Paris congratulates chief proponent, retired Judge James Gray May 18, 2011, safety and effectiveness of smoked or studies into marijuana’s harmful effects after accepting filing documents requesting the California AG to prepare a Title and Summary and obstruct drug development research. a financial impact report for the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine voter initiative for 2012 vaporized cannabis for PTSD symptoms in (RegulateMarijuanaLikeWine.com). Photo by Steve Kubby. 50 veterans. Thousands of veterans already MAPS has tried for over a decade to use it to treat symptoms such as anxiety break the NIDA monopoly by starting its and insomnia, emphasizing the pressing own marijuana farm, but so far the DEA California hemp bill once again raising hope need for research into the different strains has refused to grant the required license. Continued from page 1 introduction of the latest version of a state of cannabis and delivery methods. The recent FDA approval is encouraging; it The HIA and Vote Hemp, the two lead- hemp farming bill, we have an excellent NIDA is sole provider of cannabis for is the first time the agency has approved ing hemp advocacy organizations, opportunity to get a bill through the legis- US research. The FDA has approved the outpatient marijuana research. applauded the provision in SB 676 allow- lature and signed into law.” protocol, but the study is on hold until Scientists and activists are speaking out ing hemp cultivation pilot projects to be “There are over 50 member businesses NIDA and the Public Health Service allow in favor of medical marijuana research. As established in Imperial, Kern, Kings, San of the HIA alone that make or sell hemp MAPS to purchase the amount and strains they wait to see whether other federal Joaquin and Yolo counties only. products in California and could benefit it requires. Cannabis is unique in this agencies will follow the FDA lead in put- “Senate Bill 676 would not conflict with from an in-state source of hemp seed, fiber sense: MAPS has no trouble getting per- ting science over politics, we can expect to federal law or interfere with the enforce- and oil,” said HIA Executive Director Eric mission to purchase LSD, MDMA, or other hear more from them, not less. ment of marijuana laws,” said Patrick Steenstra. “Because of an outdated federal psychedelics it uses in government- Goggin, California Legal Counsel for Vote policy these businesses are forced to approved studies. NCIA building membership Hemp. It would only allow farmers to pro- import millions of dollars of industrial MAPS Director of Communications Continued from page 2 duce and enter into the marketplace the hemp from Canada, China and Europe. Brad Burge said, “We’re doing research, ground market. This could result in the clo- parts of the hemp plant already legal to To date, 17 states have passed pro- but we’re working within a larger context. sure of the best-run and most transparent import under state and federal law: seed, hemp laws or resolutions, including We’re not trying to end the war on drugs, medical providers, with a loss of tax rev- oil, fiber and woody core. California, whose state assembly in 1999 but the honest knowledge that we’re pro- enue for the federal government as sales “Working with then-Assembly mem- passed a resolution declaring that “the ducing — our public education — can play shift back to the criminal market. ber Mark Leno, now State Senator, we were Legislature should consider action to revise a role in clarifying people’s support or Most importantly, delegation members able to pass AB 1147 in 2006 and AB 684 in the legal status of industrial hemp to allow opposition to prohibition.” helped congressional staffers understand 2007. But both bills were vetoed by Gov. for its growth in California as an agricul- MAPS has a strong connection with the that medical cannabis business owners are Schwarzenegger caving in to the California tural and industrial crop.” cannabis reform community. It hosted the no different than other business owners Narcotics Officers’ Assn.,” said Levine. For more info, see hempindustries.org Mile High Marijuana Summit in Denver, and deserve equal treatment. “With the election of Gov. Brown and the and votehemp.com. Summer 2011 Page 8 West Coast Leaf DC hemp store raises funds for bio-remediation in Japan Delaware stands up to the Feds By Martin Williams the former Soviet Union,” said Eidinger. “the Ukraine Continued from page 1 One hemp store in the US capital used 4/20/2011 as the Institute of Bast Crops and other stake holders began to “There are so many people in Delaware who are suffer- launch date to help save the planet from radioactive con- grow industrial hemp to soak up and trap much of the met- ing unimaginable pain that this will help, and we want to tamination. Capitol Hemp has two stores in Washington, als and toxic waste, thereby preserving the nutrient rich be able to do what we can to provide much-needed relief DC, founded by former coffee shop owner Alan topsoil. We thought, ‘Why not employ this clean up for those citizens,” said Senate Majority Whip Margaret Amsterdam and political activist Adam Eidinger. method in Japan?’” Rose Henry, D-Wilmington East, who sponsored the bill. The entrepreneurs and their staff were organizing a To donate to the Hemp Bio-Remediation effort, send a “I am very grateful that so many of my colleagues were ‘heady glass’ show when the 9.0 earthquake struck in check to Capitol Hemp, 1802 Adams Mill Rd, NW able to look past the myths surrounding marijuana and Japan, causing a reactor meltdown in Fukishima. Washington, DC 20009 with “Japan” in the subject line. into the eyes and hearts of those who were crying out for “In the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in For info contact Eidinger at 202-744-2671 or email [email protected] our help. Needless to say, I am profoundly grateful to Gov. Markell for his support of this important legislation.” San Bernardino County sued for ban on collectives, outdoor grows “This is an amazing victory for seriously ill Delaware By Lanny Swerdlow, RN General guidelines. patients, who have been waiting a long time for the chance to use the medicine they need without fear,” said The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors passed • Medical marijuana patients are denied equal access to Marijuana Policy Project legislative analyst Noah Mamber. an ordinance March 22, 2011 banning medical marijuana health care facilities. National Guard veteran and chronic-pain patient with collectives and all outdoor cultivation, claiming these • The evidence before the Supervisors did not support severe wasting syndrome Chris McNeely said, “Until this activities would cause an increase in crime. Other than the findings adopted in support of the ordinance. unsubstantiated anecdotes from the discredited “White law was passed, I was afraid to use cannabis, although it No lawsuit has been filed against San Bernardino helped me in the past; if I was arrested and put in jail, they Paper” put out by the California Chiefs of Police Assn., no County since Scott Bledsoe’s successful 2009 lawsuit forc- evidence was submitted to support these claims. could not properly care for me, and I could actually die. I ing it to implement the state patient ID card program. am so happy I will be able to get legal relief soon.” Over 100 cannabis patients and advocates had offered testimony opposing the ordinance over a two month peri- od at two Planning Commission hearings and two Supervisors meetings, but their testimony fell on deaf ears as the Board passed the bans with a unanimous vote. The County has spent over $100,000 to date in failed and frivolous lawsuits to overturn and decimate Prop 215, and it looks like it will be spending another big chunk of taxpayer money to defend its ill-advised new ordinance. A court hearing to determine if the ordinance should be declared null and void is set for June 27, 2011, 8:30 a.m. in San Bernardino County Superior Court Dept. S32. Local attorney Letitia Pepper filed a lawsuit April 28 seeking to overturn the county ban, alleging that Ordinance 4140 is illegal for the following reasons: • By failing to include an Environmental Impact Statement and claiming that the ban had no environmental consequences, the Board violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as the ban on collec- tive outdoor growing will force patients to grow indoors, thereby causing an increase in greenhouse gas emissions due to a significant increase in electric usage for indoor lighting. The ban also violated a Green Plan that the county agreed to implement as a condition of avoiding a threat- ened lawsuit by AG Jerry Brown for the county’s refusal to comply with state environmental regulations. • Patients’ rights to free speech were denied and the Brown act violated because of restrictions placed on public comments at the hearings. • The county violates the constitutional freedom of asso- ciation by banning collectives of three or more patients. • The ban violates Prop. 215, SB 420 and the Attorney Marvins Gardens Herbal Cooperative P.O. Box 1042, Guerneville, CA 95446 New Patients Welcome 14016 Armstrong Woods Rd. Guerneville, CA Open Monday thru Sunday from 12:00 to 7 pm 707-869-9687 Oldest Operating Dispensary in Sonoma County Current Doctors Recommendation and CA ID Required West Coast Leaf Page 9 Summer 2011 Cannabis and PTSD ʻDescrowlingʼ plants By Samuel Janovici Ask MedicalCannabis.MD After an indoor grower switches plants By David G Ostrow, MD, PhD from an 18-hour photoperiod to 12-hours, Question: I suffer combat related post-traumat- it is time to top and pup the plants for ic stress disorder (PTSD), am under treatment clones. It’s also time to descrowl unneces- by my doctor and participate in a monthly sup- sary plant material, so plants can put their port group. Several members of my group tell full energy into producing great buds. me they use cannabis to get a lot of relief from Descrowling is a part of the pruning PTSD symptoms, but my doc tells me that if I process. It is the act of removing growth test positive for cannabis, the VA will no longer below the perceived bud-line, where the provide my medical care or fill my prescrip- light is not strong enough to fully mature Re-greening cannabis using sunlight, not lamps tions. What gives? buds. Tearing into a healthy plant takes Dr Medical Cannabis responds: While no faith, finesse and informed talent. Indoor By Tomas Balogh, MendoGrown and protect local, sustainably grown treatment involving medicinal cannabis is growers should have a goal in mind and a How green is your cannabis garden? A cannabis for Mendocino’s medical US government approved and cannot be clear understanding of the plant’s architec- recent independent study conducted by cannabis industry. It is working with the until it is taken out of Schedule I by the ture. It helps focus plant energy on those Evan Mills of Lawrence Berkeley National Institute for Market Ecology (IMO), one of DEA, you suffer from the one condition buds that are able to ripen fully. Laboratory estimated that indoor grows the first and most renowned international that the VA has certified as helpful in its Remember to use the sharpest tools consume one percent of national electrical agencies for inspection, certification and treatment. After many years of urging by available. Clean your tools before and after use — enough to power 2,000,000 average quality assurance of eco-friendly products. patients and doctors against refusing vets using them. Alcohol or hydrogen peroxide US homes. This energy, plus transportation MendoGrown is formulating sustain- treatment for ‘dirty urines,’ the VA Chief is best. Follow up by dipping trimmers in use, is valued at $5 billion annually, with able outdoor cannabis production and pro- Medical Officer recently issued a policy some clean vegetable oil — make sure to CO2 emissions estimated at 17 million met- cessing standards with IMO. Once in place, statement saying that a positive urine test wipe away any excess oil. The oil will ric tons — that’s a lot of hot air. they hope these standards will become the for cannabis is no longer grounds for lubricate the trimmer and remove any To put this in more simple terms, the touchstone for the industry. denial of care, as long as it was provided remaining, stubborn bits of resinous mate- environmental impact of smoking a single “We want to turn Mendocino County for PTSD, in a state with a medical use pro- rial, including trichomes. joint grown indoors is like running a 100- into the greenest medical cannabis-produc- gram, and the individual has discussed the Work from the bottom of the plant up. watt light bulb for 17 hours, or the equiva- ing region in the world,” said chairman situation with their VA health caregivers. Clean the main stem of all those small bits lent of two pounds of CO2 emissions. Matt Cohen. Continued on page 10 of growth that collect on the lower nodes. Ready to throw indoor cannabis under The same process should be used on all the the bus? Not so fast. There is a good reason lateral branches, until the remaining bud why cannabis went electric, but it’s not San Jose ordinance creates more barriers to access sites seem productive and have easy and because indoor production would yield a By Lauren Vazquez applications submitted will be accepted, so equal access to your light source. Lumens better product — it’s because of prohibi- Attorney, Patient, and Cannabis Advocate long as they are complete and meet the and wattage determine the depth to which tion. Production moved indoors to avoid After a year and a half of struggle for safe minimum requirements. There will be no light will penetrate the canopy. Growers aerial detection from law enforcement access in the South Bay, San Jose City review of applicant experience, qualifica- using 1000-watt bulbs can leave more of under President Ronald Reagan, and an Council finally set some rules for storefront tions, or history of compassion towards the growth than those with 600-watt bulbs. entire new sub-industry was born that collectives. Unfortunately the rules are so patients. Theoretically, the first person in The 400-watt seems to produce weak tea. involves grow lamps, synthetic fertilizers restrictive they may make it impossible for line could submit 10 applications and be There is controversy about thinning out — and huge amounts of energy. collectives to operate. Included in the new granted all the operating permits. the biggest leaves. Some say each fan leaf is While it’s not very environmentally rules are zoning restrictions and a cap of 10 Worse yet, the Council’s insistence that a vital solar collector that must remain friendly, indoor cannabis production has city collectives — with only two allowed in all medicine be grown on-site at the store- intact until it yellows and falls off by itself. helped advance the industry during ardu- each council district. front collective may be impossible to com- Others believe that removing the large ous legal and political times, and improved Patients complain that this is insuffi- ply with. Due to the federal threat and the shade leaves pushes the plant’s energies in the lives of many patients along the way. cient for a city of a million residents who amount of space required to grow all the bud production — it’s considered a form of Today, cannabis is more mainstream are spread over a large geographical area. strains needed to serve members, most col- productive stressing that forces more resin than ever and, if current medical trends The Council also decided to grant col- lectives would not be able to comply and up into the fruit. Don’t get locked into continue, it will become even more con- lective operating permits on a first-come- would be forced to shut down. The on-site cannabis dogma. There is usually more ventional. This ever-increasing legitimacy first-served basis. This means the first 10 cultivation requirement also adds a big than one way to do anything. affords an opportunity for security concern. Indoor lighting allows the grower to ‘re-greening’ cannabis, a Fortunately, these new rules are not yet vary their approach and try different tech- chance for the plant to final, as the Council still needs to decide a niques. After shaping and pruning plants come back to the light — number of issues and have a second read- into working shrubs, it would be a shame if sunlight that is. In an ing of the regulations, so there is still time those big leaves at the top of your plants unprecedented show of for West Coast Leaf readers to act. shade productive bud sites. Remember support, local and state The struggle is expected to last through that growing is a practiced art where per- governments across the the summer, so San Jose patients and sup- fection is an ideal, not a reality. country are working on porters should contact their city council Whether you are pruning, topping or plans to allow outdoor pro- members to ask that the on-site cultivation descrowling, the goal is to produce the duction — a phenomenon requirement be lifted, and the cap on dis- maximum amount of healthy, high-quality that has already occurred in pensaries be raised. buds per square foot. Understanding your Mendocino County, CA. Patients and supporters who live out- cultivars’ specific needs will help you Groups like MendoGrown side the city should email Mayor Chuck choose the best method for maximizing are forming to educate and Reed at [email protected]. quantity, quality and flavor. lead the influx of growers Stay safe out there . . . who want to go green by using sustainable, outdoor farming methods. MendoGrown is a membership-based busi- ness association to promote

MARIN ALLIANCE FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA “Money Back Guarantee” Club Hours: Mon - Sat 9am - 9pm; Sun 9 - 5 pm. 6 School Street Plaza, Ste. 215, Fairfax CA Sat. Seminars with Dr. Ray Seet $150/Medi-Cal $75 Wed. Seminars w/420 Med Evaluations • Special $99/Medi-Cal $65 Appointments for Room 200: 415.456.4313 “Help us fight the IRS — donate at Green-Aid.com” — Licensed since 1997 • Now Licensed to Deliver — www.CBCmarin.com • 415-256-9328 Summer 2011 Page 10 West Coast Leaf Light deprivation, enhancement catching on THC tunnel vision hampers plant’s potential From the field: May 2011 beautiful worm casting. All of the potting The Lab Bench phic genetics’ that can jump around spon- soils are recomposted and re-amended taneously — it is a weed, after all. By Chris Van Hook, Clean Green Certifications By Jahan Marcu, cannabination.com with nutrients allowing them to reuse the Potency testing may identify these By this time in the 2011 outdoor growing The cannabis plant varieties that have soils — and they claim the soils improve compounds post-harvest, but genetics season, the young plants have been started, dominated the market of North America over time. This both reduces the cost of allow the medical industry to track heri- and sexing of the plants has been done or for 100 years have been THC-dominant purchased, bagged soils and improves the tability. This will greatly enhance the gen- soon will be. Now is the time to assess the strains. soils at home. eration of new therapeutically useful young female plants to determine which But the plant yields more than tetrahy- Any cannabis plant matter is shredded cannabis strains like those that have been ones are best suited for replanting and drocannabinol (THC); it is a treasure trove and mixed into the compost. They make created over the last 20 years in Europe. growing for the season. of potentially therapeutic compounds their compost teas from their own com- Marcu, of Americans for Safe Access, is science editor (Mechoulam 2005). ‘THC tunnel vision’ There’s been a lot of growth in the out- posts plus a few purchased inputs. They at freedomisgreen.com. He was part of a research has discouraged the identification and team that published a study in J. of Molecular Cancer door/greenhouse light-deprivation or grow only as much as they can care for exploitation of other strains, until recently. Therapeutics on CBD’s ability to enhance the anti-can- “dep” crop this spring; expect this to find well, thereby eliminating any loss due to CBD varieties express many ancient and cer effects of THC in aggressive brain cancer. its way into the market starting in early to spoilage, pests or molds. They deliver to a unique genes that produce medically-rele- mid-June. Www.Grobots.com has a cost- nearby collective, reducing energy con- vant cannabinoids. Strains with high CBD effective solar-powered light-dep commer- sumption by eliminating the need for long- The VA, cannabis and PTSD content have become a popular second cial-size hoop house that can be expanded, distance transport of small shipments. Continued from page 9 easily taken apart and moved — handy choice for the medical cannabis supply. Their energy consumption is reduced to How does the largest healthcare system attributes for many locations. This has spurred interest in the identifica- the draw from lights and fans, but overall a in the nation, the VA, make an exception tion and exploration of other varieties. An interesting development with very high quality product is produced with for PTSD, yet still not recognize the med- indoor pest control is that some growers a minimum of energy. People need to work Recently CBG has been shown to have ical utility of cannabis for other illnesses are reporting that regular applications of toward this type of farming; there are greater pain-relieving and anti-depressant and symptoms where it has been shown to neem oils, safer soaps and natural moral and ethical obligations to reduce effects than THC (Evans 1991, Musty-Deyo reduce pain and suffering in double-blind, pyrethrums have become less effective at human carbon footprints. 2006). It does not interact with CB1 and placebo-controlled studies? It took years of CB2 receptors like THC; it interacts with controlling pests and powdery mildew. There was a very well attended end-of- lobbying and educating on the widescale different receptors, some that multi-billion- They are having better luck controlling spi- season meeting at Mateel Community anecdotal use of cannabis in treating serv- dollar drugs target, including α2-adrenore- der mites and powdery mildews by foliar- Center in Redway last fall. A presentation ice-related PTSD that resists treatment by ceptors and serotonin (5-HT1A) receptors spraying compost teas onto the leaves up was made about animal abuse in the FDA-approved medicines. See (Cascio 2010). to just before bud-set. The thinking is that cannabis industry. Guard dogs have been VeteransforMedicalMarijuana.org. the live biology of compost teas competes found left in grow houses with little or no Today, the only known high-yielding New scientific evidence on cannabis in with mites and mildews, reducing pest food or water, or left chained or fenced in CBG variety is in the greenhouses of GW the treatment of PTSD may be on its way populations. Greanbicycles.com is hosted outdoor gardens for long periods of time Pharmaceuticals. CBG makes up a small now that Multi-disciplinary Assn. on by an award-winning cannabis grower with no care. Some have been found in but consistent portion of Sativex, the natu- Psychedelic Studies (MAPS.org) has who offers instructive videos on compost such poor shape they have had to be put ral-cannabinoid mouth spray. So while received FDA approval to sponsor a dou- teas, and soil building. down. This is inexcusable, and not to be CBG and other varieties exist, their current ble-blind study of VA patients with PTSD Cleaning the growing rooms between tolerated. It gives the entire industry a bad exploration and usage seem to be sparse or using active and placebo cigarettes to be crops is always a good precaution to help name at a time when we should all be closely held. provided by the only licensed grower of keep pathogens in check. There is a new working towards greater acceptance. See Instead, there is a proliferation of high- research cannabis for the US. cleaning company (sanitizesystems.com) notapotdog.org for more. THC cultivars going by many different This small pilot study will be the first with interesting technology that might be Last thoughts? Grow only as much as names (e.g., Skunk, Haze, O.G., Diesel, US FDA-approved study to test cannabis’ helpful. They claim their product has a 90- you can care for properly. The market Purple). Although these plants are slightly efficacy for PTSD using the ‘gold standard’ day residual effect in controlling molds demands only top-quality cannabis. Start differentiated due to growing and storage double blind placebo control method. If it and mildews on walls and surfaces.. early discussions with your collective to conditions, they are not as genetically dis- works, the long process of getting FDA Speaking of the indoor industry, this find a spot for your product in the legal tinct as patients are led to believe. approval for smoked whole cannabis can reporter recently visited his first (indoor or market. Or, create your own direct access Fortunately, CBG-, THCV- and other get going. outdoor) “zero waste” facility. Table and to patients — there are many who still do unique cannabinoid-profile strains may Meanwhile, another government vegetable scraps are worm-composted not feel comfortable going into the local appear, either by natural proliferation of agency, the National Cancer Institute onsite in three to four weeks, producing a dispensary. Enjoy the summer. CBD types or due to the plant’s ‘hypermor- Please turn to page 15 West Coast Leaf Page 11 Summer 2011 Feds unleash IRS on medical cannabis providers CalNORML takes ʻnext stepsʼ to Los Angeles By Angela Bacca,* green-aid.com collective owners are tax-paying citizens By Susan Soares, VibeNation MultiMedia* ing’ session, a medical use panel, and final- The federal government has launched a operating in the open who contribute posi- After the very successful CalNORML Next ly a “perspectives and proposals” panel. new assault against medical cannabis that tively to their communities. Steps for Marijuana Reform event in The event was harmonious and pro- has the potential to eliminate every Shaw, founder of MAMM, is ready for Berkeley, activists turned their attention to ductive, as people talked throughout the licensed dispensary in this country. the fight. She has been preparing for such a Southern California for a March 19 multi- day in small groups to sort through a maze The IRS has begun a series of audits of battle for 13 years, saving documentation organization event to discuss strategies. of ideas and details, hoping to all pull to- licensed California dispensaries to deter- and paperwork and working with lawyers. After speaking with Dale Gieringer, gether for a 2012 ballot measure. Having mine tax liabilities and the initial results are “We hope for a formal hearing review Don Duncan, Stephen Gutwillig, Sarah the conferences in two parts of the State staggering. Using an old tax code institut- of our medical and case evidence and a sin- Lovering and Dale Jones, Vibenation helped people engage the reform process. ed by President Reagan, 280e, the IRS says cere consideration of the irrefutable proof brought in groups such as Americans for * VibeNation Multimedia. 310-923-3857 that dispensaries cannot write off any offered. Our goal is an order to stop the Safe Access, CalNORML, DPA, MPP and expenses of doing business, including the deliberate mis-scheduling of cannabis some of the key Prop. 19 organizers, they Hemp History Week events immediately,” Shaw says. core of their business, the cost of medicine. held the conference in less than six weeks held in all 50 states One such dispensary is Marin Alliance She adds that Marin Alliance followed so as to have an influence on the next for Medical Marijuana (MAMM), the every rule outlined under state law. The round of legislation that was being written. By Ariel Vegosen longest standing licensed dispensary in MAMM filed an appeal March 30 on the Amazingly, the Ricardo Montalban The second annual Hemp History Week America, licensed and zoned in 1997. The basis that they have been paying and filing Theatre not only agreed to allow organiz- was a huge success, with over 550 celebra- Marin Alliance intends to use this case to taxes since the day they opened. “We are ers to hold the conference there, the venue tions in all 50 states from May 2-8, 2011 and set major precedent. ready to finish this matter, shoot down bent over backwards to support the event. an online petition drive urging the Obama administration and Congress to change This is gearing up to be a key battle for schedule I for marijuana, free our POWs, The program started with a session on federal policy and allow American farmers medical use and stakes are high. Every dis- and save all the dispensaries,” Shaw says. “where we’ve been and where we hope to to once again grow industrial hemp. pensary in the nation could soon be closed, Green Aid Board of Directors member go.” The panel included leaders from all enormous debts levied on the businesses, a Mike Whitty will be working closely with the sponsoring organizations. Next, atten- The Hemp Industries Assn. and Vote tax void in the communities benefiting Shaw and Executive Director of Green Aid dees heard public-policy perspectives from Hemp organized this grassroots education from them and the seizure of all the prop- Ed Rosenthal to challenge the IRS case and Judge James Gray, congressional candidate campaign. The 2011 campaign’s theme of erty of these collectives — not to mention eliminate the IRS as a DEA tool. Marcy Winograd and Assemblyman Jim “Hemp for Health and Sustainability” was long jail terms for both drug dispensing * Green Aid is The Medical Marijuana Legal Defense and Beall. Then came a “political reality” panel, endorsed by Dr. Andrew Weil. More info is Education Fund. Info on the case and how to donate time or operations and tax evasion. money to its defense is posted at Green-Aid.com. a panel on legal issues, a ‘movement-build- online at hemphistoryweek.com. This tactic harkens back to Prohibition- era arrests of alcohol mobsters like Al Capone. The Feds couldn’t catch them for smuggling then-illegal liquor, but they could catch them laundering money. The difference here, however, is that while mobsters were gun-wielding smugglers who terrorized society, modern cannabis

Create indoor-quality buds using a solar power system By Martin Williams Patients and collectives can now obtain indoor-quality, medical-grade marijuana using the ultimate free power source: the sun. A 12-hour-per-day light-deprivation system provides multiple harvests of top quality flowers in greenhouses — as well as outdoors — during the long, dry days of the summer season. By combining century-old methods of the flower industry with modern technolo- gy, cannabis can be kept in a vegetative cycle during the spring and autumn by extending light hours in the garden with the “12 and one” method, using only the SunGates 12VDC solar power supply. Along with organic, sustainable grow- ing methods, this process has a smaller car- bon footprint than heavily criticized indoor-style timed harvests, yielding a net positive effect for the planet, and produces top quality, sun-grown organic medicinal cannabis bud. Grobots’ SunGate System is a 100% solar powered, automatic, programmable, mobile and modular row-cover. SunGates turn any normal greenhouse into a versa- tile grow operation that can grow cannabis in all growth cycles simultaneously in dif- ferent light-sequestered units — all under one roof. Info: grobots.com. DON’T BE A VICTIM OF DRUG TESTING!

Protect your human rights! — Clear Test — 1.800.248.5655 cleartest.com Summer 2011 Page 12 West Coast Leaf West Coast Leaf Page 13 Summer 2011 Summer 2011 Page 14 West Coast Leaf Patients need to get behind broader legalization By Brian Vicente, Sensible Colorado cuted for using medical marijuana to treat Editorials and Commentary Since voters passed Colorado’s original their PTSD is sickening. Only legalization medical marijuana law, Amendment 20, in will allow all adults to utilize this medici- 2000 our state has witnessed both nal herb, free of the threat of criminal pros- heartache and heroism. We’ve watched ecution. Medical marijuana clemencies police return medicine plants to grateful Reason 2: More protection, less preju- Doctor Mollie Fry and husband Dale Schafer had heads held high May 2, as they surren- patients, heard teary-eyed cancer survivors dice. If voters legalize marijuana, patients dered to US federal custody for five years imprisonment simply because they did the right describe how cannabis helped them can obtain double protection by keeping thing by helping seriously ill California patients obtain state-legal cannabis. They showed through chemotherapy, and witnessed the their ‘red card’ and also benefit from the class and dignity in duress, based on a commitment to doing good, even at personal risk. collective joy of mass civil disobedience at shield of a new state-passed legalization the annual 4/20 rallies. We’ve witnessed law. Gone will be the days when patients Ironically, they are incarcerated just as the US Supreme Court has, in Schwarzenegger v. great tragedy in employers firing patients were considered ‘second class citizens,’ Plata, ordered California to reduce its prison population, and state legislators are looking for off-site medical use, and felt the heart- who must produce papers to possess their for ways to get non-violent people out from behind bars. Marijuana offenders should cer- breaking loss of reform advocate Ken medicine. Patients will retain the power to tainly move to the front of that list. Marijuana felonies should be reduced to misde- Gorman. grow, possess and travel with cannabis meanors or eliminated outright. Passing Assemblymember Tom Ammiano’s AB 1017, with the likely added benefit of paying less which downgrades cultivation to a wobbler would be a good start in achieving that. After all these experiences one thing is very clear: It’s time for full legalization. for their medicine, which should be It is time for President Obama to do right and, at a minimum, extend Presidential exempt from any excise tax. Clemency to Fry, Schafer, and other medical marijuana POWs; time to show he’s the boss Over the next 18 months, Colorado will Reason 3: Jump-start research. Colorado and rein in the DEA, DOJ and IRS from their flagrant attack on the medical rights of engage in a historic conversation about the has seen serious advances in recent years patients and the self-determination rights of states and voters. Readers of the West Coast pros and cons of legalizing and regulating with the emergence of medical marijuana Leaf, Obama needs to hear from you. Please call 202-456-1111, write or email the White cannabis. Reform groups, including testing labs and dispensary-driven House and start with this simple request: Grant clemency to Mollie Fry and Dale Schafer. Sensible Colorado, are determined to place a statewide measure on the 2012 ballot, to research. In May, the state legislature may let voters decide whether to regulate the pass a bill to license and regulate laborato- Legislators rise to the occasion herb like alcohol. There are many reasons ries to both analyze and study medical that voters should support such a sensible marijuana. Once cannabis is legal and a The President can draw courage from the likes of State Senator Mark Leno, who has two policy shift. Perhaps the group with the more accepted as a mainstream substance, cannabis bills moving through the California Legislature. Senate Bill 129 would protect the most compelling reasons to support ‘main- we are sure to see increased scientific jobs of cannabis patients in non-safety-sensitive jobs. Just as good employees should not streaming marijuana’ in Colorado are state research by universities, and the state and lose their jobs over random piss tests, likewise employers should not lose their best work- licensed medical marijuana patients. local governments, that will benefit ers to arbitrary, discriminatory drug screens that test bodily fluids but not job perform- Reason 1: Better medical access. Unlike patients by greatly expanding knowledge ance. Leno’s SB 676 would bring back industrial hemp to California in pilot projects that some states, Colorado does not allow those about the plant they are ingesting. may lead to lush fields of fiber- and oil-bearing strains of hemp one day again growing suffering from mental conditions to use Reason 4: If not now, when? By the time here. The long term benefits include design, manufacturing, processing, farming, market- medical marijuana. As such, veterans with citizens hit the voting booth in 2012, it will ing and other jobs plus investment opportunities offered by the Earth’s premier sustain- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eld- have been 12 years since the passage of able cash crop, the hemp plant. It will also mean a cleaner environment for the future. erly pre-disposed to Alzheimer’s, and peo- Amend. 20. The time is ripe to stop making Likewise, amid the federal assault on medical marijuana rights, US Congressman ple suffering from crippling depression criminals out of responsible adults and Barney Frank (D, MA) has upped the ante by introducing a bill that reclassifies marijuana face criminal sanctions for trying this med- allow those 21 and older to access marijua- from its current status as a dangerous drug with no medical value to instead allow doctors icine. The thought of a veteran who has na — whether to treat PTSD or simply for to prescribe it — not merely “recommend or approve.” Another bill, introduced by bravely served our country and witnessed relaxation. Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), will allow banks and other financial institutions to pro- horrific events later being criminally prose- For more on the 2012 effort to legalize and regulate mar- vide services to medical marijuana businesses without being subject to "suspicious activi- ijuana, contact [email protected] today. ty" reporting requirements. A third bill, introduced by Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA), changes the federal tax code "to allow a deduction for expenses in connection with the Cannabis to heal the heart, mind and body trade or business of selling marijuana intended for patients for medical purposes pursuant By Michael Whitty, Ph.D. meditation, quiet walks, silent settings, sit- to State law." We could use that kind of leadership from the White House. Wholistic medicine works with the body, ting before the fire pit, dance, or yoga We urge our readers to support these reforms, although they have not yet been mind and spirit. Dr Andrew Weil has stretching complimented by attending a assigned bill numbers at press time. observed that, for complete and true heal- support group on life issues. Psycho-spiri- West Coast Leaf ing, cannabis helps not only in coping with tual reflection allows a deep look at family The West Coast Leaf™ is a free speech publication body issues but reduces stress to the mind issues, relationships, sexuality, wealth, Setting the record straight owned and operated by Creative Xpressions. ISSN and is helpful to the spirit. Perhaps spirituality, health and life legacy. At- Photos of the Laguna Woods conference on 1945-211X. Business license EC08-0002765. The Leaf supports tolerance and maintains that cannabis cannabis helps us see more and embrace tempting to heal our lives is the wholistic pages one and five of the Spring 2011 issue sales and cultivation should and will be legal for the world. The Beckley Foundation (UK) journey of how we think, feel and see life. of West Coast Leaf were printed courtesy of adult consumption. We invite your submissions has documented that depth psychology This requires listening to the inner and advertising. WCL fosters a socio-political com- Steve Baker. The courtroom photo on page and the spiritual aspects of life benefit from guide, often helped along by cannabis as a nine was provided by Sam Sabzehzar. munity by providing photos, news, directories, features, ads and regional information of interest thoughtful and reflective cannabis use. The caregiver to our sixth sense. Skeptics can to our readers. Special thanks to Jackie Gay Wilson foundation has researched positive connec- think of this as being ‘gut’ feelings or heart- for her editorial assistance. tions between cannabis and creativity and fulness. It helps us think with our hearts West Coast Leaf Chris Conrad, executive editor the therapeutic use of cannabidiol (CBD). and our heads. For seekers and those on Place your ad today! Mikki Norris, managing editor Beckley has pioneered the mental vision quests, think of it as the inner PO Box 1716, El Cerrito CA 94530 health applications of cannabis and is cre- shaman, that deepest part of you who real- westcoastleaf.com WestCoastLeaf.com • 510-215-TEAM (8326) ating an international network of spiritual ly loves and accepts you. Vol 4 No 2. Print run: 167,000 copies. thinkers who believe that spirit medicine Cannabis can help with one’s unique, 510-215-8326 Summer Issue. © 2011. All rights reserved. can change the world through a change of personal journey to self acceptance, self- Call about how you can sponsor the Leaf! Member of the HIA and the NCIA. human consciousness — in other words, forgiveness and an open heart toward all of improving the mental health of the entire life. It just takes a little bit of solitude, a society by improving human conscious- whole lot of gratitude, a loving attitude ness. Many of our ancestors’ healing tradi- and a little bit of cannabis. Upcoming Quarterly Schedule and Submission Deadlines tions also used cannabis for heart-opening Your ad in this newspaper helps build our community in California and psychological healing breakthroughs. Feinstein wants you in prison the West, and will be seen around the world. How we see, think and feel about life US Senator Dianne Feinstein wrote on affects how we handle illness, stress and April 13, 2011, “I do not support the legal- Autumn 2011 • Deadline Aug. 12, 2011 the daily choices and decisions that create ization of any illegal narcotics, including Circulated September — November 2011 our sense of life’s meaning and ultimate marijuana. As you may be aware, I Winter 2012 • Deadline Nov. 7, 2011 value. How we see and feel life and the opposed California Prop 19, which would Circulated December 2011 — February 2012 world influences our human behavior and have allowed adults to possess and culti- the possible future. To that end, cannabis as ADVERTISERS AND SUBSCRIBERS HELP GROW THE LEAF vate marijuana for personal use. My con- a spiritual medicine can be very helpful in victions on this matter have developed West Coast Leaf provides free copies of our newspapers at locations advancing healing on the psychological over many years of experience in criminal and events throughout California and the West Coast. and spiritual level. justice, including nine years as a mayor We are an advertiser, subscriber and donor supported community newspaper. Why not start or restart your life-long who worked very closely with the law- To subscribe, you can use the handy coupon in this issue or visit us online. vision quest by utilizing it with one of the enforcement community. ... If I may be of Place your Ad at www.WestCoastLeaf.com or call: self-help processes or rituals mentioned assistance in the future, please do not hesi- below to create your future? Among close tate to contact my staff on the Senate West Coast Leaf • 510-215-Team (8326) and trusted friends and caregivers, explore Caucus on International Narcotics Control, For bulk distribution, contact us at [email protected] body, mind and spirit by self-created ritual, of which I am chairman.” West Coast Leaf Page 15 Summer 2011

A “Free Marc” Emery Federal assault hits patients across the USA tee shirt hangs above a cannabis garden. Continued from page 1 Shumlin signed into law a bill that will Photo by Chris Conrad not new — the Bush administration made license four medical marijuana distribution similar threats against New Mexico offi- sites in the state. cials in 2007. However, Obama is now The letters come nearly two years after using it to obstruct the democratic process the Obama Justice Dept. issued its “Ogden and impede the development of local and memorandum” to these same US state laws regulating cultivation and distri- Attorneys in October 2009 signaling a dif- bution of medical marijuana. ferent policy from the prior administra- In Montana, more than eight federal tion’s. Even before becoming president, agencies, including the Drug Enforcement then-Senator Obama campaigned on the Admin. (DEA), Immigration & Customs promise that he would not use “Justice Enforcement (ICE), Occupational Safety Department resources to try to circumvent and Health Admin. (OSHA), Internal state laws.” However, today his adminis- Revenue Service (IRS), and the criminal tration is not only circumventing these division of the Environmental Protection laws, it is undermining the right of cities Agency (EPA), executed 26 raids on the and states to implement their medical mar- same day a state Senate bill was up for a ijuana laws accordingly. MARC EMERY, Canadaʼs premier cannabis activist, serving a five-year term in a US penitentiary for selling cannabis seeds, was recently denied a transfer back to Canada. Emery had applied to vote to repeal the voter-approved medical “The federal government gets a lot of the US Dept. of Justice for permission to finish his sentence in a jail close to friends and his wife, use law. mileage from saying it doesn’t target Jodie. The case against Marc (www.freemarc.ca) has always been about his political activism and support of cannabis law reform on both sides of the border through Cannabis Culture magazine The legislature later passed the bill, but patients, but the reality is that large num- (cannabisculture.com) and the International Marijuana Party. — Kirk Tousaw, Esq., April 2011. Gov. Brian Schweitzer vetoed it. US Atty. bers are directly impacted by these federal Michael Cotter sent a letter to the Montana actions,” continued Sherer. Forfeiture laws spawn American kleptocracy legislative leadership in April urging them “Patients are sick and tired of broken to reject a law to regulate medical produc- By Mary Jane Borden, Drugwarfacts.org with any drug-related crimes, but federal promises and half-measures from the tion and distribution, which led to the pas- Obama administration. The president must Civil asset forfeiture raises many very seri- prosecutors are trying to snatch up the sage of a bill that instead criminalizes this answer for his inconsistent and harmful ous questions. It can be used to seize any Missouri concert venue, claiming it was activity and is expected to drastically and policies and work with us to address med- amount of currency, hauling conveyances “knowingly rented, leased, profited from arbitrarily reduce the number of author- ical marijuana as a public health issue.” of unlimited value and personal property and made available for the use of ... manu- ized patients. That bill was not vetoed by ASA has argued that such tactics have valued at $500,000 or less, such as cars, facturing, storing, distributing or using Schweitzer and has become law. forced untold patients into illicit markets, guns and boats, among other things. In controlled substances.” At the end of April, a day before the thereby jeopardizing their safety and mak- 2009, US Attorneys confiscated an estimat- The DOJ boasts, “Civil forfeiture Washington State legislature put a bill on ing them more vulnerable to arrest and ed $1.1 billion in assets, roughly four times expanded greatly during the early 1980s as Gov. Christine Gregoire’s desk to regulate prosecution. more than in 1989. The sum value taken governments at all levels stepped up the medical production and distribution, the over the last 21 years exceeds $10 billion. war on drugs,” and adds, “Asset forfeiture As for next steps, there are some prom- DEA raided three distribution centers in ising signs. According to the Seattle Times, The US Department of Justice (DOJ) can assist in the budgeting realm by help- Spokane. The raids came two weeks after when Gregoire was vetoing parts of states, “Civil forfeiture is a proceeding ing to offset the costs associated with fight- US Atty. Michael Ormsby sent a letter to Washington’s medical marijuana bill, she brought against the property rather than ing crime. Doing what it takes to under- Gregoire threatening criminal prosecution said she would use her position as chair of against the person who committed the mine the illicit drug trade is expensive and if the law was passed. These actions com- the National Governors Assn. “to lead an offense. Civil forfeiture does not require time-consuming. Forfeiture can help agen- pelled the governor to veto portions of the effort to change marijuana federal classifi- either criminal charges against the owner cies target these difficult problems, some- bill that would have licensed the same cation.” ASA and other patient advocates of the property or a criminal conviction.” times without the need to seek additional facilities raided a day earlier. The will be working with Gregoire and gover- The DOJ claims that real property cannot outside resources to offset their costs.” Associated Press reported at the time that nors from medical marijuana states in the be forfeited administratively. If Camp Zoe is taken, a process called Gregoire said she “could not approve a coming months in order to place increased Consider a 350-acre music venue called ‘equitable sharing’ will split the profit measure that might put state workers at pressure on Obama. between the federal DEA and State Camp Zoe, valued at $600,000 (Riverfront risk of federal criminal charges.” The result Highway Patrol, the same two agencies Times, Dec. 2, 2010). As of April 15, 2011, was a serious loss of patients’ rights. owner Jimmy Tebeau had not been charged Please turn to page 19 Threatening letters sent to the gover- Cancer Institute lends support nors of Arizona and Rhode Island resulted Continued from page 10 Garden guard dogs should not be abused in the suspension of their two recently (NCI) has recently changed its Website passed, but not yet implemented, medical information from totally negative on By Jim Ferguson* Dept. third-party inspectors for Ordinance production and distribution laws. cannabis to cautiously recommending its 9.31 cultivation sites. While most cannabis farmers treat their Thousands of patients are harmed by this use for cancer pain and noting potential pets well, some guard dogs are little- “If we saw anything of this nature, that suspension. usefulness for the anti-cancer properties of noticed victims of marijuana prohibition. would prohibit someone from getting certi- Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, a number of its active ingredients. fied,” said Van Hook. Abusive practices include taunting a however, refused to buckle to federal Keep reading West Coast Leaf and Ask dog to make it vicious, feeding it gunpow- * Ferguson, a member of the Board of Directors of the North Coast Animal Welfare Advocacy Center, has been politically intimidation after an official received a Dr.MedicalCannabis.MD for the latest der to enhance aggression, even leaving it active in Humboldt County for more than 20 years. threatening US Attorney letter in May. news on this exciting development. chained without food and water to starve to death after the harvest is complete. Barbara Shults, RN, founder and direc- tor of the nonprofit North Coast Animal Welfare Advocacy Center and host of the program Animal Advocate at KMUD radio, has a campaign (notapotdog.org) to raise awareness of the potential for cruelty and abuse. She has been involved with animal welfare issues for over 13 years in California’s Emerald Triangle counties of Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity. “Every time I table at community events, someone will approach me with their own stories about witnessing this type of abuse,” Shults said. “About 18 months ago, I found a severely abused dog roaming the neigh- borhood. It was a dog well-known to the community for being tethered for years without shelter on a two-foot rope at an outdoor grow. I took it to our local animal shelter ... and now Humboldt County is prosecuting me for theft.” Chris Van Hook, founder of Clean Grean Certified, works in medical cannabis compliance, and takes animal protection seriously as one of the Mendocino Sheriff Summer 2011 Page 16 West Coast Leaf A half century of the UNʼs Drug War failure By Michael Krawitz 50 years it is time to acknowledge that pro- Veterans for Medical Marijuana hibitionist policies have become worthless, Fifty years after the 1961 United Nations and can no longer serve as basis for what is Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was misleadingly called the ‘global drug con- signed, activists from around the world trol system.’” declared the treaty dead and held a mock See cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2011/04/04/ funeral March 25 in Vienna, Austria. Unhappy-Birthday-50th-Anniversary-Single-Convention- Treaty-Outlawing-Cannabis; encod.org/ info/AFTER-50- Readers may recognize the name Harry YEARS-THE-SINGLE.html Anslinger as the bureaucrat who dragged America into the quagmire of fighting the “drugs evil” and got Congress to jump out Federal DEA proposes to of the frying pan of Alcohol Prohibition and into the fire of drugs prohibition. Long reclassify natural THC By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director This March, fifty years after the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was signed, after the passage of the 1937 Marihuana Tax activists declared the treaty dead and held a mock funeral in Vienna, Austria. Photo by Mike Krawitz Act, he became an ambassador and the US The US Drug Enforcement Admin. (DEA) point-person at UN drug meetings. He was is considering reclassifying plant-derived key in the writing of the international THC, the primary psychoactive compound Unhappy birthday: A century of pot prohibition treaty to consolidate all previous drug in marijuana, from a Schedule I to schedule 100th Anniversary of the first achusetts in passing anti-cannabis laws of treaties and, for the first time, demanded III controlled substance under the federal their own, beginning with California, anti-marijuana law international prohibition of cannabis. Controlled Substances Act, according to a Maine, Indiana and Wyoming in 1913. Anslinger’s MTA was a deeply flawed report in the February 2011 The Daily Caller. By Dale Gieringer, California NORML Again, there was no public concern about law that required self-incrimination, and The agency announced its proposed This spring marks the centennial of the marijuana at the time or outcry for a ban. was ruled unconstitutional when Timothy action in the Federal Register on Nov. 1, nation’s first anti-marijuana law. These laws were largely the handiwork Leary won his landmark 1969 case in the 2010, to “expand the schedule III listing to Massachusetts enacted a law on April of pharmacy boards and Progressive US Supreme Court. Many believe that include formulations having naturally- 29, 1911 making it illegal to sell or possess reformers who believed that Americans’ Anslinger championed the treaty in an derived dronabinol and products encapsu- without a prescription cannabis or other drug use should be controlled by cops and effort to ‘shore up’ the Act. According to lated in hard gelatin capsules.” ‘hypnotic’ drugs such as opium. Violators bureaucrats. Officials admitted that the Constitution, treaties entered into by The DEA presently defines dronabinol were subject to a whopping $100 fine and cannabis was not a problem at the time, but the USA become the supreme law of the as synthetic THC in sesame oil in a soft gel- up to six months in jail. warned that it might become one if no steps land. The US Congress took advantage of atin capsule in a US Food and Drug Ironically, there is no record of any pub- were taken to prevent that. this authority when it passed the Controlled Admin. (FDA) approved product. lic concern about cannabis at the time. Ironically, America’s problems with Substances Act in 1970. The November announcement states Marijuana, a Mexican slang term for marijuana post-date the laws that were Since the last drug-control treaty was that DEA has received four petitions from cannabis rolled into cigarettes, was still supposed to prevent them. Since 1911, the signed in 1988, there has been considerable companies wishing to bring potential unknown outside of a few border settle- number of consumers has soared from a change in the tone of drug-policy meetings products to market containing “naturally- ments in the Southwest. handful to tens of millions. Meanwhile, at the UN. In 1998, an ad in the NY Times derived or synthetically produced dronabi- The Massachusetts law was not prima- over 20 million Americans have been from the Lindesmith Foundation pro- nol.” Those products, if approved by the rily aimed at cannabis, but at opium, mor- arrested on pot charges; over 40,000 are claimed that the war on drugs was causing FDA, would be marketed as generic alter- phine and other narcotics, abuse of which now in prison for marijuana crimes; more harm then good. Opposition became natives to Marinol, which has been legally had become a concern among Progressive cannabis production has become a multi- formalized in 2008, when the world’s Non- available in the US by prescription since Era reformers and temperance advocates. billion dollar illicit industry; hemp farming Governmental Organizations, or NGOs, 1985. In 1999, the DEA downgraded By prohibiting the use of narcotics without is banned; billions of taxpayers dollars converged on the Vienna UN complex with Marinol from a schedule II to a schedule III a prescription, it was hoped their abuse have been spent on eradication and a message of drug peace. controlled substance. could be stemmed. Cannabis, being one of enforcement; and thousands of lives are This year, the European Coalition for Under the proposed change, both the the familiar hypnotic drugs traditionally lost each year in prohibition-related vio- Just and Effective Drug Policies, or marijuana plant and plant-derived THC available in pharmacies, was added to lence in Mexico and elsewhere. ENCOD, a pan-European network of about that is not contained in an FDA-approved make the ban comprehensive. Today, the evidence is overwhelming 150 NGOs, held a funeral ritual for the pharmaceutical drug would remain classi- Significantly, the law expressly permit- that the government’s 100 years’ war on treaty just outside the entrance to the fied as schedule I illicit substances. ted pharmaceutical sales of cannabis, the cannabis has failed. As in 1911, its strongest Vienna UN Plaza, announcing that, “After Contact Armentano at [email protected]. medical value of which was widely accept- promoters are now government drug ed at the time. Only in 1937 was medical bureaucrats and cops who might otherwise use suppressed at the insistence of federal be unemployed. This unhappy birthday is narcotics boss Harry Anslinger, whose last- an opportunity to reject their bankrupt century ‘reefer madness’ policy sadly paternalism and reclaim the historical free- remains largely intact today. dom to use cannabis. For more, see: “The Forgotten Origins of Cannabis Other states soon followed Mass - Prohibition in California,” canorml.org/history.html. West Coast Leaf Page 17 Summer 2011

National and International Reports

MAJOR RALLIES IN NETHERLANDS AND MEXICO — Over 4000 cannabis consumers, growers and freedom-lovers came together May 8, 2011 in Amsterdam’s Westerpark for the third annual Cannabis Liberation Day, the biggest such demonstration in the Netherlands since the 1970s. The gathering, organized by the Society for the Abolition of Cannabis Prohibition sent sent a clear signal opposing the ‘weedpass’ and the right-wing Dutch government’s increasing repression of cannabis and cof- feeshops. Police estimated that as many as 150,000 people took part in march the same day in the Mexican capital, after which people gathered in the plaza to hear grieving families NORML Womenʼs panel Georgia Edson of Mile High NORML, Chair of the NORML Womenʼs Alliance (NWA) Sabrina Fendrick, SSDP Assoc. Director Stacy Cosner, Kyndra Miller of G0NZ0 Media call for an end to the Drug War perpetuated by the US. — Derrick Bergman, CannaBusiness Law, Inc., and Diane Fornbacher of Coalition for Medical Marijuana NJ, unveiled plans April 22 for a “Sister-to-Sister” mentoring project. Photo by Steve Bloom, CelebStoner.com. FEDS RATTLE RHODE ISLAND PLAN — Almost 6,000 Rhode Island residents have cannabis ID cards, about two-thirds patients and one-third caregivers. The General NORML conference a rousing success in Denver Assembly in 2009 authorized Compassion Centers (CC), non-profit retail facilities for By Robert Raich, Attorney at Law the race and was moderated by nationally patients. The Dept. of Health received 21 applications in 2010, and in March 2011 chose televised talk-show host Montel Williams. three compliant applicants: Thomas Slater CC in Providence, Summit Medical CC in The annual conference of the National The debate became the lead story in local Warwick, and Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center in Portsmouth. Gov. Lincoln Chafee Organization for the Reform of Marijuana newscasts and attracted wide attention. included compassion center taxes in his 2011 state budget proposal, estimating that a mar- Laws (NORML) took place in Denver on Refreshingly, all but one of the participants ijuana sales tax would raise $802,000 in the coming year and $1.3 million the next, and a April 21 - 23, 2011. Of particular note were sought to bolster their candidacies by 4% dispensary fee would raise $1.4 million over two years. the high-profile presence and support of elected officials and politicians. demonstrating the depth and authenticity US Attorney for RI Peter Neronha delivered a three-page letter to Chafee April 29 of their support for (rather than opposition threatening to raid any CC that opens. At a May 4 press conference in the State House, The conference provides a space for to) the marijuana policy reform movement. patients, caregivers, CC operators and advocates called on Chafee to issue licenses despite reform advocates from across the country the federal threat. On May 9, the ACLU asked the federal government to stand down and to assemble and share experiences, ideas Another positive indicator of the honor the Ogden memo on marijuana policy. — Jesse Stout, RIPAC and strategies. At the convention this year, changing political climate was the keynote the general sentiment was one of wide- luncheon address by US Congressman LATE-SUMMER OPENING FOR NJ DISPENSARIES — The New Jersey spread optimism, resulting from progress Jared Polis (D-Boulder). Polis showed that Dept. of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) issued permits March 21, 2011 for six non- on many fronts in the local, regional and he understands the urgency of the need to profits to open medical marijuana dispensaries, or Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs). national fights for more rational policies. reform America’s marijuana laws, and DHSS said patients can expect cannabis to be dispensed by late summer. The NJ law, In years past, buoyant attitudes at the spoke about his eagerness to lead the signed in January 2010, does not allow home cultivation. Qualified patients with an ID conference were often linked to significant charge at the national level. card from DHSS will be eligible to purchase up to two ounces a month from an ATC. yet relatively isolated developments, such Several local candidates and political There are still many concerns about the program. The entire state legislature agreed as a positive election result. This year, how- organizations had booths at the event. In that regulations DHSS proposed in December were inconsistent with the intent of the law. ever, there was a palpable sense that the addition to the vibrant political activism on A resolution in the legislature would invalidate significant parts of those rules, such as the movement is gaining momentum and display, booths at the conference reflected 10 percent cap on THC content, limiting of ATC supply to only three canna bis strains, and monumental policy change is likely in the the growth of the entrepreneurial aspect of prohibiting home delivery. — Ken Wolski, RN, MPA Coalition for Medical Marijuana, NJ cmmnj.org near future and inevitable in the long run. the industry. The administrator in charge AMERICAN EXPRESS REFUSES DISPENSARIES — American Express “has A highlight of the conference was the of Colorado’s medical use program spoke made a decision to not allow card acceptance for medical marijuana,” according to pub- debate among Denver mayoral candidates, about issues that have arisen under the lished reports. “It is our policy to adhere to federal law,” said a spokesperson. which drew seven of the nine contenders in law, such as harms from overregulation.

BOB BOYD, ATTORNEY AT LAW Serving Mendocino ROBERTS & ELLIOTT & Lake Counties ATTORNEYS AT LAW 707-468-0500

— Lifetime Member, NORML Legal Panel — mendocinolaw.com Summer 2011 Page 18 West Coast Leaf West Coast Leaf Page 19 Summer 2011 Colo patients make headway in state legislature Colo 2012 legalization effort picks up steam By Laura Kriho, CannabisTherapyInstitute.com and their grow locations with the Dept of By Mason Tvert, SAFER Marijuana Movement, among others. Colorado patients won some big victories Revenue. Many caregivers and patients are Cannabis policy reformers across the state “We’re really beginning to pick up in the state legislature this year. Three bills nervous that their confidentiality rights and around the country have formed a steam,” said Sensible Colorado Executive were introduced that would further erode will be breached, and that more regulation coalition to end cannabis prohibition in Director Brian Vicente, serving as chairman the rights of patients and caregivers under of caregivers is on the way. Colorado in 2012. No single organization of the Colorado Alliance. “We are on the the state constitution. The Cannabis The MMC applicants, meanwhile, are or individual is leading the effort; rather, verge of making history, and it’s very excit- Therapy Institute helped organize patients forced to comply with an ever-growing list various activists, organizations, profession- ing to have such a solid coalition of organ- to oppose and kill two of the three bills. of restrictions, with no guarantee that they als, businesses and others have come izations working together.” The first bill, HB 11-1250, would have will ever be granted licenses to open. Every together to draft and campaign for the best The coalition spent several months banned active cannabis edible products. It week, MMCs are being shut down because possible ballot initiative. crafting ballot initiative language that has fell relatively quickly, as the entire patient they can’t comply with the pages of new State reform leaders, including those yet to be finalized, but a general frame- community spoke out very strongly restrictions. Activists with the Patient and from SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoy- work has emerged. First, the measure will against a ban on edible therapy. Caregivers Rights Litigation Project are able Recreation) and Sensible Colorado, remove criminal penalties for adult use HB 11-1261 was a THC-DUI bill that working to file an injunction against all the have established the Colo Alliance for and possession and for privately growing would have set a limit of 5 nanograms/ laws and regulations before July 1. Marijuana Reform to serve as a hub, in small amounts in one’s home. Second, it millileter of THC in the whole blood as Polls show 50% support for legalization coalition with Marijuana Policy Project, establishes guidelines for a legal cannabis being DUI per se, and patients could lose in Colorado. Legalize2012.com is building NORML, Drug Policy Alliance, Law market that allows for cultivation, infused- their driver’s licenses and face criminal a coalition to bring a legalization initiative Enforcement Against Prohibition, Students products manufacturing, testing and retail DUI charges. It would have eliminated the to the 2012 ballot. for Sensible Drug Policy, and the Women’s sales. The group is also working on lan- requirement for the prosecution to prove guage removing the ban on industrial the driver was actually impaired. Through hemp cultivation. intense grassroots lobbying, the bill was Court battle for Michigan medical marijuana Dozens of attorneys in Colorado and changed to instead authorize a study on By Tim Beck, Michigan ASA the act. The only transfer specifically men- across the nation have taken part in draft- whether THC causes impairment. Just as Michigan experienced a Republican Party tioned in the law is the “caregiver” model, ing and reviewing the language, said the session was to end, the 5 ng rule got tsunami in the November 2010 election. permitting a state-registered caregiver to Vicente, who is coordinating the process stuck back into the bill. Despite last-minute The GOP took over every branch of gov- grow up to 12 plants per patient for up to with Steve Fox of MPP. The coalition pub- lobbying by law enforcement, however, the ernment. Prior to this election, Democrats five patients. lished ads and sent out e-mail blasts solic- bill lost, so THC-DUI is dead for now. had controlled the governor’s office, the “If the AG is successful in his attacks on iting ideas and comments from the public, The CTI argued that patients with con- State House, and the Supreme Court. patient-to-patient transfers,” said and got feedback from hundreds of sup- stant medical use would test positive while Fortunately, the state constitution Kalamazoo attorney Dan Grow, a specialist porters throughout the state. The group not actually impaired. Reporter William requires a 3/4 super majority in the Senate in medical cannabis law, “any patient or made a point of reaching out to the medical Breathes of the Denver Westword submitted and House to change or overturn a law caregiver who suffers from a bad crop, a use community, including patients, care- a blood sample after abstaining for 16 passed by ballot initiative, as was the police raid, or other interruption will be givers, industry members and advocates. hours. His result: 13.5 ng THC. Breathes’ Michigan Medical Marijuana Act denied their medicine. Schuette’s hostility “We went to great lengths to include as physician affirmed that he was not (MMMA). As a result, Republican efforts to is absurd. The language in the Act is broad many people as possible within reason,” impaired. Bill sponsor Rep. Claire Levy (D- gut the law are tied up in the courts. enough to allow patients various options in Vicente said. “We really wanted to get buy- Boulder) could provide no evidence that Specifically, newly elected Attorney meeting their medical needs.” in from the whole community, and make THC was the cause of any accident, and General Bill Schuette, who led the cam- “It could be a bloodbath for some folks, this a campaign everyone can get behind.” admitted that her 5 ng standard came from paign against the MMMA in 2008, has been if patient-to-patient transfer goes down” The next step is to submit finalized bal- an “intuitive feeling,” not hard research. using the full power of his office in filing explained Jamie Lowell, a board member lot language for an approximately month- Unfortunately, a third bill, HB 11-1043, amicus briefs in the Court of Appeals, advo- of the Michigan Assn. of Compassion long process of approval for the language, passed with no opposition in the legisla- cating the narrowest interpretation of the Centers and an owner of Third Coast, a a formal ballot title, and the petition itself ture, as a ‘cleanup bill’ for last year’s law, law. His core claim is that the MMMA was cooperative serving cannabis patients to qualify the measure for the ballot. At which created a statutory entity called a meant only for a narrow class of persons throughout Southeast Michigan. that point the group will have six months Medical Marijuana Center (MMC). The bill who are either terminally ill or completely “The AG has power to file charges any- to gather about 86,000 valid signatures; it is extends the statewide moratorium on new incapacitated. More than 77,000 Michigan where in Michigan, so even facilities in aiming for at least 130,000 to ensure it qual- MMC applicants for another year. Over citizens are registered patients, most of friendly communities like Ann Arbor are ifies. To get involved, see saferchoice.org. 1,000 people applied last July, but the Dept. them certified because of “severe and potentially at risk,” Lowell asserted. The of Revenue’s Medical Marijuana Enforce- chronic pain” or “seizures and nausea,” Appeals Court decision is expected about ASSET PROTECTION ment Division (MMED) has not granted and AG Schuette is not happy about that. October of 2011. BUSINESS LAW • TAX any licenses. The two most serious cases on the ESTATE PLANNING • PROBATE The problem is that the bill provides Court of Appeals docket involve the con- Forfeiture law corruption that the state constitution does not apply to cept of “patient-to-patient transfer.” The Continued from page 15 MMCs, whereas the US Attorney’s office MMMA is not fully specific as to whether that both started and would benefit from, indicated that the state constitution would patients have the right to share medicine the forfeiture action. afford greater protection than a statute. with other patients. Those who believe this Colorado was among the states that got practice is legal are using the concept as a A 2010 Institute for Justice report goes a threatening letters from the Feds, but no rationale for opening dispensaries in step further, terming forfeiture “legal fic- LAW OFFICE OF MMCs have yet been targeted in raids. Michigan, which are staffed by patients tion that enables law enforcement to take JEROME D. HANDLEY legal action against inanimate objects for Another disturbing aspect of HB 11- serving patients. participation in alleged criminal activity, 1043 is the Caregiver Grow Location Should such transfers be ruled illegal, it 1-800-517-5166 regardless of whether the property owner Registry. For the first time, medical mari- could put an end to dispensaries and other www.jeromehandley.com is guilty or innocent — or even whether the juana caregivers will be required to register ‘hybrid’ delivery systems not mentioned in [email protected] owner is charged with a crime.” themselves, their patients’ ID numbers, Organically grown medicine for MMJ patients. Crop and Collective / Co-op Certifications Grower and Collective Compliance Consultations www.CleanGreenCert.com [email protected] Serving the greater Sacramento area. 707-218-6979 www.CHRYSALISFARMS.COM OR CALL 530-205-3390 Chris Van Hook, California Attorney Babá KEN OKULOLO and His BANDS –Douglas E. Smith, MD – Live AFRICAN Music for All Occasions AFROBEAT – HIGHLIFE Medical Marijuana ACOUSTIC – SOLO - LESSONS Physician Evaluations New CD “We Are All from Africa” Alternative Medicine at www.CDBaby.com Serving North Bay www.AfricanMusicSource.com 1416 Tennessee St. Suite 3, Vallejo 510-778-1885 Call for hours, schedule appointment (707) 554-1000 www.DouglasESmithMD.com Summer 2011 Page 20 West Coast Leaf

Disappointment for Hawai’i cannabis patients URUGUAY — demand- ing the legalization of By Matthew Rifkin, [email protected] wide), and Green cited data claiming that self-cultivation and At the start of the 2011 legislative session, over 50% of patients were under the age of the release of Castilla 30, and that 500 were 21 or younger. He and 350 other Hawai’i medical cannabis patients had Uruguayan hoped for the first improvements to the used information from the head of the consumers, activists program since its inception in 2000. With a Narcotics Enforcement Division, Keith held a demonstration outside the Supreme Democrat in the governor’s seat they Kamita, who has been an opponent of the Court Feb. 24, 2011. thought that, should a bill reach his desk, it program since its inception. could get signed. Unfortunately, things did In the end, the House stuck by its intent Photo by Mike Bifari not go according to plan. for a limited pilot program, and the Senate The Senate is the more liberal chamber versions could not be reconciled, so the bill at the Capitol, and all five bills sailed died in conference for this session. Louisiana man gets life in prison for two pounds through committees and passed (the most “no” votes a bill received was two out of 25 Some states are despotic permanently over a natural herb that never Argentine activist jailed killed anyone seems to be the very epitome senators). The bills were to decriminalize By Morgan Fox, Marijuana Policy Project possession of one ounce or less (not med- Uruguayan home raided of “cruel and unusual punishment.” But Sometimes the progress being made can not to the court in Slidell, LA. ical), to increase the number of plants, By Mike Bifari overshadow the reality that there are still dried ounces and caregiver-patient ratios, Nor to the state of Oklahoma, perhaps, Alicia Castilla, the 66 year old Argentine backward places in this nation that hang license compassion centers, move the pro- where Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill May 2 cannabis activist and author of Cannabis far behind the curve when it comes to gram from the Dept. of Public Safety to the making production of hashish punishable Culture and Growing Cannabis, was sent to cannabis policy reform. In some states, Health Dept. and create a three-year by a $50,000 fine and two years to life in prison for more than two months for the possessing a weed can still make your research program. Public testimony was prison. There is no stipulation on quantity, cultivation of 20 small plants after a special whole life forfeit. Two recent events high- very much in favor of these bills, with only duration, or whether the person was mak- police squad burst into her home in light how much work is still to be done. token opposition almost exclusively from ing it for distribution or profit. For making Uruguay Jan. 31 and found her garden. On May 5, the New Orleans Times- the law enforcement community. one ball of hash, a person could spend the Current regulations in Uruguay create a Picayune reported that Louisiana Judge rest of their days behind bars. However, the bills hit road blocks once legal vacuum, where it is legal to possess a Raymond Childress sentenced Cornell This defies common sense. There is no they got to the House. In the end, only SB reasonable amount for personal consump- Hood, II to life in prison for possessing less life sentence in Oklahoma for possessing 1458 moved forward with the help of a lob- tion, but it is illegal to cultivate any. than two pounds of marijuana. It was byist. What started as a bill to license com- cannabis or hashish. A person who turns The arrest and incarceration of Castilla, Hood’s fourth marijuana conviction, and passion centers on each island turned into one into the other through any number of named the ‘Cannabis Grandmother’ in the even while the jury reduced the charge in a five-year pilot program of only one dis- simple processes, however, is apparently press, sparked demonstrations in Buenos this case from what prosecutors originally pensary on one island. As the bill worked such a danger to the community that a Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, alleged, Childress chose to apply a “repeat its way through the committees, it became judge can hand them over to the prison- Uruguay, and a major discussion about offender” law to give Hood the maximum more restrictive and less useful. Patients industrial complex forever. This sounds legalization in the entire region. Her sentence possible. protested the unfairness of making the like the Reefer Madness mentality that imprisonment was brought to the attention Supporters of cannabis reform will no majority of patients wait five years for the activists had hoped was a thing of the past, of the president, who expressed his con- doubt view any amount of jail time as an pilot program to be completed. It passed and yet the Draconian bill passed over- cern for her. She was released May 5 pend- unjust sentence for mere possession, but 40-11. Since the House and Senate versions whelmingly in the Oklahoma legislature. ing trial and is currently on house arrest. this goes beyond all reason. As the evi- were so different, the bill moved to com- These actions are akin to policies in Meanwhile, her case has led to the dence supporting the relative safety and mittee to attempt to merge the bills. countries like Malaysia, Thailand and drafting of a bill that was sent to congress myriad medical benefits of marijuana Then things took a turn for the worse. Singapore, where, as in much of Asia, mar- to change marijuana laws to legalize self- grows and solidifies, such punishment is Senator Josh Green, from the Big Island, ijuana offenders can be punished with life cultivation of eight plants per household irrational. To take away a person’s freedom offered a major “clean up” overhaul to the in prison or even execution. and possession of 25 grams. program by eliminating “chronic pain” as a If it passes, 30 of the 350 marijuana pris- qualifying condition. The Big Island has oners would be automatically released in about 60% of the state’s cannabis patients, Uruguay, and her sacrifice would not be in despite having only 14% of the population vain. Info at plantatuplanta.net/Alicia- (there are only about 8,000 patients state- castilla/free-alicia-castilla. Full Circle Cannabis Consultants Expert Witnesses Specializing in Medical Cannabis Policy & Regulation Expert Testimony • Courtroom Investigations • Customized Legal Binders • Business & Farm Certification Program Crop and Equipment “Assurance Program” • Garden Yield & Probable Cost Analysis • Exclusive Professional Referral Service • Third Party Inspection/ Compliance Review Michael McCauley Jason Browne 530-828-6306 707-974-8264 [email protected] [email protected] www.fullcirclecannabis.com P.O. Box 9152 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Member C.A.C.J

Southern California’s First & Longest-Operating Patient Collective, Since 1999 Inglewood Wellness Center Located in downtown Inglewood, the first city in Southern California to show true compassion for the medical needs of the community.

“Here to help, here to heal.” 318 S. Market St. Inglewood, CA 93010 t. 310.674.4444 www.inglewoodMCC.com West Coast Leaf Page 21 Summer 2011 Montana medical marijuana conflicts mount By Tom Daubert, calling on him to veto this “repeal in dis- Founder/director, Patients & Families United* guise,” the Governor allowed it to become Calendar and Community Directory Marijuana policy conflicts in Montana law without his signature. He “held his show no signs of abating. By press time, nose” in the process, he said, because it reform advocates had sued to prevent a was a bad bill fraught with problems, yet June 10-12, Hemp Con, San Jose, CA. Tower, followed by event at Tiergarten Draconian new medical cannabis law from he didn’t think it “advisable” to leave the San Jose Convention Center - South Hall, Park. En.hanfparade.de. taking effect July 1, 2011 and were prepar- voter-adopted law unchanged. 435 South Market St., SJ. Hempcon.com ing to gather signatures placing the issue Reform advocates promptly formed a Aug. 6, US Surf Open / Cannabis Freedom on the 2012 ballot, possibly along with pro- new group, the MT Cannabis Industry June 18/Aug. 27, Cannabis Freedom Rally, Rally, Huntington Beach, CA. See gressive non-medical policy changes. Assn. (MTCIA), to spearhead fundraising Laguna Beach, CA. Main Beach. See orangecountynorml.org or call 877- A lopsided Republican majority, elect- and management of the patient and care- orangecountynorml.org or call 877- OCNORML. ed last November, ardently opposed the OCNORML. giver response. Within four days, MTCIA Aug. 19-21, 20th Annual Hempfest for very concept of medical marijuana, and raised $50,000 to hire the state’s leading June 25-26, High Times Medical Cannabis Victory, Seattle, WA. Myrtle Edwards sought to repeal the state’s compassionate constitutional attorney in order to mount a Cup, San Francisco, CA. Medical marijua- Park, 12-8 Fri., 10-8, Sat. and Sun. World’s use policy adopted in 2004 by 62% of vot- legal challenge, and filed a referendum na and hemp expo. Prizes for best medical largest cannabis event. Music, speakers, ers. Wild claims were made that the med- petition with the Secretary of State. Enough cannabis, hash, and edibles from vendors, food. Free. See hempfest.org ical marijuana program had spun out of signatures on a MT referendum petition California’s dispensaries. medcancup.com control and was being abused by legions of could nullify the new law, pending the Aug. 26th – 28th, Hemp Con, Los Angeles, ‘stoners’ who had spawned a ‘billion dollar election outcome. See mtcia.org. June 25, Tacoma Hempfest, WA.Wright CA. Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 industry’ which would soon begin to ‘buy SB 423 would give Montana the worst, Park, Tacoma. Entertainment, vendors. South Figueroa St. Hempcon.com elections’ in the state. tacomahempfest.com most punitive and deliberately unwork- Sept. 3-4, International Cannabis and House leadership refused to allow fixes able medical use policy in the US. July 7, Liberty Belle Ball / Marijuana Hemp Expo with Connoisseur’s Cup & to the medical use law, and instead passed The 2011 Montana legislature’s repres- Policy Project Benefit, Los Angeles, CA. VIP, Oakland, CA. Fox Theater/Telegraph a repeal bill, which was vetoed by the gov- sive actions are consistent with its overall Playboy Mansion. Co-sponsored by Ave. area, near City Hall. Cannabis com- ernor. Pro-repeal legislators began writing extremism. The Governor characterized GreenLife Medical Systems and others. petition, vendors, speakers, patient med- a regulatory bill to get as close to repeal as the Republican majority as “bat-crap Major musical act, burlesque performanc- icating area. intche.org possible. After many amendments, it crazy,” and polls found that only 14% of es, and more. mpplorg/pb2011. passed, literally moments before legislators the public approved of the legislature. Sept. 10-11, Hempstalk 2011, Portland adjourned for the biennium. Marijuana reformers hope this sentiment July 15-17, Emerald Empire Hempfest, OR. Kelley Point Park, Portland, OR. Despite an outpouring of opposition will help fuel their efforts. Eugene, OR. Maurie Jacobs Park, Eugene. Hemp, music, speakers, vendors, food. See emeraldempirehempfest.com Free. See hempstalk.org Remembering Peter McWilliams July 23, Cannabis Freedom Rally, Nov. 2-5, International Drug Policy Peter McWilliams died in 2000 at age 50, after the federal gov- Huntington Beach, CA. Meet at the pier. Reform Conference, Los Angeles, CA. ernment disallowed his use of medical marijuana. June 14, 2011 See orangecountynorml.org or call Westin Bonaventure Hotel. For details and marks the 11th anniversary of his death; poet, photographer, an advocate of those suffering depression, self-publisher of more 877- OCNORML. registration, see reformconference.org than 40 books, including Ain’t Nobody’s Business If You Do — a Aug. 6, HanfParade, Berlin, Germany. Nov 5-6, Wonders of Cannabis, San few that were NY Times bestsellers, Libertarian Party candidate, Europe’s largest legalization demonstra- Francisco, CA, SF Coucourse, 635 Eighth and medicinal marijuana activist. tion. Beginning at 1 PM at the Television St. at Brannan, see wocsf.com Special tribute video with never-seen-before photos: youtube.com/WeRememberPeter www.petermcwilliams.org An Oral History of the Drug War and US Criminal Justice contact: [email protected] The Exile Nation Project: over 13 million more has been forever An Oral History of the War on Drugs and altered by a felony conviction. No visit to Oaksterdam is complete the American Criminal Justice System “When 20% of a nation’s adult popula- without a trip to ... A Film by Charles Shaw tion (65 million) cannot pass a background By Tony Newman, Drug Policy Alliance check to gain employment — and a major- This powerful documentary is a collection ity of those because of drug arrests — you of testimonials from people formally incar- have got a runaway criminal justice system cerated, family members, and experts on that is piling up insurmountable social America’s criminal justice system. The film costs,” said director Charles Shaw. puts a human face on the millions of “You will meet some of these disen- Americans subjugated by the US drug war. franchised people in The Exile Nation Project The film points out that the ‘Land of the and learn about the human side of the drug Free’ punishes or imprisons more of its cit- war. When the stories hit home, people get izens than any other nation. The US has involved, and policy can finally begin to only 5% of the world’s population, but 25% change. It is my greatest hope that once of the world’s prisoners. At 2.5 million, the these voices find a broader audience, US has more prisoners than even China, Americans will feel compelled to pressure which has five times the population. Eight the government to change these unfair million Americans (1 in every 31) languish policies and end the era of prohibition and See a under some form of state monitoring mass incarceration.” known as ‘correctional supervision.’ On See exilenation.org for more details about the Living, Legal top of that, the security and livelihood of film and touring dates. Medical Marijuana Garden! Only at the Subscribe to West Coast Leaf Oaksterdam A unique newspaper, delivered quarterly in a discreet, plain envelope. $ Annual subscription (1 copy per issue for a year) 20 Buddy pack (20 copies per issue for a year) $50 Activist stack (50 copies per issue for a year) $75 Cannabis Distributor bundle (100 copies per issue for a year) $100 Museum For larger quantities: Call 510-215-8326 to make arrangements. PayPal payments accepted at WestCoastLeaf.com ... or & Visitor Information Center. Call 510-215-TEAM (8326) for Visa / other Credit Card payments ... or Fill-out and mail-in this handy coupon with check or MO to Creative Xpressions SCIENCE! HISTORY! HEMP! INDUSTRY! ❏ Subscriber $20 ❏ 20 copies / $50 ❏ 50 / $75 ❏ 100 / $100

Begin: ❏ Summer 2011 ❏ Autumn 2011 Preview showings: Tues - Sat 10 - 6 Name: ______Address: ______1776 Broadway, Downtown Oakland, CA 94612 www.OaksterdamCannabisMuseum.com City, State, Zip Code ______Phone or Email ______The Museum is seeking donors to add to the collection Make check or MO payable to ‘Creative Xpressions’ and mail it with this form to: and sponsors for exhibits and window displays. 510-215-8326. Creative Xpressions Subscriptions, PO Box 1716, El Cerrito CA 94530 Summer 2011 Page 22 West Coast Leaf Community Announcements Ben Masel: Most-arrested cannabis activist October 17, 1954; Died April 30, 2011. demanding “Free Dana Beal.” Masel called Alan Bock: OC Register only California main- By Don E Wirtshafter, J.D. this event The Great Midwest Harvest Fest. stream daily newspa- Born 1944: Died May 18, 2011 An arrest at the tumultuous 1968 Demo- His Weedstock became the prototype for per to endorse both Alan Bock, 67, a senior editorial writer and cratic National Convention sent Ben Masel hundreds of freedom festivals and hemp Prop 215 and Prop 19. columnist for the Orange County Register on a life journey like no other. Masel joined events around the country each summer. He was a hemp en- who gained national prominence as a the protestors who sued the city of Chicago Masel could not miss a good protest thusiast who used his champion of libertarianism in work span- and Mayor Dailey over illegal detentions and became a fixture at political events newspaper as a bully- ning more than three decades, died May 18 and police brutality. After around the country. He pulpit, and wrote the at his Lake Elsinore home. several years fighting city was proud of his 137 book Waiting to Inhale: Bock’s libertarian beliefs played a large hall, he collected $40,000 in arrests, most all of them at The Politics of Medical Marijuana (2000). role in his support for ending drug prohibi- damages for that one case. protest events. He fought Bock frequently came to conferences and tion. His position on the editorial board His career course was set. each ticket, accepting only events with his notepad and papers in tow. helped secure the Register as perhaps the Masel adopted the pro- minor misdemeanor He is survived by his son, Stephen, 25. gressive politics and the- penalties in six of these David Ford: Author, advocate Marijuana, Not Guilty as Charged decon- atrics of the Youth prosecutions. He constant- International Party (Yippie) ly sued back, winning 12 Born Jan. 12, 1928; structs many anti-cannabis claims. He Died April 15, 2011 wrote, “Far from being a curse, cannabis is movement. In 1971, when civil judgments. By the time David nothing less than a miracle plant.” In Good his dealer got busted and It was not until the elec- Ford graduated from Medicine, Great Sex, Ford promoted was held in a Wisconsin jail, tion of Wisconsin Gov. high school he’d cannabis use as a way to get in touch with Masel organized a support Tommy Thompson that already published his one’s sensual self. rally. Protesters marched to the Capitol the Harvest Fest became controversial. own newspaper, pro- The ever-charming Ford was an active building in Madison carrying banners Thompson pledged to get rid of the annual duced elaborate stage patient advocate for medical use, and a protest on the State Capitol grounds, and shows, created and beloved fixture on the Sonoma County had Masel arrested for trespassing. Masel hosted a popular radio cannabis scene. He found a voice in the Doug McCarty: Del Norte SAN sued the state and quickly won a perma- show and interviewed Holly wood stars. national media as well at NORML confer- Born Sept. 24, 1952; Died April. 20, 2011) nent injunction forbidding it from interfer- When he passed away at age 83, Ford ences and other reform events as a champi- Douglas (Doug) McCarty, 58, passed away ing with the rights of peaceful protestors at was a star national spokesperson for sen- on for the use of cannabis to reduce the 4/20/11 in Fort Dick, CA, after a long ill- the Capitol, even those without permits. iors who love, and who love to smoke pot. aches, pains and complaints of old age. ness. He served enthusiastically as the Safe The next year he upped the ante by Ford smoked his first joint at age 17, Ford was returning from a family trip Access Now representative for Del Norte bringing a large sound system to the and over the next six decades used pot to to Hawai’i in April when he suffered a County, and helped devise and secure that Harvest Fest. Capitol police arrested him prime his creativity in enterprises ranging heart attack at the airport and died at a county’s original medical marijuana for a noise violation. Masel again sued the from building homes to appearing in TV nearby hospital. He is survived by his sis- patient safe-harbor guidelines. state, this time winning a permanent shows at the CBS affiliate in Hawai’i. ter Carol Lavelle, children David and Born in Fresno in 1952, McCarty was an injunction that prevented the state from interfering with the rights of peaceful pro- Ford wrote two books about cannabis. Sandra Ford, grandson Scott Ford, and avid falconer and professional mushroom numerous nieces and nephews. grower. He was active with several law testers to have large sound systems that enforcement agencies in both California draw large crowds to the statehouse lawn. and Oregon, but was also tireless in his Through the determination of one based on his concepts. Damien Russell: Artist efforts to promote and protect medical activist, Madison became the only state Born 1965; Died, May 2010 During his years in Florida, he devel- access to cannabis. His work laid the capital in the nation with well-defined By Kelly Russell oped the “Save the Manatee” design and groundwork for other local activists. rights for civil protestors. The recent, vocal Damien Russell, the artist who created made his first forays into the cannabis McCarty loved spending time with his protests against Gov. Scott Walker’s such well known cannabis images as movement, creating such images as “Jah daughters, singing oldies, mushrooming, attempt to bust the unions could not have Camel” and “Tokeymon.” “Bearijuana Republic”© and “This is How hunting, fishing, crabbing, falconry, and happened but for the work of Ben Masel. We Roll”©, passed away suddenly in He relocated to the Petaluma area in helping people access and benefit from Masel set an example of courage and Petaluma, CA in May 2010, at age 45. 2008. Here he found people who loved all medical marijuana. He is survived by his determination that should inspire all of us Over the 25 years of his artistic career, the causes he had supported for his entire two daughters and three brothers. to action. he sought to blend novel twists on familiar career (surfing, skiing and earth-friendly images/phrases with enterprises). Most importantly, he redis- Local and regional meetings humorous commen- covered the cannabis movement. He became a passionate supporter of medical tary on social issues to Americans for Sace Access, meetings held El Centro/ Imperial County Marijuana Anti- champion social and cannabis and began developing new throughout California. For details, see safeaccess- Prohibition Project (MAPP), third Tue/mo. 7:30 ecological causes. His images including “Hey, Ho! Let’s Grow!”©. now.org PM at Imperial Valley Collective, 119 N. 5th St., El Centro 92243. 760-799-2055 body of work includes Damien’s brother, Kelly, is continuing East Bay NORML, third Thurs/mo., 7:30 PM (after thousands of images, the legacy with the formation of Measure Z Oversight Comm.), OU Student Union, Oakland Measure Z Oversight Committee, third 1915 Broadway, Oakland. [email protected] Thurs/ mo. 6 PM, City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa DamienRussellArtWorks.com. Visit the site including his own Plaza, Oakland. to see an online gallery of his work, and to El Dorado Co. American Alliance for Medical artistry and many Cannabis, 4th Sat/mo., 2:15-4:20, Garden Valley Orange County NORML, third Fri./mo. 7 PM. OC pieces he commis- join the celebration of earth-friendly social Grange, 4940 Marshall Rd. Garden Valley, CA, ASA, 8 PM.Giovanni’s Pizza, 922 W. Williamson, in sioned other talented artists to render transformation. 530-621-2874 Fullerton. Free pizza. ocnorml.org Palm Springs/ Coachella Valley Area MAPP, first Sat/ mo. 3 PM, 266 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 92262. 760-799-2055 Sacramento County Patients & Collectives, first & third Thurs./mo.7:30 PM if needed, 5207 Auburn Blvd. #H, Sacramento, CA 95841. 916-361-1612 Victorville MAPP, third Thurs/mo. 7 PM, Coco’s Restaurant, 15570 Park Ave. E, Victorville, 92392. 760-799-2055 Western Inland Empire Area MAPP, first Wed / mo., 7:30 PM, THCF Medical Clinic, 647 Main St. Riverside, CA 92501. Also hosts seminars on Anti- aging and medical benefits of cannabis, First Fri./mo. 8 PM. 951-782-9898 Yucca Valley/Landers MAPP third Wed/mo. 6:30 PM Castle Inn, 1388 N. Golden Slipper in Landers 92285. Lanny 760-799-2055

Get Involved / Take Action Visit westcoastleaf.com to read longer versions of many articles, and click on “Community Resources” to see a listing of major and local reform organizations who are doing the work and need your help. WestCoastLeaf.com West Coast Leaf Page 23 Summer 2011 Sensible students take on DC lawmakers Of OOssccaarrss and oouunncceess By Jon Perri, Students for Sensible Drug Policy Coast Associate Director Stacia Cosner and By Ellen Komp, veryimportantpotheads.com starred in Easy Rider, in When Students for Sensible Drug Policy this writer led breakout sessions on chapter Comedy icon Whoopi Goldberg was high which Jack Nicholson convened in Washington, DC for its 2011 management, event planning and online- on weed when she accepted her Best masterfully played Training Conference and Lobby Day, the activism. One of the most highly praised Supporting Actress Oscar for Ghost. an innocent fellow staff wasn’t sure what to expect. This was sessions was the advanced online-activism TMZ.com has posted a 1992 tape of trying marijuana for the first time SSDP would abandon pro- workshop led by SSDP’s webmaster and Goldberg speaking candidly about lighting the first time. Jane gramming focused on drug policy educa- graphic designer, Garret Overstreet, and up before the Oscars ceremony. Fonda played a simi- tion at its event. The goal this time was to Michael Whitney of Firedoglake and Just Saying she smoked “a wonderful joint” lar role in 9 to 5, as a create a uniquely interactive conference Say Now. to relax before the show, she added, “It was divorced woman empowering herself in providing student activists with skills to Riveting and inspiring speeches were the last of my homegrown, and honey, more ways than one. “You don’t mind if I lobby their representatives, manage effec- given by drug policy reformers like Ethan when they called my name!” After her turn on, do you?” she asked film critic Rex tive chapters, run campaigns on campuses Nadelmann and Jasmine Tyler of Drug speech, she recalled, “My mother called me Reed before puffing some of “the real or at local and state levels and plan events Policy Alliance, and Eric Sterling of the and she said, ‘You smoked, didn’t you? thing” on New Years Eve 1969, the day she that would change minds about the current Criminal Justice Policy Foundation. A Your eyes were just glistening.’” found out she won a NY Film Critics US approach to drug policy. standing ovation was given to Award for her performance in They Shoot Whoopi backed away from her outing a Throughout the campaign for Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) and for- Horses, Don’t They? bit during a post-revelation CNN Piers Proposition 19, SSDP’s California chapters mer NM Governor and 2012 Republican Morgan interview, saying only that she’d Nicholson criticized America’s ‘War on were active and mobilized. The chapter at presidential hopeful Gary Johnson, who “probably” smoked a joint that night. Drugs’ in a recent interview with a British CSU Chico registered over 1,000 voters and provided keynote speeches to a packed During that flap, Goldberg admitted on newspaper, and said he still smokes pot. “I nearly every chapter hosted a debate or house. The View that, “I have smoked pot.” She don’t tend to say this publicly, but we can event aimed at educating voters. This was After closing remarks by Executive stood by her defense of Michael Phelps for see it’s a curative thing,” the Oscar-win- the first time these students had been Director Aaron Houston came the annual “smoking weed,” saying, “If he wanted to ning actor told the UK’s Daily Mail. thrown into a campaign of this size and Awards Dinner and Benefit Concert, with smoke a bong at home, he had that right.” Even old Hollywood enjoyed its hemp. there was a lot they needed to learn. Thus Roots of Creation, which honored the year- “Glee” star Jane Lynch chatted about According to Ellis Amburn’s biography was born SSDP’s first “training confer- long work of the SSDP chapters. this year’s Vanity Fair post-Oscar party of Elizabeth Taylor, the recently departed ence.” Nearly 400 students registered from with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show. “I star partied with Peter Lawford and his son all over the world. ended up in a corner somewhere, and Christopher in mid-1973. Peter’s friend SSDP structured the event with a somebody lit up a marijuana cigarette,” Arthur Natoli recalled, “[Lawford] and lobby/training session taking place the Lynch said to Jay’s mock shock, and after Elizabeth used to turn on together. They day before students went to Capitol Hill to the partiers sat at her table, “All of a sud- were high on pot a lot.” meet with their representatives. Executive den everyone’s saying, ‘Jane’s got pot!’” Taylor was 19 when she was cast in A Director Aaron Houston provided training Turns out, it may have been another Place in the Sun opposite Montgomery Clift, on both basic and advanced lobbying skills ‘Jane’ who did all the inhaling. who smoked it. According to Amburn, and answered a sea of questions from “Gate crasher” at the New York Daily “Elizabeth sometimes ditched [second hus- eager SSDPers. Deep Green turns Earth Day a News wrote that Peter Fonda was spied band Michael] Wilding to slip off to Oscar The next day, over 200 lobby meetings cannabis shade of green nearby when his sister Jane (seated next to Levant’s Beverly Hills house with Monty, took place. The focus was on removing where the pianist serenaded them with By Linda Stokely and Gaynell Rogers, Lynch at the party) “used one hand to funding from the Office of National Drug medicalcannabismediaconsultants.com Gershwin tunes as they whiled away after- shield her mouth while puffing what Control Policy’s Anti-Drug Youth Media Thousands of cannabis lovers streamed noons and early evenings.” looked like a handmade cigarette.” The Campaign (such as the commercials with into the eco-friendly Craneway Pavilion in aroma was noticed. Sounds like a good Oscar-style pot talking dogs and aliens that will steal your Richmond, CA April 23 for Deep Green, Peter Fonda, of course, produced and party to me. girlfriend if you smoke a joint) and on the first event of its kind to integrate building cannabis, ecology, health and the holistic support for side of the cannabis plant. marijuana More than 75 vendors, plus five musi- legalization cal acts, eight DJs, a vapor lounge, and at the feder- seven educational panels on two stages al level. helped make the event a success. Panels All included the Science and Promise of the work- Medical Cannabis; Portrayal of Cannabis shops were in the Media; and a Spiritual Ally panel. interactive. The Earth Temple Dome had a Cannabis SSDP’s East and Ayurveda for Health Workshop. Summer 2011 Page 24 West Coast Leaf