-Caveat Lector- .............................................................. Forwarded from the New Paradigms Project [Not Necessarily Endorsed]: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [smashthestate] Drug War hilarious, if lives weren't ruined Date: Monday, November 15, 1999 12:51 PM From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/1999/Nov-14-Sun-1999/opinion/12346459.html Sunday, November 14, 1999 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal COLUMN: VIN SUPRYNOWICZ Drug War hilarious, if lives weren't ruined Perhaps, if we wait a little longer, the War on Drugs will grow more insane ... though it would be hard. In 1996, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 215, allowing medical marijuana use in that state. But California cops have continued busting sick Californians and seizing their home-grown pot ever since -- paying particular attention to those who dared exercise their First Amendment rights to promote Prop 15, like 1996 Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Steve Kubby, an adrenal cancer survivor, and AIDS patient Peter McWilliams, author of the high-profile book "Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do" (Prelude Press). Now, a federal judge has ruled McWilliams and fellow defendant Todd McCormick, who has bone cancer, won't be allowed to even mention Prop 15 at trial. U.S. District Judge George King has ruled, "They ... cannot refer to their medical conditions, the medical uses of marijuana, or California's Proposition 215," The Associated Press reports. McWilliams says he can only keep down his AIDS medication by smoking marijuana. But Judge King's ruling "disallowed a defense based on medical necessity because it 'is not available as a matter of law,' since Congress has ruled marijuana has no medical merit," The AP explains. "Proposition 215 recognizes some medical benefits, but U.S. officials say state laws do not apply to federal offenses." Apparently, in California one now has a right to a trial (before a jury carefully stacked to include only prohibitionists), but no right to mount a defense. Meantime -- don't try too hard to make sense of this, it will make your head hurt -- the Sacramento Bee reported on Nov. 7: "If you never thought you'd live to see the day police would have to return marijuana and guns to a person they had busted on drug charges, you should have been in Auburn on Wednesday at the Placer County Sheriff's Department. "Chris Jay Miller, 48, of Citrus Heights, backed his pickup truck to the door of an evidence shed behind sheriff's headquarters and, with help from Sgt. Keven Besana, filled its cab and much of its bed with items that ordinarily would be considered contraband:" the Bee continues. "Bags and jars of marijuana and plant clippings, grow lights, hydroponic tubs, two revolvers, two rifles, a camouflage bulletproof vest, circulating fan and other gadgets, most of them used in the cultivation of pot." Cops raiding Miller's house on March 18 initially rebuffed his claim to be a legitimate medical marijuana patient. But following an investigation (oh good, let's do the investigation after we send in the armed gunmen), the Sacramento paper reports: "The Placer County district attorney concluded Miller may, indeed, meet Proposition 215's guidelines," since he'd been using marijuana to fight chronic pain, muscle spasms and arthritis as an alternative to the addictive pain killers prescribed to him for more than 10 years following a series of disabling car and motorcycle accidents. Based on the "severity of the defendant's medical condition and his possession of a written recommendation by a licensed physician," prosecutor David H. Tellman decided on July 19 to drop all charges. Miller thereupon petitioned the court for return of his property, won, and "collected his pot, guns ... and grow gear and drove out of the sheriff's evidence enclosure to the congratulations of medical marijuana advocates and applause from neighbors who had gathered to watch the process." Ah, the rule of law: The important thing, as we may all remember from civics class, is that everyone be able to easily understand what's legal and what's not, and what will happen if one is "caught" and arrested. Meantime in Washington, the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (HR3164) steamrolled through the House after only four days "debate" on Nov. 2, supported by both Jim Gibbons and Shelley Berkley of Nevada, with anyone who questioned it being labeled by the sponsor a "narco lobbyist." This edict authorizes the federals to create a blacklist of supposed foreign drug traffickers (no due process for those "nominated," of course.) Then -- I love this part -- it imposes up to 10 years on prison, a $10 million fine, and property seizures on anyone who does business with persons on the list. It gets better. (Who drafted this thing, the Mad Hatter?) They get to keep the list secret! So your mom-and-pop business could be filling an overseas order for computer software or Christmas cookies, putting yourself at risk of prison terms and the seizure of your entire business ... and you can't even call up the DEA and find out who's on this list! Because it's secret! "If you're arrested and prosecuted for doing business with a designated drug kingpin or a subsidiary, you can't defend yourself by proving that he's not a kingpin," explains Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., who unsuccessfully opposed the bill. Why? Because "the designation is not reviewable by the courts." Isn't this a hoot? We haven't seen standards of jurisprudence like this since the Dominican Order shifted the witch-burnings into high gear in the 1490s. To read the full text of Florida Congresscritter Bill McCollum's HR3164, or the Senate companion bill, S1009, check out the web site of Forfeiture Endangers American Rights, at www.fear.org. Vin Suprynowicz, assistant editorial page editor of the Review-Journal, is author of the new book: "Send in the Waco Killers: Essays on the Freedom Movement, 1993-1998." His column appears Sunday. --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- GRAB THE GATOR! FREE SOFTWARE DOES ALL THE TYPING FOR YOU! Tired of filling out forms and remembering passwords? Gator fills in forms and passwords with just one click! Comes with $50 in free coupons! <a href=" http://clickme.onelist.com/ad/gator4 ">Click Here</a> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------- Smash The State WWW http://freakpower.homepage.com/smashthestateForwarded for info and discussion from the New Paradigms Discussion List, not necessarily endorsed by: *********************************** Lloyd Miller, Research Director for A-albionic Research (POB 20273, Ferndale, MI 48220), a ruling class/conspiracy research resource for the entire political-ideological spectrum. Quarterly journal, book sales, rare/out-of-print searches, New Paradigms Discussion List, Weekly Up-date Lists & E-text Archive of research, intelligence, catalogs, & resources. To Discuss Ideas: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://msen.com/~lloyd/ For Ordering Info & Free Catalog: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://a-albionic.com/formaddress.html For Discussion List: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] text in body: subscribe prj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> **FREE RARE BOOK SEARCH: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ** Explore Our Archive: <http://a-albionic.com/a-albionic.html> Every Diet Has Failed! What Can I do? Click Below to "Ask Dr. Kathleen"! http://www.radiantdiet.com/cgi-bin/slim/deliver.cgi?ask-1364 *********************************** DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
