 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MARIJUANA MARCH |
Home |
Activism! |
Opinion |
New In Politics |
Links |
CALENDAR! |
MEMORIAM |
Us |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MARIJUANA MARCH |
Home |
Activism! |
Opinion |
New In Politics |
Links |
CALENDAR! |
MEMORIAM |
Us |
 THE LAWS MUST BE CHANGED, TO REFLECT WHAT THE CITIZENS WANT AND NEED FOR THEIR COUNTRY! |
 WORLDWIDE MARIJUANA MARCH IN LEXINGTON KENTUCKY ON MAY 3RD, 2008! BE THERE! WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! LEXINTON ATTY. GATEWOOD GALBRAITH IS SPONSORING THIS YEARS EVENT AND HIS INFORMATION IS BELOW. VISIT THE WEBSITE: http://www.worldwidemarijuanamarch.org Lexington: Gatewood Gailbrath 859-259-1522 cell: 433-3567 155 E. Main, #210, Lexington, KY 40507. 10 AM Main St. Library   HELP LEAP: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Law Enforcement Against Prohibition 27 Austin Road, Medford, MA 02155 info@leap.cc (781) 393-6985 http://www.leap.cc Current and former law enforcement members and concerned citizens can help LEAP by doing any of the following: 1) Help publicize LEAP. Imagine the impact on the media and the policymakers when LEAP boasts of worldwide membership of thousands of law enforcement officials—all voicing their objection to US drug war policies. a) Alert law enforcement folks to LEAP’s website at www.leap.cc so they can learn the truth about the harms perpetrated on society by drug prohibition and about how to replace prohibition with drug control and regulation. Many current and former members of law enforcement think as we do but do not know of our existence. They hesitate to even speak to their peers about their views fearing being labeled "soft on drugs." Tell them they are not alone, LEAP is here to support them. Moreover, thinking the war on drugs is a failure that must be stopped is the majority opinion—even within law enforcement. If we end prohibition, not one more police officer need be killed while sustaining this failed US policy of a war on drugs. Tell them of our powerful and respected Board of Directors: The Honorable Larry Campbell, Mayor of Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada (former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who served four years in their narcotic bureau) Mr. Peter J. Christ, Treasurer of LEAP, Retired Captain, Town of Tonawanda Police Department, New York, USA Mr. Jack A. Cole, Executive Director of LEAP, Retired Detective Lieutenant, who served 14 years in the narcotic bureau of the New Jersey State Police, USA The Honorable Warren W. Eginton, US District Court Judge, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA Mr. Edward Ellison, former Detective Chief Superintendent, Operational head of Narcotic Units for Scotland Yard, London Metropolitan Police, England, United Kingdom Mr. John A. Gayder, Secretary of LEAP, Currently a Constable with a police department in Ontario, Canada The Honorable Gustavo de Grieff, former Attorney General of Colombia, South America, and their Ambassador to Mexico The Honorable Gary E. Johnson, former Governor of the State of New Mexico, USA The Honorable John L. Kane, US District Court Judge, Denver, Colorado, USA The Honorable Whitman Knapp, (Deceased) US District Court Judge, Manhattan, New York, USA Sheriff Bill Masters, Sheriff of San Miguel County, Colorado, USA Dr. Joseph McNamara, former New York City Police Officer and Chief of Police for Kansas City, Missouri and San Jose, California Police Departments, USA Mr. Patrick V. Murphy, former Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, USA The Honorable Eleanor Schockett, Recruiting Director for LEAP, Retired Circuit Court Judge, Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA Mr. Eric Sterling, President, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, Washington, DC, USA (a principal aide in developing the US Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 and the Anti-Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988) The Honorable Robert W. Sweet, US District Court Judge, Manhattan, New York, USA Mr. Francis Wilkinson, former Chief Constable of Gwent Police Department, South Wales, United Kingdom Mr. Howard J. Wooldridge, Media Director for LEAP, Retired Detective, Bath Township Police Department, Michigan, USA b) Follow the progress of the war on drugs and our work to end prohibition at http://www.leap.cc/news/index.htm. Write letters to the editors and reporters of local and national newspapers and magazines about LEAP and our goals. Correct bad articles about drug policy and thank them for good articles. Explain that although we will primarily focus on United States policy, this organization can affect drug policy around the world since many policies in other countries are shaped and driven by pressures from the US. Be sure to CC info@leap.cc on emails you send and forward attachments to info@leap.cc of any documents you mail. It helps us justify ourselves when we ask for funding. c) Contact your elected representatives and tell them an organization of current and former members of law enforcement exists that opposes the war on drugs because in over 30 years it has done nothing but add to the problems of our citizens; an organization that wants to advance alternative policies of drug regulation and control that will save lives, reduce disease, lower addiction rates, lessen crime, and conserve tax dollars, by ending drug prohibition. d) Copy the LEAP Brochure and Mission Statement that are attached to this message and distribute them to members of law enforcement and policy makers. 2) Help us schedule LEAP presentations and testimonies. LEAP is an international educational organization. LEAP supplies articulate former drug-warriors to speak out against the war on drugs to schools, civic and fraternal organizations and testify before legislators. You can help us by asking organizations you belong to if they will book us for a presentation. Direct them to our web site or tell them they can contact us at speakers@leap.cc or info@leap.cc. 3) Donate to LEAP monetarily or with services. LEAP is a tax exempt nonprofit corporation under the US Tax Code 501 (c)(3). No one in LEAP receives any payment for services. We are volunteers. However, funds are needed for transportation and lodging to send our speakers to the various venues mentioned. a) Donation checks should be made out to "Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Educational Fund" and mailed to Jack A. Cole, LEAP, 27 Austin Road, Medford, MA 02155. Donations can also be made on our web site at http://www.leap.cc/donate.htm using PayPal. b) If you wish to help LEAP with services we need to know where you live and in what areas of your experience you would feel comfortable assisting us. Please reply to info@leap.cc or contact Jack Cole at 781-393-6985 or send snail mail to Jack A. Cole, 27 Austin Road, Medford, MA 02155. Thanks for your interest. We at LEAP are looking forward to working with you to end the horrors of the war on drugs and renew and deepen respect for the honorable profession of policing that has been severely weakened by the role police have been forced to play in enforcing drug prohibition laws. Together we can make a better and safer society by serving it in a more efficient and ethical  MARC EMERY UPDATE FROM CANNABIS CULTURE
Marijuana Seed Ruling Shines Different Light on Marc Emery's Case by Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun (11 Mar, 2008) Appeal Court judgment suggests Prince of Pot should get months, not years, in Canadian, not U.S., prison Harmless Cannabis Marijuana Seeds Finally, a court ruling that puts in perspective the five to 10 years' imprisonment that B.C. cannabis crusader Marc Emery faces in U.S. prison for selling pot seeds. In a judgment released Friday March 7th, B.C. Court of Appeal Justice Richard Low (backed by Justices Mary Newbury and Anne Rowles) said a one-month jail sentence plus probation was appropriate punishment for such an offence. If anyone needed evidence, this decision exposes the fundamental unfairness of what is happening to Emery. The appeal grew out of a case heard in Courtenay last fall in which the Crown thought too lenient concurrent, 30-day sentences imposed on Daniel Anthony Kostantin for selling marijuana seeds. The 36-year-old Kostantin pleaded guilty Sept. 26 to possession a year earlier of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking and export. The prosecutors thought nine to 15 months' incarceration more fitting. Kostantin was caught with a dozen zip-lock baggies of bud having a total weight of only 400 grams (less than a pound). By contrast, he also had 1,426 grams (about three pounds) of seeds -- and he admitted he ran a seed-selling business. He compared his operation to a wine boutique offering different strains for marijuana connoisseurs. Kostantin had incorporated a company, obtained a business loan to pay for advertising and placed regular ads in High Times, a bible among some in the marijuana subculture. The judge noted police could have obtained a search warrant simply by reading the magazine. Kostantin also had attended conventions and been photographed receiving an award from B.C. Bud Online for having developed the best strain of God Bud. The dried, packaged marijuana police found at his home were sales samples. Emery, by comparison, for more than a decade has published his own magazine advertising and celebrating the quality of his seeds. He runs an Internet site devoted to marijuana, too. If there is a difference in their operations, it is only one of scale. I think what is most important is that neither Emery nor Kostantin are exceptional. There are at least a score of seed-sellers based in B.C. -- some, like Emery, have retail stores in downtown Vancouver, mostly in the pot precinct around West Hastings and Cambie. There are many more such retail outlets across Canada. They have flourished -- as did the Prince of Pot -- primarily because police have been reluctant to lay charges because of the difficulty of winning a conviction. Seed prosecutions can be counted on one hand. This decision may be a signal that is about to change. In this case, the Crown argued that there should be no distinction drawn between marijuana-growing operations and seed-sellers. "I am inclined to agree with the Crown's contention," Justice Low said. That's a strong statement about how the law should be interpreted and if I were a seed-seller, I now would beware. Still, in the realm of crime and punishment, the trial judge on the Island determined that a "short, sharp sentence" of 30 days was appropriate and would satisfy the need for denunciation and deterrence. Justice Low agreed, with only a slight modification -- he imposed a year's probation as well to provide some supervision after release. Kostantin had no prior criminal record and had been a longtime, heavy user of marijuana (smoking as much a 10 grams a day to relieve social anxiety and depression) before being busted. He has served his time, received addiction counselling, got medical help for his anxiety, found a roofing job and cares for his 78-year-old mother who suffers from osteoarthritis and recently had a hip replacement operation. "In these circumstances it would be counterproductive to return the respondent to jail to serve additional time," the justice concluded. With that decision, in my opinion, Justice Low set a benchmark. Leaving aside the money-laundering charges the Americans have added in because Emery received money from his seed sales, the Kostantin case is identical. But instead of a month in jail, Emery faces five years behind bars -- and that's if his tentative deal goes through! He is still trying to complete a plea bargain to save from jail his two co-accused -- Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams. If not, the trio could be looking at 10- to 20-year stretches. Other than murderers and their ilk, no one goes to jail for that long in Canada. With this judgment, the province's highest bench found no reason to conclude seed-selling deserved extraordinary jail time. That's why Emery's extradition should be blocked. Charge him and prosecute him here if need be, but given his alleged crimes, he should not be handed over to a foreign state for such severe punishment. - Article from the Vancouver Sun, Monday, March 10, 2008  THE U.S. CITIZENS MUST DEMAND: NO EXTRADITION FOR THE BC3
No Extradition to the USA for Canadian cannabis activists! Five Things You Can Do To Help www.NoExtradition.net www.CannabisCulture.com Marc Emery, Michelle Rainey, and Greg Williams (the BC3) are Canadian citizens who were heavily involved in anti-prohibition activism in Canada for more than ten years. The United States is attempting to extradite these Canadian cannabis activists to the US – a country they’ve never been to – and stand trial to face up to life in US federal prison. This is an insult to Canadian sovereignty and citizens’ rights. Here are five things that anyone can do to help prevent the BC3 from being extradited. Don't read this list and do nothing – please take action and urge everyone you know to do the same. This is a crucial battle about sovereignty, freedom, and ending the drug war – a battle we must win. 1) Contact the Canadian Justice Minister Constantly! Canada's Justice Minister is currently Robert Nicholson of the Conservative Party. It is largely his decision whether Canada will extradite the BC3, and that decision could come in the next few months or years. No matter where you are in the world, please contact the Justice Minister every week – we definitely need consistent vocal and written support from Canadians, Americans and the international community. Weekly phone calls, faxes, and handwritten letters that are polite and concise are effective political pressure. The goal is to keep the Justice Department aware of the BC3 and the opposition to the extradition. Always be very polite, and say it would "shock your conscience" for Canadians to be extradited to the United States, a country they never went to, especially when the alleged crimes would not receive a jail sentence in Canada – and, if they have broken the law in Canada, they should be tried in Canada. When sending a letter, ask for a response from the Justice Minister. Phone: (613) 957-4222 Fax: (613) 990-7255 Mailing Address: The Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada 284 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0H8 2) Contact The Media Please contact the following newspapers with a new letter every week, or every month. Send a short letter under 200 words that offers quick facts about the American efforts to extradite the BC3, why you oppose it, and why others should too. Don't send mass emails to all of the media, but email each individually. Write letters about the extradition, or respond to an article that relates to marijuana. A number of Canadian newspaper emails are listed here, but a complete list of media outlets is available thanks to the Media Awareness Project at www.mapinc.org/resource/email.html National Post: letters@nationalpost.com Globe & Mail: letters@globeandmail.ca Vancouver Sun: sunletters@png.canwest.com Vancouver Province: provletters@png.canwest.com Victoria Times Colonist: letters@tc.canwest.com Vancouver Courier: editor@vancourier.com Burnaby Now: editorial@burnabynow.com Calgary Herald: letters@theherald.canwest.com Calgary Sun: callet@calgarysun.com Edmonton Journal: letters@thejournal.canwest.com Edmonton Sun: mailbag@edm.sunpub.com Regina Leader-Post: letters@leaderpost.canwest.com Hamilton Spectator: letters@thespec.com Kamloops this week: ktw@bcnewsgroup.com Kamloops Daily News: kamloopsnews@telus.net Kelowna Capital News: edit@kelownacapnews.com Langley Advance: editorial@langleyadvance.com Langley Times: newsroom@langleytimes.com Lethbridge Herald: letters@ac403.com London Free Press: letters@lfpress.com Montreal Gazette: letters@thegazette.canwest.com Ottawa Citizen: letters@thecitizen.canwest.com Ottawa Sun: oped@ott.sunpub.com Saskatoon Star Phoenix: spnews@SP.canwest.com Toronto Sun: editor@tor.sunpub.com Victoria News: vicnews@vinewsgroup.com Whitehorse Star: letters@whitehorsestar.com Winnipeg Free Press: letters@freepress.mb.ca Winnipeg Sun: editor@wpgsun.com Windsor Star: letters@thestar.canwest.com 3) Contact your Member of Parliament and Member of Legislative Assembly If you are in Canada, then contact both your MP and your MLA by phone, mail, and email. Try to make an appointment for a personal visit for even more impact. Ask your representative to voice public opposition to the extradition requests. Tell your MP and MLA that Canada should not be sending Canadian activists to face life imprisonment in foreign countries when the accused persons never went to the requesting country and the accused crimes are not considered to be a jail-worthy offence in Canada. Remind them that the Canadian Government knowingly collected taxes from Marc Emery’s seed sale income for a decade, and that Marc Emery is the leader of a legitimate political party, operated business openly and honestly, dealt only with consenting adults, caused no harm, kept no weapons or drugs, and once received a monetary fine for selling cannabis seeds in Canada – not prison, which the US seeks. Find your MLA at the following websites and your MP at www.parl.gc.ca BC: www.leg.bc.ca/mla/ Alberta: www.assembly.ab.ca Saskatchewan: www.legassembly.sk.cas Manitoba: www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/members ON: electionsontario.on.ca/fyed/en/form_page_en.jsp Quebec: www.assnat.qc.ca/eng/Membres/index.html Newfoundland: www.hoa.gov.nl.ca/hoa/members Nova Scotia: www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/MEMBERS PEI: www.assembly.pe.ca/members/index.php NB: app.infoaa.7700.gnb.ca/gnb/pub/ListMLA1.asp 4) Donate Or Make Purchases Marc, Michelle and Greg are accumulating expensive legal bills in order to fight the extradition. They are still determined to help the movement by spreading awareness about the drug war through the BC Marijuana Party, Cannabis Culture Magazine, Pot.tv, and the CCHQ store as always, but need legal fee support in this trying time. Please consider donating to or buying from the BC Marijuana Party (www.bcmarijuanaparty.com), Cannabis Culture Magazine (www.cannabisculture.com/newstore), or Marc Emery's Cannabis Culture Headquarters store (307 West Hastings St. Vancouver, 604-682-1172). 5) Rally in your community If you are in Canada, then try to put on a rally in your community to protest this incursion of the US Drug War into Canada. The focus of your rally should be that Canadians within Canada are not subject to US law and should not be extradited. US consulate offices are a good place to rally at, as are Canadian government buildings, and even parks and downtown areas. Please contact us at the BC Marijuana Party and Cannabis Culture Magazine to let us know what you are up to, and we can help promote your event. Use your rally to demonstrate that Canadian courts have decided selling marijuana seeds is a trivial offence that nets a fine, not prison time, and the Canadian government steadily collected sizable taxes from Marc Emery's seed sales for over 10 years. If Emery has broken the law in Canada then he should be charged and tried in Canada. If he has not broken laws in Canada then he should absolutely not be extradited to the US for a life sentence in US prison. Send mail to "No Extradition" 307 West Hastings Street, Vancouver BC, V6B 1H6, Canada PLEASE JOIN US AT THIS YEARS WORLDWIDE MARIJUANA MARCH HOSTED BY LEXINGTON ATTORNEY MR. GATEWOOD GALBRAITH THE MARCH WILL BE IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY ON MAY 3RD, 2008 WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE KENTUCKY CITIZENS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THIS POLITICAL FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO USE MARIJUANA. PLEASE VIEW THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE REGARDING THIS EVENT! HTTP://WWW.WORLDWIDEMARIJUANAMARCH.COM
 Original Post Date:Jan 12, 2008 9:46 PM Posting Date: 4/14/08 @ 4:54pm | WORLDWIDE MARIJUANA MARCH | Return Home | Why Activism! | SMKrider Opinion | Whats New In Politics | Activists Links | OUR CALENDAR! | IN MEMORIAM | Contact Us | |
||