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Freedom Action of the Week
Email List Archive
Free-Market.Net's F r e e d o m A c t i o n o f t h e W e e k
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Edited by Mary Lou Seymour. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this
and other lists, click to: http://www.free-market.net/features/lists/
Third Week of September, 2002
Shed some (candle) light on the drug war
We've been over this before, of course, most recently in June 18th's
Action of Week ("Take action or safe access for medical marijuana
patients"). It's a shame we have to keep coming back to it, but we
will -- until it's fixed.
The federal government's War on Medical Marijuana Patients is
heating up. So far in September, there have been two major raids in
California: The well publicized raid on the WAMM medical
marijuana collective in Santa Cruz, California and a raid on Genesis
medical cannabis dispensary in Petaluma.
Every time the DEA raids a medical marijuana collective or
dispensary, desperately ill and dying patients lose another source
of their legal medicine, in opposition to the will of the voters in their
state. Patients and caregivers have been arrested by the DEA,
patient medicine has been seized, and asset forfeiture has been
put in play. Eight states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii,
Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington (as well as the District of
Columbia) -- have legalized medical marijuana. California is the
battleground where federal suppression of medical marijuana must
be stopped before it spreads to other states.
Medical marijuana advocates _are_ fighting back. Members of the
Santa Cruz City Council have invited the Wo/Men's Alliance for
Medical Marijuana (WAMM), raided last week by the Drug
Enforcement Administration, to distribute medical marijuana to
patients in the City Hall courtyard today (September 17th) and have
vowed to stand beside them.
At sunset on September 22nd, the eve of the sentencing hearing
of Bryan Epis, medical marijuana advocates throughout the country
will be holding candlelight vigils. Epis is the first medical marijuana
provider convicted since the Supreme Court struck down medical
necessity defenses to the federal anti-marijuana laws. He faces a
10-year mandatory minimum sentence for growing medicine for
himself and a few other patients.
On Monday, September 23rd, activists will rally in front of the
Federal Courthouse in Sacramento in support of Epis, then move
on to the steps of the State Capitol to support California's
Compassionate Use Act against the attacks by the DEA.
This week, let's find ways to join in and help stop this unwarranted
and unconstitutional War on Medical Marijuana Patients and states
rights!
Letters to the editor in support of the brave city leaders in Santa
Cruz would be an excellent start ... how often, after all, do we see
_any_ example of bravery and resistance on the part of government
officials?
If you can, participate in a candlelight vigil in your area on
September 22nd. Americans for Safe Access has a list of such
vigils, with contact information for almost every state. If a vigil isn't
already planned for your community, this is an event you can
organize fairly easily. The ASA web site has excellent instructions
to help you get started. Your church would be interested in
sponsoring a "sunset vigil" that Sunday evening -- heck, if you don't
like "organizing" things, you and your family can go on your own
front porch and light candles at sunset, prepared to talk with
curious passers-by.
Of course, if you can, make the trip to Sacramento on September
23rd for the rally and protest. If you are located near Sacramento,
ASA has a selection of posters and flyers you can download and
post throughout your community. Even if you live nowhere near
California, you can participate in the rally by signing an online
petition asking President Bush to pardon medical marijuana patient
Bryan Epis. (The petitions gathered will be used during the
September 23rd protest action.)
Til next week...
For Freedom!
Mary Lou
Links
o Petition: Pardon Medical Marijuana Patient Bryan Epis
http://www.free-market.net/rd/245514304.html
o List of contacts for candlelight vigils
http://www.free-market.net/rd/239833886.html
o Sept.23 Protest in Sacramento
http://www.free-market.net/rd/242774051.html
o Take action for safe access for medical marijuana patients
http://www.free-market.net/features/list-archives/activism/msg00051.html
o Raid on WAMM Sept.5
http://www.free-market.net/rd/289803402.html
o Raid on Genesis Sept. 12
http://www.free-market.net/rd/206808872.html
o Santa Cruz defies Bush administration on medical marijuana
http://www.free-market.net/rd/552732510.html
o First Federal Medical Marijuana Conviction (Bryan Epis)
http://www.free-market.net/rd/763738811.html
o Action of the Week archive:
http://www.free-market.net/features/list-archives/activism/maillist.html
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