Date: Sun, 09 Jun 2002 20:15:11 -0700

Subject:CA: Man May Face Life In Prison For Providing Marijuana To Son Up TOC

Newshawk: The War on Drugs IS Terrorism
Pubdate: Fri,  7 Jun 2002
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Copyright: 2002 San Jose Mercury News
Website: http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)

MAN MAY FACE LIFE IN PRISON FOR PROVIDING MARIJUANA TO SON

SAN DIEGO (AP) A man accused of helping his son make marijuana-laced
brownies may spend the rest of his life in prison because of the state's
three-strikes law.

Steven Wells, 48, of Mira Mesa faces felony charges of furnishing marijuana
to a minor, adulterating food and failing to register as a sex offender.

Wells was convicted in 1992 on two felony child molestation charges, which
means he faces 25 years to life if he is found guilty of the recent
allegations, prosecutors said.

Defense attorney Bill Nimmo conceded in court Thursday that his client gave
the boy the drug, but said he wants that charge reduced to a misdemeanor.

"He likes his marijuana,'' Nimmo said.

Prosecutors also charged Wells with child abuse, saying he hurt his son when
he gave him the marijuana, but Superior Court Judge Marguerite Wissed that
charge.

"I'm not convinced it causes great bodily injury for a 15-year-old to have a
(laced) brownie,'' she said.

Wells was arrested in January after his ex-wife noticed that the brownies
her son brought home had a strange smell. Authorities said the boy asked his
father for some marijuana, which he used as a secret ingredient for the
baked goods.

It's unclear whether the boy ate any of the brownies, but his 5-year-old
sister did. The girl was not harmed by what she ate.

Nimmo doesn't believe that Wells should be given a life sentence for
providing marijuana to his son.

"It's a sign of government out of control,'' he said.

Wells remains free on $50,000 bail. His next court hearing is scheduled for
Aug. 28.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
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MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk

 
 


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Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 10:59:21 -0700

Subject:CA: Medical Pot Usage Check Simplified Up TOC

Newshawk: rev. lynnette shaw
Pubdate: Tue, 11 Jun 2002
Source: Marin Independent Journal (CA)
Copyright: 2002 Marin Independent Journal
Contact: opinion@marinij.com
Website: http://www.marinij.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/673
Author: Gary Klien
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)

MEDICAL POT USAGE CHECK SIMPLIFIED

Marin County authorities have implemented a new medical-marijuana program
that allows police to confirm a patient's medical need on the spot, sparing
legitimate users the possible ordeal of arrest and confiscation.

Under the new policy, announced by the District Attorney's Office and the
Department of Health and Human Services, medical marijuana users will be
able to register with the health department and receive a special photo
identification card and serial number.

Police who contact marijuana users in the field will be able to call into
central dispatchers to confirm the patients' registration, but they will
not have access to their personal information.

Sheriff Robert Doyle, the 10 municipal police chiefs and College of Marin
police Chief Charles Lacy all have agreed to abide by the new policy.

Unlike medical-marijuana policies in other counties, the Marin policy will
place no guidelines on how many plants or pounds or marijuana cigarettes a
patient can possess.

"Our new policy eliminates the number of plants and bases everything on
medical need," District Attorney Paula Kamena said. "If the person is
contacted and they present a Marin County card to a Marin County local
police officer, and they say, 'Here, here's my medical marijuana card,' the
officer will have a number to call where he can verify the card number."

The county had tried issuing ID cards before to accommodate Proposition
215, the voter approved initiative that endorsed medical use of marijuana
to alleviate AIDS, cancer and other conditions. The ID cards were meant to
dispel confusion over patients' medical authorization to use marijuana, but
most medical pot users in Marin feared it would make it easier for police
to bust them, and few cards were issued.

The new program is voluntary, and those who choose not to participate may
still be able to back up their claims with other medical documentation. But
the county registration system will be less trouble for everyone involved,
authorities said.

"What we're trying to do is make it easier for those with legitimate
needs," Assistant District Attorney Ed Berberian said. "It's a way for them
to quickly verify you have a documented need for the drug."

"It should be problem-free," said Dr. Larry Meredith, director of the
Department of Health and Human Services. "It's all very clear, it's all
very consistent with the enabling legislation. It seems to be an approach
that the police forces in the county are comfortable with."

Twin Cities police Chief Phil Green agreed.

"I think it'll make it easier on everyone involved, and eliminate any
unnecessary time and investigation," he said.

Authorities said the ID card will not be a free pass to commit crimes.
Police will still have the discretion to investigate whether a patient is
selling the marijuana, or arrest patients for other suspected crimes.

"As far as the quantity, it would have to be some major amount for us to
conduct an investigation," Green said.

Lynnette Shaw, who runs the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana, the pot
club in Fairfax, applauded the new initiative. Shaw, who led a recall drive
last year against Kamena over her marijuana policies, said the new program
may head off another recall effort in the future.

The 2000 recall bid failed dramatically, but the election still cost the
county about $500,000.

"I'm very pleased the policy has changed to accommodate all the demands and
requests the medical marijuana community had made," she said. "Obviously
the recall had the impact desired. ...

"They were attempting to force people to manditorily register. They were
taking everyone's pot, running them through the wringer and not respecting
the fact they were sick."

Thomas Van Zandt, the Mill Valley attorney who tried to unseat Kamena in
the recall election, said the new policy appears to be "comprehensive."

"It looks like it addresses some legitimate concerns, and I think it should
be submitted to the Legislature for consideration as a state law," he said.
"It should not be implemented on a county-by-county basis."

For more information, call the health department at 499-3288.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Ariel

 
 


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