Wednesday, October 9, 2002

US OH: Column: War on Drugs Claim a Deadly Victory
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02.n1884.a01.html
Newshawk: Mary Jane Borden
Pubdate: Mon, 07 Oct 2002
Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH)
Copyright: 2002 The Columbus Dispatch
Contact: letters@dispatch.com">letters@dispatch.com
Website: http://www.dispatch.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/93
Author: Steve Stephens, Dispatch Columnist

WAR ON DRUGS CAN CLAIM A DEADLY VICTORY

Pot-smoking Ohioans already get off easy, say opponents of Issue 1,
which would mandate rehab instead of jail for some users.

For Clayton Helriggle, however, the penalty was death.

On Sept. 27, the doors of his Preble County home were kicked in by
masked, heavily armed men. One shot Helriggle in the chest.

The intruders belonged to a SWAT team -- "lawmen,'' so to speak,
from several Preble County jurisdictions.

They were seeking drugs and found some -- a tiny bit of marijuana.
They also found a couple of pot pipes and "quantities of packaging
items used in the distribution of marijuana,'' i.e., sandwich bags.

Helriggle was buried a week ago.



posted by @ 10:23 AM CST [more..]

Tuesday, October 8, 2002

10-year Mandatory Minimum for Medical Marijuana Patient and Provider
Bryan Epis, medical marijuana patient and provider, was sentenced to 10-year mandatory minimum today.

He is slated to spend ten years in jail for providing a safe, reliable supply of medicine for himself and four other patients, compassionately following the state law that California voters created when they passed Proposition 215 in 1996.

Bryan Epis will spend 10 years away his eight-year-old daughter for simply trying to help those in need. Please send out your thoughts of support to Bryan's daughter Asheley and his mother Barbara.

He has a bail hearing on October 23 on his appeal.

Steph Sherer
ASA
Americans for Safe Access
1678 Shattuck Ave. #317
Berkeley, CA 94709
Phone: 510-486-8083
Fax: 510-486-8090
SafeAccessNOW
posted @ 10:44 AM CST [link]

Points to be Made
The consumption of any substance is a debatable thing,
that we are specifically told not to judge over. Those
that feel they must abstain is viewed as weaker and
those that feel that they do not have to abstain are
considered the stronger. The weaker are not to condemn
the stronger and the stronger are not to look down on
the weaker. Everyone must be fully convinced in their
own mind on what is right for themselves.
-Romans 14:1-5

The Christian initiation and support, of the prohibition
of cannabis and the war on drugs as a whole, whether
passive or active, with knowledge or ignorance,
-Leviticus 5:17, puts the body of Christ in rebellion of
the authority of God. Jesus commanded his people to be
merciful as our Father is merciful. To not to judge or
condemn, but to forgive. -Luke 6:36.37. To do unto others
as you would have them do unto you, (do unto others as
if you were one of the others because it is only by God's will
that you aren't) -Matthew 7:12 and to love as he loves.
-John 13:34.35, I John 4:20. We have not been given authority
by our master to cause harm to anyone and these laws cause far
more harm than the use of cannabis itself. -Romans 13:10

Furthermore, in reference to using legislation to promote
beliefs and standards, especially those with no scriptural
basis, we have no authority to use the law against each
other in front of non-believers or a non-believing system.
Indeed, when we do, we are to be considered defeated already.
How much more defeated are we when we bring non-believers
to the same non-believing system? - I Corinthians 6:7
How does this effect our witness? Proverbs 18:19

Everyone has the right to their own opinion, except the
follower of Jesus. We are expected to make our thoughts
and actions submit to his. - II Corinthians 10:5 Concerning
the unanimous Christian support of the prohibition of
cannabis, this is long overdue.



posted @ 08:33 AM CST [link]

Monday, October 7, 2002

Headline: Legalizing Cannabis 'Would Break Terrorist Link'
Owen Bowcott
Friday October 4, 2002
The Guardian

The government could afford to take the political risk of
legalizing cannabis as a first step to breaking the link
between drugs and terrorism, Mo Mowlam said yesterday.
Speaking at a London conference on the Colombia drug problem,
Ms Mowlam, who as Cabinet Office minister was responsible
for drugs policy between 1999 and 2001, dismissed the
government's reclassification of cannabis, announced earlier
this summer, as unworkable.

"[It is] the young person's drug of choice. It's ridiculous
that it's illegal. It's making young people break the law,
and not helping anybody. You can buy it, smoke it, but not
sell it. It doesn't make sense."
continue
posted @ 09:50 AM CST [link]