Maptalk-Digest Friday, December 14 2001 Volume 01 : Number 328
RE: DPFWI: 65-year-old Woman Running Medical Pot Club Busted
From: "Tom Suther" <>
Cato : War on Terrorism Weakens the Drug War
From: "RL Root" <>
Drug Policy and Lourdes High School
From: "" <>
LTE on WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR DADDY?
From: "Dave's home" <>
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Subj: RE: DPFWI: 65-year-old Woman Running Medical Pot Club Busted
From: "Tom Suther" <>
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 20:34:55 -0800
It is interesting that good ole took offence at my
calling asscroft asscroft. Apparently asscroft is twice the man I am.
Well if this is what it takes to be a man I want out. My Dad died recently.
He had radiation treatments for 3 solid weeks everyday (prostrate cancer
reoccurrence in the spine). I pleaded with him to take marijuana but he was
a good patriotic man and would not go there because it was against the law.
He had no appetite, and was loosing weight fast.
He fell and broke his hip on the 16th, went in for an operation and died on
the 17th of November. He did not have the strength to fight the energy loss
and died.
So mudriassociates and all the rest of the anti-prohibitionists My dad died
and was given full military honors at Barancas cemetery and I spit on you
for helping him suffer.
Cheers
Tom
P.S. My dad was three times the person you are and ten times the person
asscroft is. Piss on you
P.P.S Good people of the cause I apologize for the cussing. But these antis
are scum in my book from now on.
- -----Original Message-----
From: []On Behalf
Of G F Storck
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2001 4:16 PM
To: DPFWI
Subject: DPFWI: 65-year-old Woman Running Medical Pot Club Busted
Looks like the war on medical cannabis is also a war on the elderly! -- GS
- ----------
Woman Running Medical Pot Club Busted
Posted by FoM on December 12, 2001 at 14:15:42 PT
By Jim Pfiffer, Star-Gazette
Source: Star-Gazette
A 65-year-old Elmira grandmother faces criminal charges after police raided
her apartment and confiscated three pounds of pot she was planning to
distribute through her medical marijuana buyers club.
Sherrie D. Wilkie, who suffers chronic pain from arthritis and other
ailments, said she started the buyers club in 1998 and began making regular
trips to New York City to buy pot for about a dozen other Twin Tiers
residents who use marijuana as medicine.
But that routine changed last week when Elmira police raided her apartment
and confiscated nearly three pounds of high-grade marijuana and 40 grams of
hashish, investigators said. The drugs were worth $10,000 to $15,000,
investigators said.
Wilkie, who lives at Edward Flannery Apartments, a high-rise complex for
senior citizens on the city's Southside, now faces a felony charge of
second-degree criminal possession of marijuana. If convicted, she could be
sentenced to seven years in prison.
Wilkie said her health is failing and she is in constant pain because she
has no marijuana to smoke.
"They took it all, every last bit of it," said Wilkie, a retired secretary
who has been living on Social Security disability since 1974.
She said she tried more conventional medications, but they didn't relieve
the pain. Now, she said, she is in such intense pain that she intends to
kill herself if she is prevented from smoking the illegal drug in the
future. "I don't fear death as much as I fear the pain," Wilkie said from
her home Tuesday.
Wilkie's case highlights the politically sensitive issue of medical
marijuana use. Possession and sale of marijuana remains illegal in New York
and Pennsylvania. But efforts to legalize the drug for medical use have
increased nationwide. At least eight states -- Alaska, Arizona, California,
Colorado, Oregon, Maine, Nevada and Washington -- allow the use of medical
marijuana.
Wilkie said she doesn't sell the drug for profit, but reinvests the money to
buy more marijuana for club members, some of whom have cancer, AIDS and
chronic back pain. She also uses the money to cover the cost of her own
personal supply -- about one-half ounce a week.
While she has no known criminal record, police said Wilkie has broken the
law, and that's what brought them with a search warrant to her apartment.
"She's violating the law and our job is the enforce the law, especially in a
case like this, where we had numerous complaints about her," said Chemung
County Assistant District Attorney Charles Metcalfe.
The police aren't at fault, it's the law that needs to be changed, said
Nicholas Eyle, executive director of Reconsider, a Syracuse-based nonprofit
organization working to educate the public about drug laws.
"I understand the dilemma the police are in," Eyle said. "What we're trying
to do is get (Wilkie) an attorney and focus some press attention on her so
the public can better understand the issue, and we can show them that these
laws need to be changed."
The drugs were packed in about 50 bags of various sizes, and were found all
over Wilkie's apartment, police said. Wilkie said she labeled one bag "Oh My
God," referring to its high potency.
"That was the highest quality pot I ever had," she said. "In New York City,
they sell it to the Wall Street crowd -- the rich people from Long Island --
for $60 to $90 a gram."
Most commercial-grade marijuana sells for $3 to $10 a gram, police said.
Wilkie said she needs the high-quality pot for her pain. She takes 11
prescription medications for coronary heart disease (she has a pacemaker),
high blood pressure, thyroid gland problems, high cholesterol and scores of
allergies.
She said a liver condition prevents doctors from prescribing pain killers
that work as well as the marijuana. She said she tried prescribed morphine,
but it made her sick.
The Star-Gazette published a story in May 1998 about Wilkie, shortly after
she organized the medical marijuana club. She was given an alias in the
story to protect her identity. At the time, local law enforcement officials
said it was unlikely they would investigate the club, unless someone
complained.
That's exactly what happened, Metcalfe said. The first of several complaints
began in July when Wilkie lived alone in a small apartment on Hoffman
Street, Metcalfe said.
She moved to Flannery Apartments in November.
Police raided her apartment after a confidential police informant bought
marijuana from Wilkie sometime during the six-month investigation, Metcalfe
said.
Police knew exactly where she kept her drugs -- in a blue Champion sports
bag in the living room of her small, neatly kept apartment. The color of the
bag was spelled out in the search warrant issued by Elmira City Court Judge
Thomas E. Ramich, who is scheduled to arraign Wilkie on Thursday, when she
will be formally charged.
In the meantime, friends and pro-marijuana groups are coming to her aid,
trying to find an attorney to handle her case for free because she has
little money.
Police confiscated nearly $1,000 in the raid. About $200 of it was from the
$620 she gets each month from Social Security, Wilkie said.
It's unlikely that Wilkie will be sent to the Chemung County Jail because of
her medical conditions and because she poses no real threat to anyone,
Metcalfe said. She'll probably be released on her own recognizance.
"We didn't arrest her and put her in jail when we searched her apartment and
confiscated the drugs, because, at the time, we didn't know how much
marijuana she had," Metcalfe said. "They had to sort it all out before
deciding what to charge her with."
Police also confiscated several marijuana pipes, a bag of marijuana seeds
and stalks, and a set of triple-beam scales that Wilkie said she used to
weigh the drugs.
Wilkie hasn't been charged with sale of a controlled substance, and probably
won't be, Metcalfe added.
Wilkie said she doesn't believe what she is doing is wrong.
"Marijuana is a plant that God put on this earth to help people," she said.
"It works best in its natural form. It's a member of the herb family and
it's the only thing I've found that gets rid of my pain. Unfortunately, the
government has made it illegal."
Note: Cops raid grandmother's home; push renewed for legal drug use.
Source: Star-Gazette (NY)
Author: Jim Pfiffer, Star-Gazette
Published: December 12, 2001
Copyright: 2001 Star-Gazette
Contact:
Website: http://www.stargazette.com/
Medical Marijuana Information Links
http://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htm
CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives
http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
------------------------------
Subj: Cato : War on Terrorism Weakens the Drug War
From: "RL Root" <>
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 08:43:10 -0800
Cato Daily Dispatch
December 13, 2001
http://www.cato.org/
http://www.cato.org/dispatch/12-13-01d.html
WAR ON TERRORISM WEAKENS THE DRUG WAR
Under the headline, "Terrorism Fight Hurts Drug War," The Washington Post
reports that law enforcement has shifted focus since the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks. Large amounts of U.S. resources are now being devoted
to the fight against terrorism, and much less to the war on drugs,
according to experts and officials on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico
border. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34529-2001Dec12.html)
"We have had to move our vessels back to defend the goal line," said Cmdr.
Jim McPherson, chief spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard, explaining that
as much as 75 percent of the ships and other assets once dedicated to the
U.S. counter-drug effort have been moved to focus on homeland defense and
counterterrorism patrols. As a result, he said, "We are not seizing
anywhere near what we were. . . . Our counter-drug intelligence support
has dropped to zero."
In "Responding to the Attack on America," (http://www.cato.org/dailys/10-12-01.html) David Boaz recommends that the
federal government reorient drug war resources to the war on terrorism.
"Some officials have compared the new war on terrorism with the war on
drugs," he writes. "That's a depressing thought: We've been fighting the
drug war for 87 years, and drug use is as high as ever. A better tack is
to take some of the $40 billion we spend annually on the futile drug war
and reallocate it to the war on terrorism. Use the Drug Enforcement
Administration's agents to search for pipe bombs, not marijuana pipes."
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
In today's Daily Commentary: "U.S. Should Refrain from Attacking Iraq" by
William Niskanen. http://www.cato.org/dailys/12-13-01.html
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Subj: Drug Policy and Lourdes High School
From: "" <>
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 14:52:40 -0500
Denny
Thank you for sharing the current policy and philosophy you have regarding drugs at school. I really appreciate your ope
nness and candor as well as the tendency on helping the child rather than shunning the child.
That said I am also very disappointed in your views and knowledge on the subject. You asked us not to pass gossip around
about people but then you turned around and passed gossip about people and the drug efforts.
The euphemism of accountability for punishment is a thin one and I am sure one the kids see right through.
I ask you to stop discussing (gossiping) drugs and there benefits or not until you learn some of the facts. I do not mea
n the facts as purported by the DEA, US government and organizations like the PDFA (funded by the alcohol lobby). They h
ave been engaged in a massive mis-information campaign for years now. Your knowledge is an example of their effect.
You hide behind process which does not require you to make compassionate decisions. It is either you take treatment or yo
u are out. Have you ever thought that people who use marijuana do not need treatment? It is a myth put out by the treat
ment centers that it is needed. They have a special interest. Why would I need treatment for one joint a week?
Did you know that if you turn someone in they will not be able to get financial aid from the US government if convicted?
Now how enlightening is this and how helpful is this? So we are encouraging our kids to tatle or rat on fellow kids? W
hen do you plan the reward program? How deceitful and unchristian that will be. Or will we see mandatory drug testing o
r sniffer dogs that tell the students the constituion is dead here too.
On the SADD situation you hide behind the notion that it was the children=92s idea to shun students from the group if the
y made a mistake and had a beer. This is absolutely silly. You should be helping the children not hurting them. A less
on Christ said was bring the children to me. He did not say if they drink beer or wine or are prostitutes keep them away
What in the heck are you teaching our children? I thought it was a Christian school. Yes I am disappointed that the
children are being taught it is ok to shun people who make mistakes. My daughter had a very difficult time dealing with
the =93popular group of girls=94 at St. Francis and now has to see that you allow it in your student organizations also?
Your depiction of the elderly person who went down to buy marijuana for his wife was absolutely un-Christian like. I app
laud that gentleman. Marijuana was the only drug that could help his wife. By the way contrary to prohibitionists marij
uana is a medicine. The synthetic THC that you labeled marijuana is not marijuana and does not have all the benefits of
marijuana. It is expensive that the user can not titrate it=92s use, it does not have all the helpful chemicals of the w
hole plant. It also takes an hour to take effect and is hard to use for the person who throws everything up. The drobin
ol / marianol is a pharmaceutical waste for most people and is NOT marijuana.
Just to let you know I pleaded with my father to take marijuana to increase his appetite and decrease the nausea as a res
ult of radiation treatment. Because he is a good patriotic American he refused. The prohibitionists (like yourself?) wo
n he got weaker and weaker. He fell broke his hip and died as a result of the surgery. He could not get the medicine th
at might have helped him suffer less during the last days of his life. You miss-conceptions aid in making the medical ma
rijuana struggle see success.
So you see your philosophy and knowledge are very misguided and misguiding. I ask that you study the subject before spre
ading reefer madness like comments around the community. Marijuana prohibition has hurt many people and the War on Drugs
has hurt many more people. In fact no one has died from an overdose of marijuana but they have died from our government t
rying to prohibit the drug. How senseless. Both those government actions (prohibition and the Drug War) are anti-Christ
and in addition we are spending billions each year to support these efforts. Yes we are failing.
I would also ask that you instruct your teachers to learn the benefits and value of marijuana along with the supposed det
riments. Your history teacher does not even know that we are in a prohibition right now. She taught that prohibition en
ded in the 20=92s and 30=92s. But it did not as that is when the Marijuana Tax Act was enacted. The history behind the
demonization of that simple drug is amazing but let you know now that it is based on racism, power and money. The prohi
bition now is worse than the prohibition of several years ago. It funds terrorism.
Cheers
Tom Suther
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
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http://mail2web.com/ .
------------------------------
Subj: LTE on WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR DADDY?
From: "Dave's home" <>
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 07:50:13 -0400
This essay is PRIMO!!! I feel the same way, Boris! I sent this to Lew
Rockwell, hopefully he'll post it on his excellent website (he posted
article link on Dr. Grinspoon's site, on testimony how marijuana helps
elderly) as this essay needs to get around as much as possible.
the anti-state, anti-war, pro-market news
http://www.lewrockwell.com/
With Switzerland making a move now to have legal coffeehouses, England
moving towards decry, France possible changing its tune, and of course
Canada making some bold moves of its own, I think its time for the
California activists to really politically ASSERT themselves AGAINST the
INJUSTICES of ASHCROFT and the horrible abuses of power he has unleashed
against medical marijuana users there. Maybe they should all MOVE to B.C.,
those who can, (and maybe those who cannot we can have a worldwide fund
drive to help 'em ESCAPE the clutches of tyranny, made in USA!) and form a
kind of GROUP in EXILE, and switch TACTICS. I don't think you can fight the
injustice in courts anymore in the States; their WOT has effectively put
everything on a "war-making" footing.
The expression "you can't fight city hall" is especially true when "city
hall" is following the dictates of such a repressive, intolerant and abusive
Attorney General, imo.
peace presence,
David d'Apollonia
Dear Lew Rockwell,
Just got this from my mail list group. "WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR DADDY?"
This is such a moving essay (from the Rock River Times! What a name!) and
really gets the point across, I believe. I'm sure your readers would
appreciate and benefit from such an insightful viewpoint, considering how
much sanctimonious banter is being foisted on the American people by the
Bush Administration and its war-making machinations.
From Illinois, ironically; wasn't that one of the chief bastions of the Al
Capone empire?
Al Capone by Marilyn Bardsley
Made In America
http://www.crimelibrary.com/capone/caponemain.htm
peace presence,
David d'Apollonia
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n2064/a01.html
Newshawk: M. Simon
Pubdate: Thu, 13 Dec 2001
Source: Rock River Times (IL)
Copyright: The Rock River Times 2001
Contact:
Website: http://www.rockrivertimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/539
Author: M. L. Simon
WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR DADDY?
I chased criminal plants. I tore up fields of hemp. A plant that looks
like marijuana but has no psychoactive effect. I filled the jails with drug
users, letting untold numbers of violent criminals get a free pass to make
sure there was room for dealers and users of the wrong kinds of drugs. I
let terrorists go free in order to concentrate on jailing people out for a
little drug induced fun. Of course I ignored those using the most harmful
drugs commonly available in society, alcohol and tobacco.
I started a war to repress the people of Bolivia and Columbia. I did it
because some of our citizens prefer snorting Bolivian cocaine to drinking
Columbian coffee. I did this based on the same religious intolerance that
led to alcohol prohibition. I did this based on Puritan totalitarianism
rather than American pluralism. I knew from history that in every single
instance of American prohibition that the side effects of the cure were
worse than the disease. Yet I persisted.
I contributed to the loss of Bill of Rights for all Americans by taking away
those rights from the demonized drug users. I got the rules of evidence
changed at the Federal level so that no evidence of a crime is necessary.
Just some snitches word. I worked hard to see that such snitches were well
rewarded either with money, drugs, or shortened jail sentences. I also
worked hard to make sure that profits on the prohibited substances were high
enough so that criminals could easily afford to corrupt our police, border
guards, and politicians.
I turned some neighborhoods into shooting gallerys where armed bands fought
over marketing rights in various territories. If there were not enough
murders in these neighborhoods I shortened the supplies of the various
commodities to up the economic pressure until violence broke out. If that
didn't work I weakened the dominant militia until a rival could dispute its
marketing territory, there by increasing the clamor of the local citizens
for protection from the armed thugs. It worked. Our budgets kept growing.
I worked as hard as possible to see that the American police spent 50% or
more of their time chasing Americans pursuing the wrong kind of happiness.
I worked hard to get children to inform on their parents. We got quite a
few to turn in their parents for indulging in a substance safer than
aspirin. Of course we jailed the parents and made the children jail
orphans. Then we decried the breakdown of the family. Such fun.
And while making war on 5 to 10% of all Americans I ignored any warnings of
terrorist threats and concentrated on the civil war against users of the
wrong kinds of drugs. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.
After years of doing my best to enrich the criminal class and destroy
America I finally came to my senses. September 11th woke me up. Real
unavoidable terror had come to America. What postal worker wouldn't be
happy to have avoidable cocaine fall out of an envelope rather than
unavoidable anthrax? I decided that all the police effort going into
preventing people from pursuing happiness could be better spent chasing real
criminals and terrorists. I asked my boss if I couldn't transfer to airport
security, the FBI, border patrol, or any other job where I could really
fight the terrorist enemy instead of supporting them directly or indirectly.
And my boss understood. He was already thinking along the same lines
himself.
I'm happy to tell you I got my transfer and I got my self respect back.
This weeks saying:
What is the difference between drug prohibition and alcohol prohibition?
Seventy four years so far.
Ask a politician:
Do you support drug prohibition because it finances criminals at home or
because it finances terrorists abroad?
E.J. is getting a clemency hearing in January. He needs you to contact the
governor to ask that he be set free to be an asset to the community rather
than a burden. He has no wish to be jailed and according to the facts of
his case there is no need. He hurt no one by selling for medical use a
plant safer than aspirin.
Contact the governor at:
Office of the Governor 207 Statehouse Springfield, IL 62706
217-782-0244 voice
217-558-2239 TDD
217-524-4049 fax
M.L. Simon is an industrial controls designer and independent political
activist.
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Boris" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2001 4:26 AM
Subject: CMAP: Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR DADDY?
> I am moved by this letter. Bravo! (shedding a tear for the victims of this
> crazy drug war
>
> :, (
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End of Maptalk-Digest V01 #328
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