Pubdate: Tue, 15 May 2001
Source: Ukiah Daily Journal (CA)
Copyright: 2001, Ukiah Daily Journal
Contact:  http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/581
Author: Glenda Anderson, The Daily Journal

SHERIFF PROTECTS MEDICAL POT USERS

Local law enforcement officials don't think Monday's Supreme Court ruling 
against medical marijuana use will affect county residents.

But Sheriff Tony Craver isn't taking any chances.

He's already taken measures to protect medical marijuana card holders.

The data base of patients, Craver said, has been removed from the agency's 
computers.

He and District Attorney Norm Vroman devised the cards shortly after 
California voters approved medical marijuana use. The cards are intended to 
prevent sick people from having their doctor-prescribed marijuana 
confiscated or them being hauled off to jail.

At last count, there were nearly 500 card holders, around 100 of whom are 
categorized as care givers - people who grow marijuana for others.

Craver said he didn't want to chance the identification system being used 
against patients or caregivers.

"I haven't said I won't give it to 'em (federal agents). We'll have to wait 
and see if they ask for it. Then I'll tell them I won't give it to 'em," he 
said.

Craver said he's not worried about repercussions of the purge.

"What can they do to me?" he said.

Craver said he could get arrested, but he'd be viewed by the public more 
like Joan of Arc than a criminal.

He said he doesn't really think he'll be called upon to make any 
sacrifices, however.

"I don't see there will be any effect (of the court ruling) locally," 
Craver said.

He said he doesn't think federal agents will bother with small-time growers 
and even cannabis clubs that keep low profiles shouldn't have a problem.

"It's difficult to get the feds to do anything unless it's a huge 
spectacular case. They seem to be driven by the media," he said.

Vroman agreed there's unlikely to be local repercussions from the court ruling.

It changes nothing, he said, noting federal law already said marijuana use 
is illegal and there are no valid medical reasons to use it.

The Monday Supreme Court ruling basically upheld Congress' ability to make 
that determination.

And it's determination supersedes California's law to the contrary.

What happens next depends on the U.S. Attorney's Office, and it's not 
saying. Numerous calls made to its Washington D.C. press office went 
unanswered.

But the court case stems from the office's efforts to shut down California 
cannabis clubs.

It's possible it will revive those efforts, said Dave Nelson, who 
represented the Ukiah Cannabis Club during the initial shutdown effort in 1998.

He said the injunction issued against the club at that time will go back 
into effect when the Supreme Court decision is finalized.

If it is caught distributing marijuana, it will be in violation of that 
injunction, Nelson said.

If a judge agrees the injunction was violated, the club managers can be 
fined or put in jail, Nelson said.

While elected state judges would be unlikely to prosecute, federal judges 
are a different matter because they're not beholden to California citizens, 
he said.

"They are a law unto themselves," Nelson said of federal judges, who are 
appointed for life.

State, as well as local officials decried the Monday ruling, even though 
it's status quo.

"The responsibility for determining what is necessary to provide for public 
health and safety has traditionally been left to the states. It is 
unfortunate that the court was unable to respect California's historic role 
as a laboratory for good public policy and a leader in the effort to help 
sick and dying residents who have no hope for relief other than through 
medical marijuana," California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said Monday.

Vroman said the federal law prohibiting marijuana for any use is just plain 
dumb.

"We have a society that's got far more pressing problems than a person 
who's sick using medical marijuana," he said. "We've got people killing 
each other in the streets, people starving to death. I just don't 
understand it."
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