Pubdate: Mon, 17 Feb 2003
Source: U.S. News & World Report (US)
Copyright: 2003 U.S. News & World Report
Section: Top of the Week
Contact:  http://www.usnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/464
Author: Lisa Stein

COURT: GOING TO POT

A San Francisco jury last week convicted self-described "Guru of Ganja"' Ed 
Rosenthal, 58, on federal charges of cultivating marijuana. But no sooner 
had they convicted him than half of the jurors complained the verdict was 
unfair. The reason: The judge barred defense lawyers from telling them 
Rosenthal had grown the pot to provide medical marijuana--legal in 
California--to patients with AIDS and cancer. "As jurors, we followed the 
law exactly as it was explained to us by Judge Charles Breyer . . . . But 
the verdict we reached--the only verdict those instructions allowed us to 
reach--was wrong," juror Marney Craig wrote in an opinion piece published 
in the San Jose Mercury. "It was cruel, inhumane, and unjust." California 
is one of eight states that allow marijuana to be grown and distributed for 
medical use; Rosenthal worked with Oakland officials to provide pot to 
patients with prescriptions. But the feds--who don't recognize the state 
laws--busted him after raiding his operation.

Rosenthal will be sentenced June 4; he faces up to 85 years in prison. 
Interesting that the feds have time for this when the nation's on high 
alert for terrorist hits.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom