Pubdate: Wed, 24 Oct 2012
Source: Missoulian (MT)
Copyright: 2012 Missoulian
Contact:  http://www.missoulian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/720
Author: Gwen Florio
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/people/Jason+Christ

MEDICAL MARIJUANA ADVOCATE CHRIST BANNED FROM UM CAMPUS

Former medical marijuana entrepreneur Jason Christ has been banned 
from the University of Montana campus after allegedly smoking 
marijuana in the law school, cursing someone upon being told UM 
President Royce Engstrom wasn't available, and cursing another person 
as he sought a parking pass refund.

A memo from Sgt. Ben Gladwin from the UM Office of Public Safety, 
successfully seeking to permanently bar Christ from campus, cited the 
following allegations:

Shortly after 10 p.m. on Oct. 15, campus police responding to a 
report that a man was smoking marijuana in the law school encountered 
Christ, who gave them his medical marijuana card when asked for identification.

At 4 p.m. the next day, Christ allegedly showed up at Engstrom's 
office, demanding to speak to him. When advised that Engstrom wasn't 
in, "Christ refused to leave and demanded that he speak with someone 
in a forceful tone several times. Christ also cursed ... and 
threatened to sue the university" and finally stormed from the office.

Last Wednesday, "Christ was agitated, used a forceful tone and 
cursed" while demanding a parking pass refund from the Public Safety Office.

That same day, according to Gladwin's memo, Law School Associate Dean 
Greg Munro escorted Christ from the building after receiving a 
complaint that Christ had been smoking marijuana in an office near 
the school's Castle Center.

"During the encounter, Christ angrily threw things in the garbage and 
broke a bottle," Gladwin wrote.

Christ did not return a telephone call seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.

*

Before federal crackdowns on medical marijuana operations in Montana 
and other states, Christ was a familiar figure around Montana, often 
publicly smoking marijuana in a long "gondola" pipe. His Montana 
Caregivers Network involved setting up would-be medical marijuana 
patients with doctors who could provide recommendations for cannabis.

He ran mobile "cannabis caravans" around the state where hundreds of 
people received such recommendations within a few hours via Skype at 
"teleclinics," actions widely condemned by medical marijuana 
opponents and advocates alike.

But he also had brushes with the law for allegedly abusive behavior, 
including a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge in 2010 for an 
outburst at a car repair shop, and a felony intimidation charge 
stemming from a phone call to a Missoula Verizon store in August 2010.

Christ's trial in that case  in which he's accused of cursing at a 
Verizon employee and threatening to bomb the store  is pending.

Christ is representing himself in that trial. Last year, he cited his 
need for legal research in contesting a Missoula Municipal Court 
order prohibiting him from being within 1,500 feet of the UM campus.

In the most recent case, Christ was notified Friday that he was 
barred from campus, according to a notice signed by Rosi Keller, 
associate vice president for administration and finance. That same 
notice gave Christ seven days to schedule a hearing if he wanted to 
contest UM's action.

"I'm not aware of an appeal being filed today," UM Interim Vice 
President for Communications Peggy Kuhr said late Tuesday afternoon.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom