Pubdate: 2 October 1998 
Source: Anderson Valley Advertiser (CA)
Contact:  (c) Anderson Valley Advertiser
Fax: 707-895-3355
Author: Jim Shields, Editor, Mendocino County Observer

Newshawk note: This piece originally appeared as a portion of the
editorial column [page 1] of the Mendocino County Observer (Laytonville,
CA) on October 2, 1998, all of which was reprinted in the Anderson
Valley Advertiser (Boonville, CA) on October 7, 1998.  Only the portion
commenting on state control of marijuana appears here.

POT INSANITY

Last week's story featuring AIDS patient Mark Walker, of Laytonville, and
his court challenge over Prop 215 pot seized during an October 1997 raid,
points to the absolute insanity of the pot wars.  Here's a guy who's a
veritable poster bot for Prop 215 -- it's the very reason why the voters in
their infinite wisdom enacted the initiative.  He's suffering form AIDS,
he's got a physician's prescription and certified diagnosis, and he's bent
over backwards to comply with Prop 215 guidelines. Six officers of the law
raid his residence, confiscate his pot, and also take legally prescribed
medicine from him.

I am going to ask you to disregard, if you will, any feelings you may have
regarding pot. Let's look at this strictly as a matter of whether taxpayer
money is being expended in the most efficient manner.

Why is it that here in the north county whenever pot is involved, there
seems to be no difficulty in getting law enforcement to respond in
significant numbers. Yet, for almost all other types of citizen calls for
police assistance, it takes an act of Congress to get a single deputy to
respond in a reasonable mount of time, if at all. Our government apparently
has an endless supply of tax dollars to allocate for a Prop 215 bust, but
they cant figure out how to assign resident deputies in Covelo,
Laytonville, and Point Arena.

The next exhibit in out insane war on pot is found in this week's High
Crimes report.

Leggett's Helen Ochoa, a 68-year-old grandmother and her 19-year-old
grand-daughter, were popped for allegedly growing and possessing pot. Good
Lord, we're arresting and incarcerating little-old-ladies, plus setting
their bail at 40 grand.

I know, I know, they also found guns in her residence which qualifies as an
enhanced charge. I wonder if the fact that Helen's deceased husband was a
hunter might have something to do with the guns being there.

Old ladies today, kindergartners tomorrow.

I'm telling you this pot war is nuts.

- ---
Checked-by: Pat Dolan