T
The420Guy
Guest
By now, most people who care about cannabis know that marijuana cultivation
expert and publisher Ed Rosenthal, whose "Ask Ed" column graces every issue
of Cannabis Culture, was found guilty last week of several marijuana crimes.
People have called and emailed me from around the world, worried about the
man who brought light and humor to the science of growing pot.
Ed's a self-described "Yippie" who has been one of the world's most
courageous and fearless marijuana advocates for the past 30 years. A Yippie
is a member of cadre of anti-war, counterculture rebels from the 1960's,
the kind of folks who stuck flowers in the rifle barrels of riot police who
wanted to shoot them during Vietnam War protests.
Rosenthal is one of few marijuana writers and advocates who has the guts to
use his real name and face in his work. It may surprise you to know that
most people who make money writing about marijuana for major pot magazines
or in books are using fake names because they are afraid to put themselves
on the line for pot.
Not so for Rosenthal, who outed himself three decades ago and never looked
back. He's been traveling the world writing about grow rooms ever since.
It's surprising that the federal government hasn't hammered Ed before. He
spent many years helping people grow pot without any real harassment from
the anti-plant agents. It was only when the war-loving administration of
George W. Bush and DEA Chief Asa Hutchinson came to power, however, that
somebody in DC decided to destroy Ed.
And since Ed was openly working to provide medpot to sick and dying people
with the blessing of municipal authorities, it was easy for the federal
bully DEA posse to bust him last February in a Bay Area series of raids.
Now, Ed Rosenthal, a 58-year-old father, husband and talk show host who has
helped generations of pot growers in their quest for perfect cannabis
agriculture, faces years of imprisonment and hundreds of thousands of
dollars in fines for allegedly violating federal marijuana law.
On a cold Friday morning, January 31st, the pot world held its collective
breath as the jury in Rosenthal's case- a jury that had been prevented from
hearing the truth about California's medpot law by the trial judge and
prosecutor - deliberated the grow guru's fate.
Many people worried that Rosenthal would be found guilty and immediately
taken away to prison. Rosenthal himself wasn't so worried. He sees himself
as a freedom fighter, and a winner.
"I'm the ideal guy to take on the government's marijuana laws," Rosenthal
told me that night before he was due back in federal court to find out
whether he would be taken into custody.
According to one source close to the situation, "Ed has always been
optimistic since day one."
"He has been very confident and organized, knowing that he was in the
right, and seeking to prove that the government is in the wrong in every
aspect of this case," another source affirmed. "He never thought of giving
up, becoming an informant, or fleeing. That isn't his way. He doesn't run
and hide, even though he is facing a virtual death sentence if life
imprisonment is handed down."
The trial has been reminiscent of a Kafka story. District Court Judge
Charles Breyer muzzled Ed and his defense team. The jury was not allowed to
hear the context of Rosenthal's "crimes," which included growing marijuana
for sale and distribution. Breyer even went so far as to prohibit
Rosenthal's lawyer from questioning a key defense witness; he took over
questioning himself.
US Attorney George Bevan tried to get Judge Breyer to rule that Ed, his
family and his attorneys could not speak to the media. The judge refused
Bevan's request; local and international news coverage of the trial has
been overwhelmingly in favor of Rosenthal.
Despite the judge's determination not to let the jury hear about
California's medpot laws or to hear testimony that exonerated Ed, the
defense managed to demolish the prosecution's case in key areas, such as in
the number of plants being grown and in the credibility of DEA agents. Of
course, DEA agents are trained liars, so it doesn't take much to demolish
their credibility, does it?
"America is at a turning point in so many ways," a source told us. "We are
on the brink of starting World War Three, our federal government has become
totalitarian, and a good man is facing the destruction of his life by
people whose hearts are cold and evil. If you believe in any deity or power
in the universe, face towards Oakland, California today, and pray for Ed
and his family, and for America. Pray that the jury sees through this
farce, and that it returns not guilty verdicts on all counts as a message
to the monsters that they cannot continue to destroy innocent lives."
Late Friday, January 31, the jurors found Ed guilty.
But after the trial was over, angry the jurors started speaking out.
On Tuesday, February 4th, after Breyer refused the prosecutor's request to
send Rosenthal to prison immediately, six jurors held a press conference.
They accused the judge of lying to them, and said they had been railroaded
into a guilty verdict.
Rosenthal says his attorneys are working on an appeal, based on
irregularities that include possible jury tampering during the Grand Jury
phase of the case that produced the indictment, and on Breyer's surreal
insistence that Californians not talk about the landmark medpot law they
passed in 1996, a law Rosenthal was abiding by.
"The judge was openly hostile to the defense in a way that was
unprecedented," one source lamented. "The jury was being threatened by the
judge. If they had come back with a jury nullification or not guilty, he
might have had them jailed. There was no real trial. It was a set-up. It
was an mob hit carried out by the feds."
But the mob hit failed; Rosenthal is free and confident of remaining free.
"We need people to go to www.green-aid.com and make donations for our
defense fund," he said, while jubilant supporters whooped it up at his
house. "Note that your donation is for our defense. We're gonna spend a lot
on this case, because this is the tipping point that will begin to unravel
the war against marijuana. If you contribute to this, it isn't just about
helping Ed, it's about helping yourself."
Before Rosenthal went out for a celebratory dinner, he read me a New York
Times editorial that accused the Bush administration of running a
mean-spirited war against medpot and state's rights.
"They say that the administration's war is out of control, and that it
ought to stop beating up on poor Eddie Rosenthal," the grow guru quipped.
"We're in this to win."
For in-depth coverage of the fascinating case of the grow guru who went to
court, read issue 43 of Cannabis Culture magazine.
For the latest online updates and information about Ed Rosenthal, go to
www.green-aid.com. To order Rosenthal's amazing grow books and his newest
book about making powerful hashish and other concentrated pot products, go
to www.quicktrading.com.
By Pete Brady (04 Feb, 2003)
Cannabis Culture Magazine
https://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2824.html
Ed Rosenthal finds new hope
expert and publisher Ed Rosenthal, whose "Ask Ed" column graces every issue
of Cannabis Culture, was found guilty last week of several marijuana crimes.
People have called and emailed me from around the world, worried about the
man who brought light and humor to the science of growing pot.
Ed's a self-described "Yippie" who has been one of the world's most
courageous and fearless marijuana advocates for the past 30 years. A Yippie
is a member of cadre of anti-war, counterculture rebels from the 1960's,
the kind of folks who stuck flowers in the rifle barrels of riot police who
wanted to shoot them during Vietnam War protests.
Rosenthal is one of few marijuana writers and advocates who has the guts to
use his real name and face in his work. It may surprise you to know that
most people who make money writing about marijuana for major pot magazines
or in books are using fake names because they are afraid to put themselves
on the line for pot.
Not so for Rosenthal, who outed himself three decades ago and never looked
back. He's been traveling the world writing about grow rooms ever since.
It's surprising that the federal government hasn't hammered Ed before. He
spent many years helping people grow pot without any real harassment from
the anti-plant agents. It was only when the war-loving administration of
George W. Bush and DEA Chief Asa Hutchinson came to power, however, that
somebody in DC decided to destroy Ed.
And since Ed was openly working to provide medpot to sick and dying people
with the blessing of municipal authorities, it was easy for the federal
bully DEA posse to bust him last February in a Bay Area series of raids.
Now, Ed Rosenthal, a 58-year-old father, husband and talk show host who has
helped generations of pot growers in their quest for perfect cannabis
agriculture, faces years of imprisonment and hundreds of thousands of
dollars in fines for allegedly violating federal marijuana law.
On a cold Friday morning, January 31st, the pot world held its collective
breath as the jury in Rosenthal's case- a jury that had been prevented from
hearing the truth about California's medpot law by the trial judge and
prosecutor - deliberated the grow guru's fate.
Many people worried that Rosenthal would be found guilty and immediately
taken away to prison. Rosenthal himself wasn't so worried. He sees himself
as a freedom fighter, and a winner.
"I'm the ideal guy to take on the government's marijuana laws," Rosenthal
told me that night before he was due back in federal court to find out
whether he would be taken into custody.
According to one source close to the situation, "Ed has always been
optimistic since day one."
"He has been very confident and organized, knowing that he was in the
right, and seeking to prove that the government is in the wrong in every
aspect of this case," another source affirmed. "He never thought of giving
up, becoming an informant, or fleeing. That isn't his way. He doesn't run
and hide, even though he is facing a virtual death sentence if life
imprisonment is handed down."
The trial has been reminiscent of a Kafka story. District Court Judge
Charles Breyer muzzled Ed and his defense team. The jury was not allowed to
hear the context of Rosenthal's "crimes," which included growing marijuana
for sale and distribution. Breyer even went so far as to prohibit
Rosenthal's lawyer from questioning a key defense witness; he took over
questioning himself.
US Attorney George Bevan tried to get Judge Breyer to rule that Ed, his
family and his attorneys could not speak to the media. The judge refused
Bevan's request; local and international news coverage of the trial has
been overwhelmingly in favor of Rosenthal.
Despite the judge's determination not to let the jury hear about
California's medpot laws or to hear testimony that exonerated Ed, the
defense managed to demolish the prosecution's case in key areas, such as in
the number of plants being grown and in the credibility of DEA agents. Of
course, DEA agents are trained liars, so it doesn't take much to demolish
their credibility, does it?
"America is at a turning point in so many ways," a source told us. "We are
on the brink of starting World War Three, our federal government has become
totalitarian, and a good man is facing the destruction of his life by
people whose hearts are cold and evil. If you believe in any deity or power
in the universe, face towards Oakland, California today, and pray for Ed
and his family, and for America. Pray that the jury sees through this
farce, and that it returns not guilty verdicts on all counts as a message
to the monsters that they cannot continue to destroy innocent lives."
Late Friday, January 31, the jurors found Ed guilty.
But after the trial was over, angry the jurors started speaking out.
On Tuesday, February 4th, after Breyer refused the prosecutor's request to
send Rosenthal to prison immediately, six jurors held a press conference.
They accused the judge of lying to them, and said they had been railroaded
into a guilty verdict.
Rosenthal says his attorneys are working on an appeal, based on
irregularities that include possible jury tampering during the Grand Jury
phase of the case that produced the indictment, and on Breyer's surreal
insistence that Californians not talk about the landmark medpot law they
passed in 1996, a law Rosenthal was abiding by.
"The judge was openly hostile to the defense in a way that was
unprecedented," one source lamented. "The jury was being threatened by the
judge. If they had come back with a jury nullification or not guilty, he
might have had them jailed. There was no real trial. It was a set-up. It
was an mob hit carried out by the feds."
But the mob hit failed; Rosenthal is free and confident of remaining free.
"We need people to go to www.green-aid.com and make donations for our
defense fund," he said, while jubilant supporters whooped it up at his
house. "Note that your donation is for our defense. We're gonna spend a lot
on this case, because this is the tipping point that will begin to unravel
the war against marijuana. If you contribute to this, it isn't just about
helping Ed, it's about helping yourself."
Before Rosenthal went out for a celebratory dinner, he read me a New York
Times editorial that accused the Bush administration of running a
mean-spirited war against medpot and state's rights.
"They say that the administration's war is out of control, and that it
ought to stop beating up on poor Eddie Rosenthal," the grow guru quipped.
"We're in this to win."
For in-depth coverage of the fascinating case of the grow guru who went to
court, read issue 43 of Cannabis Culture magazine.
For the latest online updates and information about Ed Rosenthal, go to
www.green-aid.com. To order Rosenthal's amazing grow books and his newest
book about making powerful hashish and other concentrated pot products, go
to www.quicktrading.com.
By Pete Brady (04 Feb, 2003)
Cannabis Culture Magazine
https://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2824.html
Ed Rosenthal finds new hope