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After victories in Colorado, Washington, and Massachusetts, cannabis reform advocates have a lot to celebrate. But, with an annual estimate of 850,000 cannabis arrests, the fight to end the War on Cannabis is far from over. After all, 36 states and the federal government still incarcerate people for simple possession of cannabis. Last year, in a policy no longer supported by the voters, the feds locked up more than 100 people for simple possession alone.
"Thanksgiving is upon us and X-MASS right behind. Hard to believe but its my 4th set of holidays in prison. Sure hope Santa brings good news and I get out soon," says federal pot prisoner Eddy Lepp, in his weekly letter to supporters.
Lepp is part of a smaller subgroup of arrestee's, the more than 6200 people sentenced to mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana cultivation and sales each year. Lepp is a well-known medical cannabis advocate, and some would say, a boundary pushing dreamer. Back in 2004, he was arrested by the feds for openly cultivating several acres of medical cannabis for patients in Lake County, California. Now, he will spend ten years locked up in a federal penitentiary, unless advocates can change the laws faster.
Green Aid, an Oakland, California, based nonprofit group, helps cannabis arrestees and prisoners, like Lepp, who are caught between state laws that legalize cannabis and the "zero-tolerance" federal laws. A former pot prisoner himself, Rosenthal was arrested for cannabis cultivation in 2002, and fought back against a 20-year mandatory sentence. Ultimately spending only one day in jail, he is branded a federal felon for life. Green Aid coordinates regular fundraisers and runs on a volunteer staff. But, Rosenthal is noticeably disappointed with the efforts to raise funds for people like Lepp, saying less than 1% of the groups 11,000 facebook members donate. He says supporters think "the next person will do it. They will raise all the money. It's too much bother. I can't afford it." This leaves pot prisoners and their families to fend for themselves at the holidays.
Brian Epis is another cannabis prisoner who will spend the holidays away from home. A notable family man before being locked away for cannabis, he was a successful dotcom entrepreneur and an early innovator in the medical cannabis world. A patients himself, Epis knew first hand that medical marijuana helped patients when he planned to open a collective dispensary and cultivation site in Chico, CA, back in 1997. Despite never getting started, he was convicted on a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence for conspiracy to cultivate cannabis, and will not be free until 2017.
Federal Judge Charles Damrell's hands were tied by federal mandatory minimum sentences in the Epis case, but he publically protested what he considered to be a sentencing travesty. Pot prisoners Dr. Molly Fry and her husband attorney Dale Shafer also appeared before Judge Damrell. Motivate to reform cannabis laws, they had organized their joint practices around implementing the California state laws. But, after choosing to work in a conservative county, they were targeted and busted by the feds. Both are currently serving 5-year mandatory minimum sentences for cultivation and distribution of cannabis, despite being legal medical cannabis patients and caregivers. Again, Judge Damrell used their trials as an opportunity to condemn the mandatory minimum sentences that forced him to issue their harsh sentences. Along the way, he had been able to buy some freedom for all three defendants, allowing them to bail out while awaiting appeals. This gave them additional time with their families and a fighting chance to win their cases. Ultimately to no avail, as appeals courts forced the Judge to sentence each to mandatory sentences, and all three languish in federal prison right now.
Last year, Patricia Marilyn Spottedcrow's state cannabis case caught the attention of the entire nation. Spottedcrow was sentenced to 12 year in prison for selling $31 worth of cannabis, the first offense for this Oklahoma mother of four. The harsh sentence shocked the local media into action, and then quickly, national outcry began. Her sentence was soon reduced by 4 years. Then, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin stepped in, requesting that the parole board shorten Spottedcrow's time. They agreed to release her to a community corrections center for a 120-day work release program. Spottedcrow should be out now, but a "clerical error" this summer voided her early parole. Since repaired, it has set back her release date. Supporters can only hope that she will be home soon.
In Oakland, CA, long time cannabis advocate, Richard Lee, surely hopes that the War on Cannabis ends soon. His medical cannabis training facility, Oaksterdam University, and his collective dispensary, Café Blue Sky, were raided by the feds this summer. Lee had infuriated the feds by qualifying a legalization initiative, Proposition 19, for the California ballot in 2010. The measure lost the popular vote, and Lee was likely targeted in retaliation. Now, without a groundswell of support for legal marijuana, supporters are working hard to make sure that Richard does not faces charges for these raids.
One of the most famous cannabis prisoners, Canadian Marc Emery, was arrested for selling seeds over the internet, found guilty in U.S. courts, and sentenced to a five year mandatory minimum sentence. Last week, on his first radio broadcast since being extradited to the U.S. in 2010, he said, "No one should have to go to jail for their personal choices that don't harm anyone. Anywhere in the world where there is injustice over the drug war, I will be fighting it." He is currently hoping to get transferred to a Canadian prison, so he can serve the rest of his sentence closer to his family.
Green Aid is working to support these prisoners and others over this holiday season. Right now, they hope to raise enough money to send Eddy Lepp's wife to visit him for Christmas, as the feds recently transferred him to Texas. And, while we celebrate our freedom this Thanksgiving, America's pot prisoners will hope the day passes fast, and that advocates get back to work on the efforts to change the laws and set them free. Visit the Green Aid sight to help at Green Aid: The Medical Marijuana Legal Defense and Education Fund.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: sfgate.com
Author: Debby Goldsberry
Contact: Contacts at San Francisco Chronicle - SFGate
Website: Smell the Truth » Federal Pot Prisoners Will Not Be Home for the Holidays
"Thanksgiving is upon us and X-MASS right behind. Hard to believe but its my 4th set of holidays in prison. Sure hope Santa brings good news and I get out soon," says federal pot prisoner Eddy Lepp, in his weekly letter to supporters.
Lepp is part of a smaller subgroup of arrestee's, the more than 6200 people sentenced to mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana cultivation and sales each year. Lepp is a well-known medical cannabis advocate, and some would say, a boundary pushing dreamer. Back in 2004, he was arrested by the feds for openly cultivating several acres of medical cannabis for patients in Lake County, California. Now, he will spend ten years locked up in a federal penitentiary, unless advocates can change the laws faster.
Green Aid, an Oakland, California, based nonprofit group, helps cannabis arrestees and prisoners, like Lepp, who are caught between state laws that legalize cannabis and the "zero-tolerance" federal laws. A former pot prisoner himself, Rosenthal was arrested for cannabis cultivation in 2002, and fought back against a 20-year mandatory sentence. Ultimately spending only one day in jail, he is branded a federal felon for life. Green Aid coordinates regular fundraisers and runs on a volunteer staff. But, Rosenthal is noticeably disappointed with the efforts to raise funds for people like Lepp, saying less than 1% of the groups 11,000 facebook members donate. He says supporters think "the next person will do it. They will raise all the money. It's too much bother. I can't afford it." This leaves pot prisoners and their families to fend for themselves at the holidays.
Brian Epis is another cannabis prisoner who will spend the holidays away from home. A notable family man before being locked away for cannabis, he was a successful dotcom entrepreneur and an early innovator in the medical cannabis world. A patients himself, Epis knew first hand that medical marijuana helped patients when he planned to open a collective dispensary and cultivation site in Chico, CA, back in 1997. Despite never getting started, he was convicted on a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence for conspiracy to cultivate cannabis, and will not be free until 2017.
Federal Judge Charles Damrell's hands were tied by federal mandatory minimum sentences in the Epis case, but he publically protested what he considered to be a sentencing travesty. Pot prisoners Dr. Molly Fry and her husband attorney Dale Shafer also appeared before Judge Damrell. Motivate to reform cannabis laws, they had organized their joint practices around implementing the California state laws. But, after choosing to work in a conservative county, they were targeted and busted by the feds. Both are currently serving 5-year mandatory minimum sentences for cultivation and distribution of cannabis, despite being legal medical cannabis patients and caregivers. Again, Judge Damrell used their trials as an opportunity to condemn the mandatory minimum sentences that forced him to issue their harsh sentences. Along the way, he had been able to buy some freedom for all three defendants, allowing them to bail out while awaiting appeals. This gave them additional time with their families and a fighting chance to win their cases. Ultimately to no avail, as appeals courts forced the Judge to sentence each to mandatory sentences, and all three languish in federal prison right now.
Last year, Patricia Marilyn Spottedcrow's state cannabis case caught the attention of the entire nation. Spottedcrow was sentenced to 12 year in prison for selling $31 worth of cannabis, the first offense for this Oklahoma mother of four. The harsh sentence shocked the local media into action, and then quickly, national outcry began. Her sentence was soon reduced by 4 years. Then, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin stepped in, requesting that the parole board shorten Spottedcrow's time. They agreed to release her to a community corrections center for a 120-day work release program. Spottedcrow should be out now, but a "clerical error" this summer voided her early parole. Since repaired, it has set back her release date. Supporters can only hope that she will be home soon.
In Oakland, CA, long time cannabis advocate, Richard Lee, surely hopes that the War on Cannabis ends soon. His medical cannabis training facility, Oaksterdam University, and his collective dispensary, Café Blue Sky, were raided by the feds this summer. Lee had infuriated the feds by qualifying a legalization initiative, Proposition 19, for the California ballot in 2010. The measure lost the popular vote, and Lee was likely targeted in retaliation. Now, without a groundswell of support for legal marijuana, supporters are working hard to make sure that Richard does not faces charges for these raids.
One of the most famous cannabis prisoners, Canadian Marc Emery, was arrested for selling seeds over the internet, found guilty in U.S. courts, and sentenced to a five year mandatory minimum sentence. Last week, on his first radio broadcast since being extradited to the U.S. in 2010, he said, "No one should have to go to jail for their personal choices that don't harm anyone. Anywhere in the world where there is injustice over the drug war, I will be fighting it." He is currently hoping to get transferred to a Canadian prison, so he can serve the rest of his sentence closer to his family.
Green Aid is working to support these prisoners and others over this holiday season. Right now, they hope to raise enough money to send Eddy Lepp's wife to visit him for Christmas, as the feds recently transferred him to Texas. And, while we celebrate our freedom this Thanksgiving, America's pot prisoners will hope the day passes fast, and that advocates get back to work on the efforts to change the laws and set them free. Visit the Green Aid sight to help at Green Aid: The Medical Marijuana Legal Defense and Education Fund.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: sfgate.com
Author: Debby Goldsberry
Contact: Contacts at San Francisco Chronicle - SFGate
Website: Smell the Truth » Federal Pot Prisoners Will Not Be Home for the Holidays
