Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
It's unlikely that Los Angeles city officials will pursue charges against an Iowa state representative who admitted he lied about having hemorrhoids and depression to obtain a medical marijuana prescription in California, a city councilman said Friday.
"I'd rather spend our city resources on parks and libraries than investigating some state assembly member that comes from somewhere else trying to make his own political point," said Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl. "It's not worth the energy on my part."
Asha Greenberg, an assistant city attorney for Los Angeles, said the city hasn't gone after people who have allegedly lied to obtain marijuana prescriptions largely because law enforcement authorities are focusing their resources on more serious crime.
"We have to have, for any crime, evidence apart from a person's admission," Greenberg said. "I would say that he probably would not face any consequences, at least as far as the city attorney's office is concerned, based upon his admission."
Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, detailed his ruse in an October newsletter to constituents, undertaken to show "how asinine it would be to legalize medical marijuana."
At a Statehouse meeting Wednesday, several medical marijuana supporters called for Baudler's impeachment, saying it's a crime under California law to fraudulently misrepresent a medical condition to a doctor. Conviction for a first offense could carry a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.
Baudler said he's confident that ethics charges expected to be filed Monday by members of the Iowa Clemency Project won't stick, partly because he doesn't believe the person he saw was a real doctor. He said he did not fill the prescription.
He told The Des Moines Register he may try to obtain another prescription "if I can think of something stupider than hemorrhoids" to use as an excuse.
"Everyone in here should go to a state that has medical marijuana and see the effects of what's going on," Baudler said of his peers at the Capitol. "When the Mexican drug cartel is taking over California's drug distribution centers, it's asinine. It's the stupidest thing that Iowans could even be thinking about. Going to medical marijuana is just the first step to go to legalizing marijuana for recreational use."
Baudler, 71, and his story of fake hemorrhoids have become a hot topic on news, blog and Internet sites.
An online video surfaced this week of a man questioning Baudler about his actions. Baudler said it was one of at least two calls he has recently received that he described as harassing. But he also said the vast majority of responses have supported his actions.
Members of the Iowa Clemency Project, a group fighting to decriminalize marijuana possession, on Friday provided the Register with an Internet link showing Baudler's marijuana patient verification posted online by the Inglewood Health Services Center in California.
The prescription was written by Dr. Sriram Mummaneni, according to the online document. An online biography of Mummaneni says he studied at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Michigan. A call made to the office where Baudler said he obtained the prescription was not returned Friday.
"I've heard comments from people who say this is not that big of an issue, but it is," said Mike Pesce, a Des Moines resident and Iowa Clemency Project member who plans to file the ethics complaint on Monday. "It's pretty simple that you can't have lawmakers sitting at the Capitol planning crime."
NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: DesMoinesRegister.com
Author: JASON CLAYWORTH
Copyright: 2011 DesMoinesRegister.com
Contact: Contacting the Register
Website: Los Angeles officials not interested in investigating Baudler
"I'd rather spend our city resources on parks and libraries than investigating some state assembly member that comes from somewhere else trying to make his own political point," said Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl. "It's not worth the energy on my part."
Asha Greenberg, an assistant city attorney for Los Angeles, said the city hasn't gone after people who have allegedly lied to obtain marijuana prescriptions largely because law enforcement authorities are focusing their resources on more serious crime.
"We have to have, for any crime, evidence apart from a person's admission," Greenberg said. "I would say that he probably would not face any consequences, at least as far as the city attorney's office is concerned, based upon his admission."
Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, detailed his ruse in an October newsletter to constituents, undertaken to show "how asinine it would be to legalize medical marijuana."
At a Statehouse meeting Wednesday, several medical marijuana supporters called for Baudler's impeachment, saying it's a crime under California law to fraudulently misrepresent a medical condition to a doctor. Conviction for a first offense could carry a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.
Baudler said he's confident that ethics charges expected to be filed Monday by members of the Iowa Clemency Project won't stick, partly because he doesn't believe the person he saw was a real doctor. He said he did not fill the prescription.
He told The Des Moines Register he may try to obtain another prescription "if I can think of something stupider than hemorrhoids" to use as an excuse.
"Everyone in here should go to a state that has medical marijuana and see the effects of what's going on," Baudler said of his peers at the Capitol. "When the Mexican drug cartel is taking over California's drug distribution centers, it's asinine. It's the stupidest thing that Iowans could even be thinking about. Going to medical marijuana is just the first step to go to legalizing marijuana for recreational use."
Baudler, 71, and his story of fake hemorrhoids have become a hot topic on news, blog and Internet sites.
An online video surfaced this week of a man questioning Baudler about his actions. Baudler said it was one of at least two calls he has recently received that he described as harassing. But he also said the vast majority of responses have supported his actions.
Members of the Iowa Clemency Project, a group fighting to decriminalize marijuana possession, on Friday provided the Register with an Internet link showing Baudler's marijuana patient verification posted online by the Inglewood Health Services Center in California.
The prescription was written by Dr. Sriram Mummaneni, according to the online document. An online biography of Mummaneni says he studied at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Michigan. A call made to the office where Baudler said he obtained the prescription was not returned Friday.
"I've heard comments from people who say this is not that big of an issue, but it is," said Mike Pesce, a Des Moines resident and Iowa Clemency Project member who plans to file the ethics complaint on Monday. "It's pretty simple that you can't have lawmakers sitting at the Capitol planning crime."
NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: DesMoinesRegister.com
Author: JASON CLAYWORTH
Copyright: 2011 DesMoinesRegister.com
Contact: Contacting the Register
Website: Los Angeles officials not interested in investigating Baudler
