New Mexico Patients DIRECTY TARGETED BY DEA!

[Hudsonrulez]

I was just flabergasted by this news. generally patients in medical marijuana states are left alone. its generally dispenseries that are targeted. but now their using the state database to directly Illegally search and seize medicine. New Mexico and US residence take heed. Because the next one will be you!


AUGUST 30, 2007
NEW MEXICO PATIENTS UNDER ATTACK
--------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friends,

I try real hard not to send you two alerts in the same week. I know you're busy. But after I sent out our alert on Tuesday (asking you to take action to eliminate the crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity) I learned that the DEA and a regional narcotics taskforce raided the home of a paraplegic medical marijuana patient in what appears to be a cruel publicity stunt designed to intimidate New Mexico patients and policymakers.

With the help of supporters like you, the Drug Policy Alliance passed legislation earlier this year in New Mexico that legalized marijuana for medical use. Since the law took effect, 38 patients have been approved by the state's Department of Health to possess and use marijuana to alleviate their conditions. The day after our medical marijuana legislation was signed into law, however, U.S. Drug Czar John Walters publicly expressed his disappointment with state policymakers. While we expected then that federal agencies would try to interfere with New Mexico's efforts to fully implement the medical marijuana law, we didn't believe they would go after those most vulnerable in the state - the patients.

On Tuesday, agents of the Pecos Valley Drug Taskforce in conjunction with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration searched the home of a registered medical marijuana patient who has lost the use of his legs and suffers chronic pain and muscle spasms due to a spinal cord injury. They seized his medicine and are now threatening to prosecute him in federal court where there are no legal protections for medical marijuana patients. This intimidating raid comes at the very time New Mexico officials are debating the best way to develop a state-licensed production and distribution system for medical marijuana.

A press release issued by the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force illustrates the political nature of the raid, reading in part, "Citizens of New Mexico need to be aware that they can still be prosecuted on the federal level even though New Mexico has a law permitting marijuana for medicinal use." The Pecos Valley Drug Task Force is part of the Southwest Border HIDTA, a local, state, and federal law enforcement partnership financed and managed by the drug czar's office.

This cruel misuse of law enforcement resources is only the latest scandal to be connected to regional narcotics taskforces. DPA has been trying to cut off federal funding to these corruption-prone taskforces for years. From the wrongful conviction of dozens of people in Tulia, Texas to the harassment of electronic music lovers in Flint, Michigan, these taskforces are at the center of some of our country's worst civil rights abuses.

Please take a minute today to e-mail your members of Congress and ask them to protect medical marijuana patients and reform federal law enforcement grant programs.

Take Action: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=352520&l=144550

Sincerely,

Bill Piper
Drug Policy Alliance

MORE INFORMATION

DPA-NM Director Reena Szczepanski's blog post on the Huffington_Post

La Cruces Sun-News article_on_the_raid

Associated Press article on the debate within New Mexico on a state-licensed production and distribution system for medical marijuana. http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=352520&l=144524

[Wink]

Feds raid man's house for marijuana


A drug task force on Tuesday raided the home of a man holding a state certificate allowing him to have and use marijuana.

The problem for 44-year-old Leonard French is that the certificate exempts him from state law, not federal law, and the raid was a federal operation staffed by DEA agents and local law enforcement.

Investigators say that French, who is wheel-chair bound and lost his legs about 20-years-ago, had six potent Marijuana plants.

French is licensed by the state to grow and smoke medical marijuana, but the investigators did not know that until after the raid.

The state recently announced it would let qualified patients grow their own marijuana, because health officials feared that they would be vulnerable to federal drug prosecution.

French said he smokes medical marijuana for chronic pain and muscle spasms. He says marijuana is better than taking valium because it has less severe side effects.

French says he worked with his doctor and the state to get a medical marijuana license, so he could smoke it and grow it, but now he says he doesn't know what to do for medicine.

"I'm kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place, it makes me feel like someone says here's your drivers license to drive, and the first time I left the drive way, they took my car away," said French.

French has not been charged, but the press release sent out by investigators Tuesday says they still expect to file drug charges against French, even though he is licensed by the state to grow and smoke medical marijuana.

French says he let the officers into his home when they knocked on his door, believing he wasn't doing anything wrong.

[queerninja]

Immoral and disgusting. This kind of treatment of our brothers and sisters is the lowest of the low. How can a country be so confused that one bunch of law makers says legal, and the other says illegal. Surely, if the the federal nazis are serious, they should be arresting the state legisalators for encouraging patients to grow?

ggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............

[dizzy wizard]

yea i heard about this a couple days ago, sad stuff... that's exactly why we fight this war so hard - look what they do to the innocent, crippled even! appalling, damn feds

[dizzy wizard]

Immoral and disgusting. Surely, if the the federal nazis are serious, they should be arresting the state legisalators for encouraging patients to grow?

ggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............

good point! i hadnt thought of it like that, but that shows how hollow their words truly are

[tink]

thats absolutely disgusting,these people are the lowest of the low,to the usa citizens you pay these peoples wages these people are absolute filth and should be locked up for civil rights issues.
bastards!!!

[AliasJonus]

I live in New Mexico and followed this law pretty closesly though the process. New Mexico's medical marijuana law is incredibly strict, probalby the strictest of the 13 states who have passed similar laws. The process to get a medical marijuana card requires approval from a committee that determines whether or not you qualify for the program based on the requirements of the law. So far I think only 33 patients have been given approval and when the law was passed it was expected that probably only two dozen or so people in the state would qualify. Oh and in the original bill patients were only going to be allowed to use medical marijuana topical creams, and not allowed to smoke it. I think when the law was actually passed though that this was amended.

There really isn't much of a compassion club culture or anything like that here and there is just a rough affiliation of medical marijuana groups, I think that is why the DEA wasn't afraid to act here in NM. Hopefully this type of behavior by the DEA causes people to pay more attention to the issue here and helps the medical marijuana groups to act more cohesively.

I'm no expert on this subject but I thought I'd pass on this information.

[The Salvia Kid]

But basically the DEA are just a bunch of .................I was going to use the Nazi...............why don't they just fucking grow up! And I don't have anything to do with them - but I feel for you that do!

[Mingus Dew]

As a United States citizen it makes me what to cry when I see the abuses of power that have been running rampant the last 6 years. Sad thing is I'm not suprised by this raid. The States and the Feds are in a real power struggle right now. Root for the States!!!!

[Dr. Meshugana]

I believe that using state laws to get around federal marijuana laws are a tactic that has run its course and what is needed are new tactics that have adjusted to the new circumstances.

This is a long term war that we are in and the enemy does not recognize any medical claims by medical marijuana patients. This is a perpetual war and is going to not only involve the DEA etc. but corporate partners as well.

Currently I think that the Animal Rights Activists and Al Qaeda have the best organization structure to deal with a long term struggle.

Do you homework, it's the knowledge age, get some knowledge, you'll need it, if want to smoke pot for any reason.

[Mingus Dew]

If you get 25 states to pass some type of medical program the feds are going to be hard pressed not to change. When the majority of States are on the books as supportive to medical patients your gonna see positive change real quick

[Dr. Meshugana]

What the time frame for this event?

[Dr. Meshugana]

In the system of the USA, the federal system has supremacy over state law. Why don't the arrest state lawmakers? In California, it was a ballot initiative that gave California it's medical marijuana law.

If they arrested lawmakers for advocating the legalization of pot that would be much worse.

The first amendment to the American Constitution guarantees the freedom of speech.

The rational action in the USA about using pot is to go underground, and accept the fact that for the foreseeable future your an outlaw. Get organized, use technology, make allies with like groups and illicit networks around the world protect yourself and your allies. In a knowledge age those who can learn and gain knowledge can protect themselves.

Waiting for the pot laws to change in this country could be an long wait. But, in the mean time if you get busted you will pay a very high price right now, plus interest for the rest of your life. Predicting the end of prohibition is beyond the mind of man, but you can take steps to reduce your exposure to risk. First be honest with yourself about how those in power and those in the mob see you. Look at how other minorities have been treated in the USA.

[Mingus Dew]

What the time frame for this event?

At the current rate maybe ten years. a lot of shit has to break the States way and it really depends on who's running the show in 2009.

[Dubnky]

These DEA Bastards raid places of poeple that NEED this Med. and then only charge them with enough to lock people up. They keep the rest and sell it or smoke it themselves. What Fuckers!!!:mad: