Reality Catcher

Save The Internet: Stop SOPA/PIPA!

2012-01-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks to action by a broad and bipartisan coalition of Internet users, companies, and organizations, the U.S. House of Representatives has now put the brakes on SOPA, a well-intentioned but deeply flawed bill that would use Internet censorship to combat overseas copyright infringement. Even President Obama's White House has joined the opposition.

But nevertheless, the Senate is continuing to move forward — and fast — with its equally dangerous version of the bill, called PIPA, the Protect-IP Act. As written, PIPA would import censorship and surveillance techniques pioneered by countries like China and Iran, reversing longstanding U.S. policy on Internet freedom, betraying U.S. First Amendment values, damaging our standing around the world, threatening our job-creating innovators, and undermining Internet security for everyone.

Today is a day for action across the Internet. Learn about these destructive bills. Tell your Senator what you think. Congress needs to hear from you.

No Thanks For Signing The NDAA

2012-01-01T13:43:00.001-08:00

Jake Phoenix Continues His Online Activism

2011-12-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

New Mexico denizen Jake Phoenix (aka ThereinLies) continues his charming online "activism" with this little love note I received this morning.

UC Davis Pepper Spraying Officer, Lt. John Pike

2011-11-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

Anonymous • D0X: UC Davis Pepper Spraying officer, Lt. John Pike

Lieutenant John Pike
Records Unit Manager
Phone: 530-752-3989
Cell: 530-979-0184
japikeiii@ucdavis.edu
Address: 4005 Cowell Blvd, Apt 616. Davis, CA 95618-6017
Skype: japike3

File formal complaint against UC Davis police officer here: (pdf)

UC Davis Support Services Division
Contact Information:
Captain Joyce Souza
530-752-6202
Monday - Friday
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
jxsouza@ucdavis.edu

Reporting a Crime or Accident
UC Davis Police Non-Emergency Service
(530) 752-1727

UC Office of the President
Mark G. Yudof
University of California
1111 Franklin St., 12th Floor
Oakland, CA 94607
Email: president@ucop.edu

Professor at the university, Nathan Brown, wrote an “open letter” calling on Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi to resign. The entire letter boldly condemns the Chancellor for permitting riot police to handle students as police did. (source)

UC Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi
Her response to the brutality
Offices of the Chancellor and Provost
Fifth floor, Mrak Hall
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 752-2065
Contact form: http://chancellor.ucdavis.edu/contact.php
Katehi’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Linda-PB-Katehi/147754228574654

UC Davis FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/UCDavis

His boss, UCD Police Chief Annette Spicuzza, told the Davis Enterprise that she’s “very proud” of her officers. “I don’t believe any of our officers were hurt,” she says, “and I hope none of the students were injured.” (source)

UCD Police Chief Annette Spicuzza
(530) 752-3113
Salary: $125,000/yr
Linked in: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/annette-spicuzza/18/435/772

UC Davis Police Department
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 752-6823
FAX: (530) 752-3216

Power To The People

2011-10-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

I believe the rebirth of class consciousness in the United States -- and across the world -- is one of the most important political events of my life.

I believe that this new dawning of economic awareness will inevitably lead to empowerment of those who, heretofore, have been largely shut out of the rewards system due to oligarchic greed on the part of our right-wing corporate masters, the 1%.

And I believe that part of this new dawning of consciousness will be the realization -- on the part of the working class -- that they have been egregiously and cynically betrayed by Fox News, a tool of the corporate oligarchs who, until now, have been able to hold the masses in subjugation through exploiting fear, prejudice, and hatred.

If you are part of the 1% which controls the agenda of Fox News, your days are numbered. Change soon come.

Seems Legit

2011-10-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Alrighty then!

2011-10-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

Here's the brief story of how this blog, Reality Catcher, led to my gig with Village Voice Media, first with SF Weekly, then Toke of the Town and Seattle Weekly.

Teabaggers Have A Short Memory

2011-09-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

Visit Seattle PI cartoonist David Horsey's site

Here's What The Tea Party Is REALLY Saying

2011-09-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

"Don't Tread On Me."

Instead, tread on: the poor, the unemployed, the uninsured, the gays, the Muslims, the Hispanics, the lower/working classes, the liberals and progressives, basically, everybody but us, because we're rich and white.

We Are The 99%

2011-09-26T00:45:00.001-07:00

http://www.occupywallst.org/

http://www.occupytogether.org

It's time.

Hurricane Irene, Meet Biological Weapons Facility.

2011-08-26T23:13:00.001-07:00

There are some very good reasons to hope the current predictions of Hurricane Irene weakening are true.

One of these is the fact that a U.S. government biological weapons facility, Plum Island, is in the direct path of the storm.

Note that this disquieting fact has so far escaped the attention of our mainstream media.

http://articles.cnn.com/2004-04-02/entertainment/lab.257_1_plum-island-lab-germ-warfare?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ

Washington Farmer's Market: Power To The Patients

2011-08-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

Photo by Tony Wells

I'm convinced this is the future of medical marijuana access.

I love the Washington Farmer's Market, and what a beautiful place to hold it on the day this was filmed -- Hoodsport is a gorgeous little town.

The type of patient empowerment represented by farmer's markets like this is a beautiful thing.

Big kudos to the incredible Sarena Haskins for bringing safe access to patients who would otherwise suffer. Thanks to the rockin' Tony Wells for the video!

Forty Seconds of My Hempfest Speech

2011-08-22T22:34:00.001-07:00

SAM_0507 a video by finkmoney on Flickr.

Thanks to finkmonkey for the footage!

OK, Now I'm Impressed.

2011-08-15T00:31:00.000-07:00

Michele Bachmann eats a foot-long corn dog at the Iowa State Fair... her masterful technique is undeniably a thing of terrible beauty.

Let's take a moment, shall we?

(Photo: Tony Harnden)

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyharnden/100100848/fried-food-and-retail-politics-at-the-iowa-state-fair/

This Bong Hit's For You, China.

2011-08-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

The People's Republic of China had never really done anything for me until this week.

But then, man oh man, did they make up for lost time!

They refused to do the binding on my upcoming cannabis book, The Little Black Book of Marijuana, thus starting a tsunami of publicity that money couldn't have bought for the tome.

Thank you, China!

The Atlantic Wire: Chinese Censors Prohibit Printing of U.S. Pot Writer's Book

Seattle Weekly: China Censors Seattle Weekly Columnist Steve Elliott's New Book, Throwing Off Worldwide Distribution By Weeks

The Weed Blog: China Censors The Printing Of Marijuana Activist Steve Elliott's New Book

Little Black Book of Marijuana Rises 600,000 Spots Overnight At Amazon

2011-07-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

I'll take it as a good sign that my book The Little Black Book of Marijuana: The Essential Guide to Cannabis, which prints Monday, August 1, 2011, rose 649,000 spots on Amazon's rankings overnight.

(First screen shot above, taken the night of July 30; second screen shot taken the morning of July 31.)

The book ranked #692,613 on July 30, and had risen to #43,694 on July 31.

Grab it at Amazon, at BarnesandNoble.com, or at your favorite local independent bookstore -- it's available worldwide. If they don't have it, they can get it!

Y'all Gotta See My New Checks

2011-07-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not a check-using person. Normally, I conduct all my banking online. But since the IRS isn't into that type of thing, I was forced to cough up 40 bucks or so to buy a batch of the old-fashioned, paper kind.

So, I think, "Hell. Might as well get some cool ones."

Oh, about that "So many weeds, so little time" slogan. They offered a whole slew of slogans to choose from, divided up into categories. So I went straight (OK, I went stoned) to the "Gardening" section and found that one, supposedly intended for the "pulling weeds OUT of my garden" variety of gardener instead of the "planting weed IN my garden" variety...

Six Weeks Until 'The Little Black Book of Marijuana'

2011-06-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

My book, The Little Black Book of Marijuana: The Essential Guide to the World of Cannabis is coming out in August.

As listed in the current catalog of Peter Pauper Press:

This concise guide to cannabis provides the essentials of cultivating, using, and cooking with weed; identifying the many varieties of pot; and understanding legal and health issues. This Little Black Book also delves into pot culture and history, from Herodotus to the hippies, from the rise of the medical marijuana movement to decriminalization. Includes full-color photographs of marijuana varieties. Steve Elliott is a journalist and editor of the Village Voice Media blog Toke of the Town: Cannabis Culture News and Views.

What I have to add to that is that, given the size constraint of 20,000 words, I packed in as much cannabis lore as I possibly could! And had a great time doing it.

You can pre-order The Little Black Book of Marijuana at Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, and just about every major retailer, as well as at your local independent bookstore.

Toke of the Town and My Opinions

2011-05-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Soccermanic12990 Today 12:57 PM
"Why should they care if you pursue one method of treatment -- a natural, non-toxic herb -- over harsh pharmaceuticals?",
I love the articles TOT has on their front page, but its the unnecessary added opinions that make this stuff comparable to Fox news. Yes, marijuana is on the whole rather safe. Yes, some pharmas have harsh side effects. But please, report the news and not your opinions. Ill rely on Fox and the like when I want my daily dose of subjective journalism.

Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ 4 minutes ago in reply to Soccermanic12990
Soccermanic, let's look at the top of this webpage together.

There -- right under where it says "TOKE OF THE TOWN," there's something I want you to see.

Right after where it says "Cannabis Culture News," there are two more words -- I can hardly make them out, and I guess you couldn't see them either.

Here, let me squint real hard and see if I can read them -- YES!!

"and Views"! those are the words!

"Cannabis Culture News AND VIEWS"!!!!!!!

Do you know what "Views" are? Yeah -- those are also known as OPINIONS!

Oh, and "Thanks for your input."

:-)

Toke of the Town: American Express Classifies Medical Marijuana With Online Porn

Bart Gets Smart

2011-05-24T00:59:00.000-07:00

Cannabis March and Rally in Seattle Saturday, May 14

2011-05-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

Cannabis Freedom March 2011

Seattle

This Saturday, May 14

Rally and March from Volunteer Park to Westlake Park

Live music, speakers, and activism in motion.

It will begin with a rally at Volunteer Park at 11 a.m., with live music until noon followed by speakers from noon unti 1 p.m.

The march itself will begin at 1 p.m. at Volunteer Park marching to Westlake Park and arriving at 2 p.m.

At Westlake the rally will continue with speakers from 2-3:30 p.m. then more live music from 3:30-5 p.m.

Please join us in ending the prohibition against cannabis.

For more information:

email: cannabisfreedommarch@gmail.com

call: 206 618 6458

Follow: www.twitter.com/cannabisfreedom

Blog: http://maryjanesgirl.com/Cannabis_Freedom_March.php

Coming In August: The Little Black Book of Marijuana

2011-04-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

My book, The Little Black Book of Marijuana, is scheduled to be released in August by Peter Pauper Press in New York.

The book is basically the history of cannabis condensed down into 20,000 words. Yeah, I know! But when I get a chance to bring the truth to the masses, I take it -- even if the truth has to be concentrated down into its essence like hash oil.

Some things just can't be concentrated any farther, so in the cultivation chapter, for instance, I basically just handed off the ball to Rosenthal and Cervantes. You do what you gotta do.

A big thanks to photographers Linda Finkle of Seattle and Kym Kemp of San Francisco for their excellent bud and plant shots!

Watch for it at your favorite local bookstore, or get it on Amazon or other online retailers.

Happy 71st Birthday to Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead

2011-03-15T17:45:00.001-07:00

Lesh is More.

That simple saying, popular among Grateful Dead fans who idolize bassist Phil Lesh, is true on multiple levels.

Phil was never content to be "just" a rhythm-keeping bassist, preferring instead, like the rest of the band, to engage in sonic explorations that had much to do with the wondrous and little to do with the obvious.

Phillip Chapman Lesh was born March 15, 1940, in Berkeley, California.

Happy 71st birthday, Phil!

Have Some Cannabis While Watching This

2011-02-03T23:14:00.000-08:00

Lord Byron's Birthday: So We'll Go No More a-Roving

2011-01-22T17:21:00.000-08:00

George Gordon, Lord Byron, born on January 22, 1788, led a dissipated life. In his day, Romantic Poets such as himself lived like rock stars -- cutting a wide swath through polite society and robbing many women and men of their innocence along the way (but giving them some good memories in the process).

He was as famous in his lifetime for his personality cult as for his poetry. He created the concept of the "Byronic hero" -- a defiant, brooding young man, tortured by some darkly mysterious, unforgivable event in his past.

"So We'll Go No More a-Roving" hangs heavy with the poignancy of parties past, memories still glowing with the recollection of youth but slowly fading away.

Only a libertine like Byron could have struck a note this elegaic and final when he was still in his thirties. He knew, even as he lived it, that his intense accelerated lifestyle would lead to an early demise.

He died at the age of 36 and left a legend -- and poetry -- that will live forever.

Happy birthday, Lord Byron!

So We'll Go No More a-Roving

So we'll go no more a-roving
So late into the night,
Though the heart still be as loving,
And the moon still be as bright.
For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul outwears the breast,
And the heart must pause to breathe,
And love itself have rest.
Though the night was made for loving,
And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a-roving
By the light of the moon.

.......

When We Two Parted

When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning
Sunk chill on my brow—
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame:
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me—
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well:
Long, long shall I rue thee,
Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met—
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?
With silence and tears.

Phil Mocek 1, TSA 0: Not Guilty For Refusing To Show ID

2011-01-21T20:37:00.000-08:00

Phil Mocek in an Albuquerque courtroom this week.

An Albuquerque jury handed down a not guilty verdict for my friend Phil Mocek of Seattle, who refused to show his ID to TSA officers at the Albuquerque Sunport.

Phil was arrested in late 2009 after he wouldn't show his ID, and then used a camera to videotape an altercation with TSA officers, reports Charlie Pabst at KOB.com.

He was facing several charges, including failure to obey an officer and concealing his identity, but the jury found him not guilty on all four counts.

CONGRATULATIONS, PHIL!

I'd Feel Comfortable With One Of These Groups...

2011-01-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

...Wanna guess?

It's OK, You Won't Be That Way For Much Longer

2011-01-06T15:09:00.001-08:00

Where Are You, Dean Latimer? Thanks For Everything

2011-01-05T04:20:00.000-08:00

Back in 1977 when I started smoking marijuana, one of the first "stoner" things I did was start reading High Times magazine -- which was a lot different back in the day than it is now (more of a "lifestyle" magazine then than a grow book).

And one of the first great writers I discovered within those wonderful pages was the estimable Dean Latimer, with his street-smart attitude and hard-bitten reporter's instincts, his eternal skepticism when confronted with official pronouncements and his healthy disdain for authority.

Latimer, who started out in the late 1960s with the Screw-like Kiss magazine (this was before the rock band), made a name for himself in the early '70s at National Lampoon before moving to High Times. He had it goin' on.

"I wanna be able to write like this guy," my 17-year-old self thought.

Latimer's words refused to just sit there on the glossy pages of High Times.

They sang, in a way that words can do sometimes when they are shot through with the resonance of a life well-lived, with a rich repository of earthly experience, with a seasoned but eternally fresh viewpoint that makes no wimpy compromises, brooks no interference in its intrepid search for truth, cowers before no sacred cows, respects no undeserving authority.

When I read Dean Latimer, I believed in the possibility of knowledge winning over ignorance, of reason prevailing over silliness, of truth triumphing over deception.

Yes, Latimer -- although he never knew it -- was a major motivator for me to pursue journalism and polish up my writing chops.

And although I feel I've never scaled the heights of an on-his-game Latimer, I do credit the guy for a big chunk of the "tone" that is present in my writing to this day.

Dean has vanished, perhaps somewhat mysteriously, as far as I know. After the 1980s, his appearances in High Times became less frequent, and they never found a comparable dude to replace him.

Dean co-wrote one book, Flowers In The Blood: The Story Of Opium (1981) along with Jeff Goldberg. It is, sadly, now out of print. Amazon says he also wrote the 1999 tome How To Pass A Drug Test: High Times Guide.

The only two real examples of Latimer's writing that I was able to find online are, first of all, "Inside Dope: Raising Appalachia," a High Times piece which appears to come from June 2002, which is actually a long time after I thought he'd stopped appearing in the magazine.

Secondly, I found a great article Dean wrote for Penthouse magazine in 1974, when he was at the height of his powers. It's a real gem, and it's called "Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji And Why Is He Saying All These Terrible Things About God?"

It was doomed to be so. The teenaged Guru is everywhere chaperoned by his businesslike brother, Bal Bhagwan Ji, and his formidable mother Mata Ji, and their image resembles an Oriental Osmond Family. Donny and the Guru have about the same number and intellectual quality of fans, in fact, except that the Guru's are 10 to 15 years older, and they have babies whom they name after the Holy Family. The Guru's family, in brief, is at once exotic enough in appearance and address, and yet bourgeois enough in structure, to appeal irresistibly to the spiritually insecure millions of the West. Unhappily, his commerce with his Eastern homeland is nowhere near so fortuitous.

What a rush of memory and emotion it is to read Dean's words again.

It's very sad to me that a writer the caliber of Latimer has been largely forgotten by the world in this digital age -- so much so, that I was unable to Google up a photo of him.

According to whitepages.com, there are seven people with the name Dean Latimer living in the United States, but none of them is anywhere near New York City, so they probably aren't the Dean I remember.

I don't even know if Latimer is still among the living, but, Dean, if you're out there, THANK YOU.

And if anyone else, anywhere, knows what became of Mr. Latimer, please let me know.

All Together Now: A Marijuana Garden Is Not A 'Lab'

2011-01-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

In an embarrassing display of Bad Journalism, the Miami New Times, one of the sister Village Voice Media blogs of my paying gig, Toke of the Town, has called marijuana gardens "labs."

That's right. Growing God's green plants from the earth now pretty much equals cooking up meth, boys and girls!

"Oh, it's just semantics," one of my friends said. Well... when "semantics" is used to justify locking people in cages for decades (you can get a life sentence for growing pot), then "semantics" becomes a problem.

I thought it was bad enough this week when a couple of yokel media outlets in my home state of Alabama called a marijuana grow room a "lab"... but to get this kind of fathomless stupidity from a supposedly "alternative weekly" just rankles.

Deeply clueless reporter Francisco Alvarado, in "Top Five Florida 420 Busts in 2010," a December 30, 2010 story in the Miami New Times helpfully tells us:

"Marijuana production is at an all-time high in Florida and so are grow house busts. The local, state and federal law enforcement weed eradication program has seen a 50 percent spike in the number of grow labs [emphasis added] in less than four years."

And now, having unbecomingly fallen for a simple-minded yet deceptive cop turn of phrase, he digs the hole deeper:

"It's easy pickings for Johnny Law when you think about it. Growers are stoners. They concoct hair[sic]-brained schemes to build impregnable Kush farms over multiple bowls of Fruit Loops after smoking some Super Lemon Haze."

Hey Francisco, why don't you just let the cops write the story for you? Way to reinforce 1970s pot stereotypes, man. Just so you know, we stoners enjoy those about as much as you must love colorful, "witty" Hispanic slurs.

So here's my comment to Francisco, made on the page of his trashy little article:

Francisco, marijuana gardens are not "labs."

This Orwellian phrase -- which tries to turn growing plants into something sinister and dangerous -- is not only dumb, it's just bad journalism. Quoting a cop calling a marijuana grow operation a "lab" is one thing.

But doing it yourself? That makes me doubt everything in your story.

As if THAT wasn't bad enough, you helpfully tell us that "growers are stoners" and imply that means they are too stupid to avoid getting busted.

Are you aware that most growers are never caught?

Unlike sloppy journalists, who get called on their very public mistakes.

The Real Lesson

2011-01-03T22:04:00.000-08:00

My New Year's Eve Appearance On John Doe Radio

2010-12-31T15:17:00.000-08:00

Oddly Enough, This Has Happened To Me

2010-12-30T23:48:00.001-08:00

You Might As Well Get Used To it

2010-12-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

After Much Research, I Must Conclude That...

2010-12-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

However, research continues...

Splish Splash. How Was I To Know There Was A Party Goin' On?

2010-12-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a nice relaxing herbal bath is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Garcia: Somebody Has To Do It; Pathetic That It Has To Be Us

2010-11-29T14:03:00.000-08:00

At 4:20 PM this Wednesday (December 1), acclaimed Grateful Dead filmmaker and Everything Must Go director Len Dell’Amico will be releasing a rare clip of Jerry Garcia in 1988 concerning the future state of our environment.

Dell-Amico was nice enough to let Reality Catcher readers have an advance peek at the clip (see above).

"I became friends with Garcia in 1980 and 1981 during the production and especially the editing of Dead Ahead, the classic concert film shot at Radio City in New York," Dell'Amico said.

"He sent me a board tape in the summer of '84, and this is when I first heard the Weir-Barlow tune 'Throwing Stones.' What a great and original song, and how amazing was it that a big popular band like the Dead would take on such a serious subject as the destruction of the environment.

"A live version of the song was included in the next full-length video I produced for the Dead, which came out in 1987 and was called So Far. A little-known factoid: Garcia actually co-directed So Far with me," Dell'Amico said.

"So Far went on to become the best-selling concert video of 1988 and it won the American Film Institute's award for best full-length music film of that year.

"Also in 1988, Grateful Dead decided to give a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden in NYC to help save the rainforest. They asked me to create visuals that would directly address rainforest destruction, to show on the live reinforcement screens hanging above the stage while they played Drums/Space/Throwing Stones," Dell'Amico said.

"While prepping for that, I met Randy Hayes of Rainforest Action Network and other eggheads and activists who would be the beneficiaries of the concert, and this is how I first learned about climate change in a serious way," Dell'Amico said.

"It blew my mind.

"Members of the Dead gave a press conference at the U.N. to announce the benefit and to talk about the trouble ahead and raise awareness of ecological issues.

"Ever since then, I have been very focused on the issue of climate change, and I've been able to stay involved through my work with a private family foundation that was started by my father-in-law in the 1990," Dell'Amico said.

"Meanwhile, I had been dreaming about making my own 'story' film since I can remember -- I went to NYU film school -- and when I finally had the time and the means to do it, it was clear to me that my film should be about climate change," Dell'Amico said. "But far from being serious, the movie is darkly comic and the story is entertaining because I felt that would be the best way to get the message across.

"The film is called Everything Must Go," Dell'Amico said.

"Garcia's insightful statement at the U.N. press conference never left my mind over all those years -- he was a very smart guy, on top of all his other accomplishments. Of all the problems we face, climate change is such a huge and unknowable threat that it must be seen as a priority. If the earth becomes unlivable for us humans, we certainly can't work on any of our other problems.

I hope you enjoy the film, and I'd love to hear your comments," Dell'Amico said.

Outlaws We Remain: The Guitar Army Fights On

2010-11-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

Years and years ago when I was a young man, my sister gave me a 1972 book called Guitar Army by a political activist named John Sinclair, a Detroit dude I idolized who got sentenced to 10 years in prison for two joints.

Sinclair, who managed the seminal rock band the MC5, also founded the far-left, anti-racist White Panther Party, which sought to change the world by uniting rock and roll music -- which John called a weapon of cultural revolution -- with politics.

John Lennon gave a Concert To Free John Sinclair and he ended up getting out after a couple years.

Well, anyway -- things are coming full circle.

My boyhood idol, John Sinclair, has now quoted me in an article he wrote Nov. 10 for the Detroit Metro Times. I just found it this morning, and I was thrilled.

Here's the quote:

The White House also is spending about $239 million this year to fund local drug-trafficking task forces, Steve Elliott adds at newsjunkiepost.com, "which in the real world, usually means local cops dressing up like Rambo and tramping through the woods in a wasteful, quixotic and doomed attempt to stop the burgeoning marijuana industry."

The Pothead Pandas

2010-11-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hey, Kitsap: Here's How You Can Help Get Marijuana Legalized

2010-11-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

Attention, Kitsap County, Washington residents: If you're tired of your tax money being wasted on a failed and senseless war on marijuana, you can do something about it.

Marijuana legalization supporters Sensible Washington are organizing in the county, and they tell me that they've divided Kitsap up into 8 districts.

"We still need organizers and volunteers for North Kitsap and Silverdale/Central Kitsap," Sensible Washington's Mary Clare Kersten, who is coordinating efforts in Kitsap County, told Reality Catcher.

"We're organizing volunteers who will help us get signatures on petitions, raise money (we have a great plan to host house parties that have come to be known as the 'Roll Your Own Burrito Parties') and get endorsements from local politicians, sheriffs, etc.," Mary Clare said.

"We have a dynamic team of organizers, and if there's anyone out there who wants to either volunteer or function on the 'organizer' level with us, please ask them to call me at 206-962-0230," Kersten said.

Volunteer training meetings will be happening around the county, according to Kersten.

"We're also looking for businesses to host our petitions and our volunteer/supporter sign-up sheets," she said.

You can volunteer at SensibleWashington.org.

"Even if you don't want to volunteer, please sign up anyway so that we continue to build our base," Mary Clare said. "The sheet number of names is extremely important as we continue to pressure Olympia for its support of legalization."

Dude... What Strain Was That?

2010-10-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Dude... what strain was that?

This Taco Bell Has A Smart Manager...

2010-10-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

Come on, all you other California fast food franchises... Support the people who support you! Light a fire on November 2. YES ON 19!

Plethora of Pretty Pot Pipes

2010-08-22T13:20:00.001-07:00

Plethora of Pretty Pot Pipes
Originally uploaded by alapoet

Hempfest 2010... yeah, it's a helluva party. Check out these pipes.

Let's Fire Boss Hauge As Kitsap County D.A.

2010-08-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

Writer/activist Greg Jablonski

By Greg Jablonski

Kitsap County has had two high profile medical marijuana cases in the past year prosecuted by D.A. Russell Hauge.

In one case, Bruce Olsen was acquitted by a jury of 12 of his peers. In September of last year, Robert Dalton was not so lucky, being found guilty by Judge Anna M. Laurie. She reasoned that he was not a qualifying patient and could take opiate-based painkillers instead, even though Dalton stated that opiates made him sick.

It is unconscionable that Judge Laurie ignored a medical doctor’s opinion and declared by her verdict that she knew medicine and treatment better than a doctor and his patient.

While D.A. Hauge’s blunders are not confined to medical marijuana cases, he is an equal-opportunity scumbag.

Travis Groves had a run-in with Hauge last year after calling in a burglary to his home. Instead of investigating said burglary, the police ran Groves’ name through a criminal database and found him to be a felon and arrested him for his wife’s guns.

Groves recalled thinking, “Someone broke into my house, and I’m the one going to jail for my wife’s guns.”

Groves was indeed a felon. He pleaded guilty in 1990, when he was 18, to breaking into a Shelton-area school. He served nine days in jail, did several hundred hours of community service, and was on probation for two years, his wife Rebecca said. But nothing in his paperwork from Mason County Superior Court warns him he was not to possess firearms, he claims.

Groves did receive a letter from the Department of Corrections that said he could not own guns, but he believed the so-called “firearms notice” covered only the time he was on probation for the burglaries.

While Hauge could have plea bargained out this 20 year long law-abiding citizen, he decided to waste our money on a show trial. And while Hauge did get his conviction of Groves, he petitioned the judge to release him on time served. This is just one of many examples of the waste in the D.A.’s office.

With our economy in a shambles and our state and county running enormous deficits, why are our elected leaders wasting taxpayer’s money prosecuting and incarcerating people that should be left alone?

Renegade judges and prosecutors who choose to go against the public's will should be recalled and removed from office.

Judge Anna M. Laurie and Prosecutor Russ Hauge must be shown the door.

Let’s put some responsible people in their place who reflect the public’s will.

While Anna Laurie’s term isn’t up until 2012, we all can do something about Boss Hauge right now.

Lets all vote him out of office!

Vote for Bruce Danielson for Kitsap County D.A.

The Darling Buds Of May Meet The Ecstasy Of Being

2010-07-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

I got to spend some time with my great-nephew Bronner in Alabama.
He's a chip off the old block.

May was beautiful.

I got to spend it in Alabama where I grew up, with my mom and sisters, and nothing is better than spending happy times with family and friends.

But, as editor of Toke of the Town, Village Voice Media's site of cannabis news, views, rumor and humor, I had work to do, man.

What that came to mean, since my mom's house out in the country (in the Burnout community, where I grew up -- yes, folks, it's true, I really grew up in a place called Burnout) doesn't have internet, was that early each morning, around 6 a.m., I'd drive eight miles into Red Bay and use the most reliable wi-fi in town at Subway.

(Side note: Don't ever count on McDonalds for wi-fi in Red Bay, Alabama. It might work at first, but then you'll be disappointed as it goes out for no apparent reason, sometimes for days. You can no more depend upon it than upon Fox News, which, incidentally, they keep blaring in the restaurant's dining area at top volume, all the time. Not exactly appetizing!)

What a great experience Subway was, though! Not only did they have my kind of breakfast food (anything featuring sausage and eggs) and their Internet connection rocked, they were also some of the friendliest people you'd ever want to meet.

This is one of the stories I wrote sitting there in the
Red Bay, Alabama Subway during the month of May.

Here's my branch office in Red Bay. Photo: msmudcat2001

They made me feel welcome in their place of business, even though I had to spend from 3 to 5 hours a day in the place, cranking out stories about marijuana. Talk about the darling buds of May!

And let me tell you, every morning of that great month in Alabama, I'd drive into Red Bay having absolutely no idea what I was going to be writing about that day. I'd check all my sources, pick my material, and have five or six stories up by lunch. That was just as fulfilling and exciting as hell, in itself.

But add to that the fact that Toke of the Town got almost half a million pageviews that month, and I'd say my little experiment making Subway my office five days a week worked out just fine. Cannabis has been very good to me.

For a nostalgic kick just to top everything off, Subway is across the street from the First United Methodist Church in Red Bay, the church I attended my entire childhood and youth with Mom and Dad. That's where I got christened as a baby, baptized as a young man, and joined the church.

In my almost 30 years in the journalism business, there have been a lot of highs (of every kind) and a few lows, too.

May, as a month, was one of those high points. Not only was I writing material with which I was emotionally and professionally engaged -- stories which I felt to be important -- but that writing reached a large and, evidently, appreciative audience.

Time keeps on slippin'. Summer's lease hath all too short a date. Good times and bad keep passing on by, and the kaleidoscope keeps turning.

But those fleeting, thrilling times when everything is hitting on all cylinders, when intent and karma and the universe all dance perfectly together in a scintillating swirl of synchronicity, when the ecstasy of being peeks through all the cracks of everyday life -- well, those are the times that make it all worthwhile.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

~ William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

The 24 Types Of Libertarian

2010-06-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

LeftyCartoons.com: The 24 Types of Libertarian

Washington Patients Now Have Better Access To Medical Marijuana

2010-06-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

By Steve Elliott in Toke of the Town

Photo: World of Work

Starting Thursday, June 10, Washington residents with terminal or debilitating medical conditions will have better access to getting authorized to use medical marijuana, a prominent Democratic legislator has announced.

Washington's newest improvement on the medical marijuana program expands the number of health care providers who are legally allowed to recommend medical marijuana to patients, according to its sponsor, state Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle).

Until now, only medical doctors could legally authorize patients to use cannabis medicinally in Washington State. Senate Bill 5798, Kohl-Welles, now extends the ability to authorize the medical use of marijuana to other licensed health professionals who are authorized to prescribe controlled substances.

Professionals who may now authorize medical marijuana use include naturopathic doctors, advanced registered nurse practitioners, physician assistants and osteopathic physician assistants.

"Many patients rely on medical professionals other the MDs and ODs," Kohl-Welles said. "To remain committed to Washington voters' long commitment to medical marijuana for qualifying patients, we must allow additional medical professionals to recommend medical marijuana."

Photo: Senate Democrats WA

State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles sponsored SB 5798, which expands the number of healthcare professionals who can authorize medical marijuana

"This bill will provide real relief to those who are suffering, particularly those who live in rural areas and low-income individuals who typically see advanced nurse practitioners rather than MDs," Kohl-Welles said.

"Providing this relief honors the will of the voters who overwhelmingly approved the medical marijuana initiative in 1998," Kohl-Welles said. "It will not make marijuana more readily available to non-qualifying individuals."

"Allowing responsible health care professionals to also recommend medical marijuana -- a substance far safer and less addictive than many Schedule II opiates -- simply makes sense," said legislative analyst Robert J. Capecchi of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).

"Furthermore, many patients, especially those in rural areas, have limited access to physicians, so they receive their health care from other professionals, such as advanced practice registered nurses," Capecchi said. "With this important change, access to a physician will no longer be a prerequisite to obtaining a medical marijuana recommendation."

"It is always a good day when legislators and executives listen to logic and reason and pass sensible marijuana policy," Capecchi said.

"Kudos for this new law can be directed at bill sponsor Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, and the 85 dues-paying members of the Cannabis Defense Coalition, who worked to promote this low-profile legislation," said CDC spokesman Ben Livingston.

You can read the entire text of SB 5798 as it was signed into law by Gov. Gregoire here (PDF).

Toke of the Town: Washington Patients Now Have Better Access To Medical Marijuana

If Housepets Were Libertarians

2010-05-04T19:06:00.001-07:00

Travelocity Sucks And Has Horrible Customer Service

2010-05-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

From: Steve Elliott
Date: Sun, 02 May 2010 16:36:04 -0700
To: Joel Frey
Subject: Hi Joel, it's alapoet from Twitter

Hello Joel,

I have, today, had the worst customer service experience of my life, thanks to Travelocity.

Last December, I bought a round-trip ticket from Travelocity, and then was hospitalized for emergency surgery and was unable to make the first leg of the trip.

I continued to receive updates (on Feb. 11, Feb. 25, March 9, and March 21) on my apparently still valid round-trip ticket. The most recent itinerary update was received just a few weeks ago for the return trip portion, which was supposed to happen today.

As my flight was to leave at 7:05 a.m., we had to get up at 4 a.m. After driving 50 miles to the airport and trying to check in, THEN I find out that my ticket had, in fact, been cancelled in December when I missed the first part of the round trip due to emergency surgery.

I was never notified that my ticket had been cancelled -- and, in fact, I continued to receive itinerary updates on a regular basis FOR THIS TICKET.

Any reasonable person would conclude, based on these itinerary updates FROM TRAVELOCITY, that I still had a valid ticket.

That was not the case. The airline agents, and then the Travelocity agents (who were very challenged in their English and almost impossible to understand) were singularly unhelpful, just quoting "policy" to me over and over and NEVER addressing the fact that Travelocity sent my itinerary updates for this ticket, WHICH DID NOT MENTION IT WAS CANCELLED.

I have been a Travelocity customer for 13 years now, since 1997. Due to today's events, I will never, ever use your company again.

Further, I intend to tell everyone I know about your abysmally bad customer service.

I intend to use the platforms available to me to spread the word far and wide about your MISLEADING emails sent to me, updating an itinerary for a ticket THAT HAD BEEN CANCELLED FOR MONTHS.

Unhappy customer? You bet!

Am I also one who is (unfortunately for your company) able to spread the word far and wide?

YOU BET.

Steve Elliott

.......

Additional Resources

Travelocity Sucks

ecorover - Travelocity Sucks: Boycott Travelocity

Travelocity Complaints: Travelocity Sucks and Has Horrible Customer Service!

epinions: Travelocity Sucks

Travel with RJ: Travelocity Sucks!

my3cents.com: Travelocity Sucks and Has Horrible Customer Service

flyertalk: Beware - Travelocity Sucks!

usabilityworks.org: Travelocity Continues To Suck

Kworthy.com: Travelocity Sucks

Seattle Marijuana Liberation March May 1, 2010

2010-04-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Marijuana March in Seattle • May 1, 2010

Volunteer Park 1 pm

March to Westlake at 2:30 pm

Rally at Westlake Center until about 7:30 pm

Jack, this 420 one's for you! SPREAD THE WORD!

Don't live in Seattle? Find the details for the march nearest you.

More than 300 cities worldwide!

Details at Toke of the Town

Upcoming Marijuana March Reaches Goal Of 300 Cities

Hey, Tea Bagger! Government Can't Do Anything Right, Eh? Well, Read This

2010-04-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

This was written by an anonymous someone at Something Awful and was reproduced a few months ago on Reddit. Here's the whole wonderful thing:

This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility.

After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

I watched this while eating my breakfast of US Department of Agriculture-inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

At the appropriate time as regulated by the US Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved automobile and set out to work on the roads build by the local, state, and federal Departments of Transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issed by the Federal Reserve Bank.

On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the US Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.

After spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, enjoying another two meals which again do not kill me because of the USDA, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to ny house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshal's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all it's valuables thanks to the local police department.

I then log on to the Internet which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on freerepublic.com and Fox News forums about how "SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD" because "the government can't do anything right."

Yes, Virginia. Tea Bagger = Dumb Ass.

Washington: Marijuana Legalization Gaining Momentum

2010-03-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

By Steve Elliott at Toke of the Town

"It's an idea whose time has come," said Douglas Hiatt, co-author of Initiative 1068, which would legalize marijuana in Washington State.

And now it's time for voters to take matters into their own hands, according to Hiatt. "This year, one in six legislators sponsored marijuana reform legislation," the activist attorney said Tuesday at a press conference on the steps of the Capitol Building in Olympia.

"And again this year, major reform did not get out of committee," Hiatt said. "So we formed Sensible Washington and wrote an initiative that removes the criminal and civil penalties for adults."

Every poll taken shows that if I-1068 gets on the ballot, it will win. Washington voters support sensible marijuana laws.

Tuesday's press conference detailed a wide and diverse array of endorsements, from former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper to Republican legislator Toby Nixon.

Photo: Douglas Hiatt

Douglas Hiatt: "It's time to change the law"

Six bills were introduced in Washington this legislative session regarding marijuana legalization, decriminalization, and strengthening medical marijuana provisions.

The legalization bill, HB 2401, had a fiscal note prepared by the Office of Financial Management detailing millions in prosecution costs, not including local police enforcement. The same fiscal note suggested revenue of $300 million would be created by legalizing and taxing cannabis.

Nationally, the Obama Administration, through Attorney General Eric Holder, has told federal prosecutors to stand down on medical marijuana "because we don't want a war on our citizens."

According to Sensible Washington, ending marijuana prohibition is comparable to ending the prohibition on alcohol. Washington was the 25th state to ratify the 21st Amendment, on Oct. 3, 1933.

Seventy-seven years later, we've had four Presidents who admitted marijuana use, along with dozens of Olympic athletes, thousands of artists, and millions of ordinary people -- all of whom are considered criminals under current law.

"It's time to change the law," Hiatt said.

Graphic: photobucket.com

An Angus Reid poll conducted Dec. 3-4 showed that 68 percent of Americans believe the "War On Drugs" is a failure. Nationally, 53 percent support legalization.

In Washington, Survey USA's poll for KING-TV showed support for marijuana legalization is even stronger: 56 percent of respondents said legalizing cannabis is a good idea. Outside Seattle, there is strong support even in Eastern Washington, traditionally considered the "conservative" end of the state, with a majority, 52 percent, supporting pot legalization.

"Washington citizens have embraced common-sense, pragmatic reform, time and again," said Sensible Washington's Cindi Laws, "leading an unwilling government in numerous progressive reforms, from public power to public disclosure of campaign finance, increases in the minimum wage, reduction in toxics and nuclear waste, to legalization of abortion, medical marijuana, and the control of one's own death."

Volunteers are gathering signatures to qualify for November's ballot. The magnitude of the effort is huge. A single volunteer signature gatherer can get about 20 signatures an hour, on a good day, on an issue with broad public support.

Marijuana legalization has that broad support, but to gather the 300,000 or so signatures required to qualify for the ballot takes many hours, much coordination, and plenty of help. Campaign support and coordination of volunteers takes money.

Supporters can help get Initiative 1068 onto the ballot in November, first by signing it (here are locations where you can sign), and then by donating at:

Sensible Washington: Donate

Download the I-1068 Petition (PDF)

Donwload the I-1068 Poster (PDF)

UW Looking For Marijuana 'Addicts'; Will Pay $150

2010-03-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

Ever known someone who wanted help quitting pot? Me neither.

By Steve Elliott at Toke of the Town

They might have an easier time finding unicorns.

The University of Washington says it is looking for people who want to quit pot.

The UW School of Social Work's Innovative Programs Research Group is looking for 70 "marijuana-dependent adults" in the Puget Sound area to participate in a clinical research trial testing approaches for people who want to stop using cannabis, reports KING5.com.

The university says research has shown that nearly 3.6 million Americans use pot on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, UW then puts its reputation as a center of higher learning in serious danger by absurdly claiming that "between one-third and one-half of those are dependent."

I'd love to know where the University of Washington got those numbers, but since they seem to have only the most tenuous of connections to shared reality, I'm guessing they're from the "pull fake statistics out your ass" school of thought, sub-variety "I'll say anything to get one of those fat government NIDA grants."

"When people smoke marijuana they don't intend to become dependent on it, but marijuana becomes pervasive over time," said Cynthia Shaw, project director of what they're calling the "Marijuana Counseling Project."

"People work hard in treatment programs, and many stop or reduce their marijuana use while in treatment but lose ground quickly once they leave treatment," said Shaw, who obviously has very little real-world experience with -- or, apparently, even casual knowledge of! -- marijuana.

What Shaw didn't mention -- and I'm sure it was just an "oversight," umm hmm -- was that nearly all those people in rehab programs "working so hard" to quit marijuana were forced into those programs under threat of being thrown in jail.

The judge says "Go to Narcotics Anonymous and tell them you're a pot addict, or else go to jail." Bingo! Instant marijuana addicts! Works like a charm.

In any event, the Marijuana Counseling Project will test two nine-session counseling "proven treatments" (is your bullshit detector going off? I know mine is going crazy), "a blend of motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy."

Participants will be offered additional counseling sessions "as needed," and half will be randomly assigned to receive post-counseling "checkups," which may well be a synonym for "piss tests."

To be eligible, volunteers must be at least 18, "want help in stopping marijuana use," and be willing to travel to Seattle's University District for "counseling."

Oh, and if you need a little additional "motivation" to claim you "want help in stopping marijuana use," they'll pay you to say so. Participants will receive $50 for each of two post-counseling interviews, and an additional $50 incentive if they complete both.

Let's see, that $150 would get me half an ounce...

If you are interested in fleecing these poor credulous academics by participating in their sham "study," or if you have questions about it, call Cynthia Shaw at (206) 616-3235 between 9 and 7 Monday-Thursday or 9-5 Friday, or email mcpsvcs@uw.edu.

Is The Washington Legislature Really 'Too Busy' To Protect Medical Marijuana Patients?

2010-02-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

Artwork: Jimmy Wheeler
The late Jimmy Wheeler, a medical marijuana patient in Washington, created this artwork. Now a proposed patient protection bill will be named in his honor.

By Steve Elliott at Toke of the Town

As most medical marijuana patients in the state already know, the current medical marijuana law in Washington doesn't protect patients from search, arrest or prosecution.

The recent Washington Supreme Court ruling in State v. Fry further highlighted how little protection -- as in almost none! -- the current law gives "legal" patients.

Medical marijuana activists Ken Martin and Steve Sarich of patient advocacy group CannaCare contacted every Senator and Representative in Washington at the beginning of the current 2010 legislative session, attempting to find a sponsor for their new bill that would finally offer legal patients protection from arrest and prosecution.

"We could not find a single sponsor for this bill," Sarich told Toke of the Town. "Those I actually spoke with told me they were 'too busy' this session."

"This made us curious about what, exactly, these legislators were so busy working on (besides new taxes on just about everything)," Sarich said. "What we found amazed us."

"Here are just a few of the bills that our legislators believed were more important than protecting sick and dying patients in Washington," Sarich said.

XB 6255
Concerning mute swans.

SB 5192
Allowing dogs in bars.

SB 6207
Allowing local governments to create golf cart zones.

SB 6284
Recognizing Leif Erickson day.

HB 1024
Designating Aplets and Cotlets as the state candy.

XB 6128
Concerning taxation of little cigars.

HB 1137
Protecting landowners' investments in Christmas trees.

SB 5011
Prohibiting the sale or distribution of certain novelty lighters.

HB 1638
Concerning colon hydrotherapy.

HB 1993
Allowing fishing license holder to use two poles in selected state waters.

"Perhaps these bills are truly important to some people," Sarich allowed. "That said, I think it's insulting to tell patients that making Aplets and Cotlets the official state candy is more important than keeping patients from being searched, arrested and prosecuted."

Medical Marijuana Lobby Day: Wednesday, February 24

"It's time to send the message to our elected officials, and Medical Marijuana Lobby Day is the opportunity to do that!" Sarich said. "Show up and have your voice be heard."

"We are gathering at 1 p.m. on the north stairs of the Legislative Building," Sarich said. "We'll have white booths there with literature, posters and special medical marijuana patient scarves with buttons that say "STOP ARRESTING PATIENTS."

According to Sarich, the goal is to educate legislators, "let them know we are voters and activists," to to gather legislative sponsors for the "Patient Protection Act" for the 2011 legislative session.

"The bill will be named the 'Jimmy Wheeler Memorial Patient Protection Act' in honor of my friend and longtime activist who was providing medical marijuana to patients before there there was legal medical marijuana," Sarich said.

"Jimmy died recently without ever seeing patients free from arrest and prosecution in his lifetime," Sarich said. "Please ask yourself how many more of us have to die before they realize we are not criminals."

"How many patients need to be persecuted before our elected officials provide us with the same protections offered to the rest of the disabled and terminally ill patients in this state?" Sarich asked. "I'm tired of being a second class citizen!"

"We will do our best to arrange transportation for you to this historic event," Sarich said.

For more information, contact Ken Martin at (509) 235-5485 or Steve Sarich at (206) 407-3017.

Victory In Washington: Jury Finds Medical Marijuana Patient Not Guilty

2010-02-18T18:07:00.001-08:00

By Steve Elliott in Toke of the Town

Once again, a jury has seen through the lies and distortions and found a medical marijuana patient not guilty.

Washington state jurors Thursday afternoon found Cammie McKenzie, who grows marijuana to treat her chronic back pain, not guilty of all charges in a case where prosecutors tried to portray her as a drug dealer.

The prosecution's unsuccessful case was notably nasty, even for a medical marijuana arrest in a state where some law enforcement officials have been slow to adjust to the legalization of medicinal cannabis passed by voters in 1998.

"This case is not about medicine. This case is about money," Snohomish County Deputy Prosecutor Matthew Baldock said in his opening statements Tuesday. "The defendant was masquerading as a marijuana patient and was in reality a drug dealer, no question."

One can only imagine the incensed reaction of Snohomish County's good voters when they realize their scarce tax dollars are being wasted on foolishness like this.

Prosecutors and narcotics detectives claimed McKenzie, 24, was using her medical marijuana authorization as a front for an illegal pot farm at her home in Bothell, Washington, reports Diana Hefley of the Everett Herald Net.

McKenzie said that prosecutors based their case on the word of her former roommate, a "known drug dealer" who was promised he wouldn't be prosecuted if he testified against McKenzie.

Jurors ultimately didn't buy the prosecution's claims and declared McKenzie not guilty of manufacturing marijuana, which is a felony.

Baldock called two witnesses, both detectives with the Bellevue-based Eastside Narcotics Task Force in his case against McKenzie.

Defense attorney Natalie Tarantino asked the judge to throw out the charge against McKenzie due to a lack of evidence, including the state's failure to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that her client is, in fact, the person charged with the crime.

Superior Court Judge George Appel denied that motion, instead allowing Baldock to bring a detective back on the stand to testify to the defendant's identity.

Jurors were shown a copy of a driver's license picturing Cameron Scott Wieldraayer. That was the defendant's name before she changed her gender and her name. The detective identified the person on the driver's license as McKenzie.

McKenzie herself took the stand Wednesday, testifying at length about marijuana growing methods. She currently runs an Internet business selling growing equipment.

The defendant explained how medical marijuana alleviates her symptoms. Marijuana "stops the brain from acknowledging the pain," allowing her to function, she said.

McKenzie told jurors she consumes up to a quarter-ounce a day. She adamantly denied that she was selling marijuana or using her grow operation to make a profit.

Washington Legislature Drops The Ball (Again) On Marijuana Decrim

2010-02-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

Never mind what the people of Washington want. The Legislature thinks pot is just too scary.

By Steve Elliott at Toke of the Town

Cowardly career politicians, out of touch with their own constituents and terrified of being branded "soft on drugs," have once again dropped the ball on decriminalizing marijuana.

Senate Bill 5615, which would have freed up Washington's criminal justice resources by making adult possession of small amounts of marijuana an infraction carrying a fine, rather than a misdemeanor carrying mandatory jail time, failed to get a vote in the Washington State Senate Tuesday.

"This means efforts to address adult marijuana use through a civil, public health approach, rather than a failed criminalization approach, have died for the 2010 legislative session," said Alison Holcomb, drug policy director, ACLU of Washington.

"The ACLU of Washington is disappointed by the Legislature's failure to pass this bill despite strong and consistent public support for it," Holcomb said.

"An overwhelming majority of Washington voters support the modest change proposed by SB 5615 -- a change already made in 13 other states, 11 of them as long ago as the 1970s, with no adverse impact," Holcomb said.

According to Holcomb, studies in those states demonstrate no increase in marijuana use among adults or youth, results echoed in jurisdictions like Seattle, where adult marijuana possession has been the lowest law enforcement priority since 2003.

"In 2008, police and prosecutors filed 12,428 cases involving misdemeanor marijuana possession by adults in Washington courts -- using funds that would be far better spent addressing other priorities, including violent crime," Holcomb pointed out.

"The Washington State Office of Financial Management estimated that SB 5615 and its companion HB 1177 would have made approximately $15-16 million in scarce public safety dollars available to combat true public safety threats, and would have directed significant resources to sorely needed, state-funded treatment and protection services," Holcomb said.

"We applaud Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, prime sponsor of SB 5615, for her tireless efforts to advocate for sensible reforms grounded in reason, science, and fiscal responsibility," Holcomb said. "And we hope our Legislature will get the electorate's message in 2011 and pass marijuana decriminalization legislation."

"It's time to stop wasting money on arresting and jailing adults for marijuana use and invest instead in proven prevention and treatment programs," Holcomb said.

Social Blade Interview: Medical Marijuana And Legalization

2010-02-13T01:34:00.000-08:00

I was honored to be the guest on Social Blade Episode 28, February 12, 2010.

For the first time ever, the cutting-edge social media show takes on the topic of cannabis.

Go to 42:30 in the video for the beginning of a discussion of medical marijuana and marijuana law reform.

Many thanks to hosts Patrick Parise, Victor Barrera, and Jason Urgo for having me on and for being so hospitable.

I enjoyed the chance to get the word out!

WA Corrections Head Covers Up For Misbehaving Anti-Pot Officers

2010-02-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

Graphic: thefreshscent.com
OK, quick: You're head of the Department of Corrections. Officers under you misbehave and improperly arrest a medical marijuana patient. What do you do? Lie and cover up for them, if you're Eldon Vail of the Washington DOC.

By Steve Elliott in Toke of the Town

The head of the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC), Eldon Vail, seems to put a lot more effort into covering up the lousy job his subordinates are doing, than in actually doing his own job.

The Washington DOC, following the example of the not-cool Attorney General Rob McKenna, is already notorious for its extremely hard line against the use of medical marijuana for individuals on probation.

Now, newly revealed documents show that Vail and the DOC have been involved in misconduct, cover-ups, and possibly outright law-breaking, reports Lee Rosenberg at the highly recommended Seattle political blog, Horses Ass.

Photo: Joel Sanders

Lee Rosenberg broke the story at Seattle political blog Horses Ass

Kathy Parkins, a medical marijuana patient from Washington who has fibromyalgia, spent some time visiting in Southern California in 2007. She decided to make a trip into Arizona to visit a friend before heading back up to Washington for Thanksgiving.

Along the way, on November 14, 2007, she was stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint just after crossing the Arizona state line.

Arizona is not a medical marijuana state (it passed a law by voter initiative in 1996, but the law requires federal approval before it takes effect), so Parkins was arrested and faced three marijuana charges after a drug-sniffing dog located less than a quarter-ounce she had in her possession.

Parkins didn't make it home for Thanksgiving. Instead, she spent more than three weeks in an Arizona jail before finally being released in January 2008. She had to return to Arizona several times, and at considerable expense, for court appearances.

Parkins was eventually sentenced to probation by an Arizona judge.

In order for Parkins to spend her probationary period at home back in Washington, an Interstate Compact was required. These are agreements between states to have someone on probation move from one state's supervision to another, and I can tell you from personal experience they are a real bureaucratic pain in the ass.

What neither Parkins nor her Arizona probation officer realized was how the Washington DOC was trying to fight its own battle against medical marijuana users and the law passed by Washington's voters in 1998.

When she was allowed to return to Washington, Parkins moved in with a fellow medical marijuana patient named Carla Cole, who had heard about Parkins' predicament and volunteered to help.

Improper Arrest

In May 2008, hours after Parkins got an updated medical marijuana authorization from Dr. Bethany Rolfe, Community Corrections Officer (CCO) Jeremy Praven, along with another officer, conducted a "home inspection" at Cole's West Seattle residence and discovered Cole's small legal garden of nine cannabis plants.

Praven then contacted Seattle Police. When the cops arrived, they determined Cole's small grow operation was completely legal, apologized to Cole for bothering her, and took no action other than filing a routine report.

Then a third Corrections officer, Michael Schemnitzer, arrived at Cole's residence.

"While the CCOs were in my home, one very young man said to me, a retiree in my 60s, and poor Kathy who is visibly pained and stressed, 'I don't care about her and I don't care about her problems and I don't care about you and I don't care about your problems," Cole wrote in a complaint email to the DOC the day after the arrest.

Cole's email complaint continued:

Then your guys came back with a new guy who chose to speak to Kathy SO RUDELY and with such contempt I just had to add "Please" to his command for her to descend the stairs. This was in my home, and I naturally feel a right to ask people to behave in a civil way there.

Then, he said that because I said "please" he was going to take her in, which he did. I told him his cruelty does not become him and I'm telling you the cruelty of your staff does not become you. To make me feel like I sent my friend to prison because I asked her to be treated with kindness in my home - someone who has committed no real crime at all - is just so mean I'm speechless.

After being arrested by Schemnitzer, Parkins spent a week in King County Jail with no charges and no hearing. Her health continued to deteriorate as she tried, unsuccessfully, to get information about her case.

All week long, her friend and housemate Cole sent frantic emails to elected officials and DOC employees, trying to find out what has happening.

Six days after the arrest, on the evening of May 27, Cole sent emails to several people in the media. The very next day, DOC officials began looking into the situation, and on May 28, Parkins was finally released from custody.

DOC Field Administrator Donta Harper admitted in an internal email, obtained by the Cannabis Defense Coalition under a Freedom Of Information request, than the CCOs had no authority to detain Parkins in the first place, because at the time she was still under the supervision of Arizona probation officials.

Harper followed up the next day by sending a letter to Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, admitting fault in the arrest.

A few days later, after several attempts to follow up with officials in both Arizona and Washington, Parkins discovered a nationwide arrest warrant had been posted for her from Arizona, based upon a denial of the Interstate Compact agreement filled out by Officer Praven.

Falsified Paperwork

When an Arizona official, in June 2009, read Parkins the paperwork Officer Praven had filled out after her arrest and sent to Arizona, she discovered it contained a number of inaccuracies and outright falsehoods.

That same day, the Washington DOC notified Arizona probation officials to cancel the nationwide warrant. They were now rescinding their initial denial of the Interstate Compact, they said; Parkins could now stay in Washington and apply to use medical marijuana while on probation.

Despite repeated attempts, Parkins was unable to obtain a copy of the Interstate Compact denial filled out by Officer Praven. She said DOC officials claimed it was lost.

She had still never seen the document until a few weeks ago, when CDC obtained the document as part of their information request.

And when she finally saw Officer Praven's paperwork, she realized it contained many falsehoods.

Ms. Parkins has no family ties in Washington. She stated that she wanted to live in Washington because of the marijuana laws.

Parkins was in fact born and reared in Washington, has two grown children in the state, and a grandchild born while she was in an Arizona courtroom. And she says she never said anything about "wanting to live in Washington because of the marijuana laws."

Ms. Parkins was living with individuals from the Marijuana Growers Association of Washington.

Neither Cole nor Parkins has any idea how Officer Praven came up with this claim. No such organization exists, according to everyone else involved.

'Open Hostility' To Medical Marijuana Law

So what we're left with is this:

On May 21, 2008, CCOs Jeremy Praven and Michael Schemnitzer improperly arrested Parkins; Praven then filed a report with both falsehoods and intentionally misleading statements, attempting to have her sent back to Arizona, a state where she has no family and has never lived.

Parkins still held out hope that once her doctor filed the necessary paperwork, she'd be allowed to use medical pot. But only July 23, 2008, two months after her arrest, the DOC denied her request to use the medicine that she'd been legally using for years before they had her improperly arrested.

Lee Rosenberg sums it up best at Horses Ass:

The entire situation had become surreal. A person who broke a law in Arizona -- for something that's completely legal here [in Washington] -- was now being harassed for engaging in that legal activity, despite the fact that even the officials in Arizona seemed indifferent to her medical marijuana use while she was back in Washington... At this point, it's clear that the DOC was denying medical marijuana use based on an open hostility towards the voter-approved law...

Cole demanded the CCOs involved in Parkins' arrest be reprimanded for their behavior during and after the bust. After several failed attempts, she sent a letter directly to the head of the Washington DOC, Eldon Vail.

This past May a recent tenant and friendly acquaintance who, like me, is authorized in Washington to use marijuana medicinally, was visited here by your Community Corrections Officers. The friend, [Kathy Parkins] is on an interstate compact probation from Arizona, which she thought was also a medical marijuana state, but isn't.

She was roughly and unfairly removed from my home to the county jail downtown where she spent a truly miserable week with no contact from you whatsoever. The paperwork was filled with inaccuracies, and further moves by her CCO, Jeremy Praven in West Seattle, seem also to be filled with fabrications and are utterly unworthy of any decent government.

The Cover-Up

Photo: The Associated Press

Eldon Vail "leads" the WA DOC by lying and covering up the misdeeds of his subordinates

When Vail finally responded -- nearly three months later, on February 20, 2009 -- the DOC was still refusing to release the falsified document to Parkins, and, as revealed by Rosenberg's investigative reporting, Vail attempted to cover up what his officer had done:

A review of jail records and discussion with staff indicates that Ms. Merry-Perkins [sic] was booked into King County Jail without any appearance of physical injury. Through a review of her field file, discussion with the assigned CCO and the unit supervisor, there is no evidence to support your statements that the CCOs inaccurately filled out paperwork or fabricated her supervision paperwork from Arizona.

Ten months later, in December 2009, due to the CDC's information request, the document the DOC had been trying to hide finally came to light -- and it proves that Vail lied to cover up for the actions of CCO Jeremy Praven.

Parkins was finally authorized, in January 2009, to use medical marijuana while on probation -- one of only two patients in the state allowed to do so.

.......

Documents Available for Public Inspection

The Cannabis Defense Coalition has uploaded for public inspection all the documents obtained from the Department of Corrections.

The complete PDF files are rather large -- 45 megabytes for installment one, 23 megs for installment two, and 19 megs for installment three. The documents are also split into smaller files for easier download. All of the PDF files are searchable.