'Prince of Pot' pleads guilty; agrees to 5-year prison term

'Prince of Pot' pleads guilty; agrees to 5-year prison term
Monday, May 24, 2010 By LEVI PULKKINEN, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Marijuana seed dealer Marc Emery -- Canada's purported "Prince of Pot" and a former candidate for mayor of Vancouver -- has pleaded guilty to drug charges that all but guarantee him a five-year stay in prison.

Emery, 52, and two others stood accused of selling millions of marijuana seeds to customers around the world.

He pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana as part of a plea agreement that would see him serve the mandatory minimum sentence for the crime.

He will be sentenced Aug. 27 and remains in federal custody.

His indictment was heralded by one top Drug Enforcement Administration official as "a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade … but also to the marijuana legalization movement," prompting Emery's supporters to describe him as a political prisoner.

Indicted in 2005, Emery fought extradition in the courts while trying to pressure Canadian authorities to block his transfer to the United States. He arrived Thursday in U.S. District Court at Seattle in preparation for Monday's plea hearing.

A plea deal struck between Emery and prosecutors would see him imprisoned for five years; two of his former co-defendants have previously pleaded guilty and received probation.

Shortly before his extradition, Emery's wife, Jodie Emery, accused Canadian authorities of aiding the American government in an attempt to "silence the most vocal opponent of the drug war."

Announcing the charges against Emery five years ago, then-DEA head Karen Tandy nearly admitted the same.

In a bellicose statement, Tandy called the move against Emery "a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the U.S. and Canada, but also to the marijuana legalization movement."

Emery, an outspoken proponent of marijuana law reform and former publisher of Cannabis Culture magazine, stood accused of operating a mail-order seed business. Federal authorities assert Emery claimed to make $3 million in the year before his arrest selling the seeds.

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada," Tandy continued in the 2005 statement. "Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on."

As Emery made his first appearance in an American court Thursday, a small group of supporters protested his incarceration outside the Stewart Street federal courthouse.

Among those gathered was Seattle resident Vivian McPeak, a Hempfest founder and outspoken advocated for marijuana law reform who called Emery "a political prisoner of the United States' drug war."

"It's an embarrassment to our home town," said McPeak, who was joined Thursday by Sunil Aggarwal, a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Washington's medical school who recently spearheaded a successful effort to get the American Medical Association to change its position on medical marijuana

McPeak noted Emery's indictment has done nothing to chill the mail order marijuana seed industry. Anyone seeking seeds can still get them from a variety of sellers online.

As Emery's supporters in his native Canada have done, McPeak faulted the Canadian government for cooperating with the DEA during the investigation and for handing Emery over to U.S. prosecutors.

"To me, this is like America extraditing someone to a country where they'd be executed for drugs," McPeak said.

Emery remained in federal custody Monday. It is expected that Emery will petition to be transferred to a Canadian prison after he arrives at a federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.

According to new gallup pole: Support for Legalizing Marijuana Reaches All-Time High

October 19, 2009

Support for Legalizing Marijuana Reaches All-Time High

Forty-four percent of Americans think the use of marijuana should be made legal, up from the 36% who said the same at this time last year, and the highest in Gallup's history of asking this question.

http://www.gallup.com/video/123734/Support-Legalizing-Marijuana-Reaches-Time-High.aspx

Life, Liberty, Justice, and Cannabis

Think activism doesn't pay off? Think again! Click here to see Council Members Marti Emerald & Donna Frye thank the community members who volunteer their time for our rights, & set a meeting with medical marijuana activists scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, July 8th @ 1:30 p.m. at City Hall on 3rd & C St in downtown San Diego, 92101. This meeting is with the Public Safety & Neighborhood Committee. Each speaker will get two minutes; If you don't want to speak, you may allot your time to someone else- there are plenty of people with plenty to say- so please come down & invite everyone that may be interested.

Thursday night, don't miss it- Hope is Unlimited. The Hope group is a great place to voice your concerns, share your struggles, meet & make new friends, & give or receive support. Be sure to check out Hope Report #2 & Hope Report #3. Visit Hope TV.

OPERATION ENDLESS SUMMER / GREEN Rx Victim Eugene Davidovich at court Monday July 13th, 2009 - 8:15 am San Diego Superior Court 220 W. Broadway San Diego, CA 92101 http://www.EugeneDavidovich.com/

Though it may seem as all is well in San Diego with so many coops & collectives forming, ID cards being issued by the County, & Obama backing the Feds off, but San Diego court rooms are a whole other story. Imagine being a medical marijuana defendant, & the judge allows only law enforcement to testify, while your witnesses get denied, your Physician's recommendation: "heresy," & the undercover officer, who went out & received a valid doctor's recommendation with your tax money is heralded a hero, & yourself a dealer of illegal drugs & a threat to society.

Illegal drugs & a threat to society... over Marijuana? CA Prop 215 passed with 56% voter approval in 1996. Every day new research is yielding more & more beneficial facts about the uses of cannabis & hemp. Recent reports are showing that 70-90% of adults want cannabis taxed & regulated.

So why is San Diego's District Attorney's office, prosecuting medical marijuana people so aggressively? $$, fear, ignorance?? Week after week marijuana is disregarded as the miracle plant that it is. Non-violent offenders, who go through the court process, get drained themselves (financially, emotionally, physically, psychologically, etc), but provide a lot of paychecks. Judges, lawyers, bailiffs, secretaries.. You could look at the waste of money in the court systems forever.. Why are we wasting money on medical marijuana? But isn't marijuana legal? Isn't it?

How do we change this? "Most people think, Great God will come from the skies,

Take away everything And make everybody feel high. But if you know what life is worth, You will look for yours on earth: And now you see the light, You stand up for your rights. jah!" -Bob Marley

Stand up together. Let the prosecutors, judges, media, & public know that we are aware of what's happening: targeting medical marijuana operators & sending 'em through hell preventing safe access here in San Diego.

Monday July 13th, 2009 - 8:15 am San Diego Superior Court 220 W. Broadway San Diego, CA 92101

Learn more at http://www.EugeneDavidovich.com/

http://www.sandiegomarijuana.com

Congress to consider allowing marijuana possession

by Ben Morris
http://blog.mpp.org/prohibition/congress-to-consider-allowing-marijuana-possession/06182009/'

Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced legislation today to remove criminal penalties for marijuana possession at the federal level. The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009 would remove penalties for possession of up to 3.5 ounces of marijuana and the not-for-profit transfer of 1 ounce.

Please take action today to support this important legislation.

Congressman Frank’s legislation seeks to bring federal law in line with reality. 99% of all marijuana arrests occur at the state and local level. In practice, federal laws prohibiting marijuana possession act as a deterrent to states that may want a more sensible policy. Congressman Frank’s bill would remove that deterrent and push U.S. marijuana policy in the right direction.

The bill’s introduction comes amidst unprecedented momentum for reform, but it will still face significant opposition in Congress — so please visit mpp.org/federal-action and take action today!

Congress Introduces HR 2835, The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act

For Immediate Release: June 12th, 2009

Congress Introduces HR 2835, The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act

Bill would reschedule marijuana for medical use, end federal interference in state laws

Washington, D.C. -- In another effort to change federal policy on medical marijuana, Congressional Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced the "Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act," HR 2835, late yesterday. The bill, which was co-sponsored by 13 bipartisan Members of Congress at the time of introduction, would change federal policy on medical marijuana in a number of ways. Specifically, the Act would change marijuana from a Schedule I drug, classified as having no medical value, to a Schedule II drug, which would recognize marijuana's medical efficacy and create a regulatory framework for the FDA to begin a drug approval process for marijuana. The act would also prevent interference by the federal government in any local or state run medical marijuana program.

Although similar versions of the Act have been introduced in previous Congressional terms, the Obama Administration's willingness to change federal policy on medical marijuana creates a new political context and may facilitate passage of this important legislation. "We are encouraged by the federal government's willingness to address this issue and to bring about a more sensible and humane policy on medical marijuana," said Caren Woodson, Government Affairs Director with Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a nationwide advocacy group working with the Obama Administration, Representative Frank and other Members of Congress to change federal policy. "It's time to recognize marijuana's medical efficacy, and to develop a comprehensive plan that will provide access to medical marijuana and protection for the hundreds of thousands of sick Americans that benefit from its use."

In addition to rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), HR 2835 would provide protection from the CSA and the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) for qualified patients and caregivers in states that have legalized the use of medical marijuana. Specifically, the act prevents the CSA and FDCA from prohibiting or restricting: (1) a physician from prescribing or recommending marijuana for medical use, (2) an individual from obtaining, possessing, transporting within their state, manufacturing, or using marijuana in accordance with their state law, (3) an individual authorized under State law from obtaining, possessing, transporting within their state, or manufacturing marijuana on behalf of an authorized patient, or (4) an entity authorized under local or State law to distribute medical marijuana to authorized patients from obtaining, possessing, or distributing marijuana to such authorized patients.

The Obama Administration has made repeated statements that it intends to end federal enforcement against medical marijuana, but has yet to provide a detailed plan of implementation. A lack of clarity on this policy change has prompted Congress to take action. In addition to the introduction of Frank's bill yesterday, Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) introduced language Tuesday within the Commerce, Justice and Science Departments (CJS) Appropriations bill seeking clarification on the Administration's policy. "It's imperative that the federal government respect states' rights and stay out of the way of patients with debilitating diseases such as cancer who are using medical marijuana in accordance with state law to alleviate their pain," said Hinchey in a press release issued Tuesday.

Further information:
At the time of release the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, HR 2835, was not yet published by the Government Printing Office (GPO), but contains identical language of Rep. Frank's bill introduced last year (HR 5842):http://safeaccessnow.org/downloads/HR5842.pdf
HR 2835 can be reviewed at the following site once it's published: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.2835:

Marijuana Rivals Mainstream Drugs For HIV/AIDS Symptoms

30 May 2009

Those in the United States living with HIV/AIDS are more likely to use marijuana than those in Kenya, South Africa or Puerto Rica to alleviate their symptoms, according to a new study published in Clinical Nursing Research, published by SAGE. Those who did use marijuana rate it as effective as prescribed or over the counter (OTC) medicines for the majority of common symptoms, once again raising the issue that therapeutic marijuana use merits further study and consideration among policy makers.

A significant percentage of those with HIV/AIDS use marijuana as a symptom management approach for anxiety, depression, fatigue, diarrhoea, nausea, and peripheral neuropathy. Members of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) International HIV/AIDS Nursing Research Network examined symptom management and quality of life experiences among those with HIV/AIDS in the US, Africa, and Puerto Rico, to gain a fuller picture of marijuana's effectiveness and use in this population.

With data from a longitudinal, multi-country, multi-site, randomised control clinical trial, the researchers used four different evaluation tools to survey demographics, self-care management strategies for six common symptoms experienced by those living with HIV/AIDS, quality of life instrument and reasons for non-adherence to medications.

Either marijuana use for symptom management is vastly higher in the US, or participants elsewhere chose not to disclose that they use it: nine tenths of study participants who said they used marijuana live in the US. No African participants said they used it, and the remaining ten percent were from Puerto Rico.

The researchers found no differences between marijuana users and nonusers in age, race, and education level, income adequacy, having an AIDS diagnosis, taking ARV medications, or years on ARV medications. But the two groups did differ in that marijuana users had been HIV positive longer, and were more likely to have other medical conditions. Transgender participants were also more likely to use marijuana.

Participants using marijuana as a management strategy were spread fairly consistent across all six symptoms, ranging from a low of 20% for fatigue to a high of 27% for nausea. Prescribed medications were used by 45% of those with fatigue, ranging down to almost 18% of those with neuropathy.

The findings contained nuances when comparing marijuana to other medications. Those who used marijuana rated their anxiety significantly lower than those who did not, and women who used marijuana had more intense nausea symptoms. For those who use both marijuana and medications for symptom management, antidepressants were considered more effective than marijuana for anxiety and depression, but marijuana was rated more highly than anti-anxiety medications. Immodium was better for diarrhoea than marijuana, as were prescribed medications for fatigue. However, marijuana was perceived to be more effective than either prescribed or OTC medications for nausea and neuropathy. However, the differenced in perceived efficacy in all these results were slight.

As found in previous studies, those who used marijuana were less likely to comply with their regime of ARV medications. But perhaps counter-intuitively of the many reasons given for skipping pills, 'forgetfulness' was no different in this group than among those who did not use marijuana. Marijuana use is known to contribute to patients' lack of compliance with ARV drugs, however those who use marijuana to target a particular symptom are actually more likely to stick closely to their ARV regimen too. The researchers point out that of those who used marijuana for their symptoms, it is not known whether they also used the drug for recreation. Patterns of how marijuana use interferes with patients' adherence to medication regimens, along with other drugs, warrant further study.

The 775 participants were recruited from Kenya, South Africa, two sites in Puerto Rico, and ten sites in the United States. They had on average been diagnosed for a decade - the majority (70%) were taking anti-retroviral (ARV) medications and more than half had other medical conditions alongside HIV/AIDS. It is hard to pinpoint the marijuana use targeted to alleviate symptoms of those other illnesses as distinct from those relating solely to HIV/AIDS.

Data suggest that marijuana is a trigger among those susceptible to psychosis, and is also associated with the risk of suicidal thoughts. However it is not linked to an increased risk of lung cancer (over and above risks associated with smoking it along with tobacco).

The question of the use of marijuana for symptom management when legal drugs are available remains a practice and policy issue.

"Given that marijuana may have other pleasant side effects and may be less costly than prescribed or OTC drugs, is there a reason to make it available?" asks study leader Inge Corless. "These are the political ramifications of our findings. Our data indicate that the use of marijuana merits further inquiry."

Source: SAGE Publications

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151972.php

Cannabinoids For The Treatment Of Dementia

16 Apr 2009

Following the discovery of an endogenous cannabinoid system and the identification of specific cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system, much work has been done to investigate the main effects of these compounds. There is increasing evidence that the cannabinoid system may regulate neurodegenerative processes such as excessive glutamate production, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.

Neurodegeneration is a feature common to the various types of dementia and this has led to interest in whether cannabinoids may be clinically useful in the treatment of people with dementia. Recent studies have also shown that cannabinoids may have more specific effects in interrupting the pathological process in Alzheimer's disease.

Extract from Implications for Practice

At present this review finds no evidence that cannabinoids are effective in the improvement of disturbed behaviour in dementia or in the treatment of other symptoms of dementia.

(CD007204) by Krishnan, Cairns and Howard

The Cochrane Library contains high quality health care information, including Systematic Reviews from The Cochrane Collaboration. These Reviews bring together research on the effects of health care and are considered the gold standard for determining the relative effectiveness of different interventions. The Cochrane Collaboration is a UK registered international charity and the world's leading producer of systematic Reviews. It has been demonstrated that Cochrane Systematic Reviews are of comparable or better quality and are updated more often than the Reviews published in print journals.

The Cochrane Library can be accessed at http://www.thecochranelibrary.com. Guest users may access abstracts for all Reviews in the database, and members of the media may request full access to the contents of the Library.

Source

The Cochrane Library

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146196.php

Main News Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia

Also Appears In: Seniors / Aging,

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146196.php