News From Angel Raich's Upcoming Brain Surgery

from: Angel McClary Raich
reply-to: Angel McClary Raich
date: Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 12:45 AM
subject: On October 28: Angel McClary Raich's is having Brain Tumor
Surgery, Visitor Info & hotels in area, Update, and more...

Hello Everyone,

Angel's brain surgery is quickly approaching on October 28, 2009 at
Stanford Hospital. Please Pass It On! Thanks.

Please read to see the surgery date, place, visitor information, what to
expect during surgery, during recovery, how she has been doing, how she
is feeling about her upcoming surgery, and related fears, complications,
risks, and more... : http://angeljustice .org/section. php?id=50

I will be staying in a hotel on October 27th, the night before the
surgery. Here's the info where I, my daughter, my friends, and my mom
will be staying at the Stanford Motor Inn 650-493-3153 -- 3306 El Camino
Real, Stanford/Palo Alto zip code 94306

Please come and visit her in the hospital. If you need a hotel or motel
near by, it's on here online. Come give her children support.

Hotels and Motels Near Stanford Hospital & Clinics
http://angeljustice .org/article. php?id=201

PLEASE MAKE A DONATION IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO: to help Angel get
the things she needs for the surgery and the recovery.
http://angeljustice .org/section. php?id=52

Check out her brain tumor MRI before she had radiation treatment.
http://angeljustice .org/img/ original/ Slide2.jpg

Check out her brain tumor & cysts MRI after radiation had failed.

http://angeljustice .org/img/ original/ Angel_s%20Brain% 20Tumor%20MRI% 20-%2\
0July%2021,% 202009.jpg

All can be found on Angel's website at www.angeljustice. org

Thank you for caring about Angel!

------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------

Have a beautiful day,
Angel McClary Raich
Email: angel@angeljustice. org
Cell: 510-915-6069
Yahoo IM: angelraich@yahoo. com
My Website: www.angeljustice. org
US Supreme Court Case
No. 03-1454: Raich v. Gonzales 2004

LAPD Catch Marijuana Dispensary Robbers

Police Nab Medical Marijuana Bandits

By Christine Pelisek in crime
Thu., Oct. 15 2009 @ 10:27AM

The Los Angeles Police Department detectives have identified three men
involved in the robbery of a marijuana clinic last April. One of the
three men was nabbed through DNA analysis after he cut himself and left
blood at the scene.
​
According to police reports, the three men, one of whom was armed with a
gun, entered a pot dispensary in the 700 block of North La Brea Avenue
on April 11 at 11 pm. They ordered everyone to the ground before they
ransacked the business and took both cash and marijuana. Before they
left, one of the robbers tried to remove the video hard drive from the
clinic's security surveillance system and cut himself. Police
investigators were able to collect the blood evidence left at the scene.
Later, the blood sample was analyzed and a DNA profile was matched to
26-year-old Eric Frierson.

Last week, Frierson was charged with one count of robbery and booked at
the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail. His bail has been set at
$50,000.

The other two men were identified as Carl Washington and Rico Yoakum.
Both are currently in custody in the state of Oregon on separate robbery
charges. Police say they will be extradited to Los Angeles to face
charges.

Investigators believe the three men are responsible for several
marijuana clinic robberies in Los Angeles.

http://blogs. laweekly. com/ladaily/ crime/police- nab-medical- marijuana- b/

Good Points On Failed Drug War Policy

The drug war has failed; what comes next?

by Sanho Tree
October 11, 2009

President Barack Obama's drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, should be
commended for initiating some basic reforms in U.S. drug policy. One of
his first sensible acts was to drop the phrase "War on Drugs."
"Regardless of how you try to explain to people that it's a
`war on drugs' or a `war on a product,' people see a war
as a war on them," he explained. "We're not at war with
people in this country."

As the former chief of the Seattle Police, he lived under some of the
most progressive drug laws in the nation. When it comes to addressing
the basic premise of our failed drug policies, however, he's trapped
in a linguistic box.

When asked about the "L" word, his oft-repeated response is
"Legalization is not in my vocabulary nor is it in the
president's vocabulary." That word isn't in my political
vocabulary either. It's a clumsy term that polarizes the debate and
bars the nuanced discussion we need to have.

The debate over illegal drugs today is cleaved into a false dichotomy of
two polar extremes: prohibition versus legalization. That's partly
thanks to our laws. Title VII in the Office of National Drug Control
Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 says the office shall "take such
actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize" drugs
currently deemed illicit. Drug czars who respond otherwise would be
fired, in all likelihood. This is because drug warriors have spent years
co-opting the term, making it so radioactive that many voters think
legalization means "anything goes" free-market anarchy. To them,
the term evokes images of selling heroin in candy machines to children.

What we need is regulation instead of prohibition, because we need to
have more control over these substances, not less. Because we have
witnessed the damage illicit drugs can cause, we have allowed ourselves
to fall prey to one of the drug warriors' great myths: Keeping drugs
illegal will protect us. But drug prohibition doesn't mean we
control drugs; it means we give up the right to control them because we
can't regulate an industry we drive underground. We have made a
deliberate choice not to regulate these drugs and are paying the price
for the chaos that followed. These are lessons we failed to learn from
our disastrous attempt at alcohol prohibition in the 1920s.

The debate reminds me of the old story popularly attributed to Winston
Churchill. At a dinner party one night, a drunken Churchill asked an
aristocratic woman whether she would sleep with him for a million
pounds. "Maybe," the woman said coyly. "Would you sleep with
me for one pound?" Churchill then asked. "Of course not, what
kind of woman do you think I am?" the woman responded indignantly.
"Madam, we've already established what kind of woman you
are," replied Churchill, "now we're just negotiating the
price."

Once we bring the drug debate into the broad spectrum of regulatory
solutions, many options are back on the table and we can "negotiate
the price." Some of us favor stricter regulation and others more
liberal (depending on the drug). For instance, marijuana could be taxed
and regulated, but meth would not. Legalization, on the other hand, is a
term that fails to clarify the issue. Bazookas are legally produced, but
I can't simply go out and buy one. That's because they're
regulated.

Here's the question our policymakers should address: "Do you see
the problem as a simple dichotomy between these two extremes or do you
think there is a wide spectrum of regulatory options from which to
choose?" In other words, should we bring these substances under the
domain of the law or continue to let criminals control the market? I
suspect Kerlikowske' s response would be nuanced and thoughtful.

-----

Sanho Tree is a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, a
progressive multi-issue think tank, where he directs its Drug Policy
project. www.ips-dc.org. Distributed by MinutemanMedia. org.

http://www.citizen- times.com/ apps/pbcs. dll/article? AID=/20091011/ OPINION\
07/91002034/ 1006

LA DA Cooley Cracking Down on Marijuana Clinics

Los Angeles DA: `About 100%' of medical marijuana dispensaries
are illegal

Raw Story
By Stephen C. Webster

Saturday, October 10th, 2009 -- 2:34 pm

In spite of a law on California books for over a decade which allows the
sale of medical cannabis to properly licensed patients, the district
attorney in Los Angeles County is preparing an all-out legal assault
against the "vast majority" of dispensaries.

"Hundreds of dispensaries operate under a 1996 voter initiative that
allowed medical marijuana use, and a state law that allows for
collective growing of marijuana," NBC Los Angeles reported. "But based
on a state Supreme Court decision last year, [LA County District
Attorney Steve] Cooley has concluded that over-the-counter sales are
illegal. Most if not all of the dispensaries in the state operate on
that basis."

"The vast, vast, vast majority, about 100%, of dispensaries in Los
Angeles County and the city are operating illegally, they are dealing
marijuana illegally, according to our theory," Cooley said, according to
The Los Angeles Times. "The time is right to deal with this problem."

That "problem" -- over the counter sales of marijuana to licensed
patients -- accounted for some $18 million in tax revenue for the state
last year, reported The Christian Science-Monitor, during a time when
California is facing the greatest budgetary challenges in its history.

However, those with prescriptions for marijuana account for roughly 10
percent of the state's marijuana users, according to a California NORML
report (http://www.canorml. org/background/ OakZFinancialRep ort.pdf)
prepared for the Oakland Civil Liberties Alliance.

"In a radio interview on KABC-AM (790), Cooley reiterated his plan to
close down many of the 800 to 900 medical marijuana shops believed to be
operating in the city of Los Angeles," noted the Contra-Costa Times.

"We will give them fair notice and, hopefully, they will see the light
and voluntarily close down," Cooley reportedly said. "We are going to
uphold the laws of California."

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), a group which advocates the
nation-wide legalization of cannabis for adults, strongly disagrees.

"Last year, the state’s attorney general issued a legal
opinion that clearly stated that 'a properly organized and operated
collective or cooperative that dispenses medical marijuana through a
storefront may be lawful under California law,'" MPP noted in Opposing
Views. "Maybe Cooley didn’t get the memo."

They continued: "If Cooley is somehow successful in eliminating L.A.'s
medical marijuana facilities, the effect would be disastrous for
patients forced to find their medicine in the underground market and
would be a boon to the violent drug cartels that often supply that
market. Voters in Los Angeles â€" who overwhelmingly support
medical marijuana â€" are probably scratching their heads
trying to figure out why their district attorney wants to enrich
criminal drug dealers at the expense of patients."

"Cooley and other officials say that in addition to selling to minors
and others who do not use the drug for medical purposes, some of the
dispensaries sell marijuana laced heavily with insecticides that
endanger users even as they help finance Mexican drug cartels,"
Contra-Costa added.

There are three voter-sponsored initiatives circulating California at
the moment which seek to put complete legalization and taxation of
marijuana on the state-wide ballot in 2010, according to the Orange
County Register.

"If one of these initiatives passes, California would become the first
state to legalize marijuana and impose a tax on it, a move proponents
say could help get the state out of an unprecedented budget crisis," the
paper reported.

DA Cooley's first targeted dispensary is "Organica," in Culver City,
according to Mercury News.

"We have our strategy and we think we are on good legal ground," Cooley
said, the LA Times noted.

Marijuana is California's most valuable cash crop, responsible for over
$14 billion in annual sales, according to Time magazine. If legalized
and taxed, it could produce $1.3 billion or more in revenues for the
state, California tax collectors have estimated.

http://rawstory. com/2009/ 10/los-angeles- da-warmedical- marijuana/

Mendo County Responds to Lawsuit

County responds to lawsuit over pot

By TIFFANY REVELLE The Daily Journal
Updated: 10/02/2009 12:00:14 AM PDT

The county responded Monday to the lawsuit claiming the county's
marijuana regulation code is unconstitutional.

Attorney Edie Lerman filed the lawsuit Sept. 11 in Mendocino County
Superior Court on behalf of five medical marijuana patients. The suit
seeks to stop the county from enforcing its marijuana cultivation code,
claiming the ordinance limits cultivation in ways state law does not.

County Counsel Jeanine Nadel filed a response on behalf of the Board of
Supervisors and county Sheriff Tom Allman. In it, Nadel says the county
is within its constitutional rights to enforce the regulations and to
treat violations as nuisances.

"Concerned about increasing violent crime and other health and safety
issues related to large marijuana grows in the county's unincorporated
areas, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors exercised its broad
constitutional police powers and enacted ... a non-criminal ordinance
governing how and where marijuana is to be cultivated in its
jurisdiction, " Nadel writes.

State law governing medical marijuana is outlined in Proposition 215,
the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, and in Senate Bill 420. Attorneys
Edie Lerman and J. David Nick jointly filed the lawsuit against the
county.

Lerman said Thursday she rescheduled the Oct. 9 hearing date to
determine whether a preliminary injunction will be granted. An amended
motion with a new hearing date of Feb. 5, 2010 was filed Wednesday, but
Lerman said it had nothing to do with the county's opposition, because
she hasn't had time to look at the documents.

Lerman said she wanted the hearing put off because she and Nick have
full schedules.

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors' Health and Human Services
Committee is in the process of revising the county code that is the
subject of the lawsuit. One suggested change is to allow marijuana
cooperatives and collectives that get a permit from the Sheriff's Office
to grow up to 99 plants, an exception to the county's current
25-plant-per- parcel limit.

The suit calls for the court to bar the county from enforcing its
marijuana cultivation code on the basis that the regulations are
preempted by state law.

"Plaintiffs are wrong," Nadel writes. "Plaintiffs have failed to
shoulder their burden of either demonstrating success on the merits as a
matter of law or demonstrating the significant irreparable harm required
for this extraordinary relief involving a public policy issue plainly
within the scope of the county's constitutional police powers."

Nadel goes on to say the five medical marijuana patients named as
plaintiffs in the lawsuit fail to show that the county's cultivation
code prevents them from getting the marijuana their doctors prescribe.

"Captain (Kurt) Smallcomb's testimony, on the other hand, evinces the
serious public safety threats to entire neighborhoods associated with
larger marijuana grows exceeding 25 plants and supports outright denial
of the relief plaintiffs seek here and continued enforcement, " Nadel
writes.

Smallcomb, a 25-year employee of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office,
filed his testimony separately as a declaration. In it, he cites 50
reports of violent crimes involving marijuana since 2000. They include
38 robberies and 12 murders.

Smallcomb worked for four years on the County of Mendocino Marijuana
Eradication Team, and supervises commanders in cases involving
marijuana, according to his testimony.

"In the last five or six years I have observed the number of violent
crimes - armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and even homicides
- increase due to enlarged marijuana grows in the county's
unincorporated area in excess of 25 plants," Smallcomb writes.

He calls marijuana gardens with 25 or more plants "problematic" because
they are easily spotted on the ground and from the air.

"We have heard from sources that possible suspects even rent planes to
fly in an effort to locate and identify marijuana gardens from the air
and later conduct marijuana rip offs'," Smallcomb writes.

He says large grows attract violent crime, including gang activity, to
neighborhoods because they are easy to find.

"In my experience, unfortunately, innocent neighbors can become victims
as armed robbers trespass onto neighboring properties for criminal
activities related to larger marijuana gardens," Smallcomb writes.

Air Pollution Control Officer Christopher Brown of the Mendocino County
Air Quality Management District filed a declaration, in which he stated
the district had received 117 complaints about odors from marijuana
gardens since 2002.

Of those, 60 complaints came from Ukiah; 30 came from Redwood Valley; 26
came from Willits and one came from Potter Valley.

In addition, Brown said, "the district has been contacted by a number of
residents who fear for their safety as a result of marijuana grows in
their neighborhood. "

Further, Nadel argues that marijuana is still illegal under federal law,
so there is "no constitutional right to possess marijuana, (and) there
is no constitutional right to cultivate or access marijuana in a manner
that deprives a local entity of either local land use or health and
safety police powers."

Tiffany Revelle can be reached at udjtr@pacific. net, or at 468-3523.

http://www.ukiahdai lyjournal. com/ci_13469138

New Hampshire Medical Marijuana News

Keene Pot Protestors Say They'll Blaze On

By Josh Rogers on Thursday, October 1, 2009.

Listen to program audio (3:50) -
http://www.nhpr. org/audio/ audio/nht- 2009-10-01- jr1.wax

The smokers are protesting marijuana laws and say they'll smoke in
Central Square daily until the law changes. Police say they won't
tolerate wanton law-breaking, but have no plans for a crackdown.

Marijuana may or may not spark creativity, but it has long inspired
music. Bessie Smith and Willie Nelson have sung its praises, as has
pretty much any reggae and hip hop artist you'd care to name. But
none of them were in Keene Wednesday.

"Well in my life I've learned that serving's not the point
Give me a toke off that joint, oh yeah
There's a 420 fest every day in Keene
People being peaceful and free...."

That's Richard Onley. He moved from Oklahoma last year to join the
Free State Project. He says the message of the protests is simple.

"It's to show the state that we are not going to take it
anymore. That their laws are unfair and un-right and even
unconstitutional, and do not apply to us anymore."

Yet not everyone at the gathering, which on this day numbered around 50,
considers the matter quite that settled. Amid the plumes of smoke and
attendant coughs, petitions urging elected officials to change laws were
also circulating.

"(cough) Would you like to sign the petition Sir? (cough). No?

This is his Matt. He didn't want to give his last name, but did want
people to know he works for Tokin Hats and Clothing, or THC, a
marijuana-themed apparel company.

"There's not really a limit to how many signatures were going to
get, were just going to keep it going. Eventually the Governor and our
Senators and our Congress, and all that. If it gets big enough, maybe to
the federal government, too."

-Legibility can help in these circumstances.

"Yeah, yeah we try, but we don't have a desk."

The absence of furniture wasn't a concern shared by many of the
non-protestors in the vicinity.

"I think they are a bunch of foolish idiots, just looking to get
arrested."

Michael Kendall was smoking a cigar on the sidewalk across the street. A
few feet away, Steven Cote was taking an afternoon stroll with his wife.
Cote said he supports legalizing marijuana, but believes people smoking
openly ought to be arrested.

"I think protest is great, but breaking the law is breaking the law
--bottom line: you've breaking the law. You drink you drive,
there's no grey area. To me it's a very simple concept; change
the law and then do it."

But others said they were glad that protesters were not being stormed by
authorities. Daniel Gomez was about to clock in for his shift as a
waiter at Pedraza's restaurant.

"Well I'm from Los Angeles, California, and I think it's
nice that people can actually express themselves, because if we were to
rally for pot in LA we would get beat up first, and dispersed and
listened to after; so to see that people could actually do it here and
not get anything done to them is a good thing."

"I would be shocked if this thing continued for another month or
into December, but if it does then good for them."

That's Keene Police Sargeant Jim Cemorelis. He points out that
peaceful assembly is protected by the first amendment, but says police
will arrest protestors if there is clear evidence or a crime. So far,
Keene Police have made just two arrests, dropping the charges in one
case. Sargeant Cemoralis adds police have become convinced that
protestors talk a bigger game than they smoke.

"I don't believe that there are significant about of people down
there that are smoking marijuana . They make an effort to make that
appear to be what's going on, but we haven't seen that."

Protestors for their part, say they don't plan on stashing their
pipes anytime soon. Richard Onley, says it possible a smoke-ins could
soon come to a town near you.

"You hear talk. It's a risk, but there is no reward without
risk."

http://www.nhpr. org/node/ 27197

LA Medical Marijuana Activist News

Historic Event Has LA Stakeholders Taking Action

NC Action Summit

By Greg Nelson

CityWatch
Vol 7 Issue 81
Pub: Oct 2, 2009

Don't miss the Neighborhood Council Action Summit this Saturday at
L.A. City College from 8:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For the first time, neighborhood council activists and stakeholders will
be able to discuss AND amplify their voices by voting on positions
regarding several issues that would rock the boat so much that City Hall
has avoided them:

* Pursuing a City Charter Amendment for the ballot that would cut the
salaries of city elected officials in half. Wave Newspapers'
columnist Betty Pleasant will guide that discussion. * Creating more
accountability and transparency at the Department of Water and Power by
creating an independent ratepayers' advocate. Former DWP
Commissioner Nick Patsaouras and Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council
board member Jack Humphreville will argue for your support. Deputy
Mayor, and former head of DWP, David Freeman will offer a different
point of view.

* Stopping medical marijuana shops. Special Assistant City Attorney
Jane Usher will tell you the latest about what the city is doing.

* Asking the mayor and City Council to act in a more fiscally
responsible way by adopting balanced budgets into future years as Long
Beach, Berkeley, Milwaukee, Orange County, and many others do.

If you attend, or if you respond to the online survey afterwards, you
will also be asked to give City Hall your thoughts about a variety of
options for cutting into the 83-year backlog of sidewalk repairs. Bill
Robertson, the Director of the Bureau of Street Services, and one of the
most respected executives in City Hall will explain it all in terms you
can understand.

During the day there will be opportunities to cast votes on brief
polling questions that ask you how you feel about the City Council
motion that would move Public Comment time to the end of the City
Council's agendas; involving neighborhood councils in the selection and
performance evaluation of general managers; once again printing
Community Impact Statements on the city's agendas; and making public the
attendance records of City Council members.

It's all designed to produce less talk and more action.

These are not the kind of sessions during which you sit and listen to
someone talk at you, and then you go home.

Following each vote, action plans will be developed for those who
realize that voting is not the end of the process to achieve results,
but rather the start of it.

Information about each topic and each special guest, along with the
program, and maps can be found at http://NCActionSumm it.wetpaint. com.

And note takers (we need more volunteers) will keep track of the
important information that was presented, the votes that were taken, and
put it all on the Internet for you. The entire event will also be
videotaped and presented on the Internet.

There will be free parking, free food, and free speech.

Neighborhood councils have been around for nearly 10 years now. I think
that they're ready for the next step in acquiring the credibility
and strength to have a powerful and constant influence on how government
makes decisions.

This goal is part of a growing national movement toward participatory
democracy. Los Angeles could be a leader because it already has an
infrastructure of neighborhood councils.

But the momentum, the drive to succeed, will have to come from
neighborhood council leaders because it's clear that it won't be
coming from a City Hall that seems preoccupied with placing more
restrictions on the neighborhood councils and letting them gather to be
told about issues as long as they don't do anything about it.

See you on Saturday when things get kicked off by Robert Greene, an
editorial writer for the Los Angeles Times, and Tezozomoc, a leader of
the South Central Farmers effort.

--Another perspective on the NC Action Summit: Ron Kaye
(http://ronkayela. com/2009/ 09/its-time- for-action- and-saturd. html)

(Greg Nelson participated in the birth and development of the LA
Neighborhood Council system and served as the General Manager of the
Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. Nelson now provides news and
issues analysis to CityWatch. You can reach Greg Nelson at This email
address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled
to view it )

http://www.citywatc hla.com/content/ view/2753/