Guru Loose

June 4, 2003

Blow a couple hits today in honor of Ed Rosenthal, the Guru of Ganja, who has been released after serving a one-day sentence for growing marijuana on behalf of Bay Area medical pot clubs. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer sentenced Rosenthal to three one-day prison sentences, to be served concurrently, and let him go on a "supervised release" program. As Jacob noted earlier today, it's unlikely Rosenthal will get the compensation and apology he deserves.

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SM|6.4.03 @ 3:26AM|#

Outrageous - Keep that libertine away from me and my family !!!

Ian|6.4.03 @ 4:08AM|#

In the msnbc version of this story (http://www.msnbc.com/news/921968.asp), there is an AMAZING quote from John Coleman, the assistant head of the DEA: "It is hard to believe somebody his age would not realize that marijuana is banned by federal law... The states like California have done a real injustice to a lot of their citizens by passing laws that are just so clearly unconstitutional.�

Does this guy just have really low reading comprehension skills? Did he stop at the 9th amendment, get distracted, and then pick it back up at the 11th?

Tim Stich|6.4.03 @ 4:45AM|#

Ah, there would be that Ammendment reserving all powers not given to the Feds to the states, respectively. I'll have to consult my copy of "Parliament of Whores" to find the right number.

Warren|6.4.03 @ 4:58AM|#

I reiterate my belief that this case illustrates that:
1) The constitution is routinely violated and the only freedoms you enjoy are those that the Feds haven't gotten around to stripping you of yet.
and
2) Most people are OK with that.

David|6.4.03 @ 8:15AM|#

I've tried...really, I have...I want to like REASON, I've been a subscriber, and I read Hit-n-Run every day, but come on, people...ENOUGH.

Just re-freaking-title your organization "Legalize Drugs" and be done with it.

|6.5.03 @ 8:21AM|#

Hehe, man that is so funny, rename Reason "Legalize Drugs" haha!

|6.5.03 @ 9:44AM|#

OK lawyers,

Could San Francisco pass a law that specifies a one cent fine for anyone caught growing herb for their program, and when the feds arrest someone, get a friendly judge to issue a habeus corpus writ and take a guilty plea, thus allowing double jeopardy to attach? Would that work?

|6.5.03 @ 10:37AM|#

Umm, David,

Which part of "Free Minds and Free Markets" do you not understand?

Could it be "Free"?

|6.5.03 @ 10:44AM|#

RJ,

Don't feed the trolls. It only encourages them.

fredH|6.5.03 @ 12:58PM|#

Joe:

I'm no lawyer (thank God), but I don't think that would work. There have been many cases where the Feds have tried people again when they are unsatisfied with a verdict by a local jury. They usually just change the name of the offence charged from, say, murder to something hokey like "violation of civil rights." Same crime, mind you, but they get a second shot just by changing the wording. Definitely a weasel deal, but it's the way our legal system works.

David|6.8.03 @ 7:19AM|#

RJ and Ken - back off, guys - I'm no troll - just trying to point out that given the likelihood of any legalization of drugs (whether that's good or bad is irrelevant in this case), REASON's continued attempts to force the issue is doing far more harm than good to the entire cause of liberty, libertarianism, freedom, etc. That one single cause probably turns off more people to the REASON philosophy than anything else.