[HMF]

I’m a medical marijuana patient in LA who suffers from chronic pain due to a work-related repetitive strain injury. This summer I sat through the trial of Charles C. Lynch after seeing Drew Carey’s “Raiding California” Reason.tv episode for the Drew Carey Project. What I witnessed in that federal courtroom changed my life. David Nott, President of Reason Foundation calls it “a grotesque miscarriage of justice” and he couldn’t be closer to the truth of the matter.

White House Spokesman Nick Shapiro reacted to new Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raids at medical cannabis collectives in California, saying he expects President Obama to end that policy when a new DEA Administrator is seated. “The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind,” Shapiro said.

Charlie faces up to 100 years in federal prison:
~ Even though he followed all his “Medical Marijuana Dispensary” business license requirements, city regulations, county restrictions, and State laws.

~Even though, he called the DEA and asked about opening a medical cannabis dispensary in California and they said “It’s up to the cities and counties to decide how to handle that [medical marijuana dispensary] matter”.

~Even though the Morro Bay Mayor, Janice Peters, and City Attorney, Rob Schultz, testified they never received one complaint about Lynch, his employees, patients or dispensary and each testified to Lynch’s law-abiding nature.

~Even though, the only person accused of wrong-doing on the state level has legally declared Charlie had nothing to do with any alleged state violations.

I rely on people medical cannabis dispensers, like Charlie to get safe access to medical cannabis. If the federal government has its way, I will be forced to buy my cannabis on the black market. That’s not only degrading, it’s dangerous. That’s exactly what San Luis Obispo County Sheriff, Pat Hedges, did to over 2,000 of Charlie’s qualified medical cannabis patients by shutting down the only medical cannabis dispensary in the county. My heart goes out to them. Not all patients can grow their own cannabis. I’m not expect to manufacture my own vicidin.

Attached is a pdf. presskit my friend David and I put together. You do NOT have to read it from beginning to end. Just read the introduction and click on anything else you want to see. It has everything anyone would need to know about this case. It’s navigational too. The content page is linked. If you click on the title of a document on the content page, the pdf will bring you to that document. And if you click on the blue “Friends of CCL” logo in the upper-left hand corner of each page, the pdf will bring you back to the content page.

We are having a PEACEFUL protest (HOPE for Cannabis CHANGE) on Monday February 23, 2009 at Noon on the Corner of Temple & Main St. In front of the Federal Courthouse sign on the corner. The address is 312 NORTH Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012. I’m hoping you can help us promote this event and cover the story.

Al Roker interviewed Lynch for a MSNBC showed called “An Hour on Marijuana” scheduled to air in the coming weeks. In addition, John Stossel from ABC’s 20/20 interview Lynch and his Federal Public Defenders for an episode called “Bullsh*t in America” scheduled to air Feb 16th or 20th at 10pm eastern standard time.

Let me know if I can help you with anything else such as interviews, etc. Please cover this story, please.

Hopeful for Cannabis Change

Send in by Cheryl.