On March 19th, Dr. Marion "Mollie" Fry and Dale Schafer walked out of a US Court in Sacramento free on bail pending appeal after being sentenced to a five-year mandatory minimum for conspiracy to cultivate and dispense medical cannabis. US District Judge Frank Damrell deplored the sentence as a "tragedy" that should "never have happened." Judge Damrell released the defendants on bail. Doctor Fry has stopped writing medical cannabis recommendations as a condition for release.

Michael Martin of Tainted/Compassionate Medicinal Edibles faces a Change of Plea Hearing in Oakland on Wednesday, March 26th. He plans to accept a plea deal that was offered by the US Attorney. As he is unable to speak freely about the medicinal nature of Tainted's products in his defense, the alternative would be a jury that could assign him a ten year mandatory minimum sentence. Michael is hoping that the community will go to court to show support for him. The hearing will take place on Wednesday at 2:30pm in Judge Wilken's courtroom at 1301 Clay St. in Oakland.

On Wednesday, March 19th, the California Supreme Court decided not to review last year's landmark return of property decision in Garden Grove v. Superior Court. By affirming the appellate court's decision, the Supreme Court has made protection against seizure of medical marijuana by law enforcement legally binding throughout the state of California.

To celebrate the growing support for medical cannabis and the spread of safe access in medical cannabis states throughout the nation, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has organized Medical Marijuana Week 2008. Medical Marijuana Week commemorates the passage of Proposition 215, California's medical cannabis law. Each day during the week, Americans for Safe Access will announce opportunities to advance safe access to medical cannabis, through actions such as educating one's community, meeting with U.S. Senators, and more. Events will be held in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley during the course of the week.

On Monday February 4th, members of San Francisco's medical cannabis community and their supporters gathered to call for Mayor Gavin Newsom to end his silence about recent US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)'s scare tactics against medical cannabis facility landlords. On Wednesday, Newsom's spokesperson made a lukewarm statement against the DEA's actions. Some SF Supervisors are concerned that this statement did not demonstrate enough leadership, because many measures would be needed to protect dispensaries from closure, and to assure patients' continued access to their medicine should the DEA's threatening letters lead to many dispensaries closing down. On February 12th, the SF Board of Supervisors will hear a resolution that would show the Supes' support for John Conyers, the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of Congress, who called for hearings to investigate the DEA's attempts to undermine California state laws. Patients and supporters will speak out in support of this resolution, which will be heard at 2pm on the 2nd floor of San Francisco City Hall.

Volunteers hope to gather over 400,000 signatures on a petition to put the California Cannabis Hemp and Health Initiative on the state's ballot for 2008. Advocates of hemp as well as of the religious and medical uses of cannabis have sponsored this initiative, which would repeal criminal and civil penalties for cannabis, ban drug testing for metabolites, and provide that marijuana be regulated in a manner similar to the wine industry. It would also decriminalize the cultivation, distribution, and possession of industrial hemp, as well as order the immediate release from jail of all non-violent marijuana offenders.

On Tuesday, January 29th, the Berkeley City Council will be considering a medical cannabis-related resolution that has been co-sponsored by Kriss Worthington and Darryl Moore. This item would: declare Berkeley a "sanctuary city" for medical cannabis, call on the local and state officials to not cooperate with the DEA as it undermines state and local medical cannabis laws; urge Governor Schwarzenegger to stand with the state's over 200,000 medical cannabis; and encourage the City to plan for continued safe access in Berkeley in the event of a DEA raid on any local dispensaries. The City Council meeting on Tuesday night will start at 7:00pm at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. A "mini-rally" will be held on the steps at 6:45.

On Saturday, January 19, 2008 Ploppy Palace Productions and Tobacco Road will be hosting the 10th Annual Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert to raise funds for FL NORML’s (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) medical marijuana campaign and the protection of patients’ rights. As part of this four stage extravaganza, some of South Florida's top bands, spoken word artists and community activists will join together for patients’ and physicians’ right to use medical cannabis.

California NORML reports that State Senator Carole Migden (D-SF) has introduced State Bill 529, which would relieve medical cannabis dispensaries from obligations for back sales taxes, as long as they comply and register with the Board of Equalization. CA NORML supports SB 529, because it would encourage marijuana to be treated like other legal products. Axis of Love is calling for people around the state to contact state senators, to urge them to support this bill.

New York has a real shot of joining the 12 other states that allow seriously ill patients to use medical marijuana with their doctors’ approval.

The re-trial of Ed Rosenthal on charges related to his growing medicinal cannabis in Oakland has been ongoing in a federal court in San Francisco. Several members of the local medical cannabis community have refused to testify against Rosenthal. These individuals had been told that they might be held in contempt by the court, but on Tuesday, May 29th, they were told that they would be excused. Judge Breyer has revealed that the jury has been asking questions about medical marijuana.

Judge Arthur Hunter ordered 42 inmates freed for the excessive time they spent behind bars without adequate access to counsel. Hunter supported public defenders, agreeing that severe underfunding is resulting in overwhelming case loads and they were unable to provide adequate representation to the 42 people, who then faced months and sometimes years in prison without any movement in their case. The mainly minor narcotics charges against the defendants are not dropped-the cases are stayed and the defendants freed on their own recognizance. More...

Every year on April 20, folks gather around North America to celebrate and smoke. UC Santa Cruz has historically had one of the largest gatherings around, a self-fulfilling prophesy of sorts, spurred on by UCSC's unique cultural history and the occasional spotlights from outside (like Rolling Stone Magazine a few years ago). Its a big community event - a place where thousands of people can bring a bunch of friends, musical instruments, frisbees, you name it, and just have fun. This year, cops and administrators attempted to intimidate students, but the party went on.

Mike K. writes: "I am the assistant manager of the Morro Bay Co-op and was present right as the raid was conducted yesterday (March 29, 2007). The federal agents included FBI, DEA, INTERPOL and Sheriffs all of about 25-30 officers. They broke into the building guns drawn forcing everyone at gunpoint to the ground. Treatment from the government of this sorts should not be tolerated especially when California voted for prop 215 for medical marijuana. Our business license has not been revoked but obviously we've been cleaned out so a weeks time might tell but it being the next day we have assessed some of our damages but are closed until further notice. We're down but not out!" Read More>> | Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers

On Wednesday, March 14th, it was announced that two charges against Ed Rosenthal were dismissed. Federal District Court Judge Charles Breyer ruled that Rosenthal, who is an author and medical marijuana activist, was vindictively prosecuted, and dismissed charges of tax evasion and money laundering. The remaining marijuana charges against Rosenthal are virtually identical to those pursued against him in his 2003 trial. Rosenthal's trial has been continued, and a status conference will be held on April 13th at 11:00am.

Heath proclaims "major victory" for decent Mainers:

Article 11, a proposed ordinance seeking to effectively decriminalize marijuana-related offenses, was soundly voted down this past weekend at the annual West Paris Town Meeting. The vote itself has been officially reported by the Town Moderator, Vern Maxfield, at zero votes in favor of the article offered by the fledgling Maine Marijuana Policy Initiative. Others in attendance report that as many as a dozen town residents voted for the article, but there is a consensus that approximately 80 votes were recorded in opposition to the measure.

The news of this lopsided defeat was greeted gleefully by both the League and by West Paris-area pastors. League Executive Director Mike Heath proclaimed, �This is a major victory for decent, law-abiding Mainers. The League has fought vice like this for 110 years, and although this stunning vote is heartening, we must remain vigilant in our temperance efforts.� Heath nostalgically concluded, �I am confident that somewhere in Heaven, Ben Bubar is smiling his famous smile [about this].� Ben Bubar, Jr. was the League�s leader for over three decades until 1984, and was a prominent national and local leader in the drug and alcohol temperance movement.

On Thursday at the YMCA in downtown Cleveland, the ACLU of Ohio sponsored a discussion about mandatory minimums, drug laws and women in prison. The featured speaker was a woman named Brenda Valencia Aldana from Miami who was incarcerated for 12 years for doing nothing more than driving a woman to a house in Florida. In 1991, Brenda was a senior at Southwest Miami High, had a good reputation amongst her peers and teachers, had scholarship opportunities for college, and was voted most valuable player in volleyball for three years in a row. Despite her clean record and innocence, she was put in prison for over 12 years for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Read More...

The state of California had been planning to increase the fees that it charges to organizations that it licenses to issue medical cannabis ID cards on March 1st. However, at the last minute, the Department of Health announced that the fees would be raised by $66 on April 1st, rather than by $142 in March. The new fee for Medi-Cal patients will be $33 dollars, but people such as seniors and veterans will still have to scramble to pay the more expensive fee because they receive federal- rather than state- benefits. Americans for Safe Access says, "It is important now to encourage Boards of Supervisors in counties that have not yet implemented ID card programs to implement (them) immediately, so that there is equal protection across the state regardless of where one lives."

On February 12th, a DEA judge ruled that it is in the public interest to end the federal monopoly on the supply of marijuana that can be used in Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved research. The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the ruling, which was issued by Judge Mary Ellen Bittner. The ACLU represented University of Massachusetts-Amherst Professor Lyle Craker, who had petitioned the DEA for a license to grow research-grade marijuana for use in studies to develop the plant into a legal, prescription medicine. The DEA now has the option to accept or reject the court's recommendation. The DEA has 20 days to file a reply, then the pro-cannabis side will respond, and then the agency has time to consider the response.

My name is Nathaniel D. Archer, and I reside in San Francisco, Ca. I am registered with the State of California as a Medical Cannabis patient. I recently had all of my equipment and garden confiscated by the County of San Diego and was charged with cultivation. I was incarcerated despite the fact that I have documentation to support my patient status.

I have a court appointed Attorney, who has an agenda similar to that of the County of San Diego; to put myself and other advocates of Medicinal Cannabis behind bars, solely because of their denial of the existence of Medical Cannabis...

Related: DEA Raids SD Medical Marijuana Dispensaries | DA Dumanis Lies About Law | The Love and Death of a San Diego Activist | Medical Cannabis Advocates Decry Increase in State's MMJ Patient Cards