xxdr_zombiexx

Cannabis campaign
| February 19, 2004

By James Diffee
Managing Editor

"Every state I visit, people know my name and ask for my autograph," Loretta Nall said. "It’s weird for an Alabama house wife."

Her daughter, Bell, agrees.

"She doesn’t really feel famous, even though she goes to wild places. At our home it’s kind of dirty."

Nall, an Alexander City native, has been busy the last two years.

She’s rallied crowds in Georgia, Ohio, Oregon, New Jersey, Washington and Canada; serves as a consultant for democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich and libertarian presidential candidate Aaron Russo; and hosts a weekly Web news program.

She even plans to run for governor of Alabama in 2006.

For now, she’s president of the U.S. Marijuana Party, founded after what Nall calls a false arrest.

The Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force raided Nall’s Alexander City mobile home Nov. 13, 2002 with a warrant based on an anonymous call and a conversation police say Bell had with her teacher.

“They said she said there were illegal green plants hanging from the ceiling,” Nall said.

Bell, 7, insists the conversation never took place.

Nall thinks the warrant had less to do with her daughter or a tipster and more to do with a letter she wrote to The Birmingham News, calling for drug law reform. It was published less than a week before the raid.

“I’ve never grown marijuana, never sold it, and I’d never been arrested for it,” she said.

“They had no reason to come, except the letter.”

The task force arrested Nall for possession of .87 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, including cigarette rolling papers and a set of scales Nall said she used to make candles.

Nall was convicted of second degree possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia in a Tallapoosa County district court Feb. 10, ending a 15-month legal battle.

She was given a 30-day suspended sentence and ordered to pay several hundred dollars in fines.

She filed an appeal the next day, and said she plans to fight her sentence as long as it takes.

“There’s justice in Alabama, and I’m going to find it,” she said.

Nall said she’s working so American citizens can exercise their first amendment right to free speech, against the intrusion of government in the home and body, and against abuses by law enforcement.

Alabama’s drug laws are among the strictest in the nation. A second conviction, even for possession, is an automatic felony.

Nall points to prison overcrowding as one example the drug war isn’t working.

“Imagine the money cities and states could save if pot smokers weren’t clogging the system,” she said.

Nall founded the Alabama Marijuana Party and the U.S. Marijuana Party, which now has 27 state chapters, after her arrest.

“I’m glad it was me,” she said. “Someone’s got to fight for this. It needs to be done.”

The goal is a drug-conscious politician at every level of government.

“If you have just one person at each level who is vocal, you’ll see change,” she said.

Activism came naturally to Nall. Even in elementary school, she “always had something to say.”

Now, invitations to say something fill her datebook.

She recently traveled to Goose Creek, S.C., to work with families who experienced a drug raid after a false tip led police officers to raid a high school with guns drawn.

Last weekend Nall was in Nashville, Tenn., at a meeting of religious leaders for drug policy reform.

Tuesday she was at Auburn, talking about marijuana for Russo’s campaign, and Wednesday she left for Vancouver, home base of pot-tv.net.

“(Pot TV) is starting live broadcasting, and I’m going up to do a couple of shows,” she said. “Should be interesting.”

Nall has a weekly show, broadcast on the site, which she records at her trailer in front of a blue sheet suspended by tent poles and clothes pins.

“It’s interesting what you can find in a trailer.”

Nall's husband helps her edit story lines and film her segments, and he takes care of the children when she travels.

“He wants to see an end to the drug war as much as I do,” she said.

Nall has spoken to almost every state news outlet, even to Rolling Stone and Cannabis Culture magazines.

It doesn’t matter, she said, what happens to her, as long as someone, some other time, doesn’t have to go through it again.

Until then, she has a plane to catch, two children to raise and a message for America.

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Torture Good, Healthcare Bad, Marijuana Evil.

There's no money for your issue so long as we're squandering $50 billion a year on the DrugWar. Ben Masel

donnfeer

I wish I had had the courage to do what she is doing. Instead I'm quietly serving out my probation for gardening forgoing my drug of choice, cheering on those who are braver. Give 'em hell!

Suetaz

You're awesome Loretta!!!!

Keep up the good fight!

We're with you in spirit!

Peace and

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stranger

you keep on keepin on Loretta, i hope you hit em where it counts ...right in their hipocritical corrupt asses.

Bodega4*20

Excellent, we need more peope that will stand up to this unfair government. As soon as I'm out of college I'm going to Cali. to try and get support for legalization... but that won't be for a couple more years. So some older people should take control and stand up.
Peace

buddy4u

Loretta and marijuana.com are doing a great job of promoting discourse about marijuana and the irrational laws that are applied to this remarkable weed. All Americans, whether smokers or not must work together to defend the rights that our constitution affords us. Let's fight propaganda with propaganda, WEGALIZE LEED every where you go!!!

wegalizeleed

Go Loretta Go!!! We all must support Loretta in her battle against the nefarious agents of John Ashcroft and his mindless lackeys. All Americans must work to fight the illogical laws that pertain to marijuana use and possession. We must fight propaganda with propaganda WEGALIZE LEED. Fight on Loretta!!!

rasborí

I know Loretta and all Herb smokers are gonna win the battle against the ignorant theory that da system inputs that marijuana is a drug,We gotta take fire against da system cause we are the generation of today and our children or next generation shall not live this experiences that we live day by day, so my message is that be righteous and dont let marijuana down, show da pipol that marijuana is a natural herb that will heal the nation some day, cause it brings peace,love and unity. and the alcohol the destruction of humanity...
stand up for your right be rebel but to the right person, the governement..

Johnyapplseed

I Think I would't back down either
In my previus court experiences I havn't and I have never been convicted of any crime ( I have also never been charged with any MJ )
The lawyer fees for that sort of thing must be crazy unless you have some sort of pro bono deal

I vote every one plant some seeds for loretta!
Not to harvest just to grow somewere (take insparation from the protesters in oakland)

I know I will The Johnyappleseed project is in efect

Cheers Loretta

JohnyA

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Free A Mind Seed The Planet

Logos

Right on JohnyA, It has been my desire to gather all the seeds people normally toss and take them to some remote stream in the forest, and let them be free. Never go back and hope that a veritable garden would flourish.

Haven't had that opportunity yet, but maybe someday. I was inspired to this thought by http://www.johnnymarijuanaseed.com/

BTW, dig that sig...

Free the plant, plant your seed... --KMK

Nice article Loretta, keep fighting the good fight, and if you run for President someday, you have my vote!

Maybe I'll just cross out all the presidental candidates and write you in... Of course we need to fire that electoral college abomination first...

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Brother Logos
The more I learn, the less I know. | Truth doesn't change, only our perception of it does.
THC Ministry | The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ | The Reluctant Messenger of Science and Religion
True religion is real living, living with all one's soul, with all ones goodness and righteousness. --Albert Einstein