Buzzby

Bill Would Let Medical Marijuana Patients Include Medicinal Use as Part of Defense
HR 4272 Says, "Let Patients Tell The Truth, Nothing But The Truth"
IndyMedia | 12/06/2005

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Raich case earlier this year, which permits the federal government to continue arresting and prosecuting medical marijuana patients and their caregivers-- even in states where medical use of marijuana is permitted-- U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) and his bipartisan co-sponsors have re-introduced legislation to that would let medical marijuana defendants have the right to tell the truth in court.

H.R 4272, officially dubbed “The Steve McWilliams Truth in Trials Act”, guarantees medical marijuana defendants the right to introduce evidence demonstrating that the marijuana-related activities for which they stand accused were performed in compliance with State law regarding the medical use of marijuana. In addition, the bill specifically limits the government’s ability to seize assets – including medical cannabis plants. Americans for Safe Access is encouraging people to contact their member of Congress to urge him or her to co-sponsor H.R. 4272. Read more

Steve McWilliams was a medical marijuana patient and activist who died earlier this year. He had apparently overdosed on the medications that he had been given in place of the marijuana that he had been denied since his 2002 arrest.

__________________

mbruffee

This is a big improvement. It sickens me that those in charge at that place called the U.S. Federal Government won't let people testify to their own benefits from a drug. Especially terminally ill people who have much to gain from free, homegrown marijuana.

Why do they screw them over?

I hope that it hangs over their consciences for eternity: they were responsible for these people's deaths. They were responsible. They were responsible.

kinghelwig

That;'s funny,I got a ticket from a rookie his partner knew me and had found pot on me before,and didn't write me up or take my pot,this rookie wrote me a ticket and took my weed,and his partner didn;t stop it,ok,people construe the law in different ways,he was in his right's to write me up.I went to court put on my defense,the judge was cool he said this was a waste of the courts time the officer's time,and my time he made me fill out a piece of paper and told the baliff who was really checking out my pot to give it back,well I almost hit the floor,thank god for open minded people the baliff asked me where I got my pot because it was so dense and smelled up a good part of the courtroom,I told him proudly home grown in Redondo Beach Ca.He said woah as he handed me my pot back,and shook his head,well there goes some really good pot that he'll nevre get near again,point is we dont need another bill we need to follow what we already have and quit all the extra bullshit,bye for now, kinghelwig

Freedom_User

^Uhm..... Yea-a-a-a-a-h.......? Any extra 'bullshit' added to medical marijuana bills that closes up loopholes for authority figures to take control of is Okay in my book.

Kudos to Sam Farr and co-sponsors.

__________________
The feds continually use and twist this simple clause as an excuse to expand their own power - at the expense of our liberty.

"If you shot a ton of pot to the Sun, will it burn up and get everyone high?"