Wow, I cracked it. To have the judges say that the Controlled Substances Act is unconstitutional when it applies to me or other medical marijuana patients -- that's historic! You can't get any better than that until you knock the whole law down. I would love to be a regular mom and go and play basketball with my kids, but I am very, very ill. I have to battle my illnesses and John Ashcroft, too, and that's difficult to take, but this goes to show that someone as tiny and weak as I am can go up against Ashcroft and win. I'm sick and I'm tired, but I won't back down. I'll fight him with every last breath in my body. And you know, if he wants to come after me now, John Ashcroft will be the criminal.

-- Angel Raich

Victory! Federal Appeals Court Rules Feds Can't Persecute Medical Marijuana Patients




Seattle's Sensible Marijuana Initiative Idea Catches On - Eugene Next?

LCCI in the news #1
LCCI in the news #2

OR MMJ event beats 'Rave Act'-like Attack

A Citizen's Guide To Interacting With The Police

Stop arresting responsible adult marijuana users


Given Oregon's budget woes, why are the Lane County Sheriff and D.A. still wasting our tax dollars on what is clearly a failed war on adults who use marijuana in private?

There IS an alternative.

Dear friend of SLC,

When we initially decided to model an initiative on Seattle but with teeth, we did so because we were optimistic that a more ambitious initiative in Lane County would be viable, and we wanted to push the threshold a little. As the polling clearly shows, a more ambitious initiative is not viable. We've never been that interested in doing a more modest -- Sensible Seattle-style -- "de-prioritization" initiative in Lane County because Oregon already has decriminalization and medical marijuana, so the symbolic victory of winning such a local initiative is not that big, and, given the polling we now have, such an initiative might even lose, which would be a disaster.

In meeting with decisonmakers about Sensible Lane County, we have found that there is a great deal of support "within the system." Two Lane County commissioners and one former commissioner support our idea. One Eugene city councilmember is also very supportive. Those are just the folks we had time to meet with. It now seems prudent to shift our focus to state measures and candidates (such as the crucial OMMA2, http://voterpower.org), as well as to the following work:

-- identify supportive legislators who are willing to sponsor and/or vote for broader marijuana reform, ideally for legislation to tax and regulate marijuana, ideally as soon as the 2005 legislative session (since there is no session this year)
-- identify supportive challengers in legislative races this year for the same purpose, in districts with bad guy incumbents
-- identify key legislators (those persuadable legislators who sit on the key committees involved or are in a leadership position)
-- in the districts of key legislators identified, find out how many adults and registered voters live in each legislative district and whether the districts are "walkable," meaning whether it's practical to petition folks door-to-door in a district (basically, determine what's the percentage of people living in urban versus suburban versus rural areas)
-- identify supporters of broader marijuana reform (basically, list building) -- particularly in the targeted districts -- via signed postcards from registered voters, which can later be sent to their legislative representatives. Targeted districts include those of persuadable legislators (see above), legislative leaders, or those where a good challenger is facing a bad incumbent who is vulnerable (i.e. didn't win in a landslide last election)
-- register persons to vote who are supportive and have them sign a similar postcard
-- analyze the legal and political obstacles to such legislation

We have not abandoned the idea of a ballot initiative. We want to thank all of you for your tremendous help in this effort. As the climate becomes more favorable in Lane County, we will again put forth an initiative. Our strength remains in our supporters.

In peace and solidarity,

Chris and Eileen
Sensible Lane County

EMAIL US TO VOLUNTEER: info@sensiblelanecounty.org