ACTION ALERT:
FREE TODD McCORMICK!!!
NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY, PROTEST RALLY & MARCH
Monday, April 13, 1998
Please copy and re-distribute this announcement.
For more information, see: http://www.levellers.org/toddtoc.htm
For an interview with Todd, see: http://www.marijuanamagazine.com
Todd McCormick is being held in federal prison for failing to
comply to the conditions of his bond when he allegedly tested positive for
THC due to his use of legally-prescribed Marinol. Todd is one of the first
patients to be prosecuted under federal law for cultivation of marijuana in
California since the passage of the Compassionate Use Act in 1996. If the
feds succeed in convicting him of cultivation, no patient will be safe from
the persecution of the feds. Please help protect Todd and the rights of
all other patients!
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*** NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY: Monday, April 13 ***
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Phone numbers, in order of importance:
1) White House comment line: (202) 456-1111
2) U.S. Department of Justice -- Attorney General's Office
Ask for the comment line: (202) 514-2001
3) Senator Barbara Boxer senator@boxer.senate.gov
DC: 202-224-3553
CA: 415-403-0100 or 310-414-5700 Fax: 310-414-0980
4) Senator Dianne Feinstein senator@feinstein.senate.gov
DC: 202-224-3841 Fax: 202-228-3954
CA: 619-231-9712 or 310-914-7300 or 415-536-6868
SAMPLE MESSAGE:
"I'm calling on behalf of Todd McCormick, a medical marijuana patient who
is has been imprisoned by federal law enforcement in Los Angeles for taking
a legally-prescribed drug called Marinol. I would like the federal
government to release Todd from jail until his trial, to allow him to take
Marinol for his pain, and to stop persecuting medical marijuana patients in
California altogether. Additionally, I would like to see Federal
Magistrate Judge James McMahon investigated for practicing medicine without
a license when he ordered Todd not to take Marinol."
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FREE TODD McCORMICK RALLY!
Monday, April 13, 1998
6:00 PM
Federal Courthouse, Downtown Los Angeles, Main St. near Temple St.
Meet at the LA Mall across the street from the courthouse.
Bring signs, drums, candles, water, educational literature, etc.
If you can't come, send your prayers for Todd!!!
Scheduled speakers:
Dennis Peron, Republican candidate for governor & father and author of
Prop. 215
Ann McComick, Todd's mother
Jack Herer, author of "The Emperor Wears No Clothes"
MARCH TO FEDERAL DETENTION CENTER:
After gathering, the group will make a short march to the federal detention
center where Todd is being held. We will send him our love and healing
that will penetrate even federal prison walls. Bring lots of drums so he
can hear us!
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DONATE TO TODD'S LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
Todd McCormick Defense Fund
c/o David M. Michael Client Trust Account,
Bank of America # 16644 11541, Pier 5
North The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111,
415-986-5591
This is an important case, and it is essential for Todd to have the
resources to fight it well.
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EMAIL STATE and FEDERAL OFFICIALS
Ask them to FREE TODD McCORMICK!!!!
Use this short email list to cut and paste into the Bcc: field of youremail
program.
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FEDERAL OFFICIALS:
Contact your own federal senators and representatives too.
For U.S. Senators in other states, see:
http://www.senate.gov/senator/membmail.html
http://www.earthlaw.org/Activist/senatadd.htm
U.S. Representatives:
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE:Email
list:http://www.sonnet.com/CriminalJusticeReform/legislators.html
Other lists:
http://www.state.ca.us/s/govt/legisca.html
http://clerkweb.house.gov/mbrcmtee/members/mbrsstate/uolmfram.htm
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Ask them to FREE TODD McCORMICK!!!!
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Send copies of any letters sent by email to the Colorado Hemp Initiative
Project: cohip@levellers.org
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BACKGROUND:
The Trials of Todd McCormick
Todd McCormick, 27 years old, had cancer nine times before the age of ten.
He uses marijuana to combat the constant pain he experiences due to his
childhood cancer treatments and to help stimulate his appetite.
In 1995, he obtained an prescription for marijuana from a physician in
Holland. After the passage of Prop. 215, he moved to Los Angeles and began
to cultivate cannabis to supply his medical needs and further his botanical
research. In July, 1997, he was arrested and charged with cultivation. He
was released on $500,000 bail.
On April 2, 1998, eight U.S. Marshals raided Todd's home to arrest him for
violating the conditions of his bond by allegedly testing positive for THC.
Todd had passed hundreds of urinalysis tests since his arrest in July, but
he had recently been taking a legally-prescribed drug, Marinol, which is a
synthetic form of THC. Todd had quit taking Marinol after a March 17 court
ruling in which Todd was ordered not to use "any form of marijuana,
including any synthetic marijuana, any products that contain marijuana
derivatives including but not limited to hemp seed oil, marinol [sic], or
any other product containing cannabinoid derivatives, either with or
without prescription." However, drug experts know that Marinol will cause
urine to test positive for THC for weeks after the patient has stopped
using it.
At a hearing on April 3, the prosecution was not prepared and had no
evidence to introduce that Todd had violated the conditions of his bail.
Despite this, Todd was ordered by Federal Magistrate Judge James McMahon to
remain in federal custody until April 22 to allow the prosecutors to get
their act together. An emergency hearing has been called for April 14.
Todd's trial is set to begin on May 27. He faces a ten-year mandatory
minimum prison sentence and millions of dollars in fines.
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For more background information, updates, and other action alerts
http://www.marijuanamagazine.com/
http://www.levellers.org/cannabis.html
http://members.tripod.com/~ez2bkind/RI.html
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PLEASE COPY AND REDISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
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Distributed as a public service by the:
Colorado Hemp Initiative Project
P.O. Box 729, Nederland, CO 80466
Our hotline has been disconnected b/c the voice mail
company went out of business. :(
Email:
Web: http://www.welcomehome.org/cohip.html
http://www.levellers.org/cannabis.html
"Fighting over 60 years of lies and dis-information
with 10,000 years of history and fact."
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