Keep Incarceration from Becoming a Death Sentence

Join the efforts to release or properly care for Steve Kubby and other medical
marijuana patients who suffer from negligent medical treatment in prison. Please
consider sending a letter today to Judge Robert McElhany, on Steve's behalf,
asking that he be placed under house arrest in order to serve out his sentence,
and that he be allowed to consume medical marijuana while incarcerated. For an
example, see ASA’s letter sent on February 2
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/Kubby_Letter.pdf>.

Please write to:
The Honorable Robert McElhany
Placer County Superior Court
11532 B Avenue
Auburn, CA 95603
Fax: (530) 886-1209

Steve Kubby is just the latest victim of the war on patients. Support is also
needed for Joe Fortt, the operator of Kern County's first medical cannabis
dispensary, who has been held for many months in Fresno County Jail on federal
charges of "conspiracy to manufacture." Joe is a Canadian citizen, who has
treated his HIV successfully for 15 years with a naturopathic treatment of
cannabis and other herbs that has maintained a safe level of CD4+ cells. Since
he has been incarcerated, his t-cell (CD4) count, after eight months waiting for
trial, has dropped precipitously and rapidly down to 154.

Please write to:
Judge Anthony W. Ishii
501 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(Request that Joe be released pending trial, and minimally, that he receive
proper medical treatment while incarcerated.)

We continue to seek public attention and justice for other medical marijuana
patients currently incarcerated, awaiting trial in federal court and being
denied proper treatment: Dustin Costa, held in Fresno without bail for seven
months now; James Holland, held without bail in Bakersfield; Vernon Rylee, held
without bail in Sacramento; Thunder Rector, finally released on bail after seven
months in jail; and the list goes on and on. All of these patients and
providers await federal trials in which they will be forbidden to present a
medical defense. Please review ASA's list of upcoming court dates
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/upcomingcourtdates> and consider attending a Court
hearing for these and other patients' cases. It does make a difference!

There are many other prisoners of the war on medical marijuana, previously
convicted, that also need your support. Robert Schmidt, who provided medicine to
legal Sonoma County patients until a DEA raid in 2003, has just started a 41
month sentence at Leavenworth, and needs moral support and letters. To find his
address and those of many other patients who need hope to stay alive, go to
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=624>.

Peter McWilliams, a beloved author and activist, grew his own marijuana to treat
his cancer and AIDS. Unfortunately, Peter was arrested and jailed, and
prohibited from using cannabis while awaiting sentencing, despite how effective
it was in controlling his nausea, where other drugs had failed. The federal
denial of the natural medicine that best controlled his nausea became a death
sentence, as Peter McWilliams died in his home on June 14, 2000 at the age of
50, asphyxiating on his own vomit. Read more about Peter's story here:
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=1788>.

We must not let the story of Peter McWilliams repeat itself for any of the
number of patients currently incarcerated.


--
Kris Hermes
Legal Campaign Director
Americans for Safe Access
http://www.SafeAccessNow.org
1322 Webster Street, Suite 208
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-251-1856 x307
Fax: 510-251-2036
Email: kris [at] SafeAccessNow.org

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