SJSU Medpot: Stop the Cal State Universities from Arresting Medical Marijuana Patients

Hello from City Council candidate and medical marijuana activist Jim Lohse (Santa Clara County),

Let me tell you about the first time I was ever arrested and handcuffed in my entire 38 years. It was on 8/4/06 at SJSU.

I am the President of the Silicon Valley Cannabis Patients Union. Our Secretary, Christine "Tina" Flora, is a disabled homeless medical marijuana patient. She normally sleeps in a park in San Jose. She got into a domestic dispute and left that park. I think it was 7/28/06.

She moved a few blocks and found a bench at San Jose State University and laid down. I don't think she intended to fall asleep, but at 2:30am the SJSU-PD found her, arrested her and took her to the station at 377 S. 7th St. (cross San Salvador).

They held her for two hours, repeatedly woke her up, and released her at 4:30am. She made it to work that day in San Mateo County. Predictably, the police took Tina's medicine. She suffers from anger, stress, depression and migraines. She was not happy.

As I looked into this, I found a willingness to ignore state law in all cases. The police I met and spoke with were ignorant of the law, pure and simple. Ignorance is bliss, meaning they felt they have the right to sieze all marijuana, on or off the campus.

SJSU STUDENTS: From what I can tell, the next ugly step would be to kick you out of school for following doctor's orders!

I had two people from the campus President's office misquote the law to me. I found out that the campus President's Office (408 924-1177) has already been notified months ago about the County ID card program.

When I spoke to SJSU-PD Chief Barnes on the phone (408-924-2222, ask for Chiefy), he was so arrogant in his ignorance it truly amazed me. He never cited Federal Law, and since he's a real state administrative agency he can't. Instead SJSU Chief Barnes said they didn't recognize SB 420. No small wonder. The day the Public Health Officer Fenstersheib presented the card program to the Police Chiefs, Barnes was out to lunch.

After I spent time educating another Barnes (Corporal / Watch Commander Barnes), he stood there the next week at his confederates arrested me and my friend. They ignored my friends calls for access to his heart medicine and 911. I allege willful police misconduct on the part of Barnes and Barnes. See our events August 17 and August 25 at 4:20 on the Indybar event calendar.

Our court dates are in October. See you at SJSU!

Jim Lohse,
President, Silicon Valley Cannabis Patients Union http://www.area420.com
svcpu [at] hotmail.com, svcpu [at] yahoo.com, jim [at] area420.com