Grow guru on trial by Pete Brady (20 Jan, 2003) Rosenthal ready to rock n' roll Grow guru Ed Rosenthal, who has spent 30 years telling people how to grow nature's kindest plant, is spending his January 20th Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday preparing to be put on trial for growing it. Rosenthal was the victim of a massive federal government invasion of California last February, when DEA commander Asa Hutchinson and a team of meanies swooped down on Rosenthal and other medpot providers and growers in the San Francisco area. Since then, facing life imprisonment and weekly federal pre-trial restrictions, Rosenthal has done the best work of his life, expanding his legendary grow advice column in Cannabis Culture, appearing at the NORML convention, and releasing books like Trash to Stash, which concisely explains how to make powerful hashish and other cannabis products easily and cheaply. Other people would have run north to avoid trial and imprisonment, but Rosenthal, true to his Yippie radical roots, has chosen to stand and fight. During pre-trial hearings in a federal courtroom this month, Rosenthal attempted to present evidence showing that Oakland, California officials had given official sanction to his medpot grow room. The hostile federal judge, a veteran of medpot cases in the Bay Area, has so far censored much of Rosenthal's defense. The trial appears now to be a trap and a set-up, one of those travesties of justice during which the prosecution gets to use all its tools, while the defense is hobbled by rulings that prevent a fair trial from taking place. Jane Rosenthal says the judge has agreed to allow her husband to testify about his "state of mind," which likely means that he will be able to explain to the jury how the federal and state laws conflict, and how his actions were in keeping with the spirit of medpot and Prop. 215, the landmark 1996 law that leagalized it in California. On the eve of the anticipated trial, the biggest challenge of his life, Rosenthal is upbeat and positive. His wife and business partner Jane Rosenthal told us that media and movement support for her husband has been phenomenal, with major favorable articles in national and international media. She's encouraged by contributions to the Green-Aid website defense fund set up to help Ed, and she urges all members of the cannabis culture to do whatever they can- write letters to the editor, contribute to the defense fund, stand up for their rights, come out of the closet- to help "continue the momentum of history and popular opinion that says it's time to end the war on marijuana." "We have a victory celebration pizza party planned for the end of the trial," the feisty wife of the guru said. "Don't be depressed about this. It's not just about saving Ed; it's about a turning point in history."
As we all know ,marijuana posession or consumption in the U.S. (even in Cali. ) is a federal offense. Maybe not state or even local ,but definately a federal offense. For Crips sake ,America fought a civil war over "states rights" (Turned into a war over slavery) ,but started out as a war over states rights. Like a state wanting legal marijuana and the federal government not wanting them to have it. The Amerakan Government cannot afford to let Ed run free.They have lied way way too much ,and invested (wasted) way way too many tax dollars ,to allow that to happen. Mark my words. Rosenthal will not be the better for this needless intrusion into his life/teachings. I'm sure E.R. would agree............. "You can lead a horse to water...................... but you will never make him understand why marijuana 'is' illegal ,or ever was." roach The word of the day is o v e r g r o w. grow , and grow , and then ............grow some more !
Roach.... dude..... I wanna make that quote my new sig. Is that ok, if I give whoever made it up the credit after the quote...... Damn that's humorous...
When I heard about this I was sooo pissed off. Even wrote a little rant in the general forums that I can't find =/.