Date: Fri, 06 Sep 2002 01:44:21 -0700
From: "D. Paul Stanford" <stanford@crrh.org>
Subject: CA: WAMM Raid Update

from Dale Gieringer:

WAMM UPDATE: DEA TERRORISTS ROB PATIENTS OF MEDICINE
WAMM DIRECTOR VALERIE & MIKE CORRAL RELEASED

Santa Cruz CA, Sep 5. The Wo/Mens Alliance for Medical Marijuana
was raided by a team of armed DEA agents early this morning with no
prior warning to the local sheriff. Agents woke patients residing on
the property at gunpoint and handcuffed them.
WAMM Director Valerie Corral and Mike Corral were arrested
and taken to the federal building in San Jose. They were later
released without charges pending possible criminal indictment,
leaving them in legal limbo (like other cannabis groups that have
been raided, such as the Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center)
The plants were cut down with chain saws, a scene captured on
videotape by WAMM's security system and shown on KTVU -TV. Some 150
strong, healthy plants were taken.
While the DEA did their dirty work, patients organized a
blockade of the narrow dirt road leading to the garden to block their
escape. The DEA called on the local sheriff to help out; the
sheriff was clearly dismayed at the raid. The blockade was called
off in exchange for the release of Valerie and Mike, negotiated over
the telephone from the Court House in San Jose. A caravan of SUVs
and trailers hauled the crop away. The agents looked sullen and
shamefaced, except for one young hotdog with a smart-aleck grin.
Shocked patients returned to the scene of the crime, crying in
disbelief at the clear-cut scene of their year's lost labors. WAMM
is a collective of some 250 patients, all of them seriously ill.
Members take turns helping with harvesting and tending the garden,
attending meetings, caring for each other's health, and sharing the
crop amongst themselves. Because of space limitations, WAMM had to
turn away many applicants and maintained a waiting list for admission.

DEA spokesman Richard Meyers claimed that the DEA was not
targeting medical marijuana, but was rather concerned with the
quantity of marijuana at WAMM. However, the WAMM bust was small by
federal standards observed heretofore in a state where busts of
1000's of plants and common. Word from local US attorneys is that
the Justice Department has ordered a crackdown on all of California's
medical cannabis clubs.

WAMM is highly regarded as one of the best cannabis patients'
clubs in the state. Unlike many other clubs, which sell marijuana to
their members, WAMM distributes it for free. WAMM's director,
Valerie Corral, is widely admired for her tireless and dedicated care
for the seriously ill. A member of Attorney General Lockyer's state
task force on medical marijuana, she was one of the original
organizers of California's Prop. 215. An inspiring feature about
Valerie and WAMM was published in Mother Jones magazine:

http://www.motherjones.com/mother_jones/JF01/marijuana.html

WAMM website: http://www.wamm.org

ACTION ALERT:
CALL Sen. Barbara Boxer (202) 224-3553 and Dianne Feinstein (202)
224-3841
Protest the WAMM raid - demand an end to the DEA's war on the
sick and dying
Also tell them to vote NO on the RAVE Act, which would give DEA
power to raid property owners who host events where marijuana and
other drugs might be used.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS ON SEPTEMBER 6th

ACTIONS TO TAKE:

- -- On September 6th, call your Senators and tell them to oppose S. 2633, the
RAVE Act. Tell them that innocent business owners shouldn't be punished for the
activities of their customers. Tell them this bill has dangerous anti-civil
liberties provisions that they need to be aware of, and that it's a threat to
public health.

For more information on this bill see: <http://ga1.org/campaign/rave>

- --
- ----
Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml@igc.org
2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114