MARIJUANA DEFENSE, STEVEN F. GROCE, ATTORNEY, LIFE MEMBER NORML

MARIJUANA

STEVEN F. GROCE, ATTY.
DEFENSE OF MARIJUANA CASES
LIFE MEMBER OF NORML http://norml.org/index.cfm?wtm_view=legal&Group_ID=4547

Not only does our firm defend Marijuana cases, including Possession, Distribution and Cultivation, we actively support all efforts for legalization.

In regard to living life at your best, and to the fullest, nothing beats having a fit body, a fit soul, and, I would add, a clear mind. I start this page with this statement, because it should be clear and understood to all, that I do not advocate the use of drugs of any kind, whether it is Alcohol, prescription drugs or non-prescription drugs, to try to achieve satisfaction or happiness in life. I also do not advocate breaking the law, regardless of how insane the laws may seem. With that said, laws are sometimes just plain wrong. Remember prohibition? The 18th amendment? As to the laws regarding Marijuana, if you believe that these laws are unfounded in reasoning, a violation of your personal rights, completely draconian in both application and penalties, or just plain wrong, then it is up to you, as it is to all of us, to take a stand, make yourself heard and do whatever you can to see the laws changed. While I not only advocate and suggest that happiness is best derived from fulfilling activities, spiritual growth, physical fitness and relationships with family, friends and community, I do believe, that Marijuana, just like Alcohol, if used in moderation, can be used without harm, without interfering in other areas of life; and according to the findings of a huge amount of current research, the use of Marijuana may even be healthy for the body. Among other things, it has been successfully used for pain relief, and has also recently been used in the treatment of cancer. These are just a couple of recent findings. For a more comprehensive list of the Medical and/or possible Health benefits see the link to Medical Marijuana below. It is my own view, that there should be no reason that any citizen of the United States should not be able to make a personal choice. Personal choice requires legalization, and a society and a government that respects the individual rights and liberties of its citizens. We have been taught to think of ourselves and our country as the Great Free World "the land of the free;" yet other countries and societies have sometimes shown far more tolerance and respect for the freedom of their citizens. In this regard, one only need look at the Netherlands. The coffee shops which have existed all over Amsterdam, for many years, prove that a respect for Individual Rights WORKS, not just for the individual, but also for society. The World is finally learning that Marijuana has existed and been used for thousands of years by various peoples all the world over. If you thought this (Marijuana) was something discovered in the sixties, think again. During a recent Archaeological find in China, in the Gobi desert (as reported in CNN International edition 2-14-2009), Archaeologists found approximately 2 pounds of what they described as very potent Cannabis, stashed within a Gushi Shaman's tomb. Dating of the find is to a time approximately 2700 years ago. Hmmmm, perhaps it was a time of more freedom in the area we now call China, before it later became a country controlled by a communist regime, which it remains today. In the United States, we have a great country. It's just that our current leaders have lost sight of the ideals that formed the fundamental building blocks and the very foundation upon which our Great Country was founded and created. However, even for the founding fathers, as the saying goes, Freedom Is Never Free. That's why the foundation of this country required a revolution. Therefore, if you believe in something, then do your part, and at least make yourself heard.
LINK TO NORML.ORG LIFE MEMBER ATTORNEY: STEVEN F. GROCE,
http://norml.org/index.cfm?wtm_view=legal&Group_ID=4547

FOR LINK TO NORML.ORG HOME PAGE: http://norml.org/index.cfm
FOR LINK TO NORML.ORG MEDICAL MARIJUANA PAGE: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3376

THE CASE FOR LEGALIZATION of Marijuana, both possession, and also growing or cultivation, goes to the very heart of the absolute insanity of the government's war on drugs. First, let's recall the country that we live in, and the most basic founding freedoms that not only prompted the revolution that created this great country, the country that we know of as the United States of America; but also the cherished rights that our ancestors, our military forces, and many of our fellow citizens, have given their blood for, so that the rest of us have, and should continue to have, the right to make choices for ourselves, to be individuals, to live our lives in harmony with others, but also to live, and believe, ... and THINK, as each of us deems appropriate.

THE GOVERNMENT: MAKING SOMETHING ILLEGAL.   In regard to Marijuana, a combination of un-founded fears (remember the movie, Reefer Madness?), and a total lack of respect (to put it mildly), for individual rights by the misguided leaders of our country at the time, resulted in making Marijuana illegal.   One might reasonably wonder, what is the excuse that exists for continuing to keep Marijuana illegal today? I would suggest that the lack of respect by government, meaning our representatives in government, for individual rights, still exists today.  Many in government seem to have forgotten that the Constitution of the United States, is still supposed to be the supreme law of the land. Misguided fears regarding Marijuana are also still on the horizon. However, I would also argue that there are other reasons which many people have never considered to be a factors. Consider MONEY for one, and JOBS, (Government Jobs) for the other. Keeping Marijuana illegal has literally created tens of thousands of Law enforcement jobs. To get an idea of the amount of money involved in the war on drugs, take a look at the Drug War Clock link located at the end of this page. While this link depicts the money spent fighting the Governments War on all Drugs, a huge percentage is being used by the Government to still wage its war against Marijuana. Who pays the bill? The tax payer does, and as with so many things, by virtue of the perpetual government money printing press, the tax payers are made to do it on credit, thanks to the ever increasing budget deficit. One could probably make a reasonable argument that if Marijuana was legalized across the country under all the State laws, and also under Federal law, that it would probably put a lot of Federal and State employees out of work. One must ask, however, whether the possible loss of jobs is a legitimate reason to keep something illegal. I would argue that it is not. So, while I have respect for our City, State and Federal employees, some of which do very necessary work, I believe that this has certainly been a factor in the attitude of the various Law enforcement agencies to continue their otherwise illogical opposition to legalization.

Although it might sound a little far fetched, consider for the sake of argument, that perhaps the government will decide someday to make birds illegal.   I mean, after all, if we put a passenger jet in the sky, and it runs over some Canadian Geese, while traveling 250 Knots or better, maybe our leaders should just get rid of the Geese. The government could start a war on Geese, like the war on Drugs. We could commit billions of dollars to the effort to rid the world of Geese, and any other birds that get in our way. Why? I said it was far fetched. There is no good reason to make Geese illegal, any more than there was to make, or to keep Marijuana illegal. Both have been around longer than the current human species. However, it might make some airline passengers feel safer knowing that our government was spending billions to keep Geese out of the sky. What it would definitely do, is to create a lot of jobs. It would be good for the economy. New Federal agencies could be created, like the GEA: Geese Enforcement Association; or ...

Maybe the above scenario seems just too out there.
WELL THEN, ALSO IMAGINE: for just a moment, that tomorrow, the government, your government, decided to treat Blacks as slaves, citing alleged inferior social values, or lack of intelligence, tendency toward violence, etc.   Or, imagine that our government were to dream up the idea of Prohibition, (anyone remember the 18th amendment???) making Alcohol illegal for anyone to manufacture, distribute, sell, possess or consume. As most of you reading this know, both of these things have already happened in our Country's history.   In another light or perspective, perhaps we should consider the equality and the right to exist, of not only other human beings, but also all other living things on this planet. Common sense should tell us that no one, and no government, should have the right to make it illegal for anything that grows naturally on this earth, and has existed longer than mankind itself, to be illegal to possess, to grow, allow to grow, or to even exist!   What right do we have to legislate the very existence of any other life form, plant, animal or other?

Interestingly, in regard to the 18th amendment, it was later repealed by the 21st amendment. This was thanks to the citizens (yes, our forefathers, which means your grandmothers and grandfathers) of the United States, that were willing to take a stand AND DEMAND A CHANGE IN THE LAW.

IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT THE 18TH Amendment, Prohibition, WAS only one of two amendments, or operative provisions of the Constitution that prohibited private conduct. The other, is the 13th amendment, which finally abolished slavery. At that time in history, as was pointed out by Harvard Law School Professor, Laurence Tribe: "there are two ways, and only two ways, in which an ordinary private citizen ... can violate the United States Constitution. One is to enslave someone, a suitably hellish act. The other is to bring a bottle of beer, wine, or bourbon into a State in violation of its beverage control laws, an act that might have been thought juvenile, and perhaps even lawless, but unconstitutional?"

I believe that if we had wanted a government that acted in such a way, then perhaps none of us would mind living under the rules, censorship, lack of privacy, lack of due process, etc., et. al., of a country like Communist China. We are closer to that reality than you, the reader, may think. Fortunately, the 13th amendment abolished slavery. The 21st amendment abolished prohibition. This is truly something to think about. The 21st amendment was only made possible by the demands, protests and actions, of our grandmothers and grandfathers, or great grandparents. If it was not for them, you, the reader, would most likely still be subject to Criminal prosecution and even incarceration, just for having a beer or a glass of wine. IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE ONCE AGAIN!

Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.

Abraham Lincoln

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES: is the Supreme law of of the land. All those in political office and in the military, have sworn to uphold the Constitution, as have most citizens of the our great country.

Therefore, we must ask: What have we, as citizens, and public officials, allowed to happen?

Not everyone is afraid to speak out, or stand up for what they believe in, or for that matter to actually support the Constitution of the United States, the supreme law and statement of our rights and liberty that we have all sworn to uphold.

Consider the case of: PEOPLE VS. JOHN SINCLAIRE, 387 Michigan Reports, page 91

This was a 1972 case, when the United States Constitution had the respect that it was due.
Justice Thomas G. Kavanagh of the Michigan Supreme Court, a fine judge indeed, clarified the real meaning of the Constitution and our liberties within the words of his decision:

"As I understand our constitutional concept of government, an individual is free to do whatever he pleases, so long as he does not intefere with the rights of his neighbor or of society, and no government--state or Federal--has been ceded the authority to interfere with that freedom. As has been said:

`The sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of these number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral is not a sufficient warrant.' J.S. Mill, On Liberty, Chapter 1.

...'Big Brother' cannot, in the name of Public health, dictate to anyone what he can eat or drink or smoke in the privacy of his own home."

See also the Judge's same reasoning in PEOPLE VS. ERIC LORENTZEN, 387 Michigan Reports, page 167, where Justice Kavanagh voted to strike down the laws regarding the sale of drugs.

"The right to possess and use something, however, has little meaning unless one also has the right to acquire it, and hence proscription of sale cannot be reconciled with a right to possess and use.

It may be that some legitimate public interest may be served by the regulation of traffic in marijuana, but a statute which absolutely forbids the sale of marijuana is as offensive to the right of privacy and the pursuit of happiness as a statute which forbids its possession and use."

Justice Thomas G. Kavanagh

COST OF THE WAR ON DRUGS TO TAXPAYERS

Drug War Clock: http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm
Link provided courtesy of drugsense.org

HOW CAN YOU HELP? TAKE A STAND AND TELL THE ESTABLISHMENT AND THE LAW MAKERS HOW YOU FEEL

THE FOLLOWING IS A SHORT LIST OF INDIVIDUALS, LAW MAKERS, LEGISLATORS AND AGENCIES THAT NEED TO HEAR YOUR OPINION. DON'T SEND AN EMAIL, WHICH MOST LIKELY WILL ONLY BE DELETED OUT OF THE INBOX. WRITE A LETTER AND USE A STAMP.

President Barak Obama

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
(Please include your e-mail address when writing)

Chris Koster

Missouri Attorney General's Office
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Office of Governor Jay Nixon
P.O. Box 720
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Office of U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill
Missouri State Senator
Hart Senate Office Building, Ste. 506
Washington, D.C. 20510

Office of U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill

Springfield Office

324 Park Central West, Ste. 101
Springfield, Missouri 65806

Office of U.S. Senator Roy Blunt

260 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt

Springfield Office

2740 B East Sunshine
Springfield, MO 65804

D. Adam Crumbliss

Missouri House of Representatives

201 West Capitol Ave, Room 306C
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Robin Carnahan

Missouri Secretary of State

201 West Capitol Ave, Room 306C
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Mayor Jim O�Neal