I am posting this here because this is the sort of story my friend Raindog would have been all over.

[Warren DeMontague]

I am devastated by the news of her passing.

The only thing I can think of vis a vis DU right now is that the best way I can honor her memory is to carry on a little bit of the great work she did.

http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/index.ssf/2014/07/medical_marijuana_in_oregon_be.html

During his flight, Mackenzie used a morphine pump to control pain from what he said is stage-four angiosarcoma, a rare and especially deadly form of cancer that affects the blood vessel lining. He said he hopes to rely less on narcotics once he obtains cannabis oil from one of Oregon’s medical marijuana dispensaries.

Here's a guy with terminal cancer, being prosecuted as a felon--- for growing pot. Almost certainly going to prison. Your tax dollars, the drug war at work.

http://qctimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/mackenzie-family-found-guilty-at-marijuana-trial/article_5d4ada2b-1946-5fc2-9718-c1efd59777d8.html

A jury found Benton Mackenzie and his family guilty Wednesday at their marijuana trial without hearing a medical defense he tried so desperately to introduce

http://qctimes.com/news/local/walton-defends-prosecution-of-mackenzie-family/article_d356a740-83d1-5196-b4b3-d2437cd31a74.html

Mackenzie said he took the plea in 2011 to avoid going to trial on more charges and likely going to prison if found guilty.

"I just needed to be able to stop this legal battle and start addressing my cancer," Mackenzie said. "If I only get two years of probation, I can survive that."

...

With Mackenzie's prior record taken into account under the "habitual offender" status, he faces a total of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 28. Walton said at least three years of that is mandatory.

...15 years.

[randys1]

1. Have to have customers for our for profit prison system, i guess

and as long as WE tolerate this, it will keep happening

[Warren DeMontague]

2. Apparently they have "no choice" but to send this very sick guy to prison for a very long time

for growing pot for himself.

[randys1]

5. We have a choice to NEVER shut up, NEVER stop screaming about how insane this is

to anybody who will listen

to try and convince idiots to stop voting for rightwing dumbshits who think smoking a joint is a sin against a pretend god

[Warren DeMontague]

7. Well, I'll say this much. I remember bringing pot legalization up in discussions here around 2006-7

and people- not all people, but many- were like "what the fuck kind of issue is pot legalization! No one wants that, it'll never pass, it'll never happen, it's political suicide for our party to mention pot in any context other than arresting people!"

Yeah, well. I'm not always right, but I have a pretty good track record.

[randys1]

9. Sounds like what was said when

LGBT issues were brought up or years before that African American civil rights issues

That you found such ignorance here at DU does not surprise me, at all

[Warren DeMontague]

10. Bingo. A very similar "evolution".

It's tough, some of us just evolved faster I guess.

(It's why it drives me crazy when it looks like certain well-known pols from our party run on that tired old bullshit "values voter" playbook that was already moldy even in the early 2000s... I'm like, PLEASE don't do that anymore)

[LuvNewcastle]

17. There is such a thing as right and wrong.

Too often we get bogged down in talking about political expediency instead of discussing the rightness or wrongness of certain policies. We should champion what is right instead of worrying about what others might think about our ideas instead of worrying about what certain other people might think about our politics.

If people want to criticize us for our political positions, it will be time to educate them on why we have those positions instead of wringing our hands and cringing in the corner. We have a lot more moral authority when we do this rather than using third-way style people pleasing efforts.

People respect political parties more when they take a stand. That's the only reason the GOP has gotten this far. No matter how wrong it is, they do take stands on issues, and people respect that, no matter how screwed up they may be. Give people something to fight for, and they will join you.

[Warren DeMontague]

19. "People respect political parties more when they take a stand"

Fucking A, right there, what you said.

[wordpix]

22. lol, many were trying to legalize it in the early '70's

That went nowhere, of course

[Ruby the Liberal]

23. I joined NORML back in the 70s when I was a teenager

Not knowing they were going to start mailing stuff to my house.

I thought my mother was going to have a stroke.

Just 2 years ago, she went on a rant about MMJ, calling it the "devil's gateway" (literally). Today, she finds herself moved by the kids with Dravets and other seizure disorders and is 110% on board - but the "don't get you high, just help the kids" flavor. That, and the fact that I had cancer - or so I think?

People are coming around.

[DocwillCuNow]

15. To these people, I would say, why did God make pot? Did he make a mistake? Or did he make

it so the dinosaurs and cave men could make peace together..... some 9000 years ago.... or something like that.

[randys1]

20. Our drug laws go back to the days when the local preacher would scream at the sherrif

that on Saturday night all the men spent it in the saloon or opium den and on sunday had no money to put in the church coffers

So, drug and alcohol laws were invented...

[NaturalHigh]

3. K and R, Warren.

I didn't know Raindog, but I'm very sorry for your loss.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. DU's loss, too.

Really sad.

ETA: Thanks

[daleanime]

27. Amen....

definitely missed.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Kicking for Raindog, and very proud that Oregon can bring some relief to Mr Mckenzie

nt

[Warren DeMontague]

8. Yeah.

Totally. I'm proud of my corner of the country.

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. K&R and thank you for posting this here.

I am really missing her like crazy.

[Warren DeMontague]

12. Yeah.

Right there with you.

[Ruby the Liberal]

14. I am scheduled to address city council in a few weeks on decriminalization

Never would have accepted that invite if it wasn't for her helping me flesh through talking points to make the best case as succinctly as humanly possible. Her way with words was an incredible gift.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. That's awesome.

Good luck!!!!

[Mnemosyne]

13. For Raindog, K&R! Always educating us.

[LuvNewcastle]

18. Sorry for the loss of your friend, Warren. I'm sorry for DU's loss as well.

I interacted with Raindog a couple of times, but I didn't know her. I guess that was my loss. I hope Raindog finds a permanent place in your heart as you deal with her passing.

[Uncle Joe]

21. To RainDog, I'm sorry for your suffering, thanks for your service and peace to you.

Thanks for the thread, Warren DeMontague.

[Eleanors38]

24. Raindog knew legalization was not back-burner...

It is CORE to so many "big" issues: The WOD is central to the gross disruption of society in C. American countries; it contributes hugely to illegal immigration to the U.S., and the tens of thousands killed in Mexico; it taxes our own LEOs and has led directly to their militarization; and it has worst of all resulted in tens of thousands of poor people, esp. those of color, filling our prisons.

We need to push hard. I've been a paying member of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) for almost 20 yrs, but make your own stand and contribute as you wish. The next year is critical in the states; national action looks tougher as the threat of RW dominance is real. We should all carry on Raindog's work.

[Warren DeMontague]

25. Another crack in the prohibition dam:

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/08/its_time_to_legalize_recreatio.html

[Warpy]

26. This is a prime case to make mandatory sentencing unconstitutional.

In any case, it could keep him out of prison as it drags its way through the courts. Judges hate mandatory minimums. Everybody hates them except rigid Republicans who have never considered the many grey areas that call for longer and shorter terms.

He should get time served and a dollar fine.

It serves no one in this whole country to have him die in prison.