Temple Cannabis Co-op

This is a proposed plan to work with the City of Bangor, the Bangor Police Dept. and community volunteers to grow and distribute medical marijuana free of charge to eligible patients under Maine State Law.

Distribution would be limited to one (1) day per week. A weekly one (1)  hour meeting for updates & announcements would be held prior to distribution. Distribution shall be done in a first come, first serve basis. A system of numbered tickets shall be devised to ensure to orderly and timely distribution of medication after the meeting. This also ensures that those who made the entirety of the meetings have first priority. 

This is not a delivery service as some have claimed. We are not asking the Police to deliver medicine, just watch us and help keep patients safe.

Patients must already be on our Compassionate Care Giving list. To be placed on the list a patient must, produce a written prescription or recommendation from their doctor.

Patients or their caregivers may pick up medical marijuana on the scheduled day, provided that they meet the following criteria;

1. They are not currently growing cannabis for their medicinal use.
2. They agree never to sell the medicine they claim to need.

The co-op would try to emulate and incorporate, with great respect, the "Gold Star Standard" set forward by WAMM.

There is no cost for this program. Patients would get what they need and give back what they can in accordance with their ability. The creation of a supportive community of people, helping and taking care of each other. This is a proven effective method of uplifting those who have lost interest in life because of sickness. Supporting and helping each other and building a network of compassionate people.

We have a great opportunity to keep this invaluable medicine out of the hands of pharmacies and keep it in the hands of patients who desperately need it. It doesn't have to cost anything but a little time, a little caring, and a little faith.

Not all medicinal cannabis is smoked. It can also be put into a capsule, made into tinctures and oils, steeped into warm teas and baked into cupcakes, brownies and many many other delicious and therapeutic ways.

It is also very important never to BUY or SELL any marijuana. Medical grade cannabis must be grown organically for optimum medicinal value. Nobody knows what kind of chemicals are put into street marijuana.

Patients are encouraged to volunteer and donate what you can but there are no cost for participation. We will never deny you the medication you need.

Supreme Court Refuses Government Appeal on Medical Marijuana Advice by Doctors
http://content.herbalgram.org/abc/herbalgram/
articleview.asp?a=2646

Surprising some observers, the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 14, 2003, refused to review a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in a California case1 affirming physicians’ rights to recommend medical marijuana (Cannabis sativa L., Cannabinaceae) to their patients. The high court rarely refuses to hear government appeals of lower court decisions.

Graham Boyd of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Drug Policy Litigation Project argued the case in the 9th Circuit. ACLU staff attorney and co-counsel Ann Brick commented, after the decision was allowed to stand, "The First Amendment protects the right of doctors to express their opinions about the value of medical marijuana not just when they are giving a speech but when they are giving advice to individual patients. It is the patients who will benefit mostly from today’s announcement."

The United States
holds a patent for Cannabis for medical use and synthetic cannabis also has a patent for medical use by UMED, so obviously Cannabis has accepted medical use by the Federal Government since they own the patent to extracted cannabis.

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6630507.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just check out US Patent 6630507 titled "Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants" which is assigned to The United States of America, as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The patent claims that "Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia."

The patent was obtained in October of 2003.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/
articlerender.fcgi?artid=1169606 A federal appeals court has unanimously ruled that the US government cannot revoke a doctor's license and prescribing privileges or investigate a doctor for recommending marijuana to sick patients.
The case grew out of a previous injunction against Californian doctors who prescribed marijuana for medicinal purposes and upheld a 1999 decision by US district judge William Alsup in San Francisco that barred federal prosecutors from taking action against doctors who tell patients that marijuana might be beneficial.

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=2051 An excellent resource on Maine Medical Marijuana Laws with great explanations. Highly recommended.

http://www.gazette.com/opinion/
state_47785___article.html/
laws_federal.html - Obama's Promise to not use federal resources to circumvent State laws.

_______________________________________

Maine has legalized cannabis for medicinal use along with several other states. The federal government actively engages in acts against medicinal and spiritual users of cannabis. Prosecuting those who practice a sincerely held religious belief or those seeking relief from often terminal diseases.

We have a responsibility to ensure the quality of life for all people. Cannabis has accepted medicinal uses and is incorrectly listed as a Schedule 1 narcotic. I have witnessed the horrors of cancer, looked down into sunken eyes filled with only pain and hope. How anyone could possibly deny them the medication they request is beyond human reasoning and understanding.

People have long recognized the healing power of faith, prayers and hope. People have long recognized the necessity for those who possess compassion to stand up for the beliefs and welfare of the common people.

The Maine Constitution protects the rights of churches both incorporate and those unincorporated. The Temple seeks to establish a federally recognized medical marijuana dispensary and to give the much needed medication to the people who need it free of charge. The Temple also seeks to study the medicinal differences of various strains of cannabis so that solutions may be tailored to individual needs.

We recognize the historic role churches have played in protecting the basic civil rights of people, even people of contrasting faiths. The underground railroad was one of histories most beautiful achievements. Churches, working for the common good of the people, broke the laws to help put an end to slavery. Churches have also provided sanctuary to minority religions and individuals for centuries. The church has always been a safe neutral zone.

And so it is again that we must step forward with faith and compassion to help the common good of people. Jesus Christ himself, had vastly contrasting opinions in his day. Hopefully we've all learned from history and can work together peacefully for the good of all people.
 

VOLUNTEER!

Did you know? There has been a patent on medical marijuana since 1999. assigned BY the United States of America as represented by the Department for Health and Human Services. View NOW!

Did you know? The Temple is now partnered with the Cannabis Protection Union! The CPU is a group of people, patients, advocates, City Council Members (California) and most importantly, Lawyers! They work together proactively to protect your legal rights. They will even defend you in court, protest and raise money on your behalf. The CPU is also partners with Americans for Safe Access. We are building a Nationwide network of support for Maine patients. View CPU - View ASA

 http://www.wamm.org

http://www.americanmarijuana.org/

Another Great Use Versus Risk Study

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/9/40 The most surprising result of our study was the inverse relationship between cannabis us and injury. Possible explanations and underlying mechanisms, such as use in safer environments or more compensatory behavior among cannabis users, were discussed.

"Marihuana smoke, unlike cigarette smoke, causes bronchodilatation [expansion of the air passages] rather than bronchoconstriction [narrowing of the air passages] and, unlike opiates, does not cause central respiratory depression."

"Patients have long told us that cannabis has been helpful to them in the treatment of their arthritic conditions.

Science has now demonstrated that the THC component of cannabis is a very effective analgesic (pain killer), and that the CBD (cannabidiol) component has unique immunomodulatory benefits as an antagonist of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, supporting benefits in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis."

ATTENTION LAW ENFORCEMENT:
YOU COULD BE SUED, INDICTED, EVEN SENT TO PRISON
 AS A DRUG WAR CRIMINAL!

All wars end and eventually the War on Drugs will end as well. After every war, comes an accounting of those who violated the human rights of others. Where will you stand when that judgment day comes? Will you be exonerated or end up spending the rest of your life as a drug war criminal?

You may believe it is your duty to "do something about the drug problem," but those who violate the human rights of American citizens will someday be held accountable. That day is surely coming and it may be sooner than you think. If you and your fellow officers, no matter how well-intentioned, continue to enforce the failed ideology of Zero Tolerance; you could find yourself spending the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, worrying about being charged and convicted of drug war crimes against your fellow citizens.

One of the most enduring, yet troubling, law-enforcement impulses is the tendency for the authorities to view certain 'ends' as so important - stopping drunken driving, locking up dangerous criminals, stemming the flood of illegal drugs - that they are willing to employ ever-more questionable 'means' to achieve them. As a result, police have increasingly adopted an attitude of an occupying military army whose purpose is to bring order and discipline to a dangerous citizenry.

When police think and act like soldiers, they generate mistrust among their constituents, which in turn pushes law enforcement agencies further into an elitist, impersonal enclave. The military mentality, along with machine guns and flash grenades, have no place in a free society.

Just listen to what Joseph D. McNamara, the Retired Police Chief of San Jose and a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution has to say about the military mentality that has infected the LAPD and police departments across the country:

"The Board of Inquiry report released last week, for all its candor and commendable self-criticism, does not cite the department's fundamental military style of policing as responsible for the horrible police crimes alleged by former Officer Rafael Perez, whose disclosures exposed the police misconduct at Rampart. Rather than calling for the development of a new style of policing, the report focuses on internal management practices. It contends that a few rotten apples, binge hiring, inadequate training, haphazard supervision, failure to hold supervisors accountable and other personnel shortcomings were the sources of the problems at Rampart."

Chief McNamara then goes on to warn, "Greedy" lawyers, not idealism, may thus end up provoking citizens in Los Angeles to demand that those who enforce the law should also obey it. When police behave lawfully, people can tell the good guys from the bad. Folks don't have to worry about cops shooting their teenagers or framing them, or plunging their city into bankruptcy.

Judging from the headlines, police departments across this great nation, from Los Angeles to New York City are about to reap the wrath of "Greedy" lawyers. Although no elected officials are yet ready to deal with de-militarizing the LAPD, the L.A. City Council is planning on over $200 million in law suits. That estimate is probably low and doesn't include personal suits against police as well as a tremendous loss of credibility for the police.

Already the LAPD is complaining that the testimony of their officers is no longer taken seriously by juries. When police are no longer credible in a court of law, all police suffer and honest police are left to deal with the fallout. See Family Of Malibu Millionaire Murdered In 1992 By Narks Trying to Steal His Ranch Will Be Given $5 Million Because Officials "feared jurors would not believe government agents."

Unfortunately, the actions of the police in regards to Zero Tolerance ideology today is little different than the actions taken fifty years ago by the German police who were charged with enforcing the Nazi ideology of anti-Semitism. Old men who obediently enforced laws written by the Nazis, are still being tracked down and held accountable for their past human rights violations against the Jewish People.

Those old men, will all tell you that they were only following German law. Which is true - no Jew lost their property or liberty except through legal actions which were considered completely within the law as the Nazis defined it. Nevertheless, it is those police and guards who blindly followed their orders, who will continue to face prosecution for war crimes committed a half century ago.

At least in Nazi Germany, police and guards were following the law. Here in California, where voters passed a law that is supposed to protect medical marijuana patients, the police are NOT following the law. This makes your potential culpability much greater, since you could lose any immunity as a police officer for crimes which you should have known were illegal.

Nobody is above the law, not even the Nazis who ruled with impunity during the 1940s. After the end of World War II, those responsible for crimes committed during the Holocaust were brought to trial in Nuremberg, Germany.

While many German police and guards pleaded that they were "only following orders," they were all convicted and received severe sentences or executions.

In contrast, high-level government officials who played key roles in the Holocaust, received short prison sentences or no penalty at all. Many more criminals were never tried. Some fled Germany to live abroad, including hundreds who came to the United States.

Based upon the Nuremberg Trials, you should know that "just following orders," is never a legal excuse for violating human rights. When the drug war ends, you can expect regular officers and guards to get severe sentences, perhaps even executions, while your superiors will get off with a hand-slap and quiet retirement in Idaho. Worst of all, the top level drug warriors, who corrupted you and your sincere mission to "protect and serve," are probably moving their assets out of the country already to create their retirement paradise abroad.

How would you like to be sent to jail while your bosses are living it up in South America? It happened to the German police and it can happen to you as well.

There's still time for you to reform your ways and exonerate yourself. The first step is to read, learn and uphold the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These documents are written simply and provide clear instructions for protecting the rights of individuals.

The brave men and women who gave their lives to defend our Constitution would never have tolerated a drug war. Certainly George Washington and Thomas Jefferson would have opposed this war as treason, especially since both of these highly respected Founding Fathers grew over 100 acres of hemp..

Under current U.S. drug laws and mandatory minimums, both Washington and Jefferson would be sentenced to life in prison for growing that much hemp.

Where is your moral tripwire for saying NO to a failed ideology and insisting on following the Constitution instead? If Washington and Jefferson were still alive today, would you arrest them for violating federal law?

Would you fire on unarmed American citizens if ordered to? These are questions only you can decide.

Hopefully, you will give serious consideration to these important issues and you will make a new commitment to your oath to "Protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Will your future hold honor or a life as a war criminal? The choice is yours.

Let freedom grow,

The physicians, scientists, nurses, attorneys, patients and dedicated supporters of The American Medical Marijuana Association:

15 Monarch Bay Plaza, Box 375, Dana Point, Ca 92629
http://www.kubby.com/AMMA.html 
AMMA-Talk-on@list.kubby.com