Pubdate: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA) Copyright: 2002 Seattle Post-Intelligencer Contact: http://www.seattle-pi.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/408 Author: Martha Mendoza, The Associated Press Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California) SANTA CRUZ LEADERS TO DOLE OUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA AT CITY HALL SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- City leaders plan to join medical marijuana users at a pot giveaway at City Hall next week. Their goal is to send a message to federal authorities that, in this town, medical marijuana is welcome. The invitation comes one week after agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested the high-profile owners of a pot farm and confiscated 130 plants that had been grown to be used as medicine. "It's just absolutely loathsome to me that federal money, energy and staff time would be used to harass people like this," said vice mayor Emily Reilly, who with several colleagues on the City Council plans to help pass out medical marijuana to sick people from the gardenlike courtyard at City Hall on Tuesday. City Attorney John Barisone said that although the City Council passed a resolution denouncing the raid, there is no official city sponsorship of the event. He said council members and medical-marijuana advocates are acting on their own accord. DEA spokesman Richard Meyer was surprised at the plan, saying council members were flouting federal law. "I'm shocked that city leaders would promote the use of marijuana that way," Meyer said. "What is that saying to our youth?" Last Thursday, federal agents -- acting without support from state and local law enforcement -- raided a small pot farm on a quiet coastal road about 55 miles south of San Francisco and arrested the owners, Valerie and Michael Corral. The couple, leading activists for medical marijuana, have not been indicted. Their attorney, Ben Rice, said he was informed by the DEA that the U.S. attorney has declined to prosecute the case. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said she could not comment on the case, and DEA spokesman Meyer said his agency isn't involved in decisions on whether to prosecute. State law in California, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington allows marijuana to be grown and distributed to people with a doctor's prescription. Federal law, on the other hand, prohibits marijuana use under any circumstances. Said Robert Kampia, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project: "The courage of the Santa Cruz City Council and the growing anger in Congress are signs of a genuine grassroots rebellion all across this country that will put an end to these attacks on the sick and vulnerable." - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager