Activist Wants Amnesty For Cannabis Growers
Alan Gordon says “immediate amnesty” must be granted to persons growing cannabis for gravely ill patients who cannot afford medicine with or without a permit.
“There is only one way to allow the immediate medical cannabis called for by the CRC Report,” said Mr. Gordon, saying he was speaking for an unofficial collective of nearly two dozen Bermuda growers. “
“We need to just do it instead of just shuffling paperwork. 80 small medical grade cannabis trees are available to start, and over 50 medical cannabis strains are currently on the island”.
The activist said he has a “stack of cancer and MS patients’ letters discussing a life-or-death need for medical cannabis in some cases, or in other cases discussing ailments so debilitating that many readers would be moved to tears.”
“Some patients are stuck in Bermuda, where affordable medicine is non-existent, and some Bermudian patients are stuck in America, doing remarkably well, but unable to come home with life-saving medicine,” Mr Gordon added.
Photo provided by Mr. Gordon showing what he said was a Bermuda-grown seedless medicinal indica variety cannabis, covered with tiny white oil-bearing glands, the source of the plant’s medicine
“Life-saving medicine should not be delayed by bureaucracy and forms – cancer patients shouldn’t wait one more day, nor be asked to break the law,” said Mr. Gordon, calling delays a result of “Bermuda dawdling and taking too long to emerge from the Victorian era.”
According to Mr. Gordon, “absurdly high prices for cannabis mean that medical cannabis will be neither affordable nor safe, even for home-grows, so long as the crop is banned for the public.”
“If Government means to allow medical access, then they need to do so. There are no other options, since importing is not viable and experienced local growers won’t reveal their identities without amnesty,” the activist said.
“There can be no affordable medical cannabis unless the price is lowered, which cannot occur without devaluing the crop’s scarcity via home grows, and not by dictating that it be smuggled in.”
Photo provided by Mr. Gordon showing what he said was Bermuda-grown sativa variety cannabis which has been allowed to go to seed for future generations
Mr. Gordon says that Canadian court precedents suggest that in medical circumstances, the courts here are “likely to strike down the cannabis ban entirely because the law grants medical permits, but no actual cannabis.”
“If we’re not allowed to grow, then life-saving medicine is being withheld by our laws, it’s that simple,” said Mr. Gordon. “I won’t wait, because lives are at stake.”
“Mr. Gordon says he generally respects authority and does not feel he is breaking the law under these circumstances, but that patients should not have to gamble on or worry about such things, and should instead be assured of affordable access, not just permits.”
It’s like the gov’t thinks that making cannabis illegal so far has stopped people using the drug anyway and has prevented gangs from exploiting it for illegal profits to support their gangs… Oh wait?
Check dat loud bie!
I don’t see no problem in legalizing the drug, it is the reason behind it that must be clear, in all fairness we have more legal drugs doing far greater damage then Marijuana.
If we can put up with the likes of alcohol then show me were marijuana is the worsen of two evils, I will go a step ahead and say I never seen anyone who smokes challis be a danger to themselves or anyone else.
Just be like the former President Bill Clinton for now and don’t inhale so you don’t get labelled as one of them charged out of their mind, truth be told they don’t sell Ganja like the good ole day’s, the old guard say the synthetic wanna be stuff is not all that, I guess it all left when Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jacob Killer Miller left, THOSE WERE DE DAYS.
So you see a problem with legalizing then?
(I dont see no problem…)
How can I join a grow team?
Legally ?
Join The O.B.A
LOL – Dream on ma bey!
You really think Govt.,will allow this [ LOL ]
I say expunge everyone’s criminal record who have been convicted of being in possession of 29 grams or less over the last twenty years. These people are not Criminals!
Why 29 grams? Why not 23 or2750? The lethal dose is 1500lbs consumed within 15 minutes!
You fools don’t like the truth?
Carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. crops aren’t safe… What chance would these crops stand???
These crops can be grown till maturity in a Slat House, Green House or Indoors and most of the ones that get night farmed can’t.
Those pictures are Bermy grown trees?? Mercyy lol
But Alan Gordon knows whats up! Keep up the good work in teaching this island all the positives of cannabis…
Agreed that’s a nice little nugget with the trichomes still intact. What I don’t understand is why he’s putting growers on blast. Doesn’t he know the law would rather arrest growers than wanksters slinging crack in brood daylight.
all dem seeeds in that bud.
Who is Alan Gordon and where did he come from? He has so much to say regarding medical marijuana. How can a lawyer encourage others to break current laws and not be held responsible. I have never heard of a guest worker being quite so forceful on an illegal substance without any backlash. He seems to be privy to all the facts and figures of those in ‘need of weed’ . Full disclosure is required Mr Gordon.
How is he getting people to break laws if he’s encouraging the use of medical marijuana to save peoples lives..?
You ask for full disclosure? Go read the 138 page article he wrote on the matter. Educate yourself ace girl…
I can read any article on any subject I like, if I compose it myself. I can find anything I want on the Internet to justify any point I want to make. So realize and legalize why don’t you get a formal education and become aware that people can tell you what you want to hear. Is medical marijuana legal? What date was it legalized? It saves lives? Where is your medical and scientific evidence? You need to get out of your haze and educate yourself. The support for this comes from people who want to have a spliff. Furthermore, you never answered my question, who died and made this man the island’s resident expert on weed, and which marijuana bush has he been hiding under for the last 40 years.
You are a complete idiot, give up.
You must be Bayer or Monsanto’s Ace girl!
Zing!
Prohibition encourages others to break the law so essentially it’s drug laws that encourage drug dealing. Don’t believe me? Look up who Al Capone was.
Well, my Ace Gurrrl, since you aksed:
1. I came from the US, where I met my lovely future wife when she was studying coral reef ecology for her Master’s Degree. I was a cannabis activist in the US starting in 1990. In the late 1990′s I repeatedly turned myself in to law enforcement authorities with large amounts of cannabis (e.g. 100 live plants), in order to demonstrate how a “medical necessity” defence works in court.
2. You ask how a lawyer can advocate breaking the law, and I have to correct you on two points. First, I am not a lawyer, but am a mere law graduate (w/ honours, including top of my law school Class in Criminology). Second, even if I were a lawyer, I am not encouraging people to break the law, for 2 reasons:
A. I believe that providing emergency medical cannabis, especially in life-or-death situations, is wholly lawful; and
B. I never encouraged people to break the law, and instead encouraged a policy reform which can more fully allow lawful access to life-saving medicine, as opposed to leaving it in grey area.
Are there any other matters which require the “full disclosure” you request? While I know of 2 dozen or so cannabis growers here, I also know there are a /lot/ more. Likewise, when I say there are 50 strains of cannabis here, that is just what I have seen with my own eyes, and I know many other strains are being grown here, too.
Alan Gordon- you are a farce! You are a weedhead not an activist! You have tried every angle re making cannabis “legal”- claiming it’s for religious purposes, citing biblical verses in support. Now you’re on the medical bandwagon again. Make up your mind already- or better yet, go somewhere were it is legal and smoke yourself to high oblivion. And unlike you, I AM a lawyer and I know what you are trying convince people is/can be lawful isn’t!!
Your no English professor! Isn’t legal ,yet.
Ace Girl, Google is your friend!
Some facts about Alan Gordon…
He is 43 years old.
He is a former cannabis legalization campaigner – Mr Gordon was a prominent pro-legalisation campaigner 1990s in the US, using civil disobedience techniques as part of his campaign — including turning himself into police and judges with marijuana plants in his possession (however, he said he no longer supported these methods).
He is law graduate from the University of Buckingham in England, currently preparing for his Bermuda Bar exams.
He moved to the island in 2005 with his BERMUDIAN wife.
How exactly does one prepare for Bermuda Bar exams when there is no such thing- smoke and mirrors, all smoke and mirrors!!!
Ace girl.
Stop writing your gibberish.Mr. Gordon is trying to help very ill or terminally sick people enjoy their last days.Do you wish pain and suffering on these people?It does not matter where Mr. Gordon comes from,perhaps your xenophobic tendencies are getting the better of you!
That’s him!!
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000277922&__source=yahoo|headline|quote|video|&par=yahoo
http://news.yahoo.com/video/oc-da-charges-pharmaceutical-companies-072600251.html
Any more disclosure than that, Auntie-AceGirl, will require the amnesty being sought to save people’s lives. Go troll someone else. All your hatin’ just helps my case and our cause — ’twas ever thus.
http://goldenfrogpress.com/images/101018-Posters/001.jpg
4:20 all day every day?? yes please!
http://www.thestreet.com/story/12256836/2/91video93-the-5-states-most-likely-to-legalize-pot-next.html
http://news.yahoo.com/canada-vending-machines-pop-marijuana-163512307.html