A Pennsylvania man who says he smokes marijuana daily for religious reasons was sentenced to a lengthy prison term on Wednesday after telling the judge that he is being persecuted for his spiritual beliefs.
Photo: WHTM Robert Henry: "My growing and smoking, it harms no one." Robert Henry, 51, formerly of Fannettsburg, was given a sentence of 6.5 to 13 years in prison for growing and selling cannabis, reports Myles Snyder at WHTM.A jury last month found him guilty of "manufacturing marijuana" with intent to deliver, conspiracy, and possession of "drug paraphernalia." Henry reportedly wore a T-shirt featuring a marijuana leaf and the words, "I Am Not A Criminal" and "Legalize Marijuana" to his trial on April 14. At Wednesday's hearing, he had on an orange jail jumpsuit and shackles.Franklin County Senior Judge John Walker also ordered Henry to pay $50,500 in fines, undergo a drug treatment program and avoid contact with his codefendants in the case, reports Jim Tuttle at Public Opinion."I liken what the government is doing to me to the way the Nazis treated the Jews during World War II," Henry said.
Photo: Public Opinion Robert Henry: "I smoke all day long." He called it "a political issue" and said he believes legalization will happen soon, pointing out that Californians nearly passed a legalization initiative last year."Unfortunately, you're not in California," said Judge Walker, evidently something of a smart-ass. "Unfortunately, it's against the law."Judge Walker asked Henry why he was running an operation that included two mobile homes full of marijuana plants if he was only growing for personal use. The judge speculated a person "would have to smoke 12 or 14 hours a day" to consume that amount of pot."I do," Henry said. "I smoke all day long."Henry said he had been employed in the construction business for about a decade, and that his employers knew about his marijuana use and didn't care, as long as he did his work."I think marijuana should be legalized," Henry said. "My growing and smoking, it harms no one."Prosecutors claimed Henry was, in early 2010, directing another person to grow the cannabis while he himself was in prison for a 2008 conviction on "drug manufacturing" charges in Cumberland County.The marijuana minister faces even more charges stemming from a pot bust earlier this month.State police said they went after him after he didn't show up for his first sentencing hearing, and they found him tending to a plot of more than 100 marijuana plants on a makeshift campsite in Lurgan Township.A search of the property turned up three additional patches of marijuana totaling 116 plants, along with about five pounds of dried cannabis, police claimed.The cops claimed the (of course, mythical) "street value" of the pot was $200,000. Why do sucker cops always get ripped off so badly on their weed?At his trial in Cumberland County, Henry told the jury he is an ordained minister and member of the Hawaii Cannabis Ministry, which regards the use of marijuana as a religious sacrament. (Keep Henry's conviction and long prison sentence in mind if you're ever tempted to believe these Hawaii Cannabis Ministry guys when they tell you they can help keep you out of trouble.)Henry testified that he smokes pot every day as a way to "communicate with the Lord," and said he wanted to start his own cannabis ministry."Clearly, Mr. Henry has no regard for the law," Assistant District Attorney Eric Augustine said.The minister is scheduled to be arraigned on August 3 on the new charges of "manufacturing a controlled substance" (which is what cops call it when you grow marijuana, to make it sound more dangerous), criminal conspiracy, possession with intent to deliver, and possession of drug paraphernalia.As sheriff's deputies were leading him out of the courtroom, Henry said to Judge Walker that his religion requires him to break the law."OK, well, keep practicing it," the sarcastic judge said."I'm going to," Henry replied.
Friday, 24 June 2011
Marijuana Minister Gets 6.5 To 13 Years In Prison - Toke of the Town
Clinton opposes Gaza aid flotilla: News24: World: News
Clinton opposes Gaza aid flotilla
2011-06-24 07:05
kalahari.net
- Israel & the Palestinian Territories
This up-to-date guide to Israel and the Palestinian territories includes a history chapter by... Was R245.95 Now R228.73
Washington - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday said she opposed plans by pro-Palestinian activists to sail aboard several ships to the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade.
"We do not believe that the flotilla is a necessary or useful effort to try to assist the people of Gaza," the chief US diplomat told reporters.
"Just this week, the Israeli government approved a significant commitment to housing in Gaza. There will be construction materials entering Gaza," Clinton said.
"And we think that it’s not helpful for there to be flotillas that try to provoke actions by entering into Israeli waters and creating a situation in which the Israelis have the right to defend themselves," Clinton said.
On May 31 2010, Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists, including one who also had US citizenship, when they boarded a Turkish vessel that was part of a flotilla trying to break the Israeli-imposed blockade of Gaza.
A group of pro-Palestinian activists, led by several Turkish groups, have said they plan to sail within the next few days to Gaza, mainly from Greek ports
via news24.com
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Lytro Camera Interactive Gallery Lets You Try The Magic Yourself [PICS]
We showed you the Lytro Camera, which uses an entirely new way to take pictures, almost miraculously letting you forget about focusing and exposure, and concentrating on framing and art.Now, we bring you an interactive gallery of simulated Lytro photos where you can adjust the focus in a way that’s similar to the final product’s behavior:
Pics and video courtesy Lytro
via mashable.com
An Actual Bill to End the Federal Marijuana Prohibition
Jim Newell —
It would seem natural, given America's many current, profound problems that need to be resolved to avoid its total destruction, that more people nowadays would view federal investigators and their coordinated SWAT teams equipped with auctioned-off military weapons chasing around pot dealers as a waste of limited government resources.
Well, at least we're heading in the right direction now, as two prominent congressmen plan to introduce the first-ever bill ending the federal war on marijuana.
The Marijuana Policy Project shares this exciting news about a bill that will never pass, but at least, for once, exists:
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) will introduce bi-partisan legislation tomorrow, June 23, ending the federal war on marijuana and letting states legalize, regulate, tax, and control marijuana without federal interference. Other co-sponsors include Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA). The legislation would limit the federal government's role in marijuana enforcement to cross-border or inter-state smuggling, allowing people to legally grow, use or sell marijuana in states where it is legal. The legislation is the first bill ever introduced in Congress to end federal marijuana prohibition.
There's some appetite on the state level for this. Connecticut recently became the 13th state to decriminalize marijuana. California's ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in the last election ended up failing, but it attracted more consideration than usual. And now some people in Washington state, with the help of the travel guy from PBS, are vying for their own initiative. Because why do we still do this on the federal level, 40 years after Richard Nixon? Shouldn't we be telling kids how good drugs are in such an advanced society?
This is all the Internet has ever wanted.
[via Reason; image via Shutterstock]
via gawker.com
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