RENEE BOJE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES DRUG POLICY FORUM

reneeboje -

Hello all and thank you for having me this evening! I am excited to be a
part of this important forum!

I have been given an amazing opportunity to help shape the relationship
between Canada and the United States in relation to victims of the War on
Drugs, especially marijuana for medical purposes.

I am fighting extradition from Canada to the US because the US Federal
authorities want to lock me up in a US Federal Prison for a mandatory
minimum of 10 years to life for medical marijuana charges, that I got in
California, where medical marijuana is legal.

In the Summer of 97, I was working as a free-lance artist for Todd
McCormick. a man who suffers from bone marrow cancer & who was conducting
research on medical marijuana and recording his findings in a book called,
"How to Grow Medical Marijuana". I was hired to do illustrations for the
book. Peter McWilliams, a man suffering from AIDS and cancer, was the
publisher of the book.

In July of 97, the DEA raided Todd's home all who were present, including
Todd, Peter and myself were arrested. We were all charged with conspiracy,
cultivation, possession and intent to distribute marijuana. Upon the advice
of my lawyer, I fled to Canada, where I am now fighting extradition to the
US and applying for refugee status here in Canada. If I win, my case will
set and international precedent!

zooneedles. -

Hello Renee, very nice of you to join us.

Zoo

dean_becker -

Welcome Renee. It is so nice to have you here on the forum. My first
question is: How recently have you corresponded with Todd McCormick and how
is he doing?

reneeboje -

It's great to be here! The sun is shining brightly today here in British
Columbia! And, I must say, the political climate over here is enlightening
as well... especially when it comes to marijuana! What a beautiful country!

maryjaneflores -

Renee, what do you think about comparisions of the War on Drugs to the
Holocaust or Apartheid?

And when are they supposed to rule on your political assylum case?

reneeboje -

I just received a letter from Todd McCormick today. His spirits seemed
good. But, I am worried about him

Some of you may not know this... Todd is currently locked in a cage in a
Federal Prison on Terminal Island, California. As a result of radiation
treatments Todd was given during his childhood battle with cancer, he has
severe scoliosis, nerve damage in his upper back, shoulders and neck and
severe muscle spasms in his lower back. He has received no medical
treatment since he was locked away!

Todd has also been placed in solitary and out of solitary confinement. And,
recently his phone & visiting privlidges have been taken away. His only
contact to the outside world is through letter writing.

If anyone out there would like to take a moment to write to Todd. he would
really appreciate that. He needs all of the love he can get right now!

His address is:

Todd Patrick McCormick 11071-112, P.O. Box 3007, Terminal Island, CA 90731

reneeboje -

The Minister of Justice is expected to rule on my extradition this
September! I am working hard on the letter writing campaign. If anyone
would like to write or send the Minister an email asking her not to
extradite me back, you can visit the take action section of my website at
www.reneeboje.com and follow the instructions. Every letter sent is one
step closer to freedom for me and to getting that precedent set.

dean_becker -

On May 6th of this year, the Drug Policy Forum of Texas presented the first
Peter McWilliams Award for Excellence in Journalism to Nick Peraino, a high
school student for his editorial "Stop the Madness", which is stored now at
Mapinc. Please tell us how you feel about the US government's handling of
Peter's case and his subsequent and unnecessary death.

reneeboje -

I think that the War on Drugs has many similarities to the Holocaust and
Aparteid!

It is definitely a War on the American people. Denying sick and dying
people access to a medicine that can help to heal them is simply evil! It
shows how desperate the US Government really is. Denying medicine to the
seriously ill is the real crime!

Richard_Lake -

Hi, Renee

Mike's (Michael Moore) Militia Mission has also taken up your cause I see

http://www.michaelmoore.com/missions/renee_boje/

And that the link is the number one top rated link at www.yahooka.com today.

I trust this all helps!

Richard Lake

aahpat - .

Renee:

Welcome and don't let our zoo scare you he is a grizzled, gray giggle. He
seems to make the most sense when he talks with his tongue in his cheek.

I would be interested in hearing about the asylum culture in Canada. Are
there others like you and now maybe Steve? Is there a chance of an
organization of American drug war victims expatriated to Canada?

reneeboje -

Currently I am not worried about bounty hunters. But, I spent a full year
of my life worrying about that and it was a very real concern.

The US authorities actually did send bounty hunters after me. When I first
arrived in Canada I had no money and no where to turn. I did not know
anyone here. I travelled from BC to Montreal to try and see where I wanted
to settle and worked on some farms along the way.

When I was in Montreal I got an anonymous email from a friend who told me
that the DEA knew that I was in Montreal and they had sent bounty hunters
after me. I quickly dyed my blonde hair red and hopped on a bus back to BC.
This was on the advice of a lawyer who said "If you are going to get
caught, you want to get caught in BC"

Good advice!

grnchkrflg -

Renee, Hi it's Laura Carden, down in N. Ca. I don't even know if this is
where I should be for this discussion. But I just wanted to say I hope you
are well and that your plans for attending the Ontario Hempfest 2001 are
going well. Maybe I will see you in Vancouver. Laura

reneeboje -

Thank you for being patient with me. I am knew to this chat thing!

And, thank you for brining up Peter McWilliams.

For those of you who are not farmiliar with Peter, McWilliams, He was the
author of many wonderful enlightening books: "How to Heal Depression", "How
To Survive The Loss Of A Love", and, my favorite, a book called, "Aint
Nobody's Business If I Do", about consensual crimes in America.

Peter was using medical marijuana in order to prevent him from vomiting on
a regular basis. This was effective in helping him to keep down the
cocktail of AIDS pharmaceutical drugs that he had to take on a daily basis,
in order to stay alive. Peter also used marijuana to help treat his
depression, to stimulate his appetite, to help him to sleep and to improve
the quality of his life. After the arrest, Peter was denied his legal right
to use marijuana as a medicine and he was urine tested on a regular basis.

During his hearings, Peter would bring a bucket into the courtroom and
vomit into it whenever he needed to.

On June 14th, 2000, Peter was found dead in his home after choking on his
own vomit! This was something that could have been prevented had he been
allowed to use the medicine he was legally entitled to.

I hold the US Government personally responsible for Peter's death! He was a
hero who fought and ultimately was murdered for what he believed in: The
right for people to heal themselves without the interference of the
government. I love him and miss him very much! Our friendship was a great
inspiration to me. His spirit lives on and I believe he is now acting as a
guardian angel for the cannabis movement! My heart and soul will never
forget him and all that he has done in the name of freedom!

hairy2 -

Are you still doing your art work...and is any of it for sale?

jwhite8055 -

Don't answer that hempfest question!!!

If your there your there, if not Oh well...

jwhite8055 -

A fugitive should NEVER answer a question regarding past, present or future
whereabouts it's a dangerous prospect...

zooneedles. -

Renee

Why do you think you aren't or won't be subject to bounty hunters in BC?

Pat is right to an extent, don't let me bother you. I'm on your side and I
wish you the best. We would like to see you drop by this forum more
informally in the future as we wish of many of the others who have
preceeded you.

Zoo

reneeboje -

Yes, there TONS of Americans here. Most of them, as far as I know, are in
hiding. I have heard from several who contact me for advice. If they are
facing marijuana charges in the US, I usually tell them what the very first
lawyer I went to in Montreal told me: "Keep on hiding. The longer you can
go without being caught the better." Then, I assure them that I am going to
win my case and that it is only a matter of time. I am somewhat of an
optimist, I must admit. It is amazing what the power of positive thinking
can do for a person!

Once I do win, It will set a precedent which will allow others, who can
prove there is a medical connection to their marijuana charges, to apply
for refugee status here as well.

reneeboje -

Hi Laura, Wonderful to hear from you! I am hoping to make the Canadian Hemp
Fest. I am still sorting out the details. I will be in touch and hope to
meet you in person one day and give you a great big hug!

Richard_Lake -

Renee, since you have been 'caught' and have an appeal to stay in Canada
before the government, is not the question of U.S. bounty hunters moot at
this point. They must know where you are now!

Richard

reneeboje -

Yes, I am still doing art work. There was a spell there where I got so busy
with my case, it was impossible for me to do anything else. I am still
pretty busy, but I have found art to be so healing for me! I try and make
time for it when I can. I am currently working on a series of cannabis
goddess paintings.

Some of my art is available for viewing and purchasing in the art gallery
section of my website, at: www.reneeboje.com I believe the option to click
on the art gallery is in the donation section somewhere.

grnchkrflg -

Renee, Hi it's Laura Carden, down in N. Ca. I don't even know if this is
where I should be for this discussion. But I just wanted to say I hope you
are well and that your plans for attending the Ontario Hempfest2001 are
going well. Maybe I will see you in Vancouver. Laura

reneeboje -

I am currently not worried about bounty hunters because once I began my
case for refugee status, I was and still am protected by the Canadian
Government.

The only way the US can get me back is to extradite me and my case will
have to be heard at the Supreme Court of Canada before that can happen.

If I lose with the Minister, I can appeal to the Court of Appeals and
beyond that to the Supreme Court of Canada. I still have at least one year
left to fight this!

grnchkrflg -

Denying a person a medicine that would prolong and/or save his life is
indeed murder or at the very least manslaughter.

jwhite8055 -

The US wouldn't care how a fugitive got here, and nothing is beyond the
capabilities of the government. As long as the government had plausable
deniability, the bounty hunters would be paid, and the feds would have
their man or woman.

Noriega (sp?) had a whole damn army didn't he...

reneeboje -

The other woman who fled to Canada would like to remain un-named. She wound
up turning herself in to the US authorities. She had to agree to answer
questions about Todd, Peter, myself and others when she made that decision.

I do not hold this against her in any way. She is young and was very afraid
of spending 10 years or more of her life in prison.

Since she cooperated with the authorities, they gave her a year's probation.

I always felt very strongly about not cooperating with the DEA or the
Federal authorities. I wanted nothing to do with helping them to put two
men in prison, who were doing medical research out of the goodness of their
own hearts! Peter and Todd were good friends of mine.

I am afraid that now, I would not be offered a deal of any kind. The US is
trying to fast track extradite me back and they want to lock me away for a
long time, now that I have fled and caused so much trouble for them.

dean_becker -

Renee,

What is a typical day like at Pot TV?

jwhite8055 -

Be smart, be careful... :)

maryjaneflores -

Peter was taking those other medicines you are refering to. He used the
marijuana to keep them down.

Steve Kubby has been alive about 15 years longer than the doctors said he
would live. I believe I have heard that he is not taking conventional
medicine. If he died after not using marijuana which has kept him alive all
these years when with conventional medicine he would have died would that
be considered murder? Would you say in his case that there are better
medicines available when if he had taken conventional medicine he would
have been dead in 6 months.

madlincat -

So you are looking at 10 years plus the additional time for being a fugitive?

reneeboje -

Yes, denying the sick and dying a medicine which can prolong their life is
murder! Earlier in this correspondence I explained how my dear friend Peter
McWilliams was murdered in this fashion. And countless others have died due
to this absurdity as well. I only hope that we are able to put a stop to
this War on Drugs before more and more deaths occur

samt48 -

I precieve this drug war as in the times of Prohibition, except that the
real money is being made by money. This is a chess game, where the pawns
are replaced by other pawns, and the king can never be captured.

jerryt9 -

renee,

A cordial WELCOME to this Forum!!

I wished you the best of luck months ago when I sent you a generous cash
donation, and I still wish you the best of luck.

Vive la Liberte!!!

reneeboje -

A typical day at Pot TV...

For those of you who don't know, I hostess a show on Pot TV, which is an
internet television station devoted to cannabis and is located at:
www.pottv.net

The show I do is called Shakti and it focuses on women in the cannabis
movement, as well as women's issues related to cannabis. Last week's show
was on Women who use cannabis during pregnancy and childbirth. It is worth
checking out.

When I go to the Pot TV studio, I usually edit my show and help edit other
people's shows. It is lots of fun and I am learning a great deal!

madlincat -

Is the 10 years considered a mandatory minimum?

dean_becker -

Our society is willing to destroy the seed corn if they can just have a
good crop this year.

Renee is a sweet loving person who never harmed a soul. Because she created
likenesses of a prohibited plant, our government wants to steal 10 years or
more of her life.

Prohibition must end, it is evil.

rlroot2 -

Renee... are you also involved in any internet radio projects?

reneeboje -

Just to let everyone out there know I learned so much while doing the show
on Cannabis and pregnancy! It is actually a 4 part show. part 4 is yet to
come...

In short, cannabis helps women who are pregnant deal with the pain and
discomforts of pregnancy, ease the severe depression that many pregnant
women experience, ease nausea and it puts the female hormones in balance
with the other glands and organs of the body.

It is a wonderful alternative to the pharmaceudical drugs that doctors
prescribe to pregnant women for nausea. These drugs are known to cause
horrible birth defects in the children who's mothers use them.

Cannabis is a safe alternative and no known negative side effects have ever
been recorded! Midwives and doctors recommended it for centuries... that is
before prohibition reared it's ugly head!

hairy2 -

I think this government has a terrible price to pay for what they did to Peter

aahpat -

renee;

You should be honored. The folks who come here pretending to be for reform
but who spend all their time harassing reformers into self-suppression have
not come out for the previous special guest. Your special.

rlroot2 -

ah yes... the american people... 95% of whom are members in good standing
in the cult of the omnipotent state... pragmatism is the friend of that
cult and I for one will not play the game.

reneeboje -

Oh and cannabis also helps to relax the uterus during birth and helps women
give birth quicker and easier. It is recommended that women try this when
their labor is stalled because it can wear down your energy a bit. So, you
want to use your intuition and listen to your body and the advice of your
midwife.

If you are in a hospital setting, I would not recommend cannabis because,
it is still illegal in most countries and not as widely accepted as it
should be yet.

I don't want to spend anymore time on this topic, for more info, please
watch the Shakti show at www.pottv.net or visit www.cannabisculture.com and
type cannabis and pregnancy into the search engine

dean_becker -

Renee is intelligent, learned and I would not argue with her on this DD. A
quick search of druglibrary.org turned up several highly credible
publications that outlined the use of marijuana for childbirth from
antiquity and throughout the world.

Please read up a bit before you challenge one like Ms. Boje.

delbertl0 -

Hello Renee: your new friend Delbert L. here. At the April 2000 University
of Iowa medicinal cannabis conference, a large bit of time was used to
discuss the Jamacan custom of pregnant women using cannabis to reduce
morning sickness and help with birth/delivery. Before cannabis was made
illegal in 1937 (with NO research about its benefits) DOCTORS used cannabis
for this very reason as well as menopausal symptoms -- unless you know
women's medical needs, people should not jump to conclusions (it is
sexist.) And YES, Peter McWilliams was murdered by federal Judge George
King shortly after Peter appeared on ABC with John Stossel (see the web
site for the interview and Peter doubled over in bed puking his guts out).
If cannabis can save lives (which it does) and authorities know it does,
then its denial to a patient is MURDER. Look for more of the same from my
fellow AR native Asa Hutchinson, the news head of the DEA.

(And Renee, check your home e-mails for some surprises.)

Richard_Lake -

Renee, I am hoping everything will work out and that we will meet on the
stage at the Canadian HempFest in less than three weeks, now.

http://www.planetarypride.com/comingsoon.html

I know that a lot of activists and patients, from both sides of the
artificial line between us, are hoping to meet you.

Richard

aahpat -

If the feds thought they had a case about medical marijuana they would have
started arresting suppliers after the cannabis club decision.

I highly recommend that people read the transcripts at MAPINC of the Asa
Hutchinson confirmation hearings. The senate bill mentioned in the hearing
is what came of the bipartisan U.S. Senate viewing the movie Traffic. This
is the future and we can read it now or we can wait for it to drop on our
heads.

John Conyers and most Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee stood up
for Asa Hutchinson. Folks he is here and we better be ready to start living it

reneeboje -

Like, a good friend of mine likes to say: "Let's support compassion, not
prosecution!"

It is my hope that the Canadian Government will treat cannabis just as they
treat every other herb. I don't believe the Government should take control
over a plant that the Earth has provided for us.

And, as far as drugs are concerned, I believe we should teach people proper
drug use. Making drugs illegal just doesn't work! There are some good
groups that are doing this type of work. The one's that I know of are The
Higher Knowledge Network and Dance Safe. You can find both by typing their
names into search engines

dean_becker -

Renee,

I used up most of my questions earlier. I want to allow others space but I
just want to thank you. You are a delight! ..db

jwhite8055 -

We need Asa, and Walters and Ashcroft to prove to America once and for all
that what us reformers have been saying all along is the truth about these
drug warriors, that they are racists, bigots, and religious zealots that
will stop at nothing to inflict their moral beliefs on the rest of the world.

zooneedles. -

Thank you Renee.

Zoo

dean_becker -

Renee,

It appears we have awoken the dragons here on the forum. The US policy
creates a lot of resentment, fear and anger without solving anything. Tell
us what it's like in BC.

gawainekaye - Renee

Welcome so much and thank you for being here (even if you're gone already).
I'm on the run, but I just want to say I'll write a letter ASAP supporting
your amnesty in BC (I'll use your website info). Your ethics in not
informing are admirable and I mean that sincerely: I admire you for your
efforts to spread truth and justice and fight police state denial of
medicine to sick people. Peace and love to you!

reneeboje -

Some last thoughts...

I believe that we need to raise our consciousness to a level where we
respect all of earth's creations, cannabis included!

If we begin to respect the earth again we can start to repair the damage
that our ignornace has caused.

All of earth's creations are magical!

When we raise our consciousness we will begin to feel the invisible web
which connects all living things.

When we gain this knowledge we have a responsibility to teach others and to
make new choices about how we interact with nature and eachother.

As we educate ourselves and eachother, we empower ourselves and one another
and we can manifest new ways of living.

Cannabis is a sacred healing herb and that it should be honored and treated
as such. I believe once this herb is finally free, we will be taking the
first important step toward respecting the earth again.

delbertl0 -

I would suggest everyone review the Institute of Medicine report "Marijuana
and Medicine" to answer some of the misguided concerns dd proposes. Unlike
popular belief, patients do not get as "recreationally high" as able-bodied
people get. Also read the Supreme Court decision carefully. Contrary to the
media feeding frenzy, the Court did NOT say "marijuana has no medical
value", they said CONGRESS has determined it has no medical value. It was
outlawed before modern research protocols and testing methods/equipment.
Remember, recent data suggests natural cannabinoid receptors on nerve
cells, the body manufactures a kind of natural cannabinoid, and is the only
"medicine" helpful to treat post-polio syndrome. We don't know the miracles
which may lie ahead so don't dismiss anything out of hand.

Richard_Lake -

Thank you so much for being here!

Looking forward to the DrugSense chat on Sunday evening!

Richard

rlroot2 -

Renee... thanks for your words of wisdom and courage. You are a source of
strength for many.

dean_becker -

Bye Renee, come back and see us. Chew up one of these prohibs that drop in
once in a while. See ya on drugsense.org on Sunday.

Thank you!