SISKIYOU PATIENTS HARASSED

To the Editors:

Cal NORML continues to receive disturbing reports of widespread
harassment of Prop 215 patients in Siskiyou County. Sheriffs'
deputies are reportedly searching out patients' gardens and violating
everyone who is even slightly over the limit set by state law SB 420.
Felony charges are being pressed. Physician's exemptions from the SB
420 limits are not being respected, even for very sick patients.
Patients who are within the limits are having plants chopped down if
cops think they are too big. Hashish is being treated as a violation
of SB 420, contrary to an opinion by the Attorney General. Patients
are being indicted through a grand jury rather than a preliminary
court hearing, an unusual proceeding for marijuana cases. Sheriffs
appear to be making use of the membership list of a co-op that was
raided last year. Co-op members were told that they would be
protected from arrest by the sheriff, but this has not proven to be the case.

Local patients say they feel terrorized by the dragnet. "I am 60
years old with Polio and Diabetes and suffered a stroke a month ago,"
says one patient who has seen many acquaintances arrested. "Now I am
worried that I am going to be arrested along with my wife who has her
own health issues. I have done everything to be completely legal but
that doesn't seem to make a difference in Siskiyou County."

Surely the sheriff has better things to do than harass small-scale
patient growers. This is a sorry waste of law enforcement resources.

D. Gieringer, Director, Cal NORML