MEDICINAL MARIJUANA ADVOCATE CONVICTED

Ed Rosenthal, the author of books on how to grow marijuana and avoid the
law, was found guilty Friday of federal marijuana cultivation and conspiracy
charges.

Deliberating for a day, the 12-member jury concluded that Rosenthal, the
self-described "Guru of Ganja," was growing more than 1,000 plants,
conspiring to cultivate marijuana and maintaining a warehouse for a growing
operation. He will be sentenced June 4 and faces a maximum of 85 years in
prison.

Several people in the courtroom, including Rosenthal's wife and daughter,
wept as the verdicts were read by a court clerk.

The verdicts were a victory in the federal government's battle against
California's 1996 voter-approved medicinal marijuana law. Rosenthal's arrest
last year was among a string of Drug Enforcement Administration raids on
medicinal marijuana suppliers in California.

Under strict orders from U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, Rosenthal could
not tell the jury he was growing marijuana as "an officer" for the city of
Oakland's medicinal marijuana program.

Voters authorized Oakland's program and other medicinal marijuana providers
across California under Proposition 215. Eight other states also allow the
sick and dying to smoke or grow marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.

But federal authorities do not recognize those laws.

"There is no such thing as medicinal marijuana," said Richard Meyer, a DEA
official. "We're Americans first, Californians second."

Outside the courtroom, jury foreman Charles Sackett III said jurors
suspected Rosenthal was growing medicinal marijuana, since a host of
protesters outside the courthouse held constant demonstrations.

"He was not trying to grow drugs for illicit purposes," said Nathan Miley, a
former Oakland City councilman. "I think this does a disservice not just to
Ed, but to those needing medicinal marijuana."