TAX CHARGES AGAINST POT ACTIVIST THROWN OUT

SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal judge Wednesday dismissed charges of tax
evasion and money laundering against High Times columnist and medical
marijuana activist Ed Rosenthal.

Rosenthal had been busted for growing pot for dispensaries. During
his 2003 trial on three felony charges for cultivating marijuana, he
was prohibited from citing medical marijuana in his defense.

After delivering a guilty verdict, several jurors criticized the
government for not allowing that evidence to be aired during the
trial. Rosenthal, the self-described "Guru of Ganja," was sentenced
to the single day he had already served in jail.

The conviction was overturned in April 2006, but federal prosecutors
indicted Rosenthal anew for growing pot, adding charges of tax
evasion and money laundering. His defense team accused the government
of vindictive prosecution in retaliation for Rosenthal's successful
appeal and criticism of the prosecutors' tactics.

In his 12-page ruling Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer
wrote that "the government's deeds -- and words -- create the
perception that it added the new charges to make Rosenthal look like
a common criminal and thus dissipate the criticism heaped on the
government after the first trial."