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Angel Raich Tells Ashcoft to Mind His Own Business
Make A Donation: Help Angel With Her Brain Tumor Surgery.
Angel Raich's Brain Tumor Jokes
Background How the Raich v. Ashcroft federal medical cannabis lawsuit born, and who is involved
In the days immediately following September 11, 2001, as the world was riveted by the issue of terrorism, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration turned its sights on a nonviolent group of seriously ill Americans, as it stepped up the level of time, money, and Federal law enforcement personnel used to attack medical cannabis patients. Multiple raids on the homes and gardens of California’s medical cannabis caregivers and patients soon followed. The DEA raids became ever more outrageous and more harmful to patients. Angel Wings Patient OutReach, Inc. worked hard to develop a sound legal strategy to help ensure patients’ and caregivers’ safety and to create new public policies on the federal level. Our legal team felt we had to do everything we could to stop the federal government's dangerous actions.
Angel Wings Patient OutReach, Inc. retained attorneys Randy Barnett and Joshua Greenberg who agreed to bring forth the historic lawsuit of first impression, Raich, et al. v. Ashcroft, et al. The lawsuit was filed on October 9, 2002, by patient-activist Angel McClary Raich and Angel's two anonymous caregiver growers. It charged then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and DEA Administrator Karen Tandy with violating constitutional rights under the Commerce Clause, the Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments, and medical necessity. Angel Raich, a medical necessity patient with life-threatening illnesses, is asserting her right to fight for her own life.
The plaintiffs asked Judge Martin J. Jenkins to issue a Preliminary Injunction during the pendency of the action, enjoining the defendants from arresting or prosecuting the plaintiffs, seizing their medical cannabis, forfeiting their property, or seeking civil or administrative sanctions against them for their activities with respect to any of the following: (1) the possession of medical cannabis by plaintiff Angel McClary Raich for her personal medical use; (2) the ability of Angel Raich to obtain medical cannabis from her caregivers, John Doe Numbers One and Two, for her personal medical use; (3) the ability of John Doe Numbers One and Two to cultivate and provide medical cannabis to Angel Raich for her personal medical use; and (4) the processing of medical cannabis by Angel Raich for her personal medical use.
According to the Complaint, the federal Justice Department and the DEA were unconstitutionally exceeding their authority by embarking on a campaign of seizing and forfeiting privately-grown intrastate medical cannabis from California patients and caregivers, arresting or prosecuting them, mounting paramilitary raids against them, harassing them, and taking other civil or administrative actions against them.
On March 5, 2003, the District Court denied the preliminary injunction, despite finding that "the equitable factors tip in plaintiffs’ favor." The plaintiffs appealed the denial of their motion for preliminary injunction.
In the first proceeding in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, amicus curiae briefs were filed by the following amici: The State of California along with Alameda County, the City of Oakland, and Butte County; the California Medical Association along with the California Nurses Association; and Marijuana Policy Project along with Rick Doblin, Ph.D. and Ethan Russo, M.D.
On December 16, 2003, the Court of Appeals reversed the District Court, holding that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their Commerce Clause argument, and thus determining that it was unnecessary to address the remaining arguments.
On April 20, 2004, the Attorney General and DEA Administrator filed a Petition for Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court. Once the federal government filed its Petition for Certiorari the name of the case was changed from Raich v. Ashcroft to Ashcroft v. Raich. Ashcroft became the Petitioner and Raich became the Respondent. The Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari on June 28, 2004. Briefing and oral argument followed.
On June 6, 2005, in a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court reversed, holding that the “CSA is a valid exercise of federal power, even as applied to the troubling facts of this case,” and remanded the case to the Court of Appeals for disposition of the numerous other issues raised by the plaintiffs. The name of the case changed to Gonzales v. Raich to reflect the appointment of a new attorney general.
In the Court of Appeals, on remand from the Supreme Court, briefs have been filed by the parties and by several amici curiae. Oral arguments are scheduled for March 27, 2006.
We remain optimistic of ultimate victory in this case. Our immediate goal is to win again in the Court of Appeals. If necessary, we will again defend that ruling in the Supreme Court. This case could signal a dawning of a new day for rational and compassionate policy making.
We are facing a monumental court battle of national significance. This is a landmark, precedent-setting case, so it is important that the precedents it creates be positive for the medical cannabis movement.
Raich v. Gonzales is funded in part by Angel Wings Patient Outreach, Inc.,a nonprofit organization that is an advocate for the civil rights, human rights, and disability rights of medical patients, their caregivers, and their physicians.
If you would like to make a donation to help combat the unfair persecution of medical cannabis patients, please mail your tax-deductible contribution to: Angel Wings Patient OutReach, Inc. 4100 Redwood Road, #365, Oakland, California 94619-2363.
Contact the Angel Raich and
her attorneys:
Angel Wings Patient OutReach, Inc.
4100 Redwood Road, # 365
Oakland, California 94619-2363
4dancingangel@comcast.net
Angel McClary Raich April 2008.
October 28, 2009, Angel McClary Raich is having brain surgery on her growing brain tumor and its new cysts growing round it. The surgery will be at Stanford Hospital. Angel said, "One thing is for sure I am scared to death! I don’t remember ever being this scared!"
Date of Angel's Brain Surgery
· Angel's brain tumor surgery will be on the morning of October 28, 2009, five days before my 44th birthday (which is November 2). I am not sure of the time for the surgery yet and will let you know as soon as it is set.
· Angel's pre-operative appointment is scheduled for October 20th, 2009, at 11am.
· Surgery will be performed at Stanford University Medical Center, Surgical Department: 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, in the Palo Alto Area. Friends and family can wait in the waiting room located on the 2nd floor. Read More...
Angel can use all the help and support she can get right now!
Learn more about Angel's brain surgery, her growing tumor and the several growing cysts, and her brain tumor MRI images, and the surgery risks and complications. Read More...
"Make a Donation" to help Angel with her brain surgery and recovery. Click here...
Angel's Brain Tumor Jokes -- Written by Angel McClary Raich Click here...
Thank you for caring for her! We are sure you love her as much as we do!
Sincerely,
Angel's Angels
P.S.
Please pass this on!
Angel McClary Raich April 2008.
NEWS ALERT October 28, 2009, Angel McClary Raich is having brain surgery on her growing brain tumor and its new cysts growing round it. The surgery will be at Stanford Hospital. Angel said, "One thing is for sure I am scared to death! I don’t remember ever being this scared!" - John Adler Angel's brain tumor doctor says, radiation failed!
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Why are we still having this conversation?
ReplyDeleteNearly three-quarters-of-a-century after it was made illegal; half-a-century after it was proven to be practically harmless - why is it still a crime to possess and smoke marijuana?
Here is a list of ten famous people who died as a result of nicotine abuse:
Humphrey Bogart
Edward R. Murrow
Nat King Cole
George Harrison
John Huston
Noel Coward
Betty Grable
Walt Disney
Gary Cooper
Peter Jennings
Here is another list. Ten famous people who died from alcoholism:
Billie Holiday
Jack Kerouac
Truman Capote
Lorenz Hart
Veronica Lake
Bix Beiderbecke
Montgomery Clift
Dylan Thomas
John Barrymore
Errol Flynn
Now I'm going to ask you to name for me one celebrity who has died from too much grass.
Go on, I'm waiting. Is it a "gateway drug" as they never tire of reminding us? Yeah, it probably is. But so is Pabst Blue Ribbon. Let's get a grip here.
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY