Why Won't the Government Let James Stacy Tell the Truth?

James Dean Stacy wants to tell the truth during his upcoming federal trial. Too bad the government won’t let him.

 

Last September, Stacy, founder of the “Movement in Action” medical marijuana collective in San Diego county, had his shop raided just weeks after opening by agents with the DEA, who discovered dozens of cannabis plants. He's facing federal drug charges as a result.

The arrest and prosecution have come despite pledges from President Obama, echoed by Attorney General Eric Holder, to respect state rules on medical marijuana -- a fact Stacy took to mean he was safe operating his collective so long as he was complying with California law. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.

But marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug by the federal government -- alongside heroin and cocaine -- meaning it is officially considered to have no medicinal value (the government’s own studies aside) possession is held to be illegal in all cases.

Over the summer federal District Court Judge Barry Moskowitz ruled that Stacy’s assumption Obama would put a stop to the controversial federal raids on pot dispensaries was “unreasonable” -- and inadmissible as evidence in his defense; an admission, perhaps, that one should never take a politician's words at face value. As for that law overwhelmingly passed by California voters in 1996 legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal use? Stacy can’t mention that either. But he doesn’t hold it against Moskowitz.

“I kinda think the judge is pretty fair,” Stacy says in an interview with Change.org. “He’s done what the law has allowed him to do.” Indeed, medical marijuana patients have routinely been denied the opportunity to present the truth as evidence in their federal trials: that they were complying with a state law that explicitly legalized what they were doing.

The real disappointment, Stacy says, is that “the president and the attorney general haven’t stuck up for what they said they were going to do, and that they’re continuing to allow the DEA to keep raiding people.”

While the Justice Department issued a memo last October instructing federal law enforcement agencies to not pursue “individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana,” more than two dozen dispensaries and collectives have since been raided. Just this month several dispensaries in Nevada were raided by the federal government, despite a 2000 state law legalizing the use of marijuana as medicine.

And federal agents appear to be picking what they see as easy targets.

There are more than 100 dispensaries in San Diego, and hundreds more in Los Angeles -- Oakland even has its own university dedicated to teaching the finer points of marijuana cultivation -- so why pursue a relatively obscure dispensary that had been open for only a matter of weeks, one might ask?

"They’re going after small people who can’t afford to hire these big fancy lawyers and trying to prosecute them," says Stacy. And there’s some evidence for that: another San Diego man whose dispensary was raided by the federal government the same day as Stacy’s collective pled guilty to drug charges rather than fight a protracted legal battle that other, more well-off defendants might have considered.

“I think the best we can hope for is just to tell the truth -- the part of the truth they’ll let us,” Stacy says. “Lucky for me I think I’ve got some really good lawyers in my public defenders.”

He also has advocates in Congress -- liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans alike.

In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), Congressmen Sam Farr (D-CA) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) note that Stacy is “the first individual to face federal prosecution under the Obama administration’s new policy” -- much ballyhooed, but not so much implemented -- on medical marijuana.

“Regardless of how scrupulous their compliance with state law and/or local ordinances, medical marijuana patients and their providers remain vulnerable to federal enforcement raids, arrest, and prosecution by U.S. Attorneys,” the congressmen write. “Worse still, these persons are barred from introducing evidence that demonstrates that he or she was acting in accordance with state law.”

The letter asks Conyers to hold a hearing on a bill that would attempt to fix the situation: the “Truth in Trials” act, or as it’s known in legislative speak, H.R. 3939. The proposal would “permit someone acting property under state medical marijuana laws to use that fact as an affirmative defense in federal court proceedings.”

Conyers is himself a cosponsor of the legislation, as are a total of 32 others, from liberal standard-bearers like Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Barney Frank (D-MA) to conservatives and libertarians such as Tom McClintock (R-CA) and Ron Paul (R-TX). However, a spokeswoman for the Judiciary Committee was unable to say whether he would ever hold a hearing on the bill. And spokesmen for Farr and Rohrabacher say the congressmen have received no response in the month since they sent their letter.

But the lawmakers are “still pushing the issue,” Tom Mentzer, press secretary for Congressman Farr, tells Change.org. “As more states legalize marijuana for medical use (and California potentially going even further), we’re only going to see more state/federal conflict and there will be an even greater need to offer a comprehensive defense during trial.”

“It remains an issue of fairness and an issue of state rights,” says Mentzer. “President Obama’s move to limit arrests for medical marijuana doesn’t change the need for a legislative fix.”

James Stacy’s trial begins November 1st. And though the odds -- and federal law -- are stacked against him, he remains hopeful he will ultimately win, whether he’s allowed to tell the complete truth or not. In the meantime, Stacy says those interested in helping his case should contact their congressman, ask them to support the Truth in Trials act, and demand Chairman Conyers -- a cosponsor of the bill -- finally hold hearings on the legislation. “That would just be the best thing I could think of.”

Tell your lawmaker to support the congressmen's proposal -- and demand that the House Judiciary Committee hold a hearing on this important legislation. It's time to lift the government's ban on the truth.

by Charles Davis

Campaign Refresher: Jack's Liquor Problem

The one thing that has been brought to the forefront of Kentucky politics lately is the issue of hemp and the possibility of the "gateway drug" marijuana. There are many variations of politicians. There are the ones who see growing hemp as the free market principles working and that in the history of Kentucky the growth of hemp was fairly normal. Hemp has many uses that would be beneficial for the market place and helpful for the 65% of Kentucky farmers not receiving government payouts:

As you can see by the graphic we as Kentuckians can grow one crop that could do so much for our community (by jobs and product) and our country. Our own government has reportedly been using hemp from Canada and in some reports has been known to grow their own. But, the growth of hemp is a 'tip of the iceberg' fight.
Then there is the Prohibitionist politicians who want the evils of Gambling, Alcohol and drugs as far from them as possible. As if the War on Drugs (which we have spent 30 trillion since the 1980's on) hasn't proved a waste of tax payers money and has ruined the lives of many and throwing our nations poor in prison for very minor infractions.
Then there is our old friends the Pander Bears. The ones who logically should see the light but, prefer winning elections instead of being honest. The real question is WHY as a state known for growing some of the best marijuana against the growth for personal consumption?
But still, there is a 4th politician. The hypocrite. Recently, when asked about hemp farming by the Marion County Line reporter Jim Higdon, Jack Conway responded that allowing farmers to grow hemp was basically legalizing a “gateway drug.” No mention of the commerce clause from Mr. Conway or if banning hemp at the federal level is even constitutional, in his opinion, without an amendment.
This is a point the Capitalist Banner brought up in a blog I think needs to be examined. First off, most teens or people who have used marijuana do not start out with marijuana. The thought it's the "gateway drug" is almost laughable. The fact Mr. Higdon was referring to Hemp aside (which is totally different) I'd like to ask Jack Conway, "What person do you know in your life who has used marijuana that did not smoke tobacco or drink alcohol before marijuana?" I'd venture to say near 9 out of 10.
This brings us to the point, that the term "gateway drug" then must be applied to alcohol or tobacco. Jack Conway's a defender of tobacco and alcohol and rightfully so. He's not supporting tobacco and bourbon because Kentucky make a good amount of money in being the home of many fine distilleries and some great tobacco farms. He supports bourbon, because alcohol is how Jack's wife makes her money and pads close to half of Jack's family income. How hypocritical is it for a man, who makes money off a liquid drug that has only one purpose to get you drunk, to turns around and put the label of "gateway drug" on a plant that can do so much more than get you high? While all this time his own wife is part of the people who produce alcohol as part of the Brown-Foreman Public relations team.
So, Jack.... do you believe your wife should be out of a job and we should close down all the distilleries? Or do you want to retract your statement about "gateway drug?" Because it really is shameful to use a line like "Gateway drug" when your wife works for a company that gets more people started down the road of addiction. I think Judge Jim Gray should do a lecture for Jack Conway and every politician in power:
**Originally posted on August 3rd, 2010**

Posted by Free Man In Kentucky at 8:00 AM

Marijuana Legalization Opposed in California

A ballot issue that would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana and also permit growing pot at private residences picked up some powerful opposition Saturday.
The Los Angeles Times editorialized against Proposition 19, writing that it was poorly thought out, badly crafted and replete with loopholes and contradictions. The ballot issue would allow possession of one ounce of marijuana for adults, use in private homes or licensed public places, and cultivation for personal use.

But the newspaper said the proposition was an "invitation to chaos" because it would permit each of the state's 478 cities and 58 counties to make their own regulations for implementing the legalization law, meaning it could change hundreds of times from area to area within the state. Legalization could also cause problems in the workplace, the newspaper said.
The debate in California comes as the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy reports drug rose last year to its highest level in nearly a decade, fueled in large measure by increased marijuana use and abuse of ecstasy and methamphetamine.
Passage of the issue in California November would set up a confrontation with the federal government which opposes legalized marijuana. California already permits medical use of marijuana, but the Times said that experiment has not gone all that well.

Filed Under: Crime, Ballot Measures, 2010 Elections, Campaigns, Legalizing Marijuana, Narcotics

Tagged: 2010 Elections, dailyguidance, drug use, MarijuanaLegalization

The Los Angeles Times editorialized against Proposition 19,

Former Telus executive sent to jail for drug conspiracy Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/Former+Telus+executive+sent+jail+drug+conspiracy/3581616/story.html#ixzz10fsoAWqU

By Graeme Wood, With files from Kim Bolan, Postmedia News September 26, 2010

A Canadian marketing executive who was partially responsible for Telus's "cute animals" campaign has been sentenced to eight months in prison by a Seattle court for conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Former Telus marketing director Chris Neary had struck a plea bargain with U.S. authorities in July by admitting to crossing the border with a backpack full of marijuana.

At this week's hearing, Neary, 34, was also sentenced to two years probation, which can be served in Canada.

Neary, who helped to create the popular Telus TV ads featuring piglets, monkeys and a menagerie of other creatures, admitted conspiring to distribute just under 50 kilograms of marijuana in Washington state when he snowshoed across the border into Snoqualmie National Forest on April 26.

The court previously heard that tracks had led authorities to where Neary and Daryl Fontana, another B.C. businessman, were "hiding in the woods." Both told U.S. agents they were to be paid $10,000 each for their efforts. Three other men from Vancouver -- Carl Theissen, Sinisa Gavric and Richard Bafaro -- were also arrested in connection with the scheme.

Because he co-operated with authorities, Neary received a lighter sentence for what prosecutors called a "minor role" in the drug-smuggling operation.

Although the count carries a maximum sentence of five years, the government asked the court for a one-year sentence. The defence had sought a six-month sentence.

Under his supervised release conditions, Neary would be subjected to drug testing as frequently as once a month, said Emily Langlie, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

He was released on condition that he reports to prison, and will wait up to two months before being told to which federal institution he is to be sent.

Fontana, Theissen, Gavric and Bafaro also pleaded guilty to related charges.

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/Former+Telus+executive+sent+jail+drug+conspiracy/3581616/story.html#ixzz10fsObklA

Transcript of the original 1942 United States Department of Agriculture Film, Hemp for Victory

(Please use link for more in-depth information)

Hemp for Victory

USDA, 1942

Transcript of the original 1942 United States Department of Agriculture Film, Hemp for Victory

extolling some of the many uses of this ancient plant and premier world resource.

Long ago when these ancient Grecian temples were new, hemp was already old in the service of mankind. For thousands of years, even then, this plant had been grown for cordage and cloth in China and elsewhere in the East. For centuries prior to about 1850 all the ships that sailed the western seas were rigged with hempen rope and sails. For the sailor, no less than the hangman, hemp was indispensable.

A 44-gun frigate like our cherished Old Ironsides took over 60 tons of hemp for rigging, including an
anchor cable 25 inches in circumference. The Conestoga wagons and prairie schooners of pioneer
days were covered with hemp canvas. Indeed the very word canvas comes from the Arabic word for
hemp. In those days hemp was an important crop in Kentucky and Missouri. Then came cheaper
imported fibers for cordage, like jute, sisal and Manila hemp, and the culture of hemp in America

declined.

But now with Philippine and East Indian sources of hemp in the hands of the Japanese, and shipment of jute from India curtailed, American hemp must meet the needs of our Army and Navy as well as of our Industry. In 1942, patriotic farmers at the government’s request planted 36,000 acres of seed hemp, an increase of several thousand percent. The goal for 1943 is 50,000 acres of seed hemp.

In Kentucky much of the seed hemp acreage is on river bottom land such as this. Some of these
fields are inaccessible except by boat. Thus plans are afoot for a great expansion of a hemp industry
as a part of the war program. This film is designed to tell farmers how to handle this ancient crop
now little known outside Kentucky and Wisconsin.

This is hemp seed. Be careful how you use it. For to grow hemp legally you must have a federal registration and tax stamp. This is provided for in your contract. Ask your county agent about it. Don’t forget.

*

Hemp demands a rich, well-drained soil such as is found here in the Blue Grass region of Kentucky or in central Wisconsin. It must be loose and rich in organic matter. Poor soils won’t do. Soil that will grow good corn will usually grow hemp.

Hemp is not hard on the soil. In Kentucky it has been grown for several years on the same ground, though this practice is not recommended. A dense and shady crop, hemp tends to choke out weeds. Here’s a Canada thistle that couldn’t stand the competition, dead as a dodo. Thus hemp leaves the ground in good condition for the following crop.

For fiber, hemp should be sewn closely, the closer the rows, the better. These rows are spaced about
four inches. This hemp has been broadcast. Either way it should be sewn thick enough to grow a
slender stalk. Here’s an ideal stand: the right height to be harvested easily, thick enough to grow
slender stalks that are easy to cut and process.

Stalks like these here on the left wield the most fiber and the best. Those on the right are too coarse
and woody. For seed, hemp is planted in hills like corn. Sometimes by hand. Hemp is a dioecious
plant. The female flower is inconspicuous. But the male flower is easily spotted. In seed production
after the pollen has been shed, these male plants are cut out. These are the seeds on a female

plant.

Hemp for fiber is ready to harvest when the pollen is shedding and the leaves are falling. In
Kentucky, hemp harvest comes in August. Here the old standby has been the self-rake reaper,
which has been used for a generation or more.

Hemp grows so luxuriantly in Kentucky that harvesting is sometimes difficult, which may account for
the popularity of the self-rake with its lateral stroke. A modified rice binder has been used to some
extent. This machine works well on average hemp. Recently, the improved hemp harvester, used for
many years in Wisconsin, has been introduced in Kentucky. This machine spreads the hemp in a
continuous swath. It is a far cry from this fast and efficient modern harvester, that doesn’t stall in
the heaviest hemp.

In Kentucky, hand cutting is practicing in opening fields for the machine. In Kentucky, hemp is

shucked as soon as safe, after cutting, to be spread out for retting later in the fall.

In Wisconsin, hemp is harvested in September. Here the hemp harvester
with automatic spreader is standard equipment. Note how smoothly the
rotating apron lays the swaths preparatory to retting. Here it is a
common and essential practice to leave headlands around hemp fields.
These strips may be planted with other crops, preferably small grain.
Thus the harvester has room to make its first round without preparatory
hand cutting. The other machine is running over corn stubble. When the
cutter bar is much shorter than the hemp is tall, overlapping occurs. Not
so good for retting. The standard cut is eight to nine feet.

The length of time hemp is left on the ground to ret depends on the
weather. The swaths must be turned to get a uniform ret. When the
woody core breaks away readily like this, the hemp is about ready to
pick up and bind into bundles. Well-retted hemp is light to dark gray.
The fiber tends to pull away from the stalks. The presence of stalks in
the bough-string stage indicates that retting is well underway. When
hemp is short or tangled or when the ground is too wet for machines, it’s
bound by hand. A wooden bucket is used. Twine will do for tying, but the
hemp itself makes a good band.

When conditions are favorable, the pickup binder is commonly used. The swaths should lie smooth
and even with the stalks parallel. The picker won’t work well in tangled hemp. After binding, hemp is
shucked as soon as possible to stop further retting. In 1942, 14,000 acres of fiber hemp were
harvested in the United States. The goal for the old standby cordage fiber, is staging a strong

comeback.

This is Kentucky hemp going into the dryer over mill at Versailles. In the old days braking was done

by hand. One of the hardest jobs known to man. Now the power braker makes quick work of it

*

Spinning American hemp into rope yarn or twine in the old Kentucky river mill at Frankfort,
Kentucky. Another pioneer plant that has been making cordage for more than a century. All such
plants will presently be turning out products spun from American-grown hemp: twine of various
kinds for tying and upholsters work; rope for marine rigging and towing; for hay forks, derricks, and
heavy duty tackle; light duty fire hose; thread for shoes for millions of American soldiers; and
parachute webbing for our paratroopers.

As for the United States Navy, every battleship requires 34,000 feet of rope. Here in the Boston
Navy Yard, where cables for frigates were made long ago, crews are now working night and day
making cordage for the fleet. In the old days rope yarn was spun by hand. The rope yarn feeds
through holes in an iron plate. This is Manila hemp from the Navy’s rapidly dwindling reserves. When
it is gone, American hemp will go on duty again: hemp for mooring ships; hemp for tow lines; hemp
for tackle and gear; hemp for countless naval uses both on ship and shore. Just as in the days when
Old Ironsides sailed the seas victorious with her hempen shrouds and hempen sails.

Hemp for victory

Colorado Patient Chris Bartkowicz Denied Medical Defense by Feds

http://www.theweedblog.com/colorado-patient-chris-bartkowicz-denied-medical-defense-by-feds/

 

 

This was sent to us from our friends in Denver. This is the same person who was busted basically as a result of an interview he did back in February for a local television station. Half of the “plants” he was caught with were not mature but the Feds still counted them to bloat the total and make him look like a big time drug kingpin. I was going to write an article about this today but CTI covered all the bases, including links for contacting politicians in Colorado.

Activists Pressure Congress to Clarify Policy

For more information, contact the: Cannabis Therapy Institute
877-420-4205

Denver – In a ruling on Wednesday (9/22) that is sending chills through
every medical marijuana provider in Colorado and nationwide, patient Chris
Bartkowicz has been denied the use of a medical marijuana defense in
federal court. Chris is facing federal charges of marijuana cultivation
after he was interviewed for a KUSA 9 News story about medical marijuana
cultivation. Chris is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 years in
prison.

——————————————–
*SHARE THIS LINK*
http://www.cannabistherapyinstitute.com/patients/chrisb/chrisb.pr2.html
——————————————–

At a motion’s hearing on Wednesday in federal court, it was clear that the
feds have stacked the deck effectively against state rights to regulate
medical marijuana. The Honorable Federal District Judge Philip Brimmer
ruled against Chris’ court-appointed attorney, Joseph Saint-Veltri, on
almost every point. Chris’s prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney M.J.
Menendez, said that marijuana had been on the controlled substances list
“since the beginning of time” and that the feds recognize no exemption for
medical marijuana, even if cultivated in compliance with state law.

Saint-Veltri argued that Chris’ case was selective prosecution, given that
there are hundreds of people in Colorado currently cultivating medical
marijuana who have not yet been raided by the feds. Saint-Veltri pointed
out that Budding Health dispensary owner Josh Stanley was also featured in
the KUSA segment as a marijuana grower, but was never raided or
investigated.

Saint-Veltri argued that Chris was acting in good faith and sincerely
believed that he was in violation of neither state nor federal law. Chris
testified that he felt the federal climate had changed with regard to
federal prosecution of medical marijuana patients after Obama’s election.
Chris testified that he had relied on US Attorney General Eric Holder’s
statements on March 19, 2009 that he would not prosecute dispensaries.
These statements made world-wide news, with the LA Times calling it “a
landmark turnaround from the Bush administration’s policy of zero tolerance
for cannabis use by patients.”
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/19/local/me-medpot19

In addition, Chris relied on a memo of Oct. 19, 2009 from David W. Ogden,
U.S. Deputy Attorney General to selected US Attorneys. The Ogden memo,
which was also widely publicized by the Department of Justice, gave
guidance to federal prosecutors about allocation of resources to prosecute
medical marijuana cases. The Ogden memo said that medical marijuana cases
were “unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal resources.”
http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/192

Saint-Veltri also stated that Chris had been relying on signals from the
state that they had worked out some sort of “accord” with the DEA about not
prosecuting Colorado dispensary owners. Specifically, Saint-Veltri wanted
to question Matt Cook, head of the Department of Revenue’s Medical
Marijuana Enforcement Division, who had stated in a recent Kush magazine
article that “medical marijuana centers or infused products manufacturers
should not be targeted by the DEA.”
http://www.findmypot.com/2010/08/19/kush-magazine-press-release-on-centers-growing-more-than-99-plants/

Saint-Veltri wanted to question Cook about his meetings and conversations
with the DEA regarding enforcement of federal law. Cook fought his subpoena
to testify. Cook’s attorney Pam Rosenberg admitted that Cook had had
conversations with the DEA, but said that his testimony would be
“irrelevant.” Judge Brimmer ruled that Cook did not have to testify based
on a technicality of improper service of the subpoena.

Assistant U.S. Attorney M.J. Menendez said that the feds have every
intention of continuing to prosecute medical marijuana patients and
providers, regardless of state laws. She stated that the DEA has reached
“no accord” with Matt Cook regarding federal prosecutions of medical
marijuana patients or providers.

Menendez stated that Holder statement in March 2009 was just a “loose
remark” and that the Ogden memo states clearly that “this guidance
regarding resource allocation does not . . . provide a legal defense to a
violation of federal law.”

Menendez argued that “a reasonable person would not rely on statements made
by Holder or Obama.”

Menendez concluded that “every statement in the record by the federal
government says the government will continue to prosecute” medical
marijuana patients and providers.

In the end, Judge Brimmer ruled that Chris cannot present a medical
marijuana defense at his trial. “Anyone reading (the memos) would quite
clearly understand that cultivating marijuana is a violation of federal
law,” Brimmer said.

Judge Brimmer says Chris Bartkowicz is one of two medical marijuana
patients currently being prosecuted in his court. It is unknown how many
other patients are currently being prosecuted by the feds.

Chris’ trial is scheduled for Nov. 1. He faces a mandatory minimum of 60
years in prison. He rejected an earlier plea bargain offer because it would
have required him to turn someone else over to the feds. Chris refuses to
become a snitch and will stand up for his rights, and the rights of all
other Colorado patients and providers, at his jury trial.

*TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT PATIENTS*

Call and write your Federal Senators and Representatives:

1) Request that they send a “clarification of policy” letter to the
Department of Justice requesting clarification of their official policy of
prosecuting medical marijuana cases. Tell them Colorado patients need to
know they are safe from federal prosecution.

2) Ask that House Members co-sponsor HR3939, the Truth in Trials Act, which
would provide an affirmative defense for the medical use of marijuana in
federal court. Rep. Jared Polis is currently the only Colorado co-sponsor
of this Bill.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-3939

Please send copies of any correspondence to:
info@cannabistherapyinstitute.com

*COLORADO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION*

*TOLL-FREE NUMBERS TO CONGRESS*
877-762-8762
866-338-1015
866-220-0044

*COLORADO SENATORS*
(Represent entire state.)

Senator Mark Udall (D-CO)
Email: http://markudall.senate.gov/?p=contact_us

Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Email: http://bennet.senate.gov/contact/

*COLORADO REPRESENTATIVES*
(Represent people by district.)

Find your district:
http://www.votesmart.org/

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-01)
Email: http://www.house.gov/formdegette/dcs_zip_auth_v2.shtml

Rep. Jared Polis (D – 02)
Email: http://polis.house.gov/Contact/ContactForm.htm

Rep. John Salazar (D – 03)
Email: http://www.house.gov/salazar/contact.shtml

Rep. Betsy Markey (D – 04)
Email: http://betsymarkey.house.gov/Contact/

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R – 05)
http://lamborn.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=129

Rep. Mike Coffman (R – 06)
http://forms.house.gov/coffman/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D – 07)
https://forms.house.gov/perlmutter/webforms/contact.shtml

———————————
Please copy and re-distribute this announcement.
*SHARE THIS LINK*
http://www.cannabistherapyinstitute.com/patients/chrisb/chrisb.pr2.html
———————————
*BECOME A CTI SPONSOR*
Help us continue to advocate on behalf of patient rights:
http://www.cannabistherapyinstitute.com/donate.html

—
Provided as a Public Service by the:
Cannabis Therapy Institute
P.O. Box 19084
Boulder, CO 80308
Phone: 877-420-4205
Web: http://www.cannabistherapyinstitute.com
Email: info@cannabistherapyinstitute.com

Bad Drug War Bill Wrongfully Fast-Tracked for Vote TOMORROW

by Drug Policy Alliance on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 3:17pm

House Democrats have scheduled a horrible drug war bill for a vote tomorrow (Wednesday). The Drug Trafficking Safe Harbor Elimination Act of 2010 (H.R. 5231), written by Rep. Lamar Smith (a Republican drug war extremist), would expand problematic drug conspiracy laws, apply mandatory minimum drug sentences to more people, increase racial disparities, and subject Americans to incarceration for drug offenses and public health interventions that are legal in the foreign country in which they’re committed. It expands the drug war at a time that most Americans want major drug policy reform.

PLEASE:

1. Call Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at 202-225-0100.  When the receptionist answers, say something like:  "I'm calling to urge Speaker Pelosi to cancel the vote on the Drug Trafficking Safe Harbor Elimination Act that is scheduled for tomorrow.  It is shameful that Democrats are considering expanding the war on drugs, a war that is being waged primarily on young people and communities of color. I can’t believe Democrats are doing this."
2. Please “Share” this Note with your Newsfeed so your friends and family can take action.

Further Talking Points / More Information:

• The Drug Trafficking Safe Harbor Elimination Act of 2010 (H.R. 5231), introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith (the only House member to speak against reforming the racist crack/powder disparity), seeks to authorize U.S. criminal prosecution of anyone in the U.S. suspected of conspiring with one or more persons, or aiding or abetting one or more persons, to commit at any place outside the United States an act that would constitute a violation of the U.S. Controlled Substances Act if committed within the United States.
• These penalties apply even if the controlled substance is legal under some circumstances in the other country. An American treatment provider working with doctors in England, Denmark, Germany, or Switzerland to provide heroin assisted treatment and sterile syringes to heroin users in those countries could face arrest. As could an otherwise law-abiding American planning with some friends to use marijuana legally in the Netherlands while on vacation there.
• Even though this bill references drug trafficking in the title, it also criminalizes conspiring to possess and use marijuana or other drugs in other countries if more than one person is involved - even if drug use is decriminalized in that country.  Thus, it imposes America’s harsh drug policies on other countries, and further criminalizes a health issue. The bill’s title is very misleading.
• Even when applied against drug traffickers, The Drug Trafficking Safe Harbor Elimination Act would likely perpetuate injustice. Under U.S. drug conspiracy laws a person can be found guilty even when there are no drugs or other physical evidence involved. The uncorroborated word of someone pointing fingers to get a reduced sentence is all it takes. Moreover anyone convicted of being part of a drug conspiracy is punished not for the offense they actually committed but for all the offenses committed by members in the conspiracy. This has led to very low-level, impoverished, first-time offenders receiving sentences that are decades long. Conspiracy laws drive the so-called "girlfriend problem" whereby thousands of women every year are sentenced to harsh sentences for the crimes of their abusive partners.
• The United States houses 5% of the world’s population but 25% of its incarcerated population.  This excess of incarceration is a direct result of punitive and ineffective drug laws, which are currently crippling our social and economic resources.  Trends in the U.S. are shifting toward alternative sentencing and away from the policies developed in the almost forty years since Nixon declared the "War on Drugs."  H.R. 5231 would be a detrimental step in the wrong direction.
• House Leadership should not bring this problematic bill up for a vote. It has only two cosponsors and wasn’t even considered in committee.

by Drug Policy Alliance on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 3:17pm

Hemp License In Eastern Kentucky

 

21 September 2010

Hemp License In Eastern Kentucky

compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber
September 2010

Hemp was needed for ropes and used in feed bags and bailing twine. Early Kentucky pioneers brought the seed from Virginia and set aside acres for production. Lewis Collins cited Nathan Burrows of Lexington as being the first to introduce the manufacture of hemp into Kentucky about 1796 [Historical Sketches of Kentucky].
James Klotter's New History of Kentucky references eighteen rope and bagging manufacturers in Fayette County during 1838. By 1890 the Commonwealth was producing 94% of all the hemp produced in the United States.
Both Klotter and John Kleber, author of The Kentucky Encyclopedia, concentrate on larger production in central Kentucky. But it was James F. Hopkins, at the University of Kentucky who realized the historical significance that the production of hemp played within the Commonwealth. While working on his master's in 1936, he concentrated on the relevance of cultivation, processing and marketing relative to Kentucky's social, economic and even political history. His book A History of the Hemp Industry In Kentucky is still available today.
As a baby boomer and a young adult of the 60's our generation's idea and thoughts of hemp was in the form of marijuana known as "pot" and "weed" and smoked at Woodstock. And while today helicopters do regular scans of Eastern Kentucky for marijuana fields I either was very naive or it did not exist in Boyd County when I was in high school.
Thus I was intrigued to learn more about the history of hemp when I discovered that it had been grown and hempseed sold legally from the farm we own.
The effects of cannabis came to national attention in the late 1910's. The Uniform State Narcotic Act was finalized in 1932. But just prior to World War II fiber and jute production was on the rise. Strict controls were imposed on the raising and selling of the seed and hemp. Licenses were issued by the federal government and only a very strict few obtained them. According to the forward in Hopkins book the licenses "became little more than bragging curiosities, and the end of the war rang down the historic curtain on that second modest phase of hemp growing in Kentucky."
I take offense on behalf of my father-in-law about bragging rights. I know what a hard working proud Eastern Kentucky farmer he was. Every inch of dirt on this farm was utilized as was every crop to produce a living to put food on the table. He would not have wasted acres nor the trouble it must have been to acquire the license if it were not going to have a monetary value for the family.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture assigned each farm a number [they still do today]. John H. Klaiber received license 8107 pursuant to the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. It gave him the right to own hempseed and the legal right to sell it. The seed had to be cleaned with a combine or hand fan cleaning mill. The prices were set by the Commodity Credit Corporation and was sold directly to them.

Reading the fine print on the surviving contract, John H. Klaiber had for 1943, the seed had to be cleaned so that morning glory seed or other foreign matter was less than 2%. Klaiber turned in 5.27 bushels. After testing he received $36.37 for his efforts in this early 1943 contract.
According to a USDA publication titled Industrial Hemp in the United States during World War II imports of abaca and jute were unavailable. the Government instituted this emergency program to produce hemp as a domestic substitute. The Commodity credit Corporation contracted with War Hemp Industries, Inc. which was a "quasi-official organization." The production peaked in 1943 which is the year we have the farm license. As soon as the war was over legal restrictions were reimposed though one small hemp fiber industry continued in Wisconsin until 1958.
The USDA produced a film in 1942 titled Hemp For Victory to encourage farmers to grow it as part of the war efforts. The goal for 1943 was 50,000 acres of seed hemp and the target area was Kentucky. Thanks to the Hemp Industries Association the link at the film title in this blog will provide readers with a transcript of the campaign to get farmers to grow the product.

Posted by tklaiber at 3:46 PM

Read more: http://easternkentuckygenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/09/hemp-license-in-eastern-kentucky.html#ixzz10DLIgMIw

PRIVACY AND SAFETY QUESTIONS LOOM OVER FEDERAL PROGRAM TO TRACK PRESCHOOLERS

 

A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
ISSN 1062-9424
effector: n, Computer Sci. A device for producing a
desired change.
: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :
In our 548th issue:
*  PRIVACY AND SAFETY QUESTIONS LOOM OVER FEDERAL PROGRAM
   TO TRACK PRESCHOOLERS
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the ACLU of
Northern California (ACLU-NC) are calling for answers to
critical privacy and safety questions that loom over a
controversial federal program to track Head Start
preschoolers with radio frequency identification (RFID)
chips in Richmond, California. In an open letter sent this
week, we have asked officials to disclose what technical
and security measures are employed to safeguard students,
among other important questions.
For more information on this go to:
https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/09/13
For the full open letter:
http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/rfid/RFIDletter_full.pdf
* SECURITY ALERT - STOP USING HAYSTACK SOFTWARE NOW
Based on announcement made by The Censorship Research
Center, we recommend that users stop using all versions of
the Haystack anti-censorship software immediately.
To learn more:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/09/breaking-news-security-alert-stop-using-haystack
* EFF MEMBERS-ONLY SPEAKEASY SEPTEMBER 28, 2010
Join EFF staff members for a special Bay Area happy hour on
Tuesday, September 28th! EFF's Speakeasy is a free
gathering for current members only and space is limited.
Members will receive a personal email invitation with
location details on Monday, September 20th. For more
information, contact membership@eff.org.
: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :
EFF Updates
* John Doe Strikes Back in the US Copyright Group Cases
After months of dragnet litigation and intimidation, some
of the thousands of  "John Doe" Defendants targeted in mass
copyright lawsuits are fighting back in earnest.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/09/john-doe-strikes-back-new-developments-us
* EFF Says Violating Company Policies Is Not a Computer
  Crime
EFF urged a federal appeals court to dismiss charges that
would turn any employee use of company computers in
violation of corporate policy into a federal crime.
https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/09/14
* Sarah Palin Revisited: Why Terms of Use Shouldn't Be
  Enforced Through Computer Crime Law
Facebook's response to an EFF blogpost about employing
ghostwriters bolsters our argument that violating a site's
terms of use should not be a criminal act.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/09/sarah-palin-revisited
* Revised Opinion in Privacy Case Blurs Clear Limits to
  Digital Search and Seizure
The Ninth Circuit issued an unfortunate revised opinion in
United States v. Comprehensive Drug Testing Inc., a case
featuring blatantly unconstitutional government action.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/09/revised-opinion-privacy-case-blurs-clear-limits
* Jack-Booted Thugs and Copyright Enforcement
When it comes to copyright enforcement and the government,
EFF frequently warns that giving government agents a reason
to censor, search, seize, and indict must be taken very
seriously.  The New York Times reported on a frightening
object lesson from Russia.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/09/jack-booted-thugs-and-copyright-enforcement
* 9th Circuit's Troubling New State Secrets Decision
  Demonstrates Need for Reform
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, ruling en banc in a case
called Mohamed v. Jeppesen Dataplan, adopted the Bush and
Obama Administration's joint Executive Branch power grab in
the form of the state secrets privilege.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/09/9th-circuits-troubling-new-state-secrets-decision
* EFF Welcomes New Attorneys to Transparency Team
EFF is pleased to announce two new additions to our FOIA
Litigation for Accountable Government (FLAG) Project: Staff
Attorney Jennifer Lynch and Open Government Legal Fellow
Mark Rumold.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/eff-welcomes-new-attorney-foia-team
* "Magic Words" Trump User Rights: Ninth Circuit Ruling in
  Vernor v. Autodesk
In a major blow to user rights, the Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals has issued a decision that will go a long way
toward ensuring that software buyers will rarely be
software owners.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/09/magic-words-trump-user-rights-ninth-circuit-ruling

Reader Letters | Marijuana miracles?

 

The following is an excellent LTE to the CJ&T (Courier Journal & Times), in Louisville, Kentucky:

Dr. Andrew Weil has an excellent article published on Huffington Post titled “Cannabis Rx: Cutting through the misinformation.” The article discusses the criminalization of cannabis to suppress the hemp trade and how cannabis extracts were widely used in medicine prior to 1937. Weil highlights the numerous medical uses of cannabis that our state and federal governments refuse to accept.

The most exciting part of the article is the promise that cannabis shows in curing cancer. Weil discusses recent research that demonstrates cannabis components kill cancer cells while not harming healthy cells. He also recommends a new documentary, “What if Cannabis Cured Cancer,” by Len Richmond. Weil suggests that our political leaders should watch this documentary and then act quickly to change our counterproductive cannabis policies.

I've written the editorial board numerous times since Dr. Donald Tashkin's 2005 marijuana and respiratory cancers study that showed marijuana use lowered cancer risks that you didn't publish. Several studies since then have confirmed Tashkin's cancer findings and others that debunk the gateway drug theory, prove marijuana is effective in pain management, etc., that you don't print. Why?

The truth is the “gateway drug” is actually the gateway back from opiate and alcohol addiction. The likely truth is that cannabis holds the key to curing cancer. It's highly probable that, with a change in thinking, we could develop significant cannabis-based cancer treatments right here in Kentucky. That change in thinking will only happen when you inform the public of the truth.

TOM RECTOR, Jr.

Prospect, Ky. 40059

Last Updated on Friday, 17 September 2010 14:51

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Marijuana to Blame for Increased Drug Use in 2009, Government Report Says

Posted by Peter Maer

A new government report blames increased marijuana use for an uptick in the overall use of illicit drugs among Americans.

 

 

National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske, (Credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

The annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows the rate of illicit drug use rose from eight percent in 2008 to 8.7

percent in 2009. The survey also found increases in the use of ecstasy and methamphetamines.

Authorities are especially concerned about use of illicit drugs by young people. The survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration found 21.2 percent of young adults experimented with illegal drugs in 2009. The report says the

trend "was also driven in large part by the use of marijuana."

National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske told CBS Radio News, young people are being exposed to "mixed messages"

about marijuana including the idea that it is a medicine.

The "drug czar" said marijuana "may have properties that have medicinal values that should be tested" but he insisted it is not

medicine.

Kerlikowske views marijuana as "an entry drug." The survey found that for the first time since 2002, less than half of young people

believe using marijuana is harmful.

The Obama administration remains strongly opposed to legalization of marijuana.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Marijuana Nation

Coincidentally, the survey is being released as California voters consider a November ballot issue on legalizing pot.

Proponents believe the move would ease crowded court dockets and weaken Mexican drug cartels. Kerlikowske and many veteran

former federal drug enforcement officials reject those ideas.

The president's drug adviser said it is a "false argument" to say marijuana legalization would reduce cartel violence in Mexico.

Kerlikowske, a former police chief and undercover narcotics detective, noted, "Taking one small part of the (cartel) enterprise,

marijuana away from them isn't going to change them."

Listen to Maer's Interview with Kerlikowske | Download MP3

LISTEN

He concedes the drug gangs south of the border can not be totally defeated but he believes "their impact and their violence

can be reduced."

While the report emphasizes the detrimental effects of marijuana, Kerlikowske says abuse of prescription drugs rises to the top

of his concerns because, "young people don't perceive them as dangerous or addictive."

He said the availability of prescription medications in home medicine cabinets often makes them widely available and attractive

to young people. The non-medical use of prescription drugs notched up slightly to nearly three percent of the population.

The annual survey offered some encouraging news. It showed decreasing levels of tobacco use to a new low level of 23.3 percent.

But the report warned, "The pace of improvement is stagnating."

The administration's drug control strategy emphasizes prevention and treatment along with law enforcement. Kerlikowske told

CBS News, "We have had a focus of a criminal justice lens on drug abuse for quite a while." He added, "It should be a blend" that

includes prevention and education.

The administration is seeking a 13 percent increase in funding for the federal drug abuse prevention effort.

The drug control policy chief rejects the term, "War on Drugs."

He said, "If we approach it with the same level of complexity that we approach things like cancer, I think we're better off than

telling the American public, here's a bumper sticker to solve your problem."

The survey covers the transition year as President Obama took office. Next year's report will be the first true test of any initial

results from the administration's approach to a drug abuse problem that has been a national challenge for decades.

---

Peter Maer is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here.

You can also follow him on Twitter.

Posted by Peter Maer

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Downtown event will offer art, history, music and culture

 

Downtown event will offer art, history, music and culture

Merlene Davis - Herald-Leader columnist

My kids are grown now, but when they were younger, I remember scouring the newspaper for activities or events I could take them to that could enrich their lives and enlarge their worlds.

Fortunately for parents, members of the Lexington Learning Cooperative and organizers of Spotlight Lexington have made world-broadening an easy task.

During each weekend of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the Learning Cooperative will host several events geared for children and families.

Children can learn to weave a bookmark at the Family Arts Paddock during the World Equestrian Games.

Rangoli is an art form that evolved in India. Artists make designs with rice powder.

Children will learn to make hemp-fiber bracelets and other accessories on Sept. 25 at the Family Arts Paddock.

CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS

• 
• 
• 

• What's happening at the Family Arts Paddock

  Schedule of activities at the Family Arts Paddock during Spotlight Lexington, Sept. 25-Oct. 10.

  Sept. 25:

  10 a.m.-2 p.m. Hemp Rope Accessories. The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation. Make bracelets, key chains or necklaces from hemp.

  2-6 p.m. Kentucky Treasure Box. The Living Arts and Science Center. Decorate a keepsake box and fill it with mementos from mapped locations.

  Sept. 26:

  10 a.m.-2 p.m. Horse sculptures. The Art Museum at the University of Kentucky. Create a sculpture from a variety of materials.

  ■ Ribbon Trees. The Living Arts and Science Center. No experience required to create a work of art in the trees with artist Adam Craft.

  2-6 p.m. Mini journals. The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. Decorate and bind a journal. Young Women Writers will read their works at 5 p.m.

  Oct. 2:

  10 a.m.-2 p.m. Guys and Gals. Isaac Scott Hathaway Museum. Make 18th- and 19th-century dolls with clothes pins, corn shucks, paper, fabric and paint.

  ■ Banners. Headley-Whitney Museum. Create banners for a "drive-thru" art show displayed in downtown Lexington.

  2-6 p.m. Recycled Jewelry. Bluegrass PRIDE. Make jewelry from recyclable items.

  Oct. 3:

  10 a.m.-2 p.m. Jockey Silks: Design Your Own. Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate. Put together your own jockey silk design.

  2-4 p.m. Alebrijes. Bluegrass Youth Ballet. Presentation of excerpts of the ballet Alebrijes, celebrating a famous Mexican artist. Visitors may create their own Alebrijes art.

  2-6 p.m. Postcards from Kentucky. Sisohpromatem Art Foundation Inc. Create Kentucky trading cards to trade with locals and visitors.

  Oct. 9:

  10 a.m.-2 p.m. Native Americans in Kentucky. Lexington History Museum. Learn about Kentucky Native Americans, listen to traditional music and make a clay coil pot.

  ■ Kentucky Weaving. Living Arts and Science Center. Weave a bookmark on a simple loom.

  2-6 p.m. Painted Horseshoes. Explorium. Decorate a real horseshoe using paint, glitter and more.

  Oct. 10.

  10 a.m.-2 p.m. Art in the Garden. Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment. Create garden art while learning about native plants, beneficial bugs and composting.

  ■ Music-making Gymboree. Explore the power of rhythm and melody while moving to the beat of Latin sounds.

  Noon-2 p.m. Interactive Theatre. Lexington Children's Theatre. Each half hour, Lexington Children's Theatre will help participants create a short performance using art, music movement and drama.

  2-6 p.m. Folk Arts of India. Bluegrass Indo-American Civic Society. Participate with children from Lexington's Indian community in demonstrating rangoli folk art and enjoy performances by an Indian classical dancer and her students.

More Information

• More World Equestrian Games coverage

Similar stories:

• Entertainers, parade of horses added to WEG's Spotlight Lexington

  Entertainers, parade of horses added to WEG's Spotlight Lexington

  Lexington will kick off the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with a parade of horses, according to Mayor Jim Newberry, who also announced an expanded lineup of entertainers for the Spotlight Lexington festival.

  The city will "show the world what an incredibly rich heritage we have when it comes to all things related to the horse," Newberry said during a news conference at the Courthouse Plaza. He was flanked by several exotic breeds, including an Akhal-Teke Russian sport horse and an Austrian Haflinger.

  The parade is being organized by the International Equestrian Festival and the Downtown Lexington Corporation, which is taking applications from equine groups to participate at www.downtownlex.com.

• Businesses can still get involved in WEG

  Businesses can still get involved in WEG

  This is the first in a series of weekly updates about what's going on in Lexington and beyond related to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

  ■ On Monday, Lexington city officials will hold briefings on the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games for restaurant owners and other businesses who want to learn more about the event. Officials will be talking about ways businesses can get involved.

  In addition, Sysco Food Services and Brown Foreman are planning a training program this summer for local restaurants on how to prepare for such a big event — everything from menu planning to protocol for European visitors.

• Spotlight Lexington — traffic challenges with entertainment

  Spotlight Lexington — traffic challenges with entertainment

  Mayor Jim Newberry encouraged people to go downtown for live entertainment during the Spotlight Lexington festival, but he warned of possible traffic backups because of closed streets starting Sept. 24.

  "There may be some traffic challenges with the added visitors," Newberry said Tuesday, "but a good time can still be had by all."

  The festival is the after-hours entertainment for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, which will be at the Kentucky Horse Park from Sept. 25 to Oct. 10. City officials are expecting the heaviest traffic downtown on the three Fridays of the festival — Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8.

• Spring Break: Cheap family fun

  Spring Break: Cheap family fun

  To a college student — and in recent years, high school, middle school and elementary students as well — the two most beautiful words in the English language have to be "spring break."

  College students, who already have had their semester break, have a simple formula for determining a locale: Beach + beer = a good time. Younger students, however, require a bit more supervision than sand and a six-pack, no matter what your teenagers might think.

  A family spring break vacation is all about having a good time (but hey, if a little bit of education slips in, so much the better) without breaking the bank. This year, destinations close to Lexington have spring break families in mind with a host of recreational activities.

• While CentrePointe project stalls, festivals make use of grassy lot

  While CentrePointe project stalls, festivals make use of grassy lot

  A year ago the CentrePointe block was a mud hole. Today, it's a grassy lawn in the middle of downtown Lexington, and that's turning out to be a handy place to have activities for events such as the Fourth of July and the Spotlight Festival during the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

  Developer Dudley Webb said this week that the CentrePointe groundbreaking will not occur before the World Equestrian Games end in October.

  Meanwhile, the block bounded by Main, Vine, Limestone and Upper streets will be in the center of Fourth of July activities and also will be a key location for Spotlight Lexington.

The informal networking group, which is composed overwhelmingly of non-profit educational, historical, artistic, musical, environmental and cultural organizations, will produce the activities.

"We have a variety of activities scheduled," said Sonja Brooks of Sisohpromatem Art Foundation, "including individual art projects that you will have the opportunity to make something and take it away."

At least once during each of the three weekends during the Games, there will be a community project, she said, such as the use of materials to create a large-scale weaving between trees and poles in Triangle Park on Sept. 26.

"We are trying to get people to know that from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, there are free family activities along with all the other things that are going on in Triangle Park for Spotlight Lexington," Brooks said.

Activities will be at the Family Arts Paddock, a tent near the split at West Main and West Vine streets on the west side of the park.

Historic presentations from the Isaac Scott Hathaway Museum, Native Americans, and the Bluegrass Indo- American Civic Society also will be featured.

The first activity will be making bracelets, necklaces, anklets or key chains from hemp as taught by members of the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation.

Alison Carter, historic preservation specialist, said participants will be taught a simple style and a more intricate style of braiding.

"The reason we are doing the hemp," Carter said, "is because John Wesley Hunt, one of the first millionaires west of the Allegheny Mountains, made most of his money with the production of hemp when it was legal. Hemp was a big part of Lexington and the Lexington economy."

With his money, Hunt built Hopemont, a home for his wife and 12 children, now known as the Hunt-Morgan House, at 201 North Mill Street.

You can take your hemp creation to the house for a free tour during the Games. Tour hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tours on the hour.

Talk about expanding worlds.

With all of the activities scheduled for adults and for children, Spotlight Lexington seems to be the place to be during the Games, especially if you can't get to the Kentucky Horse Park.

Reach Merlene Davis at (859) 231-3218 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 3218, or mdavis1@herald-leader.com.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/14/1433873/merlene-davis-downtown-event-will.html#ixzz0zjQZZRuR