How lawyer navigates sea of secrecy in bizarre case

By Henry Weinstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 15, 2007


SAN FRANCISCO — Oakland lawyer Jon Eisenberg calls the case of Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation v. George W. Bush the strangest he has ever handled. How strange? Eisenberg was required to write one of his briefs in a windowless government office, without notes or lawbooks, under the watchful eye of two federal security guards.

When he got hungry, one of the guards brought him a banana. And when he finished, a security official shredded all his drafts — and even the banana peel, Eisenberg said.

The brief-writing session was just one facet of the extraordinary secrecy surrounding the Al-Haramain case, Eisenberg said. Al-Haramain is one of dozens of plaintiffs across the nation that have filed suit, claiming they were illegally spied on by the government as part of the war on terror.

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LINDSAY LOHAN: LAWSUIT OVER CAR PURSUIT

Lindsay Lohan was sued Tuesday for assault and negligence by a passenger in a car the actress allegedly chased while drunk last month
“What Miss Lohan did that night was extremely dangerous and reprehensible,” Tracie Rice, the woman who filed the suit, said in statement, according to the Associated Press. “Someone could easily have been killed or seriously hurt because of her irresponsible decisions that evening.”
Rice’s attorney, Paul Hoffman says: “My client, Tracie Rice, thought she was going to die that night, and wants Ms. Lohan to be held accountable because Lohan’s behavior was so extreme and outrageous. Ms. Rice is still traumatized from the incident.

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ON THE RIGHT TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA PRIVACY

Oregon subpoenas worry medical marijuana advocates

PORTLAND (AP) — Federal subpoenas seeking medical records of 17 Oregon medical marijuana patients have growers and users upset and nervous even as a federal judge considers whether to throw the subpoenas out.
Sunday, August 12, 2007 2:54 AM PDT

‘‘It’s crazy. It’s really scary. If they can get my records, they can get Gov. (Ted) Kulongoski’s, they can get yours,’’ said Donald DuPay, a former Portland police officer and 2006 candidate for Multnomah County sheriff.

DuPay says his records are among those subpoenaed.

A federal grand jury in Yakima, Wash., issued the subpoenas in April as part of an investigation of some growers in Oregon and Washington.

The patients are not targets of the grand jury.

A Seattle spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration declined comment.

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HEMP CAN MAKE US COOL AGAIN by Jay Good

Remember when the US was considered cool and happening? John Lennon once compared NY to Rome, and moved here to be near the action. Unfortunately our government tried to deport him on a drug charge, but Lennon stayed cool, retained a lawyer, and got his greencard. Soon afterwards Rome began to burn, Lennon was gunned down, we began to lose our cool. Too bad Lennon kept his...

Today our government continues it's domestic drug war as it battles overseas for position. The biggest change for the Globe in the last 25 years it turns out, is the one we can't see; our ozone layer.

To no ones surprise George Bush is ducking out on this one, but we are still a savvy nation with brilliant minds like Al Gore to help shine the light and lead the way. Let's us keep politics off to the side so that we may begin to affect change and rebound. Once we take those first steps in our fight against global warming, the eventual restarting of US hemp production will be much more feasible, perhaps one day, even a no brainer.

After that we can go all out green. Just think we'll be known as a lean green global machince. Hey, won't that make us cool, once again.

HEMP FACTS

PHIL SPECTOR JURORS VISIT CRIME SCENE

Phil Spector Jurors to Visit Crime Scene

By LINDA DEUTSCH
The Associated Press
 Thursday, August 9, 2007; 10:01 AM

LOS ANGELES -- Attorneys want jurors in the Phil Spector trial to stand in the foyer of his home and see for themselves the spot where actress Lana Clarkson's body was found.
The jury will head to Spector's mansion, 15 miles northeast of Los Angeles in Alhambra, on Thursday to get a firsthand look. The question of where Spector was standing when Clarkson was shot in the mouth and how far blood can travel have been key issues in the case.

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Check out Allison's Phil Spector Video on her prediction on the case's outcome

GO ASK ALLISON - ON THE DA & LOW LEVEL MARIJUANA CASES

LA's Dopest Attorney Allison Margolin talks about a recent incident where a Torrance District Attorney intimidated and coerced a medical marijuana patient to plead guilt

SEATTLE HEMPFEST 07 SHAPING UP TO BE THE DOPEST

Invitation to speak at Hempfest 2007

Dear Allison Margolin,

Seattle Hempfest is one of the world's foremost drug policy reform events, the largest pot rally on earth. On behalf of our one thousand strong volunteer crew, the Hempfest speakers crew extends our deepest thanks for the work you do. We would like to invite you to speak at this year's event, to be held August 18-19, 2007 at Myrtle Edwards Park on Seattle's waterfront

I would love to be there and I graciously accept!

BRITNEY SPEARS DIVORCE OFFICIAL

Spears, Federline Divorce Is Final
By AMANDA BECK, Associated Press Writer
7:54 AM PDT, July 31, 2007

LOS ANGELES -- Britney Spears' marriage to Kevin Federline officially ended Monday. "They are divorced," the pop star's attorney, Laura Wasser, said after a Superior Court hearing. "Everything is finalized."

Court Commissioner Scott Gordon signed orders for dissolution of marriage, an alimony agreement and child custody.

The alimony agreement will not be made public unless there is an enforcement issue, Wasser said.

"Most of that tracks the prenup," the attorney said, without elaborating.

The child custody order was tentatively sealed, pending an Aug. 14 hearing.

"The best interests of the children could be harmed" if the arrangement were not sealed, Gordon said.

Spears married Federline in October 2004, eight months after her first marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander was annulled. She cited irreconcilable differences when she filed for divorce from Federline on Nov. 7, 2006.

Wasser said that Spears was "OK" with the terms of the settlement but that "she would like to be with her kids more."

Since February, Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, have shared joint custody of their two sons, 22-month-old Sean Preston and 10-month-old Jayden James.

MARIJUANA SCHIZOPHRENIA REPORT IS PURE BUNK

Will One Joint Really Make You Schizoid?

Maia Szalavitz, July 30, 2007

Just what did a new study on marijuana and schizophrenia actually say – and what did the media leave out?

Watching the media cover marijuana is fascinating, offering deep insight into conventional wisdom, bias and failure to properly place science in context. The coverage of a new study claiming that marijuana increases the risk of later psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia by 40% displays many of these flaws.
What are the key questions reporters writing about such a study needs to ask? First, can the research prove causality? Most of the reporting here, to its credit, establishes at some point that it cannot,though you have to read pretty far down in some of it to understand this.

Second – and this is where virtually all of the coverage falls flat –, if marijuana produces what seems like such a large jump in risk for schizophrenia, have schizophrenia rates increased in line with marijuana use rates? A quick search of Medline shows that this is not the case-- in fact, as I noted here earlier, some experts think they may actually have fallen. Around the world, roughly 1% of the population has schizophrenia (and another 2% or so have other psychotic disorders), and this proportion doesn’t seem to change much. It is not correlated with population use rates of marijuana.

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NICOLE RICHIE TO SERVE 90 HOURS IN JAIL FOR DUI VIOLATION

Nicole Richie, co-star on"The Simple Life" was sentenced this moring at the Glendale courthouse to serve 90 hours in jail for driving under the influence in December. Richie has been given until September 28th to serve her jail hours.

Richie is rumored to be four months pregnant. She showed up at the courthouse with no immediate family, just her boyfriend, As part of her sentencing she is to complete 21 days of rehab, and will be on probation for three years.

GO ASK ALLISON- WHY'S THE DEA SO HELL-BENT ON CLOSING CANNABIS CLUBS?

LA's Dopest Attorney Allison Margolin talks about what is motivating the DEA to go after cannabis clubs so aggressive

YESTERDAY'S LA DEA RAIDS SECOND BIGGEST ALL TIME

DEA raids LA medical marijuana clinics

By ANDREW GLAZER, Associated Press Writer Thu Jul 26, 2:41 AM ET

LOS ANGELES - Federal agents raided 10 marijuana clinics Wednesday, the same day city leaders introduced a measure calling for an end to the crackdown on the dispensaries allowed under state law.

The bust netted five arrests, large quantities of marijuana and cash, and was the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's second-largest since California voters approved medical marijuana sales in 1996. The drug remains illegal under federal law.

DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen said the timing of the bust and the city's action was "purely coincidental."

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Allison has been asked to represent five medical marijuana prostesters that were arrested during the raids.

MORE DEA CANNABIS CLUB RAIDS IN LA

The DEA at it again in LA!

The DEA raided several cannabis clubs today in Hollywood. One of those clubs includes the California Patient’s Group on Santa Monica Blvd and Vine St. As police officers stand by it's been reported that up to two hundred protesters have been gathering ouside the popular cannabis club to show thier support

Several members of the CPG's staff as well as some patients are being held inside the dispensary.

LINDSAY LOHAN ARRESTED IN SANTA MONICA

Another bust. Say it ain't so Lindsay Lo

Lindsay Lohan was arrested in Santa Monica this morning for allegedly driving under the influence, narcotics possession and driving with a suspended license. Lohan was reported to be chasing another vehicle drven by the mother of her personal assistant before she was arrested.

Not to overstate the obvious here but Ms Lohan should employ a full time driver right away.

Blair Berk, counsel to actress Lindsay Lohan, has released a statement following her arrest on DUI and cocaine charges early Tuesday morning.

“Addiction is a terrible and vicious disease. Since Lindsay transitioned to outpatient care, she has been monitored on a SCRAM bracelet and tested daily in order to support her sobriety. Throughout this period, I have received timely and accurate reports from the testing companies. Unfortunately, late yesterday I was informed that Lindsay had relapsed. The bracelet has now been removed. She is safe, out of custody and presently receiving medical care.”

GO ASK ALLISON - ALLISON ASKS BRUCE MARGOLIN ABOUT THE MARGOLIN GUIDE

ALLISON asks her dad BRUCE MARGOLIN a question concerning his "Margolin Guide". Bruce Margolin's guide covers pot laws of all fifty states.

The Margolin Guide is a must weed read!

LINDSAY LOHAN SURRENDERS TO BEVERLY HILLS POLICE

Police book Lohan on charges spurred by May crash

By Richard Winton, Times Staff Writer
July 20, 2007

Actress Lindsay Lohan surrendered to Beverly Hills Police Thursday in connection with a driving under the influence incident in May.

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's website record shows she was taken into custody at about 4 p.m. and booked 15 minutes later. She was released an hour later in lieu of $30,000 bail.

Lohan was initially arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in May after she crashed her Mercedes convertible in Beverly Hills shortly before dawn. Lohan, 21 was slightly injured after she lost control of her car traveling west on Sunset Boulevard about 5:30 a.m., Beverly Hills police said. The car ended up striking a curb and shrubbery along Foothill Road. Two other people in the 2005 Mercedes SL65 -- a car that normally seats a driver and one passenger -- were not hurt. The "Georgia Rule" and "Mean Girls" star left the scene of the crash and was taken by an unidentified associate to Century City Doctors Hospital, Lt. Mitch McCann told the Times at the time.

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DEA, CANNABIS CLUBS & LANDLORD LETTERS

LA Weekly helps hype Simpson's movie while LACityBeat gets down in the Grass

MORE LA WEAKLY COVERAGE ON DEA AND CANNABIS CLUBS
July 19th 07 By Jay Good

About ten days ago random cannabis club landlords began receiving forfeiture letters from the DEA causing the landlords to make a decision; possibly lose their property, or evict the cannabis club owners. For many it was not much of a choice and in no time cannabis club owners began getting thirty day eviction notices.

The news was kept quiet by the club owners so as not to cause a panic among the landlords …Some of the first people outside of landlords and cannabis club owners to hear about the DEA letters were the weekly papers who advertise dozens upon dozens of display ads for these cannabis clubs . Then Tuesday morning the story officially broke in the LA Times

For some strange reason LA Weekly the second largest alt paper in the country didn’t touch the DEA/Landlord letter story. So what’s up with that, I'd like to know? I like the LA Weekly and Allison Margolin occasionally places her LA’s Dopest Attorney ads with them but the people over at Village Voice/New Times blew it and get a great big fat “Doh!” for ignoring this one... The voice of the people...lately, I think not.

Thankfully LACitybeat saw the DEA Landlord letter story for what it was and is; big breaking news effecting thousands locally with huge national ramifications. In today’s LACityBeat issue they are running a four page feature called
“Stay off the Grass” Read it and weep...that goes for you too, LA Weekly. - Jay Good


Allison Margolin has been busy in court the past two weeks fighting a medical marijuana case and plans to have a few things to say about this unfolding event soon

DEA MAILS WARNING LETTERS TO CANNABIS CLUB LANDLORDS

DEA targets landlords of pot outlets

About 150 L.A. owners are told they could face jail and lose properties rented to dispensaries.

By Eric Bailey, Times Staff Writer
July 17, 2007

Raising the stakes in the federal government's war against medical marijuana, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has warned more than 150 Los Angeles landlords that they risk arrest and the loss of their properties if they continue renting to cannabis dispensaries.

The two-page letter sent last week by Timothy J. Landrum, DEA special agent in charge of the Los Angeles office, has whipped up worries among landlords and dispensary operators in a region that has seen a proliferation of the businesses in the last two years.

"I'm devastated," said Lisa Sawoya, who left her lucrative job selling high-tech hospital equipment to open a dispensary 18 months ago in Hollywood. "My landlord believes in cannabis as medicine. But they're taking the letter very seriously. So I'll be closing my doors at the end of this month."

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excerpt from landlord letter:

"The DEA has determined you own, or have under your management or control, a building located at [ADDRESS]. The DEA has determined there is a marijuana dispensary, [NAME], operating on the property.

This is a violation of federal law...."

ORANGE COUNTY ACCEPTS MEDICAL MARIJUANA

O.C. to license medical marijuana

In a switch from an earlier stand, the county will issue ID cards and validate prescriptions.

By Christian Berthelsen, Times Staff Writer
July 18, 2007

Orange County will begin licensing medical marijuana use and issuing identification cards to patients who are entitled to it under a plan approved by county supervisors Tuesday.

The decision marked a surprise turnabout from just three months ago, when the proposal initially seemed doomed to failure.

Under the plan, the county will create a system to identify patients eligible to use marijuana for medical purposes, and issue them identification cards, validate prescriptions and monitor the qualifications of care providers who dispense the drug.

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CATHOLIC CHURCH AGREES TO PAY 660 MILLION FOR CLERGY ABUSE

Lee Bashforth says the church settled at the last minute to avoid a public trial.

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A judge on Monday approved a $660 million settlement between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and more than 500 alleged victims of clergy abuse, the largest payout yet in a nationwide sex abuse scandal.

Some of the plaintiffs sobbed as the deal was formally approved and a moment of silence was held for others who had died during the years of negotiations.

"This is the right result," said Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Haley Fromholz.

"Settling the cases was the right thing to do, and it was done by dint of a number of extremely talented and dedicated people putting in an awful lot of time."

The deal came after more than five years of negotiations and is by far the largest payout by any diocese since the clergy abuse scandal emerged in Boston in 2002.

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CELEBRITIES LINE UP FOR HOLLYWOOD'S WONDERLAND

Is Celebrity Rehab Effective?

With So Many Going To Get Sober, It Now Just Seems Like A Trend

Lindsay Lohan, show here parting at the nightclub Warehouse on April 12, 2007, in Tokyo, is one of many celebrities who have checked into rehab.

Not so long ago, alcohol and drug addiction in Hollywood were considered taboo, something shameful. But now hardly a week goes by without a celebrity announcing they've checked into rehab.

Young Hollywood just loves to party but the seduction of alcohol and drugs has led many to rehab facilities like Wonderland, co-founded by Howard Samuels. It was reportedly where Lindsay Lohan went to get sober the first time.

"I have kids lining up at the door that are 19, 20, 21, that are on cocaine on a daily basis. They're doing ecstasy. They're smoking pot 24 hours a day," Samuels said.

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SARA CAPLAN TO TESTIFY IN SPECTOR CASE

Ex-Spector Lawyer Decides To Testify

Sara Caplan Could Have Faced Jail Time For Refusing To Testify About Evidence Allegation

AP) A former attorney for Phil Spector agreed Thursday to testify in his murder trial about evidence allegedly withheld by a defense expert rather than go to jail for contempt of court.

The turnabout by attorney Sara Caplan came a day after the California Supreme Court refused to hear her appeal of a contempt order issued by Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler, who had ordered her jailed to coerce her testimony.

The judge ordered her to return to court Thursday afternoon to give her testimony.

Caplan was part of an original defense team that examined the foyer of Spector's mansion where actress Lana Clarkson died from a bullet fired from a snub-nose .38-caliber revolver stuck in her mouth on Feb. 3, 2003. The defense claims Clarkson
shot herself.


Watch my recent Phil Spector Youtube that details why the jury will acquit Mr Spector

LEE BACA - NON VIOLENT OFFENDERS SHOULD GO HOME

Baca seeks authority to order home detention



Some legislators call the practice too lenient, while sheriff says it ensures more dangerous inmates will serve full sentences.
By Patrick McGreevy, Times Staff Writer
July 12, 2007

SACRAMENTO — Under fire for overcrowded jails, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is seeking the power to force thousands of inmates to be placed on detention in their homes, but prisoners rights advocates are fighting the move, saying that it would mean many more inmates would be deprived of the medical and mental healthcare they get behind bars.

Baca called the proposed new power a short-term solution to the jail overcrowding problem that has forced him to release thousands of inmates after they served only a fraction of their sentences.

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Is anyone else coming up with solutions to reduce LA's insanely overcowded prison population? Right on Sheriff Baca!

GO ASK ALLISON - ALLISON ASKS CHRIS CONRAD A QUESTION

LA's Dopest Attorney asks Chris Conrad what the five golden rules are for not getting arrested for growing marijuana

ALLISON'S MYSPACE FRIEND'S HEADLINES

LA's Dopest Attorney "On the right to get High"


MYSPACE; Love it or hate it, you gotta love a good headline...


MY SPACE FRIEND'S HEADLINES

"Nice shoes....wanna fuck."

"Change is inevitable; except from a vending machine....."

"Are you suggesting i fondue your vagina?

"And then I was like yeah whatever..."

"The well behaved rarely make history......"

"Only Dead Fish Go with the Flow"

"If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention."

"DONT HATE, APPRECIATE!"

"Go fuck yourself"

"DO NOT BOTHER WITH ME IF YOU ARE FULL OF SHIT!"

"Tryin to stay number 1 without steppin in number 2"

"Stop bitching- start a Revolution!"

"I may not be Mr. Right, but I'll fuck you till he shows up!"

"Reality is really just a fucked up dream"

"Wait till they get a load of me!"

"Dear Lord, give me patience & give it to me NOW!"

"If you don't desire to change the world, you are a collaborator in everything that is wrong with it."


Thanks Myspace friends!

ED ROSENTHAL MAKES A BIG CASE IN FEDERAL COURT

Pot advocate admonishes federal judge

Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

(07-06) 17:23 PDT -- Marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal lectured a federal judge Friday before being sentenced to a day in jail -- which he has already served -- for growing pot plants for medicinal use.

"I am proud of what I did. I know I have done nothing wrong,'' Rosenthal told U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer. Referring to the two juries that convicted him of violating federal drug laws without hearing that the marijuana was intended for medical use, Rosenthal said, "You have now hurt 24 jurors. ...You left them feeling guilty about their unwitting role in these faux trials.''

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STUDENTS PASS ON POT FOR PILLS ON TODAY'S CAMPUSES

Experts: Pills becoming the new marijuana on campus

Elizabeth Cohen
CNN

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The prescription drugs allegedly found in Al Gore III's possession this week are favorites among young people, according to drug abuse experts, who say prescription drugs may soon overtake street drugs in popularity.
art.pills.jpg

Some young people perceive that prescription drugs are safer than street drugs, experts say.

"I wouldn't be surprised if right now at this point in time, there are more kids abusing prescription drugs than abusing marijuana," said Joseph A. Califano Jr., chairman and president of CASA, the National Center on Alcohol and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

Gore was arrested on charges of possessing -- in addition to marijuana -- Vicodin, Xanax, Valium and Adderall.

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This article really points out why pot must be legalized. And soon! Whatever you believe, keep in mind that while hundreds die every year from prescription medications, to date, not a single person has overdosed from smoking cannabis.

MAYORS AGREE DRUG WAR A BUST

Nation's Mayors Call for a New Bottom Line in U.S. Drug Policy

The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) made history last weekend by passing a resolution calling for a public health approach to the problems of substance use and abuse (PDF). The resolution was sponsored by Mayor Rocky Anderson of Salt Lake City.

The resolution proclaims the war on drugs a failure, and calls for "a New Bottom Line in U.S. drug policy, a public health approach that concentrates more fully on reducing the negative consequences associated with drug abuse, while ensuring that our policies do not exacerbate these problems or create new social problems of their own."

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NORML PODCAST

My very first Norml Podcast interview with Chris Goldstein

PARIS SMOKES POT - NOW THAT'S HOT!

It's being widley reported in the news that Paris Hilton smokes pot. Paris is under intense srutiny, probably more than any celebrity in our history. Well... except perhaps for OJ Simpson. But it's safe to say Paris has a lot of anxiety and stress in her life so bravo to her for choosing a natural herb to medicate and decompress rather than a prescription drug chemically produced in some lab.

I hope Ms Hilton can summon the courage to talk publicly about marijuana use and it's benefits for releasing the stress she now deals with.

An old plumber once remarked "It's simple, when enough pressure builds up it busts steel pipes. And in life, when enough pressure builds up, eventually... we bust."

GO ASK ALLISON - NORML QUESTION ON WHAT HARVARD WAS LIKE

Here's a clip from my podcast interview with Norml's producer Chris Goldstein. The podcast will be availabe on Norml's site as well as here on my blog.

Thank you Chris!

On this Go Ask Allison - Norml video Chris asks me about my early days at Harvard which gave me the opportunithy to once again praise a man who opened doors for me, my mentor; Professor Peter Bsrton Hutt.

NEW MEXICO: A STATE THAT GETS IT AND GROWS IT

N.M. Law Requires State to Grow Its Own

Saturday June 30, 2007 10:31 AM
By DEBORAH BAKER
Associated Press Writer

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico has a new medical marijuana law with a twist: It requires the state to grow its own.

The law, effective Sunday, not only protects medical marijuana users from prosecution - as 11 other states do - but requires New Mexico to oversee a production and distribution system for the drug.

``The long-term goal is that the patients will have a safe, secure supply that doesn't mean drug dealers, that doesn't mean growing their own,'' said Reena Szczepanski, director of Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico.

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ALLISON MARGOLIN , AT LAST TO DO A NORML INTERVIEW

After a tough, and not too pleasant day in court battling with the DA's, I craved some type of diversion to ease my anxiety. While driving back to the office I got a call on my cell informing me that the National chapter of Norml in Washington DC had called and asked if I would do a podcast interview with them for next week.

Hell yeah! I may just vent a bit...

THE ALLURE OF DRUGS - ALLISON MARGOLIN'S SUNDAY DAILY NEWS ARTICLE

This courtroom story/opinion piece was published in Sunday's Daily News - 6/24/07

Media, laws glamorize drug use
BY ALLISON MARGOLIN, Guest Columnist

I’m sitting in Glendale court, waiting for the judge to call out my client’s name, relatively bored. To pass the time, I am reading the June issue of Allure magazine. As I flip through the mag, I pass an article purporting to be an expose on drug use among celebrities. At first I don’t read it. As much as drug use is a part of my practice, and though it has been a source of interest for me as long as I can remember, sometimes it gets too much.

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PHIL SPECTOR WILL BE ACQUITTED - PREDICTS ALLISON

LA's Dopest Attorney gives us her legal opinion
on why the jury will find Phil Spector innocent.

MARIJUANA DOES NOT CAUSE CANCER !

Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection

By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 26, 2006; A03

The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer.

The new findings "were against our expectations," said Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, a pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years.

"We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use," he said. "What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect."

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GO ASK ALLISON - MYSPACE FRIEND ON SEARCH AND SEIZURE

Allison Margolin takes a question from her myspace friend about search and seizure

JAIL TOM FOR DRUGS - SIZEMORE VIOLATES PROBATION

Actor Sizemore sentenced to 16 months in prison

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters Life!) -- Actor Tom Sizemore, best known for battle-hardened film roles in "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black

Hawk Down," was sentenced Monday to 16 months in prison for violating his probation in a drug possession case.

But the 45-year-old performer must return to court Tuesday for a hearing on whether he will receive credit for the time he has spent in residential drug treatment facilities.

The actor admitted in court last week to violating his probation on a previous felony drug conviction and tearfully pleaded with the Los Angeles Superior Court judge for leniency, begging her, "If you would please just give me one more chance for myself."

LARRY KING SCORES PARIS HILTON POST PRISON INTERVIEW

Larry King will give us what we most hunger for once again when he interviews Ms. Paris Hilton Wednesday about prison life on Cnn's Larry King Live

HIGH SCHOOL IDOL PAYS ALLISON A TRIBUTE

HELEN JUPITER didn't know it at the time but she was one of my idols growing up . A superb writer, Helen won a big writing contest in High School and I remember aspiring to be her equal. So I'm especially thrilled about the blog she just wrote, and also for her allowing me to get on board with Suicide Girls radio.


LA's Better Half: Allison Margolin, LA's Dopest Attorney
posted by Helen Jupiter at 2:00 PM on June 21, 2007

Los Angeles gets a lot of grief for being home to an inordinate number of celebretards, pseudo-celebretards, star fuckers, and vain VIPs. Although the city is thusly stereotyped, it's also home to a thriving population of unique and noteworthy people whose pursuits add diversity and depth to a seemingly shallow pool. Each week, LA's Better Half will profile one distinctive Angeleno doing something remarkable and original in his or her field. This week: Meet Allison Margolin, LA's Dopest Attorney.

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BRUCE WILLIS ON HOLLYWOOD AND REHAB

Liz Smith
Originally published June 22, 2007

"I'M CYNICAL about the media's point of view that rehab is all entertainment. But anybody who makes a choice to go into rehab - or go in and out of rehab, if that's what it takes - is brave. You fall down, you've got to get up!"

That's my guy, Bruce Willis, talking to Playboy and he is not making fun of young stars whose habits lead them to seek help. Willis points out that despite relentless publicity about Hollywood excess, drugs and alcohol are not some kind of "special failing" only for people in La-La Land. (After all, the methamphetamine scourge began and reigns in America's very heartland.)

Bruce says, "The big problem is the reasons people want to anesthetize themselves. We fight it the wrong way. The war on drugs is a joke. If somebody weren't making money off cocaine and drug traffic in general, it wouldn't exist."

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IMPLYING HILTON "SPECIAL TREATMENT" COULD MAKE ROCKY BUFFOON

Delgadillo used his staff for baby-sitting, errands



A spokesman for the city attorney says work and favors were done on personal time.
By Matt Lait, Times Staff Writer
June 21, 2007

City Attorney under fire:
Delgadillo's wife pleads no contest in '98 traffic case Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo has enlisted members of his office staff to run personal errands and baby-sit his two young children, including taking them to museums and other local attractions.

In response to inquiries from The Times, Delgadillo confirmed through a spokesman Wednesday that he relied on his staff to attend to some family and personal needs, but he declined to give many details.

"On occasion, city staff members — some of whom the city attorney has known for many years — have watched the Delgadillos' children on their own personal time," according to a statement released by Delgadillo's office. "They were personally paid by the Delgadillos, but sometimes declined payment.

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GO ASK ALLISON - ON WHY IT'S CALLED A "RECOMMENDATION"

LA ATTORNEY SARA CAPLAN HELD IN CONTEMPT

Ex-lawyer for Spector held in contempt

By Michael Muskal, Times Staff Writer
3:01 PM PDT, June 18, 2007

Sara Caplan, a former lawyer for Phil Spector, was formally held in contempt this afternoon for refusing to testify about what she saw when defense experts searched the music producer's home where Lana Clarkson's body was found.

In a hearing lasting about 20 minutes, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler ordered Caplan sent to jail until she was ready to testify before the jury in the Spector murder trial. He stayed the sentence, however, to allow the attorney time to appeal to a higher court.

Today's legal action was as stylized as Kabuki theater.

Caplan was sworn in and took the stand. Deputy Dist. Atty. Alan Jackson then asked the first of several questions that Caplan said she could not answer because of her role as Spector's former attorney.

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ALLISON MARGOLIN PROFESSES

I am considering applying to teach drug law at one of the local universities and law schools here in LA this summer. I really love to teach and here is an article I wrote for the Harvard Record which explains why:

This morning, at Piedmont Alternative School, Berkeley, Calif.; I teach my high school senior class a little bit about child abuse and neglect and then assign them an exercise in which they have to consider whether a mother is neglecting her child

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JANA FINALLY MEETS BOB WOODWARD

In case your not up to speed with my long time pal Jana Rausch, she and I get together almost every week and review the tabloids and gossip rags. Jana has always had a keen interest in Mr. Woodward (to put it mildly) and we often joke about it. Well Jana finally got to meet the man of her dreams - the picture tells it all!

START SPREADING THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA NEWS - IT'S UP TO YOU NY!

State Assembly Passes Bill Legalizing Medical Marijuana
June 13, 2007

The State Assembly passed a bill legalizing medical use of marijuana Wednesday, after about a decade of attempts to approve similar legislation in the state.

“This would mean an awful lot to thousands of suffering New Yorkers,” said Manhattan Assemblyman Richard Gottfried. “The current prohibition in keeping them from that medical benefit is just political correctness run amok.”

The bill allows caregivers and seriously ill patients with diseases like cancer or aids to register with the state to purchase up to two and half ounces of marijuana and grow up to a dozen plants

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CONNECTICUT'S PUSH FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Marijuana Law in Connecticut Gains Ground

NY Times Article Tools Sponsored By
By STACEY STOWE
Published: June 11, 2007

HARTFORD, June 10 — Seventeen years ago, Mark Braunstein dived 60 feet off a footbridge into a river, landed wrong and became a paraplegic. A librarian at Connecticut College, Mr. Braunstein, 55, walks with the aid of crutches and leg braces. He smokes marijuana every three days or so to control the pain and spasms in his feet that would otherwise immobilize him.

To alleviate pain and spasms, Mark Braunstein smokes marijuana, which he buys from a friend.

“I grew it in my woods, but the penalties for cultivation are higher than for possession, so people are forced to patronize the black market,” said Mr. Braunstein, who lives in Waterford. “I have a friend who grows it organically, and I buy it from him.”

In addition to potential legal jeopardy, people who use marijuana for medical reasons endure a financial pinch, he said, as an ounce can cost $300 to $400, depending on its quality. For five years, Mr. Braunstein and others have pressed the Connecticut General Assembly for an alternative. A few weeks ago, they came closer to getting one.

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PARIS HILTON'S EARLY RELEASE MY VIEWS IN THE DAILY NEWS - FRIDAY!

The editor over the Daily News was kind enough to ask me to write a piece on my opinion on Paris Hilton's early release. Pick up a copy Friday and let me know what you think!

GO ASK ALLISON: HOW BIG IS THE STEPHANIE LANDA CASE

A petition of writ on behalf of Stephanie Landa is now the hands of the supreme court. Ms Landa, sixty years old, is currently serving 43 months in federal prison for a marijuana related offense.

SIGNATURES POINT TO LEAGALIZING MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN MICHIGAN

Published June 7, 2007 [ From Lansing State Journal ]

Medical marijuana petition approved
Group still needs at least 304,101 voter signatures

An effort to legalize marijuana for medical use in Michigan cleared a key procedural hurdle Wednesday.
A state elections board approved the form of petitions being circulated by the Michigan Coalition for Compasjavascript:void(0)sionate Care.
The group still needs to collect at least 304,101 valid signatures of Michigan voters within six months to send its issue to state lawmakers.
If state lawmakers vote to accept the proposal, it becomes part of Michigan law. If the Legislature doesn't vote on the measure or rejects it, the initiative would appear on the November 2008 ballot.
The group has been collecting signatures for less than two weeks and so far likely has fewer than 10,000 signatures.

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DR EIDELMAN HOOKS YOU UP WITH HOW TO KICK BUTT & MAKE CHANGES

The Easy Way to Get Off Cigarettes and All Other Addictive Drugs

Don't let anyone tell you there is no good treatment for addiction. I'm
here to tell you about an amazing treatment that I am offering every day at
my office. Any addict can try it out for free. Just walk in the door
craving any addictive drug (tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine,
heroin/morphine/opiates, xanax, etc), and we'll hook you up to the cure.

The cure is a tiny micro-electric current with sophisticated wave forms.

Continued

PARIS HILTON READY TO GET JAIL OVER WITH

Paris Hilton Checks Into LA County Jail

Socialite Sentenced To 45 Days, Will Serve 23

LYNWOOD, Calif. -- Paris Hilton is in jail.

The social celebrity checked into the Los Angeles County jail late Sunday to begin serving a three-week sentence for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

The 26-year-old heiress was booked into the Century Regional Detention Facility, which is in an industrial area southeast of downtown LA.

Earlier, Hilton attended the MTV Movie Awards show, telling reporters, "I am trying to be strong right now." She said she was ready to face her sentence, but was "really scared."

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MY INTERVIEW IN THE JUNE "HEADS GIRLS" ISSUE IS OUT!

Interview excerpt:

HEADS MAGAZINE What are your goals/aspirations?

ALLISON "To become drug czarina, legalize drugs and consequently, help erase the stigma associated with drug use...."

In the interview I discuss everything from my favorite strain of weed to my best stoner story. You can download the June Heads issue right now at HeadsMagazine.com

Let me know what you think!

VERMONT PASSES MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL - CONNECTICUT POISED TO BE NEXT

Marijuana Policy Project Alert: Vt. May 31, 2007

Victory! Vermont medical marijuana improvement bill becomes law

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R) let S.7, the bill to improve Vermont’s current medical marijuana statute, become law without his signature. It will take effect July 1. This will help many suffering Vermonters by adding conditions under which patients can qualify to use medical marijuana. Previously, Vermont’s law was the most restrictive of all the states with medical marijuana laws, because only patients suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, or multiple sclerosis could qualify. Under the new legislation, the state will add serious conditions that cause nausea, wasting, chronic pain, or seizures to the law.

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Medical marijuana bill wins final approval in legislature
By STEPHEN SINGER
Associated Press Writer

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A measure legalizing medicinal marijuana won final legislative approval in the state Senate Friday night, capping a five-year struggle that pitted broader patients' rights against concerns of easier access to an illicit drug.

The bill, which was approved 23-13, now heads to Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who has said she has mixed feelings about the measure. A spokesman said Friday she has not yet made a decision.

The state House of Representatives approved the measure on May 23.

Sen. Andrew McDonald, co-chairman of the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee, steered the bill to Senate approval. The measure has taken a "long odyssey through almost every committee of the legislature," McDonald, D-Stamford, told colleagues

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GO ASK ALLISON - ON WHY ALL DRUGS SHOULD BE LEGAL

SERIOUS BUZZ KILL AHEAD FOR HOLLYWOOD'S YOUNG STARS

Lohan bust may mark last call for young stars

The actress' arrest focuses attention on underage drinking at trendy clubs.
By David Pierson and Andrew Blankstein, Times Staff Writers
May 30, 2007

Authorities are trying to crack down on one of the worst-kept secrets in Hollywood: underage stars partying hard at trendy clubs on the Sunset Strip and Hollywood Boulevard.

Doormen at Hollywood hot spots have been lifting the velvet rope for teen stars for years. Two decades ago, Drew Barrymore became tabloid fodder after being spotted drinking at Hollywood clubs when she was 13 and 14.

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INSIDERS REPORT LINDSAY LOHAN SEEKING TREATMENT

Lindsay Lohan reportedly checks back into rehab
BY: Actress Archives | Tuesday, May 29, 2007

After a disastrous weekend that saw her drive into a tree, run into a nearby house, and take off again, allegedly leaving cocaine in her car, Lindsay Lohan has checked herself back into rehab again. CBS is reporting that Lindsay Lohan has entered an addition treatment center in Malibu, just days after being arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after she crashed her Mercedes-Benz roadster on Sunset Boulevard at 5:30am Saturday morning in Hollywood. Lindsay Lohan allegedly checked herself into the Promises rehab center in Malibu, the place that reportedly turned around the fate of Britney Spears earlier this week. A source told In Touch weekly that Lindsay Lohan had checked herself into Promises. In January and February, Lindsay Lohan, who doesn't even turn 21 until this July, checked herself into the Wonderland Center in Laurel Canyon for her problems with alcohol and drugs. Lindsay Lohan was seen drinking and partying days after that first trip to rehab.

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LA'S DOPEST ATTORNEY NEW AD

The publisher over at The Rockit News, and my blog administrator collaborated on a new "LA's Dopest Attorney" ad for me over the Memorial weekend

We wanted something a little more original and upbeat, with an LA city backdrop... I'd say they nailed it!

If you live in the Los angeles area pick up the LA Weekly this Thursday, and on Monday June 4th (in most music stores) you can find the dopest new ad in the Rockit News.

STEPHANIE LANDA'S FATE NOW UP TO THE SUPREME COURT

4pm Today was deadline so I was up at 6:30 am working feverishly to wrap things up

I'd like to thank Charles my UCLA law student intern for doing a great job. We spent over a hundred hours together and apart brain storming, doing intense research, and a whole lot of typing to get Stephanie Landa's petition of writ is on it's way to the supreme court.

Here then is Ms Landa's Petition

ALLISON'S STEP DAD JEFFREY SKLAN ON JAILTIME & PARIS

DAILY VARIETY, PAGE FIVE - LA'S DOPEST ATTORNEY, WOW!

Excerpt from the Daily Variety current issue

World of Wonders touts reality trio
Jeffree Star, Jim J. Bullock topline new shows
By JOHN DEMPSEY
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato's World of Wonders Prods. is developing three reality-series projects centered on strong personalities.
"We've become big enough as a production company with the resources to be aggressive in finding real-life characters" who could succeed in a multi-episode series, said Barbato, whose World of Wonders produces such series as "Wife, Mom, Bounty Hunter" for WE and "Tori & Dean: Inn Love" for Oxygen.

"Allison Margolin: The Dopest Attorney in Town," the first of the new development, deals with a Los Angeles lawyer who specializes in medical-marijuana cases while working for her family's practice, which includes her mother, stepfather and ex-stepfather.


Pretty cool huh?

GO ASK ALLISON: DRUG TESTING IN HIGH SCHOOLS

"TEENS: URINE BIG TROUBLE"

WHERE THE DRUG WAR SHOULD BE FOUGHT

Excerpt from recent LA Times article: Senate passes sweeping drug-safety bill
The FDA's powers and staff would be enlarged to more quickly scan the marketplace for risky medications.
By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — The Senate overwhelmingly approved a landmark drug safety bill Wednesday, doubling the number of government scientists assigned to ferret out risky side effects in medicines already on the market.

The measure also would create a computerized network to scan medical insurance and pharmacy records for signs of trouble with new drugs, and significantly expand the Food and Drug Administration's power to require drug makers to reduce risks.

"This is unquestionably the biggest change in the FDA's regulatory authority in a very long time," former agency Commissioner Mark B. McClellan said. "It is really a new era for the FDA that will start after this law is implemented."

The Senate bill was drafted in response to highly publicized safety lapses — including the belated withdrawals of the painkiller Vioxx and the diabetes drug Rezulin, as well as the FDA's tardy warning about the suicide risks of antidepressants.

Rezulin, which was found to cause liver failure, was pulled from the U.S. market after being cited in more than 500 deaths. Vioxx was found to increase the risk of heart attacks....more


It is not surprising to me to hear that pharmaceutical (drug) companies are under attack for putting on the market substances that kill a conspicuous amount of people. The reason the “hard drugs” were criminalized is because unscrupulous pharmaceutical manufacturers were lacing their medicines with cocaine and heroin, and I say “lacing” not because people necessarily didn’t know that they were ingesting heroin but because they didn’t understand what that meant.

It is ironic that the war on drugs was originally targeted against corporation and yet has ended up as the war against the common man/woman. Diverting funds from the war on illicit drugs to science, would be an applaudable use of resources.

BUD BUSTED WITH BARELY A BUD

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. —

David Faustino, who played Bud Bundy on the TV series "Married with Children," was arrested on marijuana and disorderly intoxication charges.

Police said they spotted Faustino, 33, and his wife, Andrea, 31, at an intersection late Friday night. Faustino reportedly tried to climb out the car window, then opened the door.

The actor tried to walk away when police confronted the couple, authorities said. The officer smelled alcohol on Faustino's breath and found a plastic bag with a gram of marijuana in his pocket, police said.

Faustino was booked into Volusia County jail and released Saturday.

Volusia County court records did not list an attorney for Faustino. A telephone message left after hours by The Associated Press with the actor's public relations firm was not immediately returned.

Faustino filed for divorce in February from his wife in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences.

"Married With Children" ran on the Fox network from 1987 to 1997.


Mr Faustino let me know if I can help!

HEALTH FOOD STORES CASHING IN ON HEMP

LA TIMES - Soy's new competition: hemp

Breads, bars and milk are flying off the shelves, but excitement is outpacing evidence.

By Janet Cromley, Times Staff Writer
May 14, 2007

Like a bloodhound, Gira Balistreri is racing through the palatial Whole Foods Market in El Segundo, sniffing out some of her favorite foods.

A new employee at the 65,000-square-foot flagship store, she goes directly to several shelves of hemp shakes and snacks, then trots over to tidy rows of hemp butter and oil, then rushes down an aisle and snaps up a fresh package of hemp tortillas on her way to the hemp bars, hemp bread and hemp bagels.

"Hemp," she says excitedly, "is just an awesome seed."

Balistreri isn't alone in her devotion. In the last two years, sales of hemp food products in markets and grocery stores rose by more than 50%, propelling the unassuming seed to an $8.6-million industry, according to SPINS, a market research and consulting firm for the natural products industry.

Hemp foods began filtering into grocery stores about five years ago, after the 1998 legalization of industrial hemp farming in Canada. The U.S. currently prohibits commercial cultivation of industrial hemp, but allows the import of seeds, oil, flour and other byproducts to be manufactured into ready-to-eat foods in the U.S.

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STEPHANIE LANDA EXERCISES HER PRISON WRITES

A sixty year old victim of the drug war details the scary prison life she now endures.

A Day in the Life of a Medical Marijuana POW

After dozing off for the first time, the midnight count starts. Guards with heavy boots stomp by, wielding flashlights and shining them into your eyes to count bodies. Imagine dozing off again, then waking frantically at one a.m. to the loudest buzz that it makes your ears ring as everyone yells fire. Over one hundred groggy, sleepy women stumble down the stairs, side by side.

continued

ALLISON MARGOLIN'S NEW TECHNORATI BLOG STATS ARE IN

YEAH BABY!

ALLISON DOING MARK CUBAN KATIE DARYL SHOW

Mark Cuban producers have invited me to do an interview for a cannabis themed show..Unfortunatley the LA Lakers are history and Mr Cuban's Dallas Mavs were just upset in the first round. I know he's very passionate about his team and his personal projects and I look forward to appearing on his network channel hdnet.

LA'S DOPEST ATTORNEY GO ASK ALLISON WEEKLY VIDEO BLOG

ARE "COOLER HEADS" BEGINNING TO PREVAIL?

News From 91.3 KUWS
Washburn decriminalizes small marijuana possession

5/5/2007
Washburn has passed a city ordinance that might have people facing tickets instead of handcuffs if they’re caught with marijuana. Danielle Kaeding reports.

The new ordinance keeps people with a joint out of the joint. Washburn Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Clapero says it just gives them a different option on how to deal with pot users as opposed to the previous approach. “They were arrested on the spot and brought to jail—they were booked into the jail and then they would be at some point released and appear in court on that charge. Now there’s a situation where they can get a ticket with the fine amount and released.


A WAY TO MINN!

PROSECUTORS PULL NO PUNCHES WITH PARIS

Paris Hilton is sentenced to 45 days in jail

By Andrew Blankstein and Francisco Vara-Orta, Times Staff Writers
4:56 PM PDT, May 4, 2007

Celebrity heiress Paris Hilton today was sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating her probation in a reckless-driving case.

A Los Angeles judge handed down the sentence after prosecutors contended in a two-hour hearing that Hilton had violated her probation when she was ticketed in late February for driving a blue Bentley Continental GTC on Sunset Boulevard with a suspended license. Hilton, who said her aides did not tell her she could not drive, and her attorneys argued that it was a mistake and that her action did not warrant a jail sentence.

But Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer rejected Hilton's plea, ordering her to report to Los Angeles County Jail on June 5. If she doesn't appear, the jail the sentence would rise to 90 days.

Hilton appeared stunned by the ruling and began to cry. Hilton's mother also began to show her displeasure visibly, shaking her head -- and had be warned by a court official to stop.

R.I. lawmakers advance medical marijuana bill

By Associated Press
Thursday, May 3, 2007 - Updated: 06:05 AM EST

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - House lawmakers voted 49-12 on Wednesday to permanently extend a program permitting the chronically ill to possess and use marijuana for pain relief in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island became the eleventh state in the country last year to decriminalize marijuana for medical purposes. The program will end on June 30 unless lawmakers pass bills making it permanent.
The state Senate is planning to vote on a similar bill on Thursday. To become law, one of the bills must be adopted by both chambers.
Under the program, 267 patients and 277 caregivers have received state licenses to each possess up to 12 marijuana plants and 2.5 ounces of the drug in a usable form, said Andrea Bagnall Degos, a spokesman for the Department of Health.
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Right on Rhode Island!

ALLISON'S APRIL SKUNK MAGAZINE IS OUT!

THE Dopest Skunk feature has arrived!