then where am i gonna wear my big doctor seuss hat?

[Guest guest]

PROPOSED LAW COULD SUBJECT YOU TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON

Stop the Senate From Banning Marijuana Rallies and Other

Events

 

Take Action at: http://ga1.org/campaign/rave

 

The Senate is poised to pass legislation that would give

federal prosecutors new powers to shut down hemp festivals,

marijuana rallies and other events and punish business

owners and activists for hosting or promoting them. The

proposed law would also potentially subject people to

enormous federal sentences if some of their guests smoked

marijuana at their party or barbecue. It would also

effectively make it a federal crime to rent property to

medical marijuana patients and their caregivers.

 

The bill, known as the Reducing American's Vulnerability to

Ecstasy Act (RAVE Act), was just introduced in the Senate on

June 18th and has already passed the Senate Judiciary

Committee. It is moving VERY rapidly and could be passed by

the Senate as early as this week. While it purports to be

aimed at ecstasy and other club drugs, it gives the federal

government enormous power to fine and imprison supporters of

marijuana legalization, even if they've never smoked

marijuana.

 

It is urgent that you take action today!

 

ACTIONS TO TAKE

 

** Fax your Senators today. Go to

http://ga1.org/campaign/rave to find out more.

 

** Forward this alert to your friends, family, and

co-workers.

 

** After you fax your Senators, please follow it up with

phone calls. Tell them you just faxed them a letter in

opposition to S. 2633, the Reducing American's Vulnerability

to Ecstasy Act. Tell them that innocent business owners

shouldn't be punished for the crimes of their customers.

Tell them this bill has dangerous anti-civil liberties

provisions that they need to be aware of, and this bill

deserves serious debate.

 

You can contact your Senators through the Capitol

Switchboard at 202-224-3121. To find out who your Senators

are go to:

http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm

 

MORE INFORMATION

 

The Senate is considering legislation that would give

federal prosecutors new powers to shut down raves, marijuana

rallies and other events they don't like and punish

businessmen and women for hosting or promoting them. The

bill (S. 2633), also known as the Reducing American's

Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act (RAVE Act), is moving very

rapidly and could be considered by the full Senate as early

as this week. (A similar bill is also pending in the House.)

 

S. 2633, sponsored by Senators Durbin (D-IL), Hatch (R-UT),

Grassley (R-IA) and Leahy (D-VT), expands the so-called

" crack house statute " to allow the federal government to

fine or imprison businessmen and women if customers sell or

use drugs on their premises or at their events. Property

owners, promoters, and event coordinators could be fined

hundreds of thousands of dollars or face up to twenty years

in federal prison if they hold raves or other events on

their property. If the bill becomes law, property owners may

be too afraid to rent or lease their property to groups

holding hemp festivals or putting on all-night dance

parties, effectively stifling free speech and banning raves

and other musical events.

 

The new law would also make it a federal crime to

temporarily use a place for the purpose of using any illegal

drug. Thus, anyone who used drugs in their own home or threw

an event (such as a party or barbecue) in which one or more

of their guests used drugs could potentially face a $250,000

fine and years in federal prison. The bill also effectively

makes it a federal crime to rent property to medical

marijuana patients and their caregivers, giving the federal

government a new weapon in its war on AIDS and cancer

patients who use marijuana to relieve their suffering.

 

Health advocates worry that the bill will endanger our

nation's youth. If enacted, licensed and law-abiding

business owners may stop hosting raves or other events that

federal authorities don't like, out of fear of massive fines

and prison sentences. Thus, the law would drive raves and

other musical events further underground and away from

public health and safety regulations. It would also

discourage business owners from enacting smart

harm-reduction measures to protect their customers. By

insinuating that selling bottled water and offering " cool

off " rooms is proof that owners and promoters know drug use

is occurring at their events, this bill may make business

owners too afraid to implement such harm-reduction measures,

and the safety of our kids will suffer.

 

The RAVE Act punishes businessmen and women for the crimes

of their customers and is unprecedented in U.S. history. The

federal government can't even keep drugs out of prisons, yet

it seeks to punish business owners for failing to keep

people from carrying drugs onto their premises. If this bill

passes, federal authorities will have the ability to scare

business owners away from using or renting their property

for marijuana festivals, as well as any other " politically

incorrect " event.

 

For more information on this bill, go to

http://thomas.loc.gov/ and under " bill number " search for

S2633.

[Guest guest]

oh tthat reminds me - must have a hemp flapjack.

 

Jo

 

 

> PROPOSED LAW COULD SUBJECT YOU TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON

> Stop the Senate From Banning Marijuana Rallies and Other

 

 

 

---

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Version: 6.0.372 / Virus Database: 207 - Release 20/06/02