Saturday Evening Post - A Steve Kubby Update

Kubby.com has some new information up on Steve Kubby's current situation, the reasoning behind the withdrawal of his request to use marijuana instead of Marinol and the worsening situation with access to medication.

Michele just called me with some information.

Steve is not going after the use of the whole plant instead of Marinol. The reason for this is because in order to actually receive the whole plant, he would have to say that the Marinol was not working at all. Since the Marinol is controlling his Blood Pressure, Steve would have to purger himself in order to get the whole plant.

Placer was going to argue that the Marinol was working and that he could keep using it instead of receiving the whole plant. He didn't want to lie and open that can of worms, so he just decided to drop the motion.

However, there are more important things right now.

Steve has 6 more days of medicine left. A company in Canada has volunteered to send some medicine to Michele for Steve to be able to use while incarcerated, but it has not arrived yet. The jail is not going to provide Marinol to Steve, an Michele does not have the money to obtain the amounts needed for Steve.

If you know of a Cancer Foundation that can help Steve get the medicine he needs and the proper treatment, please email me right away at jeremy@freecanadianparty.org and I will get in touch with them to see what they might be able to do for Steve.

CONTACT FROM STEVE TODAY: 2-4-06

Steve called from the Placer County Jail today, but wasn't allowed much time on the phone. Below is what he had the chance to say:

He says to tell you that he is doing OK and wants to make sure everyone knows his good news. The bleeding has stopped and his blood pressure has come under control.

Steve told me that he is more determined than ever to fight for medical marijuana for all the patients like himself that is need of cannabis.

He also said he is working on putting a statement together for all of you to read. So as soon as I have it, you will too. That is all he had time to tell me due to the time restraints he was given by the deputies for the phone call.

So, while Mr. Kubby is obtaining some relief from the Marinol he will soon run out and the "authorities" apparently have no intentions of renewing his prescription. Looks like a case of one step forward and two step back. Considering that Steve Kubby has to wait till the 15th of February for his next court date, (11 days away, as I wrote this) he will likely be back in jeopardy again soon unless something is done. Heck of a situation for a former Libertarian governors candidate.

During the last week I had the opportunity to interview a couple of people via email concerning Mr. Kubby's condition, treatment and the situation in general. One person from the front lines of the fight for medical marijuana is Beth Soloe, the new Executive Director for Indiana NORML, (welcome aboard, Beth!!).

Mr. Kubby is currently being held and given access only to the synthetic drug Marinol, rather than medical marijuana. Given the legality of marijuana as medicine in California are the authorities doing what they should to insure Mr. Kubby's welfare?

In short, no, they are not. This is a horrible thing for anyone to go through, and my heart goes out to Mr. Kubby and his family. My prayers will be with them in their time of need. It's not uncommon however for jails and prisons all over the country to refuse to give patients the medications they need. I can't count the times I've seen people get sicker and even die in prison who were witheld their medicines.. or given different medications then what their doctors prescribed. These range from diabetes medications to antiseizure medications to blood pressure medications. This isn't the first time, and probably wont be the last, until something is done to ensure all prisoners get the medications prescribed to them by their doctors.

Do you see the current situation with Mr Kubby's deportation from Canada and denial of refugee status as a blow of any sort to the medical marijuana movement? Do you think that pressure to deny Mr. Kubby sanctuary in Canada may have been exerted by the government of the US, given their recent stance on Marc Emery and other marijuana advocates?

I am very discouraged by the US's insistence on making it hard for Canada, one of our closest allies, to govern their own people in the way they see fit. It is very possible this move was made to appease the US Government and try to discourage any sanctions on Canada. But I don't see it as a drawback for the medical marijuana cause. While I see it as the most horrible way possible to get our point accross, it will in the long run only serve to help us and do just the opposite of what med mj opposers are trying to accomplish. I see it as an opportunity for us to fight and have our case heard. I see it as an opportunity for the media to enlighten the masses on how serious this problem really is. And I see it as an opportunity to gain even wider support that will lead to a change in federal policy. Mr. Kubby has become a martyr, unfortunately not by his own choosing, but a martyr none the less.

Can you make a general statement concerning Mr. Kubby's case and it's implications, if any for NORML and medical marijuana users? Do you think that the Kubby case will have any effect on the outlook for change in the marijuana policies outside of California? Perhaps in Indiana?

This has huge implications for medical marijuana users. The outcome of this incident will no doubt cause legal actions to be taken to ensure that California jails and prisons are required by law to give patients the medicines that are prescribed by their doctors. This is good news for all medical marijuana users in California in the future. I have faith in the California people to stand up for what's right and force government to do the right thing, as they have always done.

The impact on NORML and Indiana in general is a bit more vague. But the attention the case is getting will hopefully bring more memberships.. and light a fire under the people in other states to follow suit with California and 10 other states to legalize marijuana for medical purposes in their own back yards.

In Indiana we are not a initiative state, which means we cannot propose leglislation through initiatives and they must come from the leglislature. We are currently working on writing a bill in Indiana and finding a leglislature to submit this bill to the General Assmebly on our behalf. This has been a tough road.. but we will prevail.


Special thanks to Beth for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Update On Steve Kubby

Steve Kubby Update: KXTV News in Sacramento is reporting that Steve's defence has removed his request to be allowed take medical marijuana in his food of the table.

Medical marijuana crusader and former gubernatorial candidate Steve Kubby is not pressing his request to use marijuana for medicinal reasons in jail.

At a hearing to consider his request, his attorneys took the request to have marijuana put in his food off the table for now. Kubby claims the marijuana relieves symptoms of a rare type of cancer and claims he will suffer and die without it in jail. Now he says he is taking the drug Marinol and says that is working satisfactorily.

No word yet on any other front, such as his request to serve his sentence under house arrest. At least he is being afforded some help by the Marinol.

Friday Evening Update From Michele Kubby:
via Kubby.com

CONTACT FROM MICHELE: 2-3-06

The hearing today was extremely short and to the point. Basically, a pre-trial date was set for the 15th of February. The trial will be for "Failure to Appear for Probation". If this moves forward to trial, then Steve will possibly be looking at prison time if convicted.

Michele said she was able to see Steve last night, and although he has lost abut 15 pounds, he is in high spirits and continues to thank everyone for their support. Steve is working with an excellent Doctor that believe he should not be in jail, but rather, studied to find the reason cannabis works so well for his form of cancer.

There will be more here in a few days as Michele is working on a press release concerning the dropping of the Motion for Edibles.

Taking Offence Offensively....

And so the world turns. Unless you're in certain parts of the Middle East and you dislike the Danes, their free press and freedom of speech in general or Jyllands-Posten. It seems that our friends in the Middle East have reacted with their usual aplomb to the republication in a variety of newspapers of caricatures of their Prophet, Mohammed. Frankly, my friends, you need to get over it. They aren't that bad. Shoot, I see worse caricatures of American icons and politicians on a daily basis and those people often have access to nuclear weapons, not deistic lightning bolts.

There are people rioting in the streets over cartoons. They aren't even particularly offensive cartoons. As someone who spent 6 years in the Middle East I must say that things have deteriorated. There are reactionary and manipulative people pulling a great many strings to garner this type of reaction from folks who are normally as easy going as a surfer dude. Whatever happened to Ma'Alesh? The "Shit Happens" and "Oh, well, what are ya gonna do?" attitude that used to pervade the culture? Perhaps it only still exists in Egypt and the rest of the Middle Eastern world needs to take a page from the Egyptian handbook and chill out.

If Mohammed and Allah are offended then THEY will deal with it. Since they haven't rained down death, destruction and frogs I can only assume that they have a sense of humour or are not easily offended. The rioting in the streets and armed takeovers of buildings, along with the rest of the nonsense being perpetrated in the name of offence is childish at best and paints a terrible picture of folks whom I have always considered to be better than that. Ignore the pictures and they go away, continue the antics and the press has a field day and I have something to write about.

I would suggest that a lot of folks find a a copy of "The Wizard of Oz" and watch it. There are plenty of men behind curtains who are manipulating events and people from behind their curtains in the mosques. And this has to stop if Islam wishes to reclaim the glorious history that it once possessed. While Europe fell into the the Dark Ages non-radical Islam embraced science, scholarship and an enlightened age the likes of which have not often been seen in the history of man. There is now a fundamentalist "political correctness" running amok in the Middle East, Europe and even the United States. Can anyone remember seeing these cartoons in any of the "mainstream media" outlets? I can't. PC is an insidious disease rooted in the worst sort of intolerance. The intolerance for freedom and respect of others.

It's time that IBM and ZAP took over the Islamic culture. Inshallah, Bukra and Ma'alesh. With these 3 simple words and all that they entail things can get back on track and folks can get down to the daily business of pursuing life, liberty, property and happiness without ulcers and fear.

Desperately Seeking Justice...

To paraphrase a movie title. That's what Steve Kubby will be doing today. Seeking justice at the hands of the state as he goes before the judge for an arraignment. If there is any justice remaining in this world then Mr. Kubby will placed under house arrest and allowed access to more effective medicine to treat his cancer. If there is no justice then we will see Mr. Kubby remanded to the custody of his jailers and returned to his cell to serve out whatever sentence the court decides on. For those of us out here watching from a distance all we can do is wait and hope for the best.

IndyBay.org has posted excerpts of conversations with Mr. Kubby from postings at a mail list sponsored by the Drug Policy Forum of California. In the conversations Mr. Kubby asks that people cease contacting the jail, as his care had improved as his jailers have "learned" more of his condition. Most likely the jailers have changed their position slightly because they know that a large segment of the population is watching them and staying aware of their actions concerning Mr. Kubby.

He also discusses his current conditions and medical care.

"Now I want to give you a medical report. Today they tested me and
confirmed that there was blood in my urine, but the blood appears to
be diminishing each day. My blood pressures are high, but not at the
dangerous level, not at a level that I feel that I'm in a
life-threatening situation. So I'm getting enough benefit from the
Marinol so that, despite my being very uncomfortable at times, I'm
not experiencing 250 over 220 attacks like I had on Friday prior to
me taking Marinol. Since then my b-p readings have been approximately
like 130 over 110. But you see, it goes all over the place; it could
mean anything. They take it for a couple of days and it's completely
meaningless. Unless they've got me on a 24-hour monitor, they're
never going to pick up the blood-pressure spikes I have throughout
the day. I have a good feeling about the jail staff that I see, and
the medical staff that I'm working at, but it's disturbing to have
them issue press releases saying that I'm just fine. How do they
expect to be credible with that?

Mr. Kubby makes a number of statements concerning his plight and what his plans may be and discusses the call situation.

On the need for more calls:

"I'm asking my supporters to stop calling to complain about my
treatment in jail, or with the medical staff, because now that they
understand my situation, they are doing everything within their power
to help me and protect me. I've actually met a number of guards here
who impressed me with their professionalism and genuine concern for
my welfare."

There is a great deal more in the IndyBay posting.

Later today we will get to see just what happens to Mr. Kubby as the judge in this case renders takes a decision on Mr. Kubby's case. Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.

Update: Steve Kubby's name has fallen off of the top searches of blogs. For those of you who know the procedure I would suggest another round of searching and bookmarking. If Mr. Kubby is off the radar then the courts will feel zero pressure to do the right thing.

The State of the Union? It's Been Better....

I do not make a habit of watching the annual Presidential Rah-Rah Address and this year was no different. I fetched the transcript and waded through the overly rehearsed pandering to duh masses. It was much less painful and I didn't have to listen to the "leader of the nation" mangle my mother tongue.

What did I garner in my reading of this years self-congratulatory love-fest speech?

Well, from the opening salvo I got a glimpse into the future if the Bush agenda is allowed to continue, (please note that it is little different than any potential Democratic philosophies that might exist). He announced that the US should commit to unending warfare and empire building, adventuring abroad, regime change, foreign aid, socialised medicine, destroying civil liberties, growing the police state and so much more.

Mr Bush also informed me that he didn't know the difference between an immigrant and an illegal immigrant. He also informed me that he had cut spending and not increased it as my eyes and mind had led me to believe by the figures from his government. He was honest that he was going to grow government even more than he already has by establishing some commissions to study some stuff that had already been studied by commissions still in existence and by giving private companies more tax money to do what they should already be doing, if there were a market for what he wishes them to do.

Oh, and did I mention that he said he was going to spend more money? While decreasing spending? Wow, he's in the wrong profession. He should be a magician.

The rest, well the rest was a replay of Mr. Bush's Manichean heresy, societal obliviousness and penchant for social engineering. I thought it was rather nice that he mentioned former President Clinton in his speech as someone his father liked, after all Bill and George are virtually indistinguishable from a political philosophy standpoint. They're both leftists. Both more than willing to use government to accomplish social engineering, both in favour of entitlements and both are more than willing to use the power of the State against their citizens. Shoot, they could have been seperated at birth!

And that's the reason I don't bother to watch the Presidential Stroke The Faithful Speech. There's no discernable difference between them from year to year, decade to decade or President to President. Why should I bother? The only neworks carrying them are the 3 old timers, the news channels and CSPAN. I'd rather read the transcript the next day than have to sit through the genuflections of the faithful as El Presidente' hits his "high spots". The scripted nature of the even is also a put off. When the "opposition" has a copy of it before the speech so they can put their "rebuttal" before the event then something is decidedly wrong.

If you weren't playing a drinking game while you watched then you wasted your time and that is time you will never again see. You can't get it back and you may well have lost some IQ points. You definitely lost some if you bought anything that came from our Dear Leader's mouth.

The State of the Onion is nothing more than a speech for the Faithful, for those who are already of a frame of mind to accept or deny whatever is said from the dais of power. Those who could hear with an open mind already have heard the speech numerous times over the course of their lives and likely have no inclination to hear the same speech again. When there is no difference between the parties that be then I see little reason to waste the time in listening to the Chosen One. It's time to pick up the remote and smite the channels.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled attrocities and windmill tilting. Maybe Mr. Bush will grant clemency to Mr. Steve Kubby this week. We do know that if it reaches his desk he'll sign it. He always signs what's put before him.

Update: I somehow doubt this is the top subject on Technorati given the other posts I've seen from the kids and spammers. It certainly is no more popular than Mr. Kubby's plight, just more abused.

Hurry Up And Wait....

As we sit and wait for Friday's main event, the further arraignment of Steve Kubby I have to wonder at the silence we have experienced from certain corners regarding his treatment at the hands of the State. The so-called "Main Stream Media" has been silent in the extreme, other than local television and newspaper outlets in the Placer County area and that region of California.

Nothing has appeared on a national front, despite the fact that an American citizen who had sought refuge from his government in a foreign country was deported back to the United States. One would think that alone was newsworthy on a number levels. How many times has that happened in recent history, other than for people accused of being terrorists?

Looking at other groups, like the LP and some of their members we can see that Mr. Kubby and his plight rate little more than honourable mention in most places. No continuing coverage, no calls for humane treatment and few statements that are recent. In point of fact most folks seem to be running like politicians avoiding a quorum call when the subject comes up. Why is that do you suppose?

At one time the LP was well known, many would say too well known for its stance on medical marijuana. This was back in the days when Ron Crickenberger was the National LP's Political Director, when Ron was hip deep in the War On People and it was a weekly event to see him involved in something related to medical marijuana. I must admit that there were many times when I felt that Ron ignored other, possibly more important issues in favour of medical marijuana and put us forward as the "Pot Party" rather than the Party of Liberty. Now, that Ron is gone from us there seems to be a decided move away from the entire issue of medical marijuana on the part of the National LP and many of the State Affiliates.

Now, I know that some folks have had rather strong feelings about this. They feel rather insulted that we spent a great deal of time dealing with an issue that was not important to them. To quote an infamous President from recent memory, "I feel Your Pain". What we currently are experiencing, in the deafening silence from the political arm of the Libertarian Movement is hypocrisy.

Medical marijuana was too out front for many people. It was an in your face issue. So is gun control and I don't see the LP rushing to embrace it, much to my ire. Entitlements? Tax abolition? What is there that the LP supports with a passion equal to that which Mr. Crickenberger brought to the medical marijuana issue? I can't seem to find anything that the Party evinces a passion for any more.

I have heard LP officers at different levels say flat out that medical marijuana was no longer to even be an issue where the LP was concerned. And now we can see the effect of that. A silence from the one group that has never remained silent. In a rush to become more "acceptable" we have instead become deaf and blind to injustice, it seems. Neither Democrats, nor Republicans have come forward to seek mercy and justice for Steve Kubby and in our rush to be more like them, it seems we, too have taken the decision to look away while one of our own is in the hands of his enemies and at the mercy of the merciless. Is this the LP you know? Will Steve Kubby be ignored and sacrificed for the political
expediency of his chosen political party?

If silence is golden then the party coffers must surely be full.

Kubby Bytes: In the meantime Michele Kubby and friends urge you to keep the letters and emails coming to aid Steve in this time of trouble.

ATTENTION! KEEP CALLING THE JAIL MEDICAL CENTER @ 530-745-8660 AND REQUESTING THAT STEVE SEE AN OUTSIDE DOCTOR. CONTINUE TO CALL THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ABOUT THE MOTION INTO COURT FOR EDIBLES TO BE GIVEN TO STEVE. THANKS EVERYONE!

Friday the 3rd will be the preliminary hearing to set the date for the trial which is estimated to be around February 15th. Bill McPike, Steve's attorney, met with the DA in hopes to be able to work with Placer County Probation Department ot reinstate Steve's probation.

Although Steve is thin and mal-nutritioned, he was pleased to see all of his friends and family in the courtroom, today. A little bit of good news is that he is now being given some Marinol but not the full dose amount he should be getting; 3 instead of 6 and he is has yet to be seen by a doctor.

Michele and the girls set out to cross the border and transport their belongings to the states. There is a little light at the end of the tunnel where Canada is concerned, but more on that at a later time. She and the girls made it across the border without any troubles of any kind, thankfully.

Unfortunately, Steve will be incarcerated the entire time.

Other commentary on the current situation can be found at:
Brad Spangler
Kn@ppster
Hammer of Truth

Steve Kubby has fallen in the Technorati search engines, any aid in getting it back to the prominent top slot would be appreciated!

Another Steve Kubby Update

Kubby.com has a new update concerning Steve's trial, the arraignment and the defences attempt to get Steve's probation reinstated. No word on it's success. Mr. Kubby will be back in front of the bench on Friday February 3rd.

Friday the 3rd will be the preliminary hearing to set the date for the trial which is estimated to be around February 15th. Bill McPike, Steve's attorney, met with the DA in hopes to be able to work with Placer County Probation Department ot reinstate Steve's probation.

Although Steve is thin and mal-nutritioned, he was pleased to see all of his friends and family in the courtroom, today. A little bit of good news is that he is now being given some Marinol but not the full dose amount he should be getting; 3 instead of 6 and he is has yet to be seen by a doctor.

Michele and the girls set out to cross the border and transport their belongings to the states. There is a little light at the end of the tunnel where Canada is concerned, but more on that at a later time. She and the girls made it across the border without any troubles of any kind, thankfully.

Unfortunately, Steve will be incarcerated the entire time.

It seems that the "authorities" have decided that a person who is ill should get half the needed medication and doesn't need a physician to care for them. Perhaps there's a reason that firemen have paramedics and emergency workers and police forces and prison guards do not?

The SacBee also has more detailed news of the arraignment.

AUBURN -- Medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby asked a Placer County judge today to let him use cannabis while he serves a 120-day jail sentence for a drug conviction in 2000. The Placer sheriff's department said it is opposed to the idea.

Kubby has contended that he will die in jail if he is not allowed to use cannabis to treat his condition.

Undersheriff Steve D'Arcy said his department's policy is that marijuana will not be furnished in any form to an inmate.

The 59-year-old Kubby made the request through his attorney during a hearing in Placer Superior Court in which the lawyer also asked that his client be released from jail to serve the sentence at his new home in Marin County. The attorney, Bill McPike, said Kubby could wear an electronic device so that his movements could be monitored by authorities.

Judge Robert McElhany made no ruling and scheduled another hearing for Friday. The District Attorney's Office said it has made no recommendation regarding the requests made today.

In the end we have to wait till Friday and hope for the best, because it is painfully obvious that the District Attorney will never assent to Mr. Kubby receiving a drug which is legal in the Republic of California. Contacting the Governor MAY, just may listen to reason and step in. Remember that California is the 5th largest economy in the WORLD, people on the outside do have an effect on them.

In the meantime, we wait and we hope.

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.

Steve Kubby Appears In Court

KXTV is reporting that Steve Kubby has made his first appearance in court today and entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of probation violation.

Today Kubby's attorney asked that his probation be terminated and for marijuana to be put in his client's food. Kubby claims he needs the drug to relieve symptoms associated with cancer. Normally Kubby would prefer to smoke marijuana, but he says he recognizes the jail is non-smoking facility.

Undoubtedly we will be hearing more detailed information on this as it develops and as supporters manage to get their information out. So far I have been able to find no mention of a judicial decision or Steve's current status and health. Hopefully Michele will be letting us all know soon enough. Hopefully the judge in this case will do the right thing and dismiss the charges and free Mr. Kubby and allow him to return to his life a free man and enable him to treat his disease.

Stay tuned to UnCivil Defence for more updates as information becomes available.

In The Care Of The State.

In another update from Michele Kubby we can see that being in the care of the "authorities" means little when they render no care.

A contact in Placer has just called to give me an update on Steve.I'm so glad someone heard from him. His main concern at this point is that Placer is not documenting the effects of his disease on his body or taking his illness seriously. His blood pressure is at 166/108. Placer is not testing for blood in his urine, either. Placer has also turned down Steve's request for Tylenol pain killer.

Steve wanted to express his gratitude for the calls. They are making a difference. One Sergeant, named Sanders has made sure that Steve is warm and has a blanket and pillow now, because of your concern. One thing my friend did say, Steve sounds amped and angry. This is to be expected because of the adrenaline in his body.I hope this is resolved on Tuesday. Thanks for being there.-Michele

Refusal to grant so simple a request as some Tylenol for pain is unconscionable and nothing short of cruel and is certainly inhumane. What else is to be expected, tho? We can easily see that Steve Kubby has already experienced a complete an utter lack of care at their hands and the one instance of compassion, days after his incarceration comes from a single individual.

In an earlier comment one reader suggested that folks should contact California Governor Arnold Schartzenegger. This is a good idea and one people should take advantage of. If there is a single person who has it within their ability to grant Steve mercy then it is the governor of the Republic of California. Contact information for the Governor is:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633

To send an Electronic Mail please visit:
http://www.govmail.ca.gov

John, whoever you are...my thanks!

I already know of one brother in arms who has taken the opportunity to do this, as I will be doing, too. I'm not suggesting that people swamp the Governors office with irate letters. Calmness is called for in this endeavour. But firm resolution should not be left out. Votes, good publicity and dollars speak louder to politicians than anything on this planet. When that politician also happens to be member of the acting profession that means even more. Get out your pens and keyboards, folks. Let Arnold know about Steve and see to it that he takes a stand one way or another. While freeing Steve must be the ultimate goal a negative stance by the Governor of California opens another door. The enemy of my enemy might just be a friend and Arnold has plenty of those already.

Take a moment and let your fingers do the talking.

And please remember, if you are a foreign visitor you too can and should let the Governor know. Despite what some American politicians might have you believe we do care what people think of us, in the long run. It's hard to be a shining beacon in the darkness when the Nazgul obscure the view.

UPDATE: This evening Drug War Rant posted links to transcripts of phone conversations with Steve Kubby. These conversations are an up close and personal look into Mr. Kubby's current condition and his treatment while in custody. Yet one more example of the uncaring and unmerciful nature of the "authorities" and more than enough reason why Steve should NOT be in their "care".

No News Is Good News? An Update.

While many of us out here in the "free world" were sleeping in, attending services of one sort or another, spending time with our families or any number of other things Steve Kubby was huddled in a cell in Placer County, California, in a damp, cold cell without benefit of even so much as a blanket.

The most recent update I have run across was a letter from Michelle Kubby on their website, The Kubby Chronicles. From her description things do indeed look bleak. Even tho the "authorities" have consented to "allow" Steve Kubby an inferior form of medication, they have also forced him to sign a waiver absolving them of all guilt should he die while in their custody.

It seems that Placer has moved him from the infirmary to solitary confinement. He has a cell all to himself and he was freezing. Again they are ignoring his pleas for a blanket and have left him to shiver and chatter in a cold cell. Remember, this is in the foothills of the Western Sierra. It is very cold and the cold is a damp cold. I'm afraid he will be looking at getting pneumonia soon if he is not warmed up.

This is exactly the cruel and inhumane treatment I described to Canadian officials, that would happen if Steve were returned to the US. I also told them repeatedly that Steve would be immediately arrested upon his arrival at SFO, which is exactly what happened. Of course the Canadian government officials that judged our case responded to my pleas for protection from this grim future by turning a blind eye, ignoring evidence, and refusing to do the right thing when they could. They cannot see what they have done, for to do so would have to mean that they were wrong and have made a terrible life threatening mistake.

This, of course, is exactly the position that Placer is in. To admit that they are wrong about the life saving properties of cannabis is impossible. Better to test this theory out and see if it can really save a life.

Steve always liked to give us good news. So, the good news about today is that the Marinol is helping to control the rectal bleeding he was experiencing as well as the blood pressure. Of course Marinol does not contain the catacholimes present in the whole plant, and these have been shown by Dr. Guzman of Spain to have the properties of inhibiting a protein necessary for blood vessel development, which results in the cancer tissue being denied nutrients as well as teaching cancer cells to die.

With Marinol, Steve is only partly protected. Because Marinol uses only the THC active portion of the cannabis plant, his tumors are now free to grow again. This type of tumor is particularly apt to grow into the spinal cord, brain and organs.

And, as if that were not enough to get MY blood pressure up, we have this:

This all brings me to the most disturbing news of the day: Steve asked our friend to relay that Placer deputies have forced/ intimidated him into signing a waiver which states that Steve absolves Placer County of any responsibility if he dies in their care, because he has refused to take conventional, alpha and beta blocker blood pressure medication.

The problem with this medication, is that it only protects Steve from a certain level of blood pressure attacks. If Steve's body decides to raise his blood pressure over the protection of the alpha and beta blockers, then it will be like Mt. Vesuvius erupting and unless he is in a hospital with access to an IV drip, he will not get the blood pressure medication he would need to control the life threatening blood pressures wreaking his body.

Placer County is playing with fire. I pray that they educate themselves on what happens when fire gets out of control.

Your phone call, e-mail or fax could save us. Your voice could be the one that make the difference and saves our family!

What more could it possibly take to get someone off of their keister and into the streets? More than this, I imagine. While this is all occurring over the weekend, by careful deliberation and planning on the part of the "authorities", no doubt, the so-called Mainstream Media have been carefully ignoring the story. It is the weekend after all.

I can't say that I am "in the loop" for news of Mr. Kubby, anymore than lots of us out here are. I, like many other bloggers am passing along information from a variety of sources, some of whom are in contact with Mr. Kubby's family and intimate associates in the hopes that some regular reader picks up the banner and decides to join the fight for liberty and freedom.

There are some serious, and potentially life changing aspects to this story for me, too. As I stated in a previous post I was researching an article on medical marijuana, related to Steve Kubby's arrest and came upon the fact that my own mother could have benefitted from using it. If she were still alive and had been using medical marijuana then SHE could be in that same situation as Mr. Kubby. That makes this personal for me. In the end all of these cases are about family and friends. Make no mistake, Mr. Kubby and I have never met, it is likely that we never shall...even moreso now that he has fallen into the hands of the State and is at their "mercy", (a quality that all rational people know the State lacks), but he is a part of my family. The libertarian family. The Human Family. The Lakota have a phrase, "Mitakuye O'yasin". It means "All My Relations"...that covers Steve Kubby, my "cousin".

The life changing aspect of this comes in knowing who your friends are. Over the last few days I have sent a number of emails to friends asking them to aid in keeping Steve Kubby at the forefront of the blogosphere, in the hope that the "Mainstream Media" will get on the bandwagon and make this issue known via their news "services". Many of these are fellow libertarians, alternative medicine advocates, "patriots" and lovers of freedom. To date I have heard back from just one. One out of dozens of people whom I have a link with. And that one, (you know who you are, brother!) understands this. He's not an advocate for medical marijuana. He's an advocate for freedom and sovereign self. For responsibility and justice and he is my brother in arms.

As for the others...maybe they've gone fishing, decided to take time with their families or any number of things. Maybe it's not an "issue" for them. Perhaps it is a political matter and they cannot be seen to support medical marijuana, because it is not a local issue. Perhaps it it's because Steve Kubby and medical marijuana are far down the new list of Libertarian priorities in this election year and mustn't be addressed. I just don't know.

What I do know is that Steve Kubby is not having a good Sunday. He, unlike so many of us, is not surrounded by his family and beloved friends. He is surrounded by cold walls, armed guards and in the hands of an entity which wants him to go away. I don't know about you, folks but I'm going to take a moment today to hold my family a little closer, because I don't know if, or when I might find myself in Mr. Kubby's shoes.

What are you going to do today?






(Special thanks to InsightBB for tanking my Internet Service for 5 hours....)