I am applying for a Presidential pardon for my medical cannabis conviction. Will you help?

[Fly by night]

Good morning from my Tennessee deep hollow home. As most of you long-time DUers know, I have been engaged in a nine year battle for my freedom and my farm for the “crime” of growing medical cannabis for myself and four terminally ill neighbors. I pled guilty to a single count of manufacturing 100+ cannabis plants (mostly clones, the total usable weight of which was a little over seven pounds.) For this offense, I was sentenced to four years probation (later cut in half by my judge) and no fine. However, the government continued to try to confiscate my 187 acre farm until last year when I agreed to give them 25 acres in exchange for keeping the rest of my farm. To date, this case has cost me over $1 million in lost income, legal fees and the value of the land I surrendered.

Ever since I was released from the federal Bureau of Prisons halfway house in May, 2007, I have attempted unsuccessfully to become re-employed in my field as a public health epidemiologist. It appears that my voluntary admission of my crime and the resultant felony conviction is preventing me from ever becoming gainfully employed again. In addition, the accelerated deterioration of my hip joints, caused in part by not being able to use cannabis for the five years I was randomly piss-tested, resulted in hip replacement surgery last May from which I have still not recovered.

Persons convicted of a federal crime must wait a minimum of five years to apply for a Presidential pardon. My waiting period has passed and I am moving forward to file the necessary application. Here is where you might be able to help. I am allowed to submit as many letters of support as I would like to the President with this application. I must designate three primary character references and those will be Mickey Gamble, the former Commissioner of Corrections for both Wyoming and Montana (with whom I worked to create the largest substance abuse treatment center in Wyoming near the Wind River Indian Reservation); David Earnhardt, the director/producer of the much-acclaimed documentary "UNCOUNTED: The New Math of American Elections"; and Senator Beverly Marrero, the sponsor of Tennessee's Safe Access to Medical Cannabis legislation. However, I would like to submit as many letters of support as possible with this application. Thus, those of you who have gotten to know me and the circumstances of my case here at DU over the past seven years are in a position to assist this process by submitting a letter on my behalf. In addition, those of you who don't know me yet but who have strong and well-reasoned opinions about our current medical cannabis prohibition laws can learn about my case at the links below and write letters also.

To my knowledge, NO person who has ever been convicted of a federal medical cannabis-related offense has ever received a Presidential pardon from any President. Murderers, embezzlers, warmongers, election thieves – yes. Pot growers and users – no. (This was confirmed for me on Friday by the legal staff of the Marijuana Policy Project.) It is long past time to change that and I’d like to do my small part. Perhaps if I can obtain the first pardon for a medical cannabis offense, that might accelerate the much-needed changes in our country's drug policies in favor of science, common sense and compassion that are long overdue. Who knows, we might reach a day where everyone who has shared my sentence (and my fate) for similar reasons might receive a blanket pardon, just as Jimmy Carter pardoned all those other felons of conscience who fled this country in the 60s and 70s to avoid supporting the war in Vietnam with their bodies and their blood.

Again, many of you know my story as it has played out here for many years. For those of you who do not, here are four quick links:

In April, 2007, as I was about to be released from a federal Bureau of Prisons half-way house, the Nashville Scene did a cover story on my case entitled "Marijuana Martyr".

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/marijuana-martyr/Content?oid=1194602

In January, 2010, the Nashville Scene did another cover story to endorse the Tennessee Safe Access to Medical Cannabis Act, a bill that I wrote and helped shepherd through the legislature last year. (The bill was approved in all House committees, including a 20-4 vote in the House Health and Human Resources committee.)

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/a-proposed-medical-marijuana-bill-considers-both-suffering-patients-and-a-sick-economy/Content?oid=1226945

My case has also been highlighted in two nationally syndicated columns, several additional cover stories in Tennessee and national media and two documentaries. Here is the link to a CNN profile on my case that ran (multiple times) back in October.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/10/14/dnt.harris.marijuana.martyr.cnn

Finally, I posted an OP here on DU last year entitled “Witnessing our government sell my land for the ‘crime’ of growing pot”. That piece was published in its entirety on the NORML home page and on six dozen other internet sites.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=8981174

Here are the instructions posted regarding character references on the instructions for a Presidential pardon:

“At least three character affidavits must accompany the petition. If you submit more than three, you should designate the three persons whom you consider to be primary references. The affidavit forms provided are preferred. However, letters of recommendation may be substituted if they contain the full name, address, and telephone number of the reference, indicate a knowledge of the offense for which you seek pardon, and bear a notarized signature. Persons related to you by blood or marriage cannot be used as primary character references.”

If you are willing to write a letter of support for my Presidential pardon, I would be deeply grateful. Address your letter to President Barack Obama, be sure to follow all the instructions above and mail your letter to me (no later than March 1) at the following address:

Trace View Farm
5985 Fly Hollow Road
Santa Fe, TN 38482.

My full name is Bernard H. Ellis, Jr., and my federal Bureau of Prisons number is 16502-075.

Thanks in advance to any of you who choose to K&R this thread today and a special thanks to those of you who decide to submit a letter to the President. Before I was sentenced, my judge received 300+ letters of support and there were 60 people in the courtroom supporting me on the day of my sentencing. I know that these letters carry weight if they are well-written and respectfully submitted. I hope that the weight of my Presidential pardon submission will help take the weight of oppression off the backs of millions of sick and dying Americans who would like safe access to medical cannabis NOW and to the thousands like me who would like to help them obtain it.

I hope all y’all have a restful Sunday. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[a la izquierda]

2. K & R

I think you should go for it! Heck, it'll give me hope when I turn around and ask the President to get some rich person to whom he gave tax cuts, to pay off my student loans for me.

[Saboburns]

3. I wish you the best

I agree with your stance on many things in this case, I understand why you did what you did and I support you. Unfortunately there are laws which prohibit what you did, maybe your case will get some air time and raise awareness for this cause. This country is so conservative I feel as if I don't belong.

I guess what I mean to say is that we need to get these laws repealed. That would benefit so many good people.

I hope I live long enough to see you get your Presidential Pardon.

Good luck.

[Fumesucker]

4. K&R

[defendandprotect]

5. k/r - back later

[hlthe2b]

6. No later than March 1st

on my calendar.

Best of luck, to you. Yours is an important story.

[TheKentuckian]

7. I'd be honored to write in your support and in a way the support of many others run over

by our "Drug War".

[Fly by night]

8. Here's a little background on my professional work before the "troubles"

Bernard H. Ellis, Jr., MA, MPH, is an epidemiologist with over thirty years in substance abuse-related research, program development and administration. He specializes in epidemiological research strategies to assess public health program development, delivery and effectiveness. During his career, Mr. Ellis has held research and program management positions with two federal agencies (NIH and CDC) and with three state governments (Tennessee, New Mexico and Wyoming). His areas of research and programmatic involvement include substance abuse and HIV/AIDS-related epidemiological research at the tribal, state and federal level.

During Mr. Ellis’ career, he has been involved in a number of ground-breaking efforts. As a member of the Information Projects Branch in the National Cancer Institute, Mr. Ellis was responsible for developing a medical office-based smoking cessation approach which was used by over 10% of U.S. physicians and over 20% of U.S. dentists to assist their smoking patients to quit. He was a principal consultant in the public and professional education efforts surrounding the release of Nicorette, the first prescription drug licensed to assist smokers to address their nicotine addiction while quitting smoking. In the late 1980s, Mr. Ellis served as the Program Director for HIV/AIDS Surveillance/Seroprevalence for the Tennessee AIDS Program. During his tenure there, AIDS case reporting increased over 600% in Tennessee; and the research efforts he directed were responsible for testing over 110,000 persons annually in a number of sentinel populations within which the HIV/AIDS epidemic was being tracked. In the early 1990s, Mr. Ellis was responsible for organizing the first research unit within any U.S. state health department devoted to studying substance abuse as a public health problem for the New Mexico Department of Health. That work led him to assist six other states in developing similar research programs and to serve as an expert consultant on substance abuse to the U.S. Congress through the GAO’s Office of Technology Assessment.

Important projects have included providing consultant support for Wyoming’s Methamphetamine Initiative, a statewide effort which was highlighted by the U.S. Department of Justice in its Practitioner Perspectives series: http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/bja/186266.pdf Mr. Ellis has also managed the Wyoming Substance Abuse Treatment Needs Assessment Project, a four-year, $1.3 million research project which involved the administration and oversight of eleven separate statewide studies in Wyoming and which led to the quadrupling of state resources for substance abuse treatment; he designed and implemented the Alabama Substance Abuse Treatment Outcome and Process (STOP) study, which utilized eight separate statewide administrative database linkages to track treatment outcomes for over 11,000 state-supported patients; and he designed and conducted the ongoing monitoring of substance abuse trends in McKinley County, NM, once the worst county in the U.S. for substance abuse-related mortality and now a model of community change, through the “Long View” series of research reports.

Mr. Ellis has authored numerous publications on public health strategies and performance of current efforts to reduce tobacco use, cancer, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse. In addition, he has provided consultant support to almost 100 major national and state governmental and private organizations in the past two decades. Mr. Ellis earned his BA in Psychology, Sociology and Political Science from Vanderbilt University, an MA in Sociology (Demography and Human Ecology) from the University of Texas at Austin and an MPH (Public Health Education and Epidemiology) from the University of California at Berkeley. He also has additional graduate training in Sociology at Vanderbilt University and Health Communication, Health Promotion and Medical Anthropology at Stanford University.

[truedelphi]

58. I will note these things in my letter to the WH.

Not sure what their response will be. Will send it off to you.

Keeping fingers crossed for the best.

You really deserve to be able to put your life back together.

(And more.)

[northernlights]

78. trying to write a letter now

it will take a few passes. The first one I say what I really think. Not suitable to send, though.

What was done to you was done to all of us. It is an outrage. :grr: :grr: :grr: It makes me so angry I can't see straight. By the 3rd or 4th edit, it may be helpful.

[Fly by night]

80. Thanks for the letter and the editorial restraint.

Believe me, I know how hard it is. (Really.)

[lonestarnot]

100. Kick!

R. :kick:

[BanzaiBonnie]

9. Done

I had already copied the instructions and will get it done today. This has got to work for you. You have already given so much.

What our government has done is a crime.


I lamented the other day on how much beyond us other countries are on lots of issues. My MIL said, other countries are open minded. And she reminded me that this is the only country that was founded by Puritans. Think that's still in our collective unconscious?

[OneGrassRoot]

10. K&R. I will absolutely do this within the next 24 hours.

:hug:

[somone]

11. Best of luck

[CrownPrinceBandar]

12. I'll do what I can Dr. Bernie.

[nashville_brook]

13. k and r

[JohnyCanuck]

14. K&R n/t

[RainDog]

15. k and r

and marking for later.

[OnyxCollie]

16. K&R. nt

[Fly by night]

17. During the 3 years between the raid and my entering a federal Bureau of Prisons halfway house, ...

... here's some of the "pro bono" consultant work I provided:


Fremont County Alcohol Crisis Center (Riverton, Wyoming): I conducted all research studies for this treatment program (which I established in 2000) in order to assist it in meeting its contractual obligations with the (federal) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the State of Wyoming. I also helped obtain additional resources to keep this treatment program open. Through my efforts, we raised $830,000 to keep this program open for another year.

Abate Substance Abuse Project (Fremont County, Wyoming): I conducted research on the impact of this community coalition (which I helped organize in 1997) for reducing substance abuse in Fremont County and the Wind River Indian Reservation. This research helped obtain continuation funding for this organization from the U.S. Department of Justice through the “Drug-Free Communities” funding program.

Wind River Indian Reservation and Fremont County, WY Adult and Juvenile Drug Courts: I performed impact studies to assist these drug courts (all of which I helped establish) to compete for state and federal support to continue these programs. These reports indicated that the initiatives which I stimulated and helped implement on and off the Wind River Indian Reservation since 1997 have resulted in a 60-75% decline in substance abuse-related arrests in these communities, and have become a model for similar activity throughout Wyoming.

Northern Arapaho Diabetes Awareness Program, Wind River Indian Reservation, Wyoming: I re-designed all data collection instruments for this health program, and developed computerized record systems to store data from these instruments. I also trained NADAP staff to administer these instruments and to enter them into the computerized record systems.

Fighting Back, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, New Jersey: I prepared and presented a paper on the evaluation of one of the fourteen Fighting Back sites funded by the Foundation (Northwest New Mexico Fighting Back), and on which evaluation methods are most appropriate for evaluating community-based substance abuse reduction efforts. Fighting Back is the largest substance abuse reduction program ever funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, providing in excess of $100 million over seven years to support innovative community-based strategies for reducing substance abuse.

Demand Treatment, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, New Jersey: I prepared and presented a two hour seminar on effective evaluation strategies at the annual meeting of the Demand Treatment program, another large substance abuse reduction effort funded by the Foundation in 29 communities throughout the country.

Gallatin Responsive Interventions Program (GRIP), Bozeman, Montana: I assisted this Demand Treatment site to develop a public education and information program to encourage physicians, ministers and educators to recognize early signs of alcohol and/or drug dependence and to refer these persons to substance abuse treatment services.

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs: My paper, “Mobilizing Communities To Reduce Substance Abuse in Indian Country”, was published in the January, 2003 issue of this medical journal. The paper has now been reprinted in a book on substance abuse interventions in Indian Country.

Gallup, NM and the Navajo Nation: I conducted the fifth in my series of analyses of trends in substance abuse-related problems in this northwestern New Mexico city, which was once the worst community in the country for alcohol-related deaths. As a result of my research, the Gallup, NM city government, in cooperation with the Navajo Nation, has launched a number of new initiatives to return this community to the pace of improvement in overcoming its alcohol-related problems which it had achieved in the 1990s.

Medical Marijuana Legislation: I provided written and spoken testimony on several issues associated with establishing state medical marijuana programs for legislatures and/or governors in Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Tennessee.

(And, in my spare time, I rasied food in my Garden for two dozen needy families in Nashville and Franklin.)

[democrank]

18. K & R

My best to you...

[CanSocDem]

19. Wishing you the best...

...you are doing great things!!

k&r

[gateley]

20. K&R -- Penning (typing!) my letter to Obama now! We're with

you!

Edit to ask -- Do we only send the letter to you? Not an e-mail to Obama as well?

[Fly by night]

31. Yes, just send your letter to me.

I want to send a final and complete package with all the letters included. Perhaps when the pardon application is sent in, a separate email campaign to the White House might be in order. But for now, just send the letter to me.

Thanks kindly to you (and all y'all)

[gateley]

32. Got it! nt

[Melissa G]

21. K&R! If you can write Bernie a letter, Please do!

Mr. Ellis is also a long time advocate for Election reform.

Hey Bernie,
Post some of your accomplishments in that realm, so those of us that know you from that world have a basis for our letters.
Best Wishes,
Melissa

[Fly by night]

35. My election reform work (thanks, Melissa)

--- In 2004, I registered 909 voters myself, sitting in front of a Super Walmart in Columbia, TN.

--- When it became clear that the 2004 Presidential election was stolen, I organized our Tennessee protest on the grounds of our state capitol as one of 43 states to conduct such protests simultaneously through Kip Humphrey's "51 Capitols March" campaign.

--- A week later, Tennessee was the only state to repeat the protest, again on the steps of our state capitol.

--- As a result, we organized a grassroots group, Gathering To Save Our Democracy, here in Tennessee and held 40+ educational forums across the state to discuss the evidence for that stolen election.

--- As we linked up with election reform advocates nationwide, it became clear that we needed a national meeting to coordinate our efforts. Our group organized and held the National Election Reform Conference in Nashville in April, 2005, which drew election integrity activists from 30+ states as well as nine documentary crews. Six documentaries have come from that conference, including "UNCOUNTED: The New Math of American Elections" and "Stealing America: Vote by Vote." Here's a thread on that conference:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=355167

--- Beginning after the conference, we worked for three years here in Tennessee for the TN Voter Confidence Act which would prohibit unverifiable voting equipment in our elections. That bill passed almost unanimously in 2008. However, Republicans delayed its implementation until 2010. Then, when in 2008, Republicans won control of our legislature for the first time since Reconstruction on the unverifiable voting equipment -- a result that is still considered the most unexpected anomoly of the 2008 campaign -- they announced immediately that they intended to repeal the act. We fought successfully to prevent that, but they fought to delay implmentation until 2012. Then in 2010, Republicans took 14 seats in our state House and three Congressional seats from Democrats, when even their own strategists predicted a pick-up of only 2-3 seats in our state House. (Right now, Tennessee is no longer a part of the United States. We are ruled by whomever programs the ES&S and Diebold machines.)

--- As a result of my activism, our very corrupt Secretary of State filed a "domestic terrorism" charge against me, a charge that backfired big time. Here are two threads on that:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=5908269
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=5919415

Thanks, Melissa, for this suggestion. I hope this summary and these links will help.

If we never stop fighting, ....

[Odin2005]

22. K&R

[upi402]

23. War criminals get a pass but 1 conviction and ya can't work or rent a place

When the rule of law is restored and justice is again blind... THEN there will be hope of change I can believe in.

[madokie]

24. Yes I will

This is a good cause and I'm happy to help especially for someone who I feel is doing the right thing for all of us old pot heads even though I don't toke much anymore. Any steps are big steps in this case.

I'm babysitting my grand daughter this morning but I'll get a letter for you in tomorrows mail.

Oh and I'm a Vietnam Vet who is very proud of what President Carter did for our brothers and sisters who had it more together than I did. I've always felt that without their sacrifice we wouldn't have left when we did. I owe them big time.

[Gregorian]

25. You could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

As an example of a decent American, it is criminal for having put you through that hell. If Obama can pardon you, then this could finally be the end of another commie witch hunt in America.

I don't have the right words. I'm just typing this in a hurry, because I'm in a hurry. But I endured the shit this country threw at us. I was a fugitive in my own country for decades. I did not stop smoking pot because of the war against it, I stopped because of something completely unrelated. That alone should make people realize what a joke their drug war. It was a way of keeping people obedient, and giving money to those with the power to enforce obedience. Period.

[BrklynLiberal]

26. Will do whatever I can..

[Doremus]

27. K&R

[shireen]

28. Need some guidance ....

I'd be honored to do it. But i've never written such a letter and would like some advice on how to write it. Should it be short, or packed with details? Can someone who has written such a letter post an example? I'd like to do a good job of it.

thanks!

[Fly by night]

38. For my criminal and civil asset forfeiture cases, almost 300 letters were submitted to the court.

We used to have a sampling of them posted on my website: www.saveberniesfarm.com. However, we took down that web-site in September of last year (too soon, it appears.)

However, here are eleven letters that were submitted as part of the civil asset forfeiture case. Hopefully, they will give you some idea of how to frame your own letters.

From a former Republican Governor of Delaware:

Honorable Judge Haynes,

As a former Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Delaware and former Chair of our Pardons board, as an active Republican and a founding member of SURJ: (Stand Up for What’s Right and Just), I want to write to offer my support for Bernie Ellis. SURJ is a statewide, grassroots organization focusing on the reform of Delaware’s criminal justice system with an emphasis on access to effective, high quality treatment, fairness in sentencing and successful reentry. Bernie Ellis has worked on all of these issues and brings invaluable experience and commitment to this work. As an epidemiologist and a community organizer, Bernie has been generous with his time and resources, with special commitments to working with those who are struggling with addiction.

I met Bernie during a national conference in Nashville almost ten years ago. It is clear that he brings urgently needed gifts to our communities and has done excellent work in the area of substance abuse prevention and treatment. This is an area I have focused on and I am convinced that Bernie’s creativity and vision on this issue add wisdom, insight and practical possibilities for healing and hope to many who are struggling.

As someone who grew up on a farm and knows what it means to be deeply connected to the earth, I want to urge the court to drop the current effort to seize Bernie’s farm. He has already paid a high price and I hope this issue will soon be resolved in his favor.

Sincerely Yours,

DW
---------

From a personal friend here in Tennessee:

Dear Judge Haynes,

I have known Bernie Ellis for many years and wish to offer my support to him in regard to this ongoing legal matter concerning the forfeiture of his farm.

This matter could have been resolved many times over and, in my opinion, it could have been resolved in favor of Bernie. He is a man that we need working for us, as a City, State, and Nation -- as a people. In no way has Bernie shown evidence, before or after the raid on his farm, that would require the federal government to spend the amount of time and resources that it has in an effort to bring further punishment to someone who has dedicated his life to be of service to his fellow man.

If, indeed, we were to be blessed in a way that would somehow recreate people like Bernie over and over, our State, Nation, and World would be a better place to live.

I have to believe that those who seek to continue to prolong this punitive process are also good people. It is reasonable to believe that the pain that Bernie has felt over the past seven years far exceeds what was necessary to punish the altruistic person Bernie truly is.

Please -- on behalf of what is right, responsible, and good -- allow an end to come to this effort to punish Bernie further. Seek no more to destroy him. Find ways to join with so many of us who wish to have Bernie and others like him working to bring healing to our World. He is, by no stretch of the imagination, the enemy.

I entreat you to bless us all by saying: "This is finally over, Bernie. Go home to your farm. We will leave you to the work to which you have been called and of which you have proven throughout your life to be so capable."

As one of many, Bernie has taught me much about grace over these years that he has been my friend. I ask of you, the legal arm of our government, to end this punitive action. It would truly be wrong and without cause to continue it. Please do what is right and just -- reject any further effort by Bernie’s prosecutors to "WIN AT ALL COSTS."

There are so many more issues that we face which impact us as a Nation in such a more profound manner. Please proceed with your work, the final dispensation of justice in this case, with our encouragement and blessing. As with Bernie, you are in my prayers.


LG
------
MLM, Co-Founder, Patients Out of Time

Dear Judge William Haynes,

I am writing to you in support of Bernie Ellis. My name is Mary Lynn Mathre. I know Bernie Ellis through my work advocating for patient access to a legal supply of medicinal cannabis. In 1995, a group of patients and health care professionals formed a non-profit organization, Patients Out of Time, which is dedicated to educating health care professionals and the public about the therapeutic use of cannabis. I am a registered nurse and I firmly believe that cannabis/marijuana was wrongly placed in Schedule I of the controlled substances because it does have medical value and is very safe for medical use.

I met Bernie at a conference in Washington, DC (in 2004). We have been in contact with each other through email since that time. I believe that punishment should fit the crime. This is clearly not the case of a drug dealer trying to make money by growing and selling marijuana. Mr. Ellis understood the therapeutic potential of cannabis and he has a great love and talent for growing plants. He grew this plant to use as medicine and shared his crop with other patients in need. He posed no danger to society, but rather demonstrated compassion to those who suffered.

To demonstrate his commitment to this issue, he has been working with Tennessee legislators to draft a bill that will allow cannabis as medicine in the state of Tennessee. This is what we hope a good citizen does – he saw an unjust and harmful law and is trying to right that wrong through the legal process. Prior to his arrest, he did not seek to make money by selling his plants. Instead he took a legal risk by growing his plants in order to alleviate suffering. He could have grown a smaller amount to take care of his personal needs, but he grew more because he knew others could benefit from the use of this plant.

Since 2000, Patients Out of Time has co-sponsored a series of biennial accredited conferences on the science that supports the clinical efficacy of cannabis as medicine. Our faculty includes researchers from the international community and in the last 2 decades scientists have learned that humans have an endogenous cannabinoid system, meaning that humans are made up of cannabis-like molecules that are essential to life. These findings are helping scientists understand how and why the cannabis plant (unique in that it is the only plant that has these cannabinoid substances) can be so therapeutic for a wide variety of conditions.

It does not make sense that our government allows the sale of Marinol® (a synthetic THC pill in sesame oil), which is the primary psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis, but does not allow the sale or use of the whole plant which contains other cannabinoids that are not psychoactive, but have therapeutic properties. In other words, Marinol® is a safe medicine that is now in Schedule III of the controlled substances and can get a patient very "high", but the whole plant that is not as psychoactively strong and has more therapeutic potential remains illegal.

As a registered nurse, I believe very strongly that we are expected and trusted by the public to use science to guide our care. Once a healthcare professional understands the efficacy of medicinal cannabis, it is unethical to remain silent on the issue and let the prohibition continue. Many do the safe and legally correct action by voicing their opposition to the cannabis prohibition. A few individuals are willing to take a real risk and quietly break the law in order to help others by providing them a medicine that reduces their suffering and increases the quality of their lives. Mr. Ellis took that risk and has suffered the consequences of breaking this unjust law.

This caring man is now at risk of losing his farm, his home of 40 years. Clearly that would be excessive punishment that serves no one. I urge you, as a judge, to help end this long nightmare for Mr. Ellis. He has suffered long enough for what doing what most citizens do not even consider a crime. There are enough real criminals, those who commit crimes of violence to others, for law enforcement to deal with. In the name of justice, I hope you can find a way to end his nightmare so that Mr. Ellis can start to get his life back in order.

P.S. I am enclosing a list of organizations that support patient access to cannabis. Mr. Ellis has a masters degree in public health. Please note that the American Public Health Association passed its resolution in support of patient access to medicinal cannabis in 1995.
------

A forty+ year old friend from my hometown (Columbus, MS):

Your Honor,

I am writing this letter on behalf of Mr. Bernie Ellis. I have known Bernie for more than forty years and would like to call him my friend. But like so many other high school friends, I have not kept up with Bernie except occasionally over the years. So it was not until recently that I learned of the troubles that may lead to his losing his beloved farm. To gain some insight into the trials and tribulations he has endured, I sat last night and read the diaries he posted during the time he served his probation at the halfway house in Nashville. They gave me a glimpse into the heart and soul of a man that I think truly cares more for others than for himself, and I am ashamed that a man like Bernie ca be considered a "criminal" in our society.

As I read Bernie's description of his life on his farm, his many endeavors to help others, and even his efforts to make a positive impact at the halfway house; I believe I discovered his true crime. He is an honest man, who foolishly cares more about helping other people than he cares about the consequences of his unselfish acts.

Bernie has been deprived of his life for a year and a half for his crime of providing relief to suffering friends. Taking his farm will be tantamount to condemning him to a life sentene ofr a crime with no victims. As I read Bernie's diaries, I watched a crime show on TV. It was a case of a mother and son who hired a hit-man to murder her husband for his insurance. All three were caught and convicted of first degree murder. They were all sentenced to 25 years. I do not believe that such a man as Bernie Ellis deserves a life sentence for caring more for others than for himself.

Sir, I implore you to let the man go home. Thank you for your time.

----
A new (and as yet un-met) friend from Berkeley, CA:

Dear Judge Haynes,

Bernie Ellis' trial concerns me as a citizen. By reading Bernie's web-site, I've learned that he has been an extremely cooperative and good-intentioned citizen. As you well know, Bernie is not your typical drug offender. His cries were of the mildest severity and as far as is possible were committed with good intent. You've treated him very fairly so far with the criminal proceeding, but this good character needs to be extended to the civil case. If Bernie loses his land after all the time he has served in the halfway house, despite his obvious cooperation and harmlessness to society, my faith in the American Justice system will be further degraded.

Please do not cut short your rationality regarding Ellis' case now, when he most needs it.
----

A friend from Colorado:

Dear Judge Haynes:

I met Bernie Ellis through mutual friends who also live in Tennessee, and while I have not met him in person, I know him by his deeds. When my late husband was diagnosed two years ago with the deadly asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, Bernie put me in touch with one of his friends, who provided knowledgeable help because of her daughter's experience with the disease. I know Bernie to be a good man who cares deeply about people and his country. I know that he consistently works to improve and accomplish the things he believes in. I know him to be a man with solid core values, ones I wish more of us had. He is an honorable citizen of both Tennessee and the United States. I am proud to call him my friend.

Bernie has already paid for the so-called crime of growing marijuana on his farm and sharing it with four terminally ill neighbors. To me, laws that criminalize a generous act like that are archaic. But Bernie did what the legal system said he must: he served almost two years in a halfway house—and even then, tried to improve that situation for everyone.

Yet even that wasn't enough to satisfy the government. They continue to persecute him. They want him to pay them $225,000, without his plight being heard by a jury of his peers. Bernie's life has been consumed by all this for over seven years! At what point does such relentless activity by the government become harassment? Theoretically, the government speaks for us citizens. But I am one of those citizens, and I find their actions obscene

I know that Bernie has been unable to find gainful employment since his release from the halfway house. I know that the crops he grows on his farm have enabled him to survive and to get a little cash for paying other living expenses. Where is an honorable citizen like Bernie to get the amount of money the government is demanding? Is it ethical for the them to completely destroy such a man by forcing him to sell the one asset he has: the farm he has owned for forty years? How much does an honorable citizen need to pay "society" so that the government will finally quit hounding him for that little "crime"?

Please, Judge Haynes, I respectfully beseech that you use your power to deny any motions the government brings before you that will further punish Bernie. He has paid enough.
------

A friend from Wyoming:

Honorable Judge Haynes,

Please consider this document as the strongest possible support for Bernard Ellis in his quest to maintain his family farm of 40 years. I had the very great honor of working with Bernie for five years in our initiative to build and manage Wyoming's first Substance Abuse (Detox) Center. It remains impossible to measure the impact that Bernie has had on the State of Wyoming, Fremont County and most significantly, the Wind River Reservation, home of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes.

Bernie's influence has been in community development, human development, and sexual and reproductive health. My experience with Bernie has been as a participant in his initiatives in community and human development. His areas of expertise are in substance abuse and related mental health issues. He has undertaken community-wide initiatives in these areas as a response to several epidemiological studies for the State of Wyoming and the Wind River Reservation in West Central Wyoming.

As a result of his varied studies and insightful community work, Bernie is well known in Wyoming. As part of a community effort to address substance abuse, Bernie obtained a three-year grant of $1.7 million from CSAT for the Fremont County Alcohol Crisis Center to serve Fremont County and the Reservation. There were major barriers to getting the project started, including locating and remodeling a site. When funds were at risk because of an inability to initiate the project, Bernie organized the community, convinced the city to donate building to for the project and hustled an additional $130,000 to remodel the building. This project opened in October 2000. Not incidentally, and as a testament to his generous nature, Bernie contributed considerable private funding of his own in order to ensure that the center would open. He not only wrote grants that supported the ABATE community substance abuse program in Fremont County, but volunteered to serve on the community board to ensure its successful implementation. This program, in turn led to community education, particularly for the business community, and the creation of a youth program.

Bernie also wrote three grants to develop Substance Abuse Courts for the community and reservation. An adult court was approved for the Wind River Reservation, and a juvenile development grant was approved for the County. He continued to serve the Fremont County community even after he moved back to Tennessee, including writing a comprehensive report on the Crisis Center and generating continuing funding. He did this single handedly and without remuneration. There is no question that Bernie Ellis has done more in Wyoming for Substance Abuse than anyone in the history of the State.

I think it important that you understand my perspective on the magnitude of Bernie's contributions to the field of substance abuse in general and to Wyoming in particular. I have worked in the field of corrections and community mental health since I was 17 years of age and am now 67. I was the first Psychologist in the Wyoming Corrections system, and have also been a teacher, Director of Juvenile facility, Superintendent and Warden of prisons in both Wyoming and Montana. I was the Director of Corrections in two States.

I am writing this letter because my knowledge about Bernie is not always consistent with what has been written about him, and because the proposed costs associated with his crime greatly exceed what would be considered just in our just society. He certainly did violate the law in providing marijuana to friends who were dying. That is incontrovertible. However, at some point in our lives, we must look beyond the act and examine the intentions. Bernard Ellis is not a "drug dealer" but a humanitarian. He deserves our respect, not our condemnation. This generous and kindly man has suffered greatly for his illegal acts, and further punishment is simply illogical. The loss of his family farm would be a crippling, even a killing, blow to a man who is now virtually indigent. I pray you to consider the considerable and potential contributions of Bernard Ellis to our society. A magnanimous heart and a desire to alleviate human suffering, not a desire for profit, led to growing marijuana and making it available at no cost to those who were in chronic pain. If this is wrong, and our current laws say that it is, then he has already paid a very heavy price. What is ironical is that if Bernie had been a less generous man, he could easily afford to pay the fines levied against him. Instead, he gave his heart, his devotion, and his cash, to communities in need.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I have seen the number of people this man has and continues to help. Losing his farm would be akin to losing his heart, and he still has so much to contribute to a field that desperately needs his intelligence, insight, and courage.
----

A Tennessee state legislator:

Dear Judge Haynes:

I am proud to voice my support for Bernard Ellis, a man for whom I have the utmost respect. I first met Mr. Ellis as a result of our mutual support of a medicinal cannabis program here in Tennessee. As the sponsor of a bill to establish such a program, I am obviously aware that Mr. Ellis's actions over seven years ago were illegal. However, I am also aware of the level of hardship Mr. Ellis has experienced since then, and I am writing to express my feeling that the loss of his farm (the near-certain result of a summary judgment) would be catastrophic, constituting an excessive punishment for his crime.

In his advocacy for both medical cannabis and election integrity, Mr. Ellis has always conducted himself in a professional and courteous manner. His motivations have never appeared to stem from anything other than a genuine desire to improve life for his fellow Tennesseans. It is admirable that a man facing the loss of everything he has would continue to spend so much of his time concerned with civic responsibility. His expertise has been invaluable to me in my efforts to better serve Tennessee as an elected official. It is my sincere hope that the ruination of his personal and financial well-being not be compounded by the loss of his home.
—----

A fellow citizen-soldier for free, fair and verifiable elections in Tennessee

Judge Haynes,

This is a quick note in support of my friend and fellow American patriot, Mr. Bernie Ellis.

As I think of Bernie's situation, I think of Blind Lady Justice, holding the scales, trying to determine if the balance is fair. In Bernie's case, it is most decidedly NOT. Lady Justice has no problem feeling that Bernie's side instantly outweighs the other. Why?

I'm not sure, because Bernie has more than paid his debt to society for growing some marijuana plants to medically help (at no charge for something that in some American states is legal) some friends who were in pain. Even if Bernie was growing for profit - which anybody who knows him will tell you he was not - in any system of fairness, he should have long-since been out of our criminal justice system.

As Bernie has been held back in his struggles for gainful employment for seven years; as Bernie has spent more that a year sleeping nightly in a halfway house, unable to tend his vegetable garden at home, nor work in a situation equal to his skills as an epidemiologist; as Bernie has had the emotional turmoil of wondering if he would lose his farm hanging over him for seven years; I feel that he has suffered enough; and that his debt has been more than paid in full. I think that Lady Justice would agree.

I have known Bernie since October of 2004, and during that time I have found him to be one of the most honest, caring and compassionate persons I have ever known. Bernie has been a leader in the fight for voting rights for all Tennesseans, founding and doggedly leading the non-patrician group, Gathering to Save our Democracy, in it's multi-year quest that ultimately changed the law of Tennessee to allow voter-verified paper ballots in our elections. Bernie is a great patriot; true only to fairness, freedom and justice, but never to a particular political dogma or party.

So please, Your Honor, listen to Lady Justice when she feels that Bernie Ellis should not pay any further for a victimless crime that was born of compassion for his fellow man.

Bernie is not a threat to society. He has learned his lesson. He will no longer grow illegal marijuana for any reason.

I humbly ask you to allow Bernie Ellis to be released from the United States criminal justice system, and to be able to keep his farm, the only tangible asset he has left.

If asked, I will gladly speak publicly in support of Bernie Ellis.

Lady Justice knows.
—

A friend in Indonesia

Dear Judge Haynes,

I write to you from my office in Indonesia, where I am currently based working on my PhD on the role of forests in rural development in China.

I have known Bernie since 2001, when we were introduced by mutual friends in Tennessee. I spent a lot of time on Bernie's farm, and got to know him well during this time, as together we planted out his berry orchard, made fences for the cattle and did some forestry management work. I remember upon first meeting Bernie that I was impressed by his strong commitment to his local community and his country, to his work as an epidemiologist and by his strong connection to the land. As a (then) young Australian travelling and living in the USA, Bernie was one of a handful of Americans that I came to know well. His warm and generous character and the love of his land and country came to represent my very positive impression of the USA and its people. It was therefore with great distress that I learned of his criminal charges, and I have followed his situation with increasing concern for his welfare over the ensuing years.

I am literally shedding tears as I write this letter to you, as the thought of Bernie losing his farm and undergoing any further punishment is hard to conceive. He has already lost so much; his professional reputation, his loss of livelihood, financial ruin, and doing time in the half way house; he has already suffered so much.

Judge Haynes, I hope and pray that you can pass judgement on this man whilst considering these things that I have said. This genuinely kind and gentle man has suffered enough, justice has been served. He deserves to live in peace and quiet on his farm in the hollow, where heart and soul belongs.

With kind regards…..
----
And finally, from a neighbor, friend and survivor of someone I helped

Dear Judge Haynes,

My name is C___. I was married to A___ for 24 years.

A___ worked hard all of his life. Then, in the prime of his life, he was struck down with kidney disease. He also had high blood pressure, which was unknown to both him and me. Seemingly overnight, A___ lost function in both of his kidneys. His doctors hospitalized him immediately, put shunts in his chest and started dialysis the next day.

The dialysis pulled A___ down to the point that he couldn't work, where he lost his appetite and where he lost interest in life itself. He couldn't eat and keep his food down as a result of all the medicines he was on. A___'s health just continued to go down and his blood pressure stayed too high, no matter what medications he took.

At that time, I spoke to Bernie about helping A___ with medical marijuana. We spoke with A___'s doctors at Centennial about whether A___ should use it. The doctors said that A___ should do whatever was necessary to get him to eat and grow stronger. I asked them whether A___ would stay on the transplant list if he used marijuana. They said that they would keep him on the transplant list if A___ started using medical marijuana. As it was, they said that he was too weak to survive the surgery, so if the marijuana helped him improve, he should use it.

A___ started smoking the marijuana that Bernie gave him then and his appetite came back. His blood pressure went down and he began to feel more like a man. Using the marijuana made A___ feel like doing some things he couldn't do before. It gave him back his pride and a quality of life that he had not had for two years.

I am thankful for Bernie's help. He was a blessing in our life, coming at its lowest point. The comfort that Bernie's marijuana gave A___, and his renewed pride in life, was something I could not do. I loved my husband dearly but having pride in himself wasn't something I could give him.

My love, support and prayers were answered when the Lord put Bernie Ellis in our path. He was a blessing in our life. I feel I owe Bernie a debt of gratitude I cannot repay, because he gave my husband quality of life. Bernie couldn't help with quantity but quality is so important when your days are numbered. A___ finally got a transplant but we got a bad kidney that p

[shireen]

103. thanks, Fly!

Yes, i know your name is Bernie but Fly sounds kinda cool. ;)

[Fly by night]

104. The last letter got cut short by mistake. Here's the rest of the story.

A___ finally got a transplant but we got a bad kidney that poisoned his blood and made him sicker than before. But Bernie Ellis was there for us, through it all.

Please consider this in your judgment. Bernie Ellis has been a blessing to a lot of people and we need more people like him, rather than continuing to prosecute them. I would be happy to come to court and testify to the things that Bernie did for my husband. I own and operate my own business .... but I will gladly close and come to court to speak to you or anyone else if we can help Bernie to keep his farm.

In closing, I want you to know that, on the wall of my diner, I have a framed copy of the Nashville Scene cover that showed Bernie as a "Marijuana Martyr". It has been there for the past two years, and now shares space with a picture of Governor Bredesen signing the Voter Confidence Act, with Bernie standing behind him. Those pictures will stay on my wall for as long as I own this diner. Many of my customers who did not know Bernie before now say "hi" to him and offer him support because of those pictures on my wall. That is how it should be.

I feel that Bernie has more than paid his "debt" to society. Even though he did no wrong, Bernie has paid dearly. He should be left in peace on his farm.

[LWolf]

29. k, r, and putting it on my list of tasks to accomplish this week. nt

[Cetacea]

30. K&R n/t

[roguevalley]

36. consider it done, my friend.

[Lugnut]

33. K&R! n/t

[sonias]

34. Absolutely will do if for you Bernie!

Best of luck, friend.

:hug:

[Kaleko]

37. A most special recommendation.

[jdadd]

39. You have done, great work.......

K&R

[emilyg]

40. k

[leveymg]

41. KNR and I wish you success. 105th Rec!

That should get you onto the Greatest Page!

[EFerrari]

42. Sounds like a good plan.

:kick:

[Fly by night]

43. If a Presidential pardon sounds like a good ending to a book, it might be (with your help).

I have produced the first draft of a book on my troubles entitled "My Hollow Tale: Reflections On A(n Interrupted) Life." I have three dozen+ friends reviewing the draft now.

Last Monday, I sent six chapters to a publisher for their review. On Wednesday, the publisher contacted me and said they were interested.

Stay tuned ....

[Richard Steele]

44. I can only KICK this thread- any 'Letter of Support' I write would be a strike against you.

I had an interesting childhood, and the FBI
was involved at one point when I was 14.

Sorry.

[Mojeoux]

96. Me too. God Bless you Baby! n/t

[me b zola]

45. K&R

[underpants]

46. K&R bookmarked

Good luck. I have tomorrow off (flu) so I have something to do now.

[bleever]

47. I will gladly write a letter,

and I wish you the very best of luck, for yourself and for the greater good that you have always pursued.

:patriot:

[tpsbmam]

48. Will do! I'm in awe, total awe. K&R (nt)

[Tsiyu]

49. You got it, Bernie

Will PM you later this evening; gotta go move horse poo into the garden while it's warm, (the weather, not the manure :) )


I would be glad to help and hope more DUers will do the same..



KICK and REC :kick:

[Stardust]

50. Would we submitting a letter of recommendation that requires a notarized

signature?

[Fly by night]

51. Yes. All letters submitted with my pardon application must be notarized ...

... and contain the information listed in the OP. Otherwise, I don't think they will even look at them.

Thanks kindly for any support you can provide.

[scarletwoman]

70. I just want to make sure I do this correctly - do I bring the finished UNSIGNED letter to the notary

and then sign it in front of him/her?

I'll do my best to compose a letter for you as soon as I can.

Good luck!
sw

[Fly by night]

77. Yes, that should do it. Thanks kindly.

[Enthusiast]

52. K&R! nt

[onestepforward]

53. K&R

[orbitalman]

54. K & R x 1000

[slay]

55. I will do this

gladly. It's a real crime what has happened to you.

[unapatriciated]

56. consider it done.

It boggles the mind that in California (even tho the feds have raided many farms and dispensaries in the last few years) those who need medical marijuana do not live in fear. My son has been prescribe Marinol® for pain and to alleviate the side effects of Methotrexate and other immunosuppressive medications he takes to control Dermatomyositis. Marinol® is very costly and has many side effects he doesn't need. Because he lives in California he is able to use the natural plant that is less expensive and more effective.

[Fly by night]

57. In describing how you "know" me (if you are writing a letter), I wouldn't hesitate ...

... to emphasize that we are fellow Democratic activists who communicate regularly through this virtual community. I expect that president Obama is as aware of DU as he is of YouTube.

I was very pleased that the first 20 questions voted to the top of his recent YouTube Q&A dealt with drug policy reform. This is no longer a joking matter (and it hasn't been for me and the 800,000+ folks who get arrested each year for marijuana-related infractions for a long, long time.)

[H2O Man]

59. Recommended.

Yes, definitely, I fully endorse this, and will gladly do my part. And that includes passing the word to friends and associates.

[Overseas]

60. K&R ! //nt

[DesertFlower]

61. K&R. nt

[midnight]

62. K&R

[Corey_Baker08]

63. I Wish You The Best Of Luck My Friend!!!

:hi:

[Mnemosyne]

64. Anything you need, Bernie. Will get a letter out this week. Excellent idea!

:hug:

[indepat]

65. Surely our government has destroyed countless more lives than the aggregate harm caused by

cannabis. Oh, the joys of living country eaten up with RW ideology, policies, and laws. :shrug:

[lillypaddle]

66. Good luck to you

What a travesty of justice. May it turn in your direction positively.

[Duval]

67. Best of luck. K&R n/t

[Kajsa]

68. K&R!

:kick:

[Poll_Blind]

69. K&R! n/t

PB

[Canuckistanian]

71. K&R

Good Luck, Bernie!

[johnaries]

72. A hearty K&R. You have done much for us here in TN, it's our turn.

I will certainly write a letter of support and encourage others to do so, as well. May the Universe bless you.

[handmade34]

73. rec

will do the best I can... we are the ones we’ve been waiting for and we can't afford to wait any longer...

[AzDar]

74. K&R

:kick:

[Better Believe It]

75. K & R

[SourFlower]

76. From Santa Fe, NM much support. nt

[Fly by night]

82. Thanks kindly, from Santa Fe, TN

We both live in beautiful places. Your Santa Fe (where I was privileged to live for two years) will always remain in the small of my heart.

[leftstreet]

79. K&R

[DissedByBush]

81. How much money you got?

Unfortunately I don't think all of us together could scrape enough dough to meet the current going price for a pardon.

[Fly by night]

83. ... a lot less than I used to.

I am hoping that the time is right to burst the damned dam on this issue.

This Presidential pardon application is just another brick out of that dam, I hope.

[DissedByBush]

84. Best of luck

You are caught up in the cause of the most civil rights violations in this country since Jim Crow.

[midnight]

137. I didn't know their was a price on pardons? But I guess it would make sense in the world of

money trumps all else....

[Catherina]

85. K&R! n/t

[JitterbugPerfume]

86. I will do what I can

to be of help to you

[amborin]

87. K&R

[loudsue]

88. Count me in, Fly! I'd be proud to write such a letter for you!

:hug:

[DesertRat]

89. K&R

[babydollhead]

90. I am writing now.

[Rhiannon12866]

91. K&R! You can count on me and I'll be passing this on...

Best of luck Bernie. I saw your CNN story and I support you... :fistbump:

[rhett o rick]

92. k&r and best of luck. nm

[sabrina 1]

93. I think that's a gret idea, but as you pointed out, it's easier

for a murderer to get a pardon than for a pot smoker in this crazy country.

I will spread the word to some of my friends.

Oddly enough, I think you'd have had a better chance with Bush for some reason.

Keep up the good work, Bernie ~ I always love your OPs ....

[pengillian101]

94. K&R

:kick:

Best to ya!

[Heidi]

95. Recommended.

:kick:

[indimuse]

97. KNR!

I posted this yesterday..you might find something in it helpful. All the best. :hug:


RUN FROM THE CURE!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x548804

[Tripod]

98. K & R, I wish you well, good Luck!

[secondwind]

99. K&R - Good luck!

[Fly by night]

101. My deepest appreciation to DU (and DUers) for your support.

It is very much appreciated.

When I submit the pardon application after March 1, I will post an update letting all y'all know what it looks like re: letters of support, etc.

My goal is tosubmit 500+ letters. (I am only required to submit three.)

Take care and stay warm. If you see a groundhog out of its hole on Wednesday, plug the hole fast before that sucker gets a chance to go underground again. Speaking for this Southerner, we've had more than enough winter this year, with the coldest December and January on record.

[blm]

102. Kickin' for Fly...

.

[Uncle Joe]

105. I've been away the last couple of days but if I could recommend this thread, I would.

I believe you certainly do deserve a pardon and I appreciate your compassion for your fellow Tennesseans.

Thanks for the thread and peace to you, Fly by night.:thumbsup:

[Fly by night]

106. Thanks, Uncle Joe. Much appreciated.

Senator Marrero has resubmitted the Safe Access to Medical Cannabis act this year. But now that our unverifiable voting machines have replaced moderate to conservative Democrats with overt racists, pug-ugly jackals and ex-Hooters girls in our legislature, a snowball stands a better chance in hades than our safe access bill does with this (s)elected legislature.

Tis a shame. I still believe strongly in the process we proposed in that bill.

[Uncle Joe]

107. I do as well, Fly by night and I hope that Tennessee wakes up to the total loss

of energy, lives and treasure wasted on this illogical, punitive, draconian and asinine so called "War on Drugs."

[defendandprotect]

108. K/R

Will work on it later today --

[Ignis]

109. Too late to Rec, but happy to kick this over the moon.

:kick:

Here's hoping you receive more letters than you can handle. :D

[Mimosa]

110. Will do.

Bernie, you are a great man. You're very much loved on D.U.

If our President won't help you he won't help anybody and that's the truth.

[librechik]

111. I fully support Dr. Bernie and his work--

thanks for all you do! Good luck with your efforts for a pardon.

[myrna minx]

112. I would be honored to help.

All of my best to you. :grouphug:

[mstinamotorcity]

113. I got you!!!!

Will have letter to you by one day next week. No problem. Have you thought of moving to Michigan!!! lol lol

[Fly by night]

116. When it comes to medical marijuana, Michigan would be a good move.

When it comes to winter weather, well ....

Thanks kindly for your support. Stay warm.

[Swamp Rat]

114. kick

[Norrin Radd]

115. kr

[Mimosa]

117. Bernie, can you (or a friend) please set up a Facebook page?

Facebook would make a more permanent information based link and site for this enterprise.

And we could spread info to many about this case.

If you're too fatigued to do it, ask a friend to do it. :)

[Fly by night]

118. Facebook doesn't work on my computer and I don't want letters from folks who don't know me.

They would dilute the letters from the folks who do.

Though I have met almost no DUers face-to-face, I do believe that many DUers have "met" me and do know me through this invaluable forum. That is why I posted the OP here which (thanks to JeffR) has now been re-posted on the Obama-friendly web-site, "Democrats for Progress". (Thanks, JeffR.) That web-site will post an interview with me later this week.

Thanks for your suggestion, though. In most instances, it would be a good idea. On this Presidential pardon application, however, I just don't think it would be helpful.

[Mimosa]

120. You're right. *smile*

I understand what you mean. :)

[InvisibleTouch]

119. Giving you a kick for visibility. Good luck!! n/t

[msanthrope]

121. Best of Luck, and I wish you success. n/t

[Unrepentant Fenian]

122. Would having the conviction vacated or expunged be a lot more "doable"? ...

I would imagine that getting a Presidential Pardon is really a long shot. I know people who have had drug felony's vacated and even had their gun rights restored for right around $1,000. Plus, have you considered how everything you do, or have ever done will be investigated before any President would even consider a pardon? Even if you do get the pardon, you'll still have to sue to get your land back.
Either way, I wish you luck and hope it works out for you. Just to add, I worked very hard to keep a fellow Irishman and close friend of mine from being deported. I was actually in touch with Hillary Clinton, Cabinet Members, Irish and British M.P.s,Political leaders in Ireland, Immigration Attorneys and tons of other "Big Guns". The fight lasted around two years and cost tens of thousands of dollars. My friend was deported over a year ago. I bring this up just to highlight how difficult it is to get any administration to move on anything having any controversy attached to it. The Vacation might be the easiest, cheapest and most realistic way to go. Either way, good luck to you my friend.
P.S. Asking for e-mails and letters of support from strangers is a good idea, but be damn sure to have any letters to any court or judge go to your lawyers and NOT directly to the judge or court.

[Fly by night]

123. I'm not sure what you suggest is an option since ....

... my guilty plea was the result of a plea bargain, I have already served my two year probation sentence (completed in 2007) and the loss of my 25 acres was another civil asset forfeiture plea bargain to keep the remainder of my farm (150+ acres). I cannot afford an attorney to go back to court for anything. (My very good attorney had to represent me pro bono for five years as it was.) However, I am not an attorney and do not want to start playing one.

The petition for a Presidential pardon goes directly to the US Department of Justice, not to any court. Although I agree with you that this is a long shot, several people who work in executive clemency offices at the state level believe I present a strong case (see my work history, donated pro bono services and election reform activism embedded in this thread.) Besides, medical cannabis is a very hot topic these days and the court received almost 300 letters on my behalf during the criminal and civil actions. Most of those friends are willing to submit another letter, and they will be supplemented by several hundred more (it appears), based on my continued activism and the fact that 500+ people have received periodic updates on my case and have remained strongly behind me throughout this ordeal.

Again, because I am not an attorney, if you believe I can pursue the options you mentioned by myself (without paying an attorney with money I don't have) on a federal matter that was entirely adjudicated through plea agreements, please so inform me.

Your connections sound most impressive. So far, it looks like I might get letters from three different former governors (two of them Republican), current and former state legislators in four states and former and current Democratic Party chairs here in Tennessee. Plus lots (and lots) of articulate and committed Democratic party activists. Not bad for the start of this campaign, with a month to go before I submit anything.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

[Fly by night]

124. In addition to governors, legislators and state Dem Party chairs, it looks like ...

... I may get letters of support from two former Presidential candidates (Greens) and one former Vice-Presidential candidate (Libertarians).

Now if I could just get through to Oprah ....

[Blue_Tires]

125. ttt

[nmbluesky]

126. K&R

Thanks.. we support...

[Fly by night]

127. Just received the first draft letter from a DUer

mike_c wins the prize (a jar of organic blueberry jam from my farm).

Thanks again to everyone. I've spent the day getting in touch with supporters, and will likely fill my days with that work between now and March 1.

But starting here at DU was the best (and the brightest) place to begin this campaign.

Thanks again, all y'all.

[G_j]

128. K&R

glad to help!

[Fly by night]

129. Letters are beginning to arrive. They are coming from all quarters, including ...

...patients I have helped and their survivors, physicians and nurses I provided cannabis to, professional colleagues from ten states, former Republican and Democratic governors from three states, current and former state legislators from six states (so far) and current and former US Senators and Representatives from five states (so far). I am even in contact with former Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates from four political parties and two current and former national Democratic Party honchos. Those letters mean a lot, but so do letters from my close friends and neighbors in both my real-world and this virtual world.

Guys, I am speechless and that takes a lot. (Just ask my siblings.)

Thanks again ... for evrything.

[Fly by night]

130. Met with Tennessee legislative staff today. May get 10-15 letters from House members ...

... and at least one Senator. Also the St. Ann's Episcopal Church parish, East Nashville neighborhood group and the Turnip Truck organig grocery (where I worked while locked up) are sending out mass emails asking for letters.

Also got two guards from the federal Bureau of Prisons "house" to agree to send letters.

If nothing else, these letters will prove what a well-rounded "character" I am. But then, you DUers already knew that.

[spanone]

131. k&r ....

[AuntPatsy]

132. K & R

[LAGC]

133. Too late to Rec.

Good luck on your petition.

It's time for the Obama Administration to end Reagan's war on drugs!

[readmoreoften]

134. Sorry too late to K&R

Best of luck to you!

[Fly by night]

135. At 3:30 am this morning, I found my first commitment letter from a 2008 Presidential candidate ...

... Cynthia McKinney, the Green Party candidate who spoke at our National Election Reform Conference in Nashville in 2005. Believe me, that's a great way to start the day and to answer twelve questions (in thirteen pages) that will form the basis for a two-part on-line interview.

Will post details as I know 'em.

[Tsiyu]

136. Kick and add link for Tennesseans

:kick:


If you live in TN, stop by the state forum. Here's a recent post:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=179x5271


(Shameless Pro-choice promotion)

[nofurylike]

138. i just posted about the excellent interview in the Justice forum. link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=224x4882