An Open Letter A Long Fight

[8182KSKUSH]

An Open Letter
To anyone and everyone here at Cannabis.com. Please take a moment to read this open letter from Ronnie Naulls, he is now counting down the clock until he goes to trial in Feb sometime, unless it gets pushed back for some reason. He needs our help, any support in the way of prayers, spreading his story, donations, or otherwise is greatly appreciated. I believe that this post is within the acceptable terms, hopefully, and thank you birdgirl. Even if all you do is read this and tell someone else about him that may be the help that he needs. Ronnie is being very maliciously prosecuted; I believe that it is primarily politically driven. I point to numerous other instances when the federal government has opted not to press any charges or arrest anyone while raiding clinics and stealing medicine as well as money and donations for other organizations i.e. March of Dimes. Yeah I am saying they were sure to take money out of a Donation Jar, multiple jars for different organizations, while at the same time being sure to break windows with broomsticks and break security cameras. It doesnâ??t sound like much but think about it for a second, the â??highest most professionalâ?� law enforcement agency in the nation, is in broad daylight with god knows how many agents, all creeping around with broomsticks breaking windows and smashing security cameras on the ceiling just for the sake of breaking stuff. AND AND, the funniest thing was that they were sure to do all that stuff, but they left hash in the display case!!! They left quite a bit of medicine in multiple forms that were obviously just out in the open!!! This was very telling to me as to why they were really doing what they did. It has nothing to do with marijuana itself. It really looked like a huge gang came in and robbed the place at night. Oh by the way they did the same exact thing to his home that he bought before he ever even considered starting that clinic. He had 2 other businesses that have since gone to hell.
Meanwhile this has happened, Ronnie is scheduled to appear in front of the city council the next day for a hearing to RE-NEW his business license that after initially receiving, and then having to go to litigation after a subsequent challenge and WINNING the decision, was up for renewal. It should be noted that the city of Corona has never ever not even 1 time, denied a business license renewal in itâ??s history. Once you read the letter you will understand why he couldnâ??t make it, what a coincidence. The Federal Government just up and decides to move forward with its case at 6 in the morning the day before he is to renew his business license. Well a couple things happen now, the city commissioners donâ??t have to DENY OR APPROVE any business license, since Ronnie was busy that day, therefore they donâ??t have to be accountable to ANYONE, not the people that thought Ronnie shouldnâ??t have been there nor to the people that thought Ronnie should be there. What they did allowed them to take care of a local political issue without having to piss off anyone one way or the other. Wow good for you, I am glad I live in a city where the â??majorityâ?� of the people that live here WANT people like that as their local government leadership. Wooohooo.
Right now the federal government is probably fairly confident that the intimidation tactics that it has used on Ronnie and his family might work. However Ronnie is not swayed, he believes he is right, he is very devout and has been long before this happened; he believes that god will see him through this. It is a race to do all the things necessary to prepare for what he needs to do. Know one knows what will happen. If he can get a â??realâ?� attorney that â??wantsâ?� to defend him then he has a huge potential for a few things to happen.
1. He would go to trial, and the federal government would lose the case with a â??not guiltyâ?� verdict which is a worst case scenario for them. It would set a new precedent on the federal level. Not good for them!!
2. The government would dismiss the case or drop the charges for fear of losing. After all they are trying to get a conviction in a place where the jury is made up of the actual people that live here, and not the minority that drive their agenda. They will likely lose.
3. They get conviction.
It is my gut feeling that the government has a very weak case and is banking on Ronnie taking a plea; however he is intent on fighting. While I canâ??t say for any of the other people that got arrested that day, (his was one part in a series of raids that day). The government has gone as far to release some video footage from an undercover that was inside the clinic, the video has clearly been edited for audio, and only has a handful of 2 to 3 second bits of Ronnie talking and saying some â??incriminatingâ?� things, I guess. Of course not all the audio is playing and what you do hear is grossly taken out of context, there is no perspective to draw on what is being said so you can draw your own conclusions. This is a glaring example of something the government has done that in my humble opinion tells me, if there case was open and closed, why would they go to the effort to do this? Itâ??s really funny that every Republican candidate is ok with what ever the states decide on abortion in the â??event that Roe vs. Wadeâ?� is overturned. After all thatâ??s just literally killing people, but itâ??s a â??states rightsâ?� issue. Unless you are talking about marijuana!! Then states arenâ??t smart enough to decide for themselves, and then also they are talking about money!! Money!! There is not any money in whether states allow abortion or not, but enforcing laws against marijuana is big money for the government! I donâ??t care how much you hear about tax dollars spent to enforce these laws, thatâ??s irrelevant. They probably turn a profit after taking into account all their seizures I am sure!!!

Again, itâ??s very disturbing personally to think that the federal government is trying to use this kind of a policy against its own citizens. 8 months ago I would not have believed it if you told me, Ronnie like myself, is a real conservative person. Not a republican as currently defined by all the current presidential candidates am talking more like AuH2O type of conservative, Goldwater. He is a true patriot, he is courageous and is doing what he believes and knows is right. He really is an amazing person and I have tons of respect for him, especially after seeing how he is dealing with all these things that are happening in his life. Go ahead give him a call and talk to him, give him your support, I havenâ??t included his contact info here in this post, but he isnâ??t hard to find. Thanks to everyone that has already shown their support!!!



To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Ronald Bradley Naulls, and I am fighting for my freedom, my livelihood, and my family. I am also fighting for my legal rights as a licensed medical cannabis patient and provider â?? as well as the rights of thousands of suffering citizens in my community and country just like me.

I am writing this letter because I need your help.

Iâ??m a 28-year-old happily married African American man and proud father of three beautiful girls Aaliyah, Amaiyah & Aryanna ages 5, 3 & 1. Until recently, I was an entrepreneur with my own IT Consulting company as well as a real estate property management company.

On July 17th, 2007, the Drug Enforcement Administration raided my residence and all my businesses. During the raid they confiscated our family vehicles and all of our savings and checking accounts. But most excruciating and unprecedented of all, they took my daughters and put them in the custody of Riverside County Child Protective Services.

I was indicted by a federal grand jury, arrested, and thrown into federal prison. My mother and father had to put up their home in order to bond me out of incarceration. In addition to federal drug charges against me, my wife also faces child endangerment charges, though we have not broken any state laws.

To give a little background, I became a medical cannabis patient in 2001 after a very serious automobile accident resulted in a clavicle bone fracture between my neck and shoulder. My family doctor at the time had recommended various types of prescription medicines and treatment including physical rehabilitation, which didnâ??t offer any relief or healing whatsoever. Consequently, I suffered from stomach lining infections from the various medications I was prescribed.

Shortly thereafter, I was regularly seeing a chiropractor in order to realign and adjust my bone fracture, temporarily easing the tension and pain, but relief was very diminutive and inadequate to the point where I was unable to work and provide for my family. My chiropractor told me some of his other patients were prescribed medicinal cannabis to provide therapeutic relief along with chiropractic treatments for their chronic pain and other back problems, and that I possibly should consult with my family doctor to see if medicinal cannabis would be an option. Totally unaware of the legalities, I inquired with my doctor and discovered that I was an appropriate subject for prescription medicinal cannabis. Upon receiving my doctorâ??s recommendation for medical cannabis I have been able to stop using other prescription medicines. Medicinal cannabis unequivocally provides me much relief to the point where I can actually work and provide a living for my family.

Although medical cannabis is legal in the state of California, I soon realized there were no options for availability in my county of Riverside and extremely limited and unregulated distribution options throughout the Los Angeles area. The hour or more commute (or longer with traffic) was totally unbearable and with petroleum costs rising astronomically it became very difficult and time consuming to acquire my medication.

The Department of Health in Riverside issues a state medical marijuana I.D. card for a fee of $100 for legal patients to identify their legal status with medicinal distributors and local law enforcement but does not provide guidance for where or how to acquire medicine. I found this to be totally absurd. Analogy would be like the government selling handicap placards to disabled people but providing no handicap parking.

After consulting with attorneys, I took it upon myself to open a pharmaceutical yet compassionate clinic in Corona, CA, called Healing Nations Collective, to serve the thousands of licensed patients here suffering from serious conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, etc. Healing Nations was a non-profit organization entirely legal under Californiaâ??s Proposition 215 law and Senate Bill 420 law passed in 2004.

We had a valid sellerâ??s permit from the State Board of Equalization and we were paying taxes on our gross sales just like any other business in the state of California. Records indicate about $123,070 in taxes paid to the state of California.

I am known throughout the community as a peaceful, law-abiding, churchgoing, local businessman and member of the Corona Chamber of Commerce. Healing Nations was a prominent contributor to the community via various charities and organizations including the American Cancer Society, Godâ??s Kitchen, and the Foundation in Corona, a local organization for the fight against breast cancer.

Because the federal government seized all of my assets, I lack the resources to properly defend myself. Iâ??m currently using a federal public defender that is totally unaware and maladroit on Proposition 215 and Senate Bill 420 or the relation of Californiaâ??s laws and implementation of medicinal cannabis dispensaries and their legality under Californiaâ??s laws.

The federal government is using strong arm tactics against me and my family, and I believe it's in part racially motivated: Other clinic owners and operators throughout the state have been raided but not arrested, prosecuted, or had their children taken away. These raids always end in closure of the facility with no arrests or property being seized. This is almost always the consequence because the facility operated inappropriately and unscrupulously outside of Californiaâ??s laws i.e. distributing to unlicensed patients and or operating for profit.

I am a political prisoner caught in a war between the state and federal governments over the legality of medical cannabis, and the federal government is trying to leverage my children in a cruel, cynical attempt to gain an advantage in their petty power struggle. Simultaneously, my wife and are financially, mentally, creditworthiness & backgrounds are ruined. I canâ??t for the life of my family acquire adequate employment as a Sr. Network Engineer, Systems Engineer or IT Consultant because of the pending charges that materialize from background checks, which was flawless before this catastrophe.

I can't win this fight without your help â?? be it in the form of contributions to my tax deductible legal defense fund or your legal counsel and advice. And it isn't only for the sake of me and my family; the federal government is systematically suppressing not only stateâ??s rights but human & civil rights as well. Tax deductible donations have been established for my family and I via the website listed below.

Green Aid: DEFENSE FUNDS

Sincerest thanks in advance for your time and assistance. I hope this letter encompasses all in good spirits, and I pray that my story and my plea for the sake of my family inspire you to join forces with me to stop the federal crusade against our rights. Lord Bless.

P.S. Please take a moment to view other editorial write-ups regarding my family & circumstances. Thank you all in advance.
http://www.medicalmarijuanaofamerica.co â?¦ ry/61/120/
Fred Gardner: Psychological Torture in the Name of Family Values
http://www.hightimes.com/ht/legal/conte â?¦ &aid=3

Sincerely,

Ronald Bradley Naulls

Green Aid: DEFENSE FUNDS

8182KSKUSH Reviewed by 8182KSKUSH on 01-06-2008. An Open Letter A Long Fight An Open Letter To anyone and everyone here at Cannabis.com. Please take a moment to read this open letter from Ronnie Naulls, he is now counting down the clock until he goes to trial in Feb sometime, unless it gets pushed back for some reason. He needs our help, any support in the way of prayers, spreading his story, donations, or otherwise is greatly appreciated. I believe that this post is within the acceptable terms, hopefully, and thank you birdgirl. Even if all you do is read this and Rating: 5

[8182KSKUSH]

Hey mods, could I possibly get this moved to the southern calif med section or activism section?

[denial102]

A very moving story, thankyou for sharing it kush. I am still perplexed as to what the charges brought against this seemingly nice, law abiding, devout and apparently 100% legal man.

Has he been caught selling to non medical marijuana users? If so, I feel it is still grossly negligent of the federal government to take such extreme action for a simple licensing violation.

No, I take that back, it's madness. Madness gone wrong.

I Wish him all the best,

Peace,
Denial

PS: two of the links you posted are not linked properly kush, maybe a moderator could fix that for you :thumbsup:

[8182KSKUSH]

A very moving story, thankyou for sharing it kush. I am still perplexed as to what the charges brought against this seemingly nice, law abiding, devout and apparently 100% legal man.

Possesion, Intent to Distribute, Conspiracy to Distribute, (something like that on the 3rd charge, comes down to the fact that he owned the clinic and employed people to provide the MMJ to patients as opposed to doing it all on his own.) He was not 100% legal, IT IS AGAINST FEDERAL LAW!!! He was 100% legal for the state of california, hence no local, county, or state charges, but there is no such thing as MMJ in the feds eyes. He was targeted because he was the only clinic operating, the city of Corona hated him because he beat the city in court when the city tried to shut him down. They were very helpful to the DEA and were there with the DEA at his home and at the clinic that day. Way to uphold you local laws local law enforcement!:thumbsup:

Has he been caught selling to non medical marijuana users?

Negative, in fact, the DEA had to get 2 agents to get med recs so that they could get the undercovers into the clinic to make buys and get "evidence" because you could not enter without having a valid Doctors Original Rec, AND have it verified on the spot. He actually had very strict rules, even to the extent that patients could not leave people in their vehicles waiting, he thought that would imply that patients were buying for non medical users. People were banned for this many times. His clinic also provided a high level of security for the entire shopping center which on many occasions other store owner's thanked him for. Even if there was a car with someone just sitting in it, security would ask them to leave and loiter somewhere else.:hippy:

[killerweed420]

Another reason to make sure we sit on juries. Do your civic duty. Its the only way to beat these crooked feds.

[8182KSKUSH]

Another reason to make sure we sit on juries. Do your civic duty. Its the only way to beat these crooked feds.

Absolutely!!!
This is the reason they are NOT arresting or charging owners in LA, because they know that in LA they will likely lose in a trial, they are gambling in Riverside County that they won't. I hope they are wrong, I hope people do the right thing in his trial and use common sense, however, I don't see how it will happen. Not being able to raise the Medical Marijuana Defense is tough, and the charges are going to be very easy to prove, what is really sad, the DEA could have just knocked on his door and talked to him and explained why they were there and what they wanted and he would have been very compliant. Instead they chose gustapo tactics. Despite this, Ronnie like myself is still a patriot, supports America, loves his country.:thumbsup: I believe he is a true hero.

[denial102]

Ahh man, I feel that contradictory laws, if not unconstitutional are plain and outright madness.

State laws seem to be becoming worthless.

Peace,
Denial

[8182KSKUSH]

Ahh man, I feel that contradictory laws, if not unconstitutional are plain and outright madness.

State laws seem to be becoming worthless.

Peace,
Denial

That's the most disturbing thing. Everyone is focused on the "MMJ Fight", which is fine I guess. The problem is that as long as the debate is framed in the argument of Medical Marijuana, it can be debated up and down all day long until the end of time, with no progress. It's only good for the activist groups that make money under the guise of "Fighting for Medical Marijuan". The real debate should be more focused on "States Rights", as long as they keep debating the validity of Medical use, they don't have to acknowledge that our states rights are being compromised. If the debate were shifted into that direction, it would be open and shut. Ronnie and I both watched the GOP nominees state that hypothetically, if Roe vs. Wade were overturned that they would support states rights to ban or allow abortion regardless of their personal opinions. However when it comes to states legislating their own marijuana laws I guess it's different. Not alot of money in it for the fed when it comes to kiling babies, pot however is different. They already have plenty of incentives to maintain the current federal laws. A real "True Blue Republican" worth his spit, would denounce the federal raids, as they are obviously infringing on the states rights of California. I guess it comes down to political courage, while on the other hand, you have the dems that will say anything to get a vote and obviously they are just to gutless to admit they will do nothing, they even in fact lie about it. This is surely because they feel that supporters of medical marijuana MUST be liberals, which is the GOPs belief as well unfortunately. All in all, it really sucks. I don't forsee anything on the Federal Political Horizon that indicates anything regarding this issue will change, no matter who wins. What's even more frustrating is that the state of California is full of bed wetting libs that won't stand up for themselves. In general they welcome more and bigger government and are to distracted by "false" arguments to see the big picture. This is why I personally feel that the medical marijuana movement is a joke. It's worthless, and it's an "a" typical type of mentality among libs that only "special" people can have access to pot. Fuck that!!! Everyone should be able to use it! Freedom and Equality FOR ALL!!:jointsmile: It is a fact that current MMJ legislation is discriminatory, o, the unintended consequences.

[denial102]

Yes my friend this reminds me of supposed democratic and fair elections and an age old saying "if the lawyers ask the wrong questions how can we give the right answer?" - or "if all candidates are bad, how can we choose a good one?"

It's, such a shame :-( It really does seem to be about money money money.

Money breaks peoples sense of morality.

In a world where political parties discriminate against eachother, the supposed law makers and legislators, it is no surprise that law does the same thing accross the country.

The fathers would be sad to see things this way, in my opinion of course :-)


Peace,
Denial

[BlueCat00]

Well Skush we finally found some common ground. Great post. I'll send them $20 and post the letter to my facebook.

This kind of thing just sickens me. You are right the fight SHOULD be for STATES rights and once again the feds are stomping all over our civil rights. Thanks for posting it good job. :thumbsup: