Dennis Peron in front of 1444 Market, San Francisco
The San Francisco Cannabis Buyer Club, circa 1996
Dennis Peron announced on Tuesday 15 Sep 09 that he returned from Burning Man to discover he had been fired from Oaksterdamn U because of his opposition to taxing and regulating medical marijuana.
Oaksterdamn U has announced it intends to spend a million dollars to promote an initiative that would tax, regulate and control marijuana by city and county, as well as at the state level.
For Dennis' position on this see his comments in my article of 30 Aug 09: The tax heard round the world.
Peron has been hailed as the father of the medical marijuana movement and was the guiding force and co-author of California's Proposition 215.
He became a marijuana dealer after returning from Viet Nam to San Francisco in 1969 and through the 70s he ran the Big Top marijuana supermarket from his home.
In 1978 he organized Proposition W which directed the district attorney to stop arresting people for possessing, transferring, or growing marijuana. Though it was passed by 56% of the electorate, it was never implemented by the Feinstein Administration.
In 1991 he organized Proposition P which made enforcement of laws against medical marijuana the city's lowest priority. It passed by 79%.
In 1993 he opened the Church Street Compassion Center in San Francisco's Castro District.
In 1995 he opened the larger San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club at 1444 Market Street where the medical marijuana movement was born.
In 1996 he co-authored The Compassionate Use Act of 1996 and organized the signature drive that put Proposition 215 on the ballot.
The tax heard round the world - Examiner.com | 30 Aug 09
Oakland's marijuana legalization initiative is still a Trojan Horse - Examiner.com | 16 Aug 09
The San Francisco Cannabis Cultivators Club - Examiner.com | 11 Jul 09
Can't find my way home: America in The Great Stoned Age, 1945-2000 - Google Books
Comments
Do NOT back Richard Lee and his Money making scheme. His initiative does not help California, nor its citizens. Its aim is to generate a high demand market in Oakland while keeping it illegal with harsher penalties in other counties, thus driving business to his area.
Instead look at AB390, or better yet, the best of the "tax and regulate" initiatives which leaves medical cannabis alone and removes all previous convictions of non violent drug offenders..
Back California Cannabis Initiative (Google, can't post links)
This initiative is here to help people, not create a business for one man and his cronies while throwing everyone else under the bus.
REMEMBER TO BACK California Cannabis Initiative (Google, can't post links) if you are asked to sign an initiative make sure its from this group and NOT Richard "the Crook" Lee.
Thanks for keeping us alert to the scam that is slowly taking place in Oakland.
Do NOT back Richard Lee and his Money making scheme. His initiative does not help California, nor its citizens. Its aim is to generate a high demand market in Oakland while keeping it illegal with harsher penalties in other counties, thus driving business to his area.
Instead look at AB390, or better yet, the best of the "tax and regulate" initiatives which leaves medical cannabis alone and removes all previous convictions of non violent drug offenders..
Back California Cannabis Initiative (Google, can't post links)
This initiative is here to help people, not create a business for one man and his cronies while throwing everyone else under the bus.
REMEMBER TO BACK California Cannabis Initiative (Google, can't post links) if you are asked to sign an initiative make sure its from this group and NOT Richard "the Crook" Lee
Good article. I've been following these issues since Lungren busted Peron's club in the mid 90s. I took the liberty of linking your article to my lists. Thanks. Sacramento Statehouse Examiner
I feel that it should be taxed as any other medicine is. I only wished our state would get out of the dark ages and allow its patients to use Medical Cannabis for OUR Chronic issues.
SC - Medicine requiring a doctor's authorization (prescription medication)is not taxed.
See: "The Tax Heard Round The World" and related articles.
Oaksterdam U is a worthless institution anyway. Half of what they teach is BS misinformation, and they attract mostly idiots, gangsters, and undereducated hippies who are all trying to jump on the MMJ bandwagon. the director/founder is an egotistical greedy money-loving halfwit with dreams of being the king of pot and holding a monopoly on the pot business in cali.
Everything they teach in oaksterdamU can be learned by reading the U.S constitution, local ordinances, and one of jorge cervantes' grow bibles. It's all about the benjamins, baby. thats all OU students and professors care about.
I'm all for legalization, but OU staff and students are just a bunch of bandwagon-jumping exploiters, not sincere wannabe caretakers/farmers/researchers/etc
4 sure it was Dennis who led the whole 215 passage. He put life at risk to sell tons of medicine at Market Street. U will see people trying to take credit for 215 but it was Dennis and his people, especially the patients, who won the day. Dennis gave away so much of his money and medicine. The gangsters who are now in the bizness are typical of Americans who are more in lust with their bank account than any other thing. I wish Dennis had become governor!!
back the california cannabis initiative dot org
there are 480 cities in california, if lee's initiative wins then thats how many cities have to determine if pot is legal in their city.
volunteer to help gather signatures to end marijuana & hemp prohibition ALL ACROSS CALIFORNIA in 2010. CCI YES WE CANNABIS!
I think Dennis Peron is a great person, and I trust his judgment. The fact that AG Dan Lungren gave him hell proves that! Before my father died, he wrote to Dennis to thank him for the work he did involving medical marijuana. I'm convinced my dad lived longer because of cannabis; he lived longer and with less suffering. Those of you who want to criminalize marijuana are mean-spirited as well as misinformed.
Honestly Dennis Peron was pulled because he is probably the largest known "UN-convicted" sex offender at least in San Francisco.
To those hypocritical pot smokers and users against legalization: To hell with you and California. I'll spend my money in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a more worthy place than self absorbed California. Who the hell needs you pot smoking prohibitionists anyways? Enjoy your prohibition. You wanted it!
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