Today's Long Beach Court Case a Medpot Battlefront

After enduring a traumatic legal ordeal that has dragged on for over 2 years, Joe Grumbine and Joe Byron are finally getting their day in court, as a jury was seated in the Long Beach medical marijuana case on Tuesday, November 29, 2011.  The case has had more twists and turns than a mountain road, including Judge Charles D. Sheldon disallowing a medical defense for the defendants, despite the fact they operated two legal medical marijuana collectives.

The 2^nd District state court of appeals subsequently ordered Sheldon to reverse that decision. Through more than 20 hearings leading up to the trial, supporters and medical marijuana activists have staged protest rallies objecting to the injustice of prosecuting medical marijuana patients and providers as well as the state’s waste of funds in doing so. Helicopters, drug sniffing dogs, and 120 armed SWAT officers took part in the raid on Grumbine and Byron’s properties, despite the fact that Grumbine went through a similar trial and was found to be in complete compliance with California’s medical marijuana laws just five weeks earlier.

Supporters estimate the state of California has spent well over a million dollars on this medical marijuana case, at a time of serious budget cuts. “Does the state really have nothing better to spend their resources on than prosecuting medical marijuana cases?” asks supporter Kathleen Zamanjahromi.

Zamanjahromi, a retired pediatric oncology nurse, and other supporters have vowed to stand by Grumbine and Byron during the lengthy trial and continue the protests outside the courthouse each day of the trial.  They remain confident of the defendants’ acquittal, now that the California Appellate Court has ruled that the jury will be allowed to hear the truth that this a medical marijuana case.

 “We know a jury will see that we operated a legitimate not-for-profit collective that helped sick patients and provided valuable services to the community including a food bank, clothing drives, and free wheelchairs for patients in need,” says Grumbine.

Those wishing to participate in court support, the protest rallies, or donate to Joe Grumbine and Joe Byron’s legal defense funds can do so through The Human Solution, a nonprofit cannabis education and advocacy group founded by Grumbine.  Visit their website (www.the-human-solution.org) or phone 951-436-6312 for additional details.