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Rosenthal Case

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PRESS COVERAGE of THE ROSENTHAL CASE

ON THE APPEAL VICTORY
*SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE* Juror's call upends medical pot conviction A federal appeals court overturned the pot-growing convictions of a prominent advocate of medical marijuana Wednesday because of a juror's phone call to an attorney friend, who told her to follow the judge's instructions or she could get in trouble.	ANG NEWSPAPERS Advocates say pending bill would end pot-trial confusion Supporters of marijuana activist and author Ed Rosenthal, whose felony convictions were overturned Wednesday by a federal appeals court, said Thursday a pending House bill would save the government millions while ensuring nobody else need endure what he and his jurors did. ASA legal campaign director Kris Hermes said Thursday if Rosenthal's jurors had not felt the wool was being pulled over their eyes by a justice system unwilling to let Rosenthal tell his whole story, the confusion leading to the juror's misconduct would not have existed.	BAY CITY NEWS Court Overturns Rosenthal's Marijuana Convictions A federal appeals court overturned the marijuana cultivation convictions of pot advocate Ed Rosenthal today, ruling that a juror engaged in misconduct by asking an attorney friend for advice during deliberations.
*ANG NEWSPAPERS* 'Ganja guru' may receive new trial A federal appeals court on Wednesday overturned the felony convictions of "Guru of Ganja" Ed Rosenthal of Oakland, citing juror misconduct that warrants a new trial for the marijuana activist and author.	*ASSOCIATED PRESS* Court Voids 'Guru of Ganja's' Pot Conviction A federal appeals court on Wednesday overturned the self-proclaimed "Guru of Ganja's" pot cultivation conviction because of jury misconduct, but otherwise upheld federal powers to charge marijuana growers.	*REUTERS* Conviction of "ganja guru" overturned A federal appeals court on Wednesday overturned the conviction of "ganja guru" Ed Rosenthal and ordered a new trial, saying a juror had tainted the case by seeking the advice of a lawyer before the verdict.
ON THE FED'S SENTENCE APPEAL
*SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE* U.S. will appeal pot decision Judge refused to jail marijuana grower July 8 -- Federal prosecutors have signaled they will ask an appeals court to send marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal to prison for cultivating pot for medical patients. The U.S. attorney's office filed notice with the federal appeals court in San Francisco that it intends to appeal U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer's decision to spare Rosenthal from a prison term for his federal cultivation and conspiracy convictions last month.	SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER Feds target Rosenthal Still licking their wounds, federal prosecutors have fired another shot at freed grass guru Ed Rosenthal, appealing the light sentence that let the convicted medical pot grower walk away a free man last month. The motion, filed late Thursday in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, does not go into any detail about the grounds of appeal, according to Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jacobs, who would not comment on why the Department of Justice decided to appeal the sentence.	BAY CITY NEWS U.S. After Pot Guru Again The U.S. government has taken the first official step in appealing a one-day sentence given to Oakland medical marijuana advocate Edward Rosenthal for three marijuana cultivation counts. Lawyers from the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco, acting on behalf of the U.S. government, filed a notice of appeal with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on July 3.
ON SENTENCING
NEW YORK TIMES California Marijuana Grower Sentenced to a Day in Prison June 4 -- A convicted marijuana grower was sentenced to one day in prison and fined $1,000 by a federal judge today, the most lenient sentence allowed under law. The defendant, Ed Rosenthal, had faced a possible sentence of 100 years in prison and a potential fine of $4.5 million for his conviction in January on felony charges of marijuana cultivation and conspiracy.	WASHINGTON POST One Jail Day for Marijuana Felony Jurors Rebelled at Own Verdict on Medicinal Use Advocate June 5 -- One of the nation's most prominent advocates of giving chronically sick or dying patients legal access to marijuana was sentenced today to a day in jail for the felony conviction federal prosecutors won against him for cultivating and distributing the drug. The case of Ed Rosenthal, 58, has become a symbol of the escalating battle between the federal government and the eight states that have legalized the medicinal use of marijuana.	THE GUARDIAN (UK) Dopey Days in America June 10 -- The reports leading up to the sentencing last week of Ed Rosenthal, the "guru of ganja" in San Francisco, suggested variously that he faced 60 years, 100 years or life inside for the offence of growing marijuana plants for medical use in an Oakland warehouse. In the event, he was sentenced to just one day, which he had already served. No one seriously believed that Rosenthal was going down for 100 years, even in these mad times when another California resident is serving 50 years for shoplifting some videos.
*SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE* Experts don't see Rosenthal pot case as a landmark Feds not likely to ease off on tough policies Analysts were skeptical Thursday of predictions by medical marijuana advocacy groups that a judge's refusal to sentence Bay Area pot icon Ed Rosenthal to prison would eventually turn around the federal government's hard- nosed policies on the drug. A rebuff in a single case -- even a high-profile prosecution like the Rosenthal case -- probably won't slow the Bush administration's crackdown on medical cannabis in California, several commentators agreed.	LOS ANGELES TIMES The 'Guru of Ganja' Gets a Day in Jail June 5 -- A judge frees activist who has become a symbol in a clash with the federal government over California's medical marijuana laws. Ed Rosenthal has the look of a high school biology teacher and the resume of a stoner. For years he has written passionately about marijuana for High Times magazine, authored books about pot and served as a high priest of the medical marijuana movement. On Wednesday, he added a new chapter. The 59-year-old pot activist entered federal court in San Francisco facing years behind bars for cultivating more than 100 marijuana plants for a Bay Area medical pot dispensary. He walked out a free man.	BBC (UK) California's 'Guru Of Ganja' Freed A man who describes himself as the "Guru of Ganja" has walked free from a federal court in San Francisco after being convicted of growing marijuana. Ed Rosenthal, who said the drug was for medical purposes, could have received 60 years behind bars. Instead, the judge sentenced the 58-year-old to one day in prison - and then set him free after declaring he had already served that time.
*SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE* Convicted Pot Grower Rosenthal is Spared Jail Time Medical Marijuana Backers Claim Victory June 5 -- A federal judge, striking a dramatic blow to the government's campaign against medical marijuana, spared pot advocate Ed Rosenthal from a prison sentence Wednesday for his conviction on cultivation charges, saying Rosenthal believed he was acting legally.	MERCURY NEWS Pot 'Guru' Gets Fine, 1-Day Term June 5 -- Ed Rosenthal, the self-styled "Guru of Ganja," walked out of federal court a free man Wednesday. A judge sentenced him to a single day in prison - instead of the 6 1/2 years prosecutors wanted - for growing more than 100 medicinal marijuana plants.	*ALTERNET* The 'Guru of Ganja' Walks Free June 4 -- Set free by a San Francisco federal judge who sentenced him to just one day in prison, medical cannabis grower Ed Rosenthal said today that his case will be the catalyst to overturn all U.S. marijuana laws under which 750,000 Americans are arrested each year. "These laws are doomed," said Rosenthal to group of cheering supporters outside the courthouse after his sentencing. "I am going to make it safe for everyone to grow by bringing these laws down."
OAKLAND TRIBUNE Rosenthal Gets Slap On Wrist Activists call ruling -- sending pot king to day in prison -- the beginning of end for federal law June 5 -- Renowned marijuana activist and author Ed Rosenthal walked out of court a free man Wednesday after a federal judge sentenced him to just one day in prison -- time he already served -- for three marijuana-growing felonies. Medical marijuana advocates across the nation hailed the ruling as a major victory and the beginning of the end for the federal ban on the drug, even though the judge said the leniency shown Rosenthal won't be shown anyone who follows in his footsteps.	THE RECORDER Smoke Clears in Pot Case Hard-Fought Federal Prosecution Ends With One-Day Sentence for Medical Marijuana Grower June 5 -- When U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer handed marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal a stunning one-day sentence Wednesday, he turned what had looked like a victory for the federal government into a celebration for medical marijuana supporters. Breyer's announcement of the time-served sentence caused Rosenthal supporters in the packed San Francisco courtroom to erupt in cheers.	BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Cannabis Grower to Appeal June 6 -- "Time served - one day!" An illicit cheer echoed down the 19th-floor corridor of the San Francisco federal building as the overflow crowd got word that U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer had gone easy on Ed Rosenthal. Federal prosecutors had asked for a six-and-a-half-year prison term. The light sentence meted out by Breyer on Wednesday, June 4, represents a personal victory for the well-known Oakland cannabis cultivator and his family and friends. A political victory could follow if Rosenthal's felony conviction as a marijuana cultivator and conspirator gets overturned.
*ASSOCIATED PRESS* MARIJUANA GURU ED ROSENTHAL FREED AFTER ONE-DAY SENTENCE June 4, 2003 -- Ed Rosenthal, the self-proclaimed "Guru of Ganja," walked free Wednesday after a federal judge sentenced him to one day in prison for a marijuana conviction. He could have been sentenced to as much as 60 years behind bars. Rosenthal, convicted in February of growing more than 100 marijuana plants in an Oakland warehouse, has become the focus of a growing national debate about medical marijuana and a battle between the federal government and the nine states that have declared such use legal.	*SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE* Guru of medical pot awaits judge's sentence June 3, 2003--America's most celebrated drug defendant has spent what may be his final days before prison working quietly in his Oakland office, preparing his magazine columns and his next book about marijuana growing. No big send-offs. No wild parties for the icon of the medical marijuana movement. "I'd like to be a pop culture figure, but I don't think it's going to go that way," Ed Rosenthal said from Los Angeles, where he was attending a publisher's trade show over the weekend.	*THE GUARDIAN (UK)* CALIFORNIAN 'GURU OF GANJA' FACES JAIL IN CRACKDOWN ON MEDICINAL MARIJUANA June 3, 2003 -- A high-profile American campaigner for the legalisation of marijuana will be sentenced tomorrow in what has become a national cause celebre. The case of the "guru of ganja"- who is backed by the attorney general of California - is seen as a constitutional battle between the Bush administration and the state. Ed Rosenthal, 58, who writes a monthly advice column, Ask Ed, for Cannabis Culture magazine, is a leading proponent of medicinal marijuana use.

PRE-SENTENCING NEWS ARTICLES
OAKLAND TRIBUNE King of Pot Sees Growing Kingdom June 2, 2003 -- Ripples created by the prosecution of Ed Rosenthal, the self-proclaimed "Guru of Ganja," roll onward even as his day of judgment draws near. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer on Wednesday could accept Rosenthal's lawyers' request for probation, probation officers' request for 21 months in federal prison or a prosecutor's request for five years behind bars - or something else entirely.	SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE The Jury That Never Rests June 1, 2003--This is the extraordinary saga of one jury that, after the judge said, "Case closed," simply refused to be excused -- or to excuse the judicial system. To the contrary, many of the federal jurors who in February convicted Oakland pot guru Ed Rosenthal of felony marijuana cultivation are devoting about as much time and effort to the case now as they did during the trial. They're campaigning for a "Truth in Trials" law which would change how juries in drug cases operate.	SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE 5 years sought for pot grower Feds say he hasn't admitted wrongdoing May 29, 2003--Federal prosecutors are asking for a five-year prison sentence for Ed Rosenthal, a prominent medical marijuana advocate convicted of growing pot for a San Francisco dispensary. The U.S. attorney's office said in a filing late Tuesday that Rosenthal has never admitted the wrongfulness of his conduct, has falsely claimed that he was an officer in Oakland's city-endorsed medical marijuana program and should get the minimum five-year term provided by federal drug laws.
*ASSOCIATED PRESS* Calif.'s AG Urges Leniency For Pot 'Guru' May 28, 2003 - California's attorney general urged a federal judge to be lenient when he sentences a self-described "Guru of Ganja" who was convicted on marijuana cultivation charges. Ed Rosenthal, 58, says he legally grew marijuana for medical use under a 1996 law approved by California voters, and was deputized by the city of Oakland to carry out the task. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer refused to allow a jury to hear that defense.	SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Strong pleas for leniency for medical pot advocate Wednesday, May 28, 2003 --Attorneys for convicted medical marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal are asking a federal judge to sentence their client to probation and community service instead of the five-year minimum prison term his charges would bring.	DRC NET Ed Rosenthal to Be Sentenced Wednesday Could Escape Mandatory Minimum as Pleas for Leniency Roll In, Supporters Prepare to Rally In the denouement of the most highly-publicized federal medical marijuana prosecution yet, long-time marijuana cultivation expert and medical marijuana provider Ed Rosenthal will be sentenced Tuesday after being convicted of operating a marijuana grow operation in Oakland. And despite oft-repeated claims that he faced a five-year mandatory minimum sentence, it now appears that he will qualify under federal "safety valve" provisions for a lesser sentence -- possibly even probation, although that remains unlikely.
*PLAYBOY* Kangaroo Court The Feds Play Bully in Oakland June 2003 -- Many Americans first heard of marijuana grower Ed Rosenthal this past February, when the jury that convicted him of three felonies (growing more than 100 plants, conspiring to cultivate and maintaining a growing operation) demanded that its verdict be over-turned. Five panelists and an alternate stood on the steps of the federal courthouse in San Francisco and said they had been duped into sending a man who was not a criminal to prison.	*SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE* Judge nixes new medical pot trial Oakland man predicts he'll win on appeal May 17, 2003 -- A federal judge denied a new trial Friday to medical marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal, ruling that he had no right to tell jurors the city of Oakland had authorized him to grow pot for seriously ill patients. Rosenthal, 58, of Oakland, a national authority on marijuana growing and author of a recent book advocating legalization of the drug, was convicted Jan. 31 by a federal court jury in San Francisco of federal cultivation charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 4 and faces at least five years in prison.	*ASSOCIATED PRESS* Federal judge denies convicted pot guru new trial May 16, 2003 -- A federal judge on Friday denied self-described "Guru of Ganja" Ed Rosenthal a new trial on marijuana cultivation charges amid allegations of jury bias and other claims. The decision by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer upholds Rosenthal's highly publicized conviction in February. He now faces spending the rest of his life in prison when he's sentenced June 4. The maximum sentence is 85 years.
PHILIDELPHIA INQUIRER Conviction May Have Created Medical Marijuana Martyr Ed Rosenthal is saddled with two public images these days. The first Ed is the soccer dad who wears Eddie Bauer slacks and pads around his Victorian home in socks and sandals; the second Ed is the convicted drug kingpin who faces five years in the pen for having thumbed his nose at the U.S. government.	EAST BAY EXPRESS How Not to Write a Law The case of Ed Rosenthal is as schizophrenic as Prop. 215 May 13 - The choreography certainly was impressive. On the morning of February 12, 2002, officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration Simultaneously raided a San Francisco cannabis club called the Harm Reduction Center, the private homes of Bay Area medical pot activists, and a West Oakland warehouse where High Times columnist and author Ed Rosenthal grew hundreds of plants for critically ill patients.	*INDEPENDENT (UK)* Meet America's Marijuana Martyr May 1, 2003 -- He's the Alan Titchmarsh of the pot world, with countless grow-your-own tomes and a licence to supply for medicinal use. But in what some are calling a Bush show trial, Ed Rosenthal now faces 40 years in jail. There are two reasons why the case of Ed Rosenthal has become a cause celebre for the marijuana-decriminalisation movement.
*PRESS DEMOCRAT* Convicted pot grower jabs at feds Sonoma County judge offers support at Sebastopol fund-raiser for Rosenthal April 7 -- Laws against marijuana are "on their way out," pot author, advocate and convicted cultivator Ed Rosenthal told a sympathetic crowd of about 80 people at a fund-raiser Sunday night in Sebastopol. Sonoma County Judge Elliot Daum spoke in support of Rosenthal at the event, along with two doctors who advocate the medicinal use of marijuana. Taking public stands on political issues is unusual among local jurists.	OAKLAND TRIBUNE Juror silent as judge weighs data Apr 9 -- With a former juror still invoking her Fifth Amendment right not to testify about her own misconduct, a federal judge held Tuesday what could be the last hearing before Oakland medical marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal's June sentencing. Attorneys still must file briefs with U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer on whether juror Marney Craig of Novato -- who before deliberating had contacted a lawyer friend for advice on following Breyer's instructions -- compromised Rosenthal's right to a fair trial. Rosenthal's lawyer, Dennis Riordan, is arguing she did.	*ALTERNET* Judge Delays Ruling On Medical Pot Mistrial Apr 9 - For the second week in a row, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer has delayed ruling on whether convicted medical marijuana grower Ed Rosenthal is entitled to mistrial. Rosenthal's defense team contends that Rosenthal's right to an impartial jury was violated when juror Marney Craig revealed that she received advice from an attorney friend during the trial that caused her to vote against her conscience.
*THE ARGUS* Juror takes the Fifth in medical marijuana case Federal judge probes whether misconduct means Mistrial Apr 3 -- A federal juror who voted to convict Oakland medical marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal in January had called an attorney friend to ask whether she had to follow the judge's instructions and strictly obey federal law, two other jurors testified Tuesday.	SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER Rosenthal retrial possible Apr 2 - Lawyers for medical marijuana champion Ed Rosenthal asked federal Judge Charles Breyer for a new trial Tuesday after two jurors came forward to say their ability to deliberate was compromised by advice from an outside attorney. Rosenthal juror Pamela Klarkowski testified that fellow juror Marney Craig consulted with an attorney friend during the trial who said she could not vote "her conscience."	SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER Rosenthal case shakeup Apr 1 - In a startling revelation that could mean a new trial for convicted medical-marijuana cultivator Ed Rosenthal, a juror in the case says she violated the law by seeking outside legal advice during the trial and then sharing the information with a fellow juror.

ON THE JURY REVOLT
*NEW YORK TIMES* Jurors Who Convicted Marijuana Grower Seek New Trial Feb. 5 — In an unusual show of solidarity with the man they convicted last week, five jurors in the trial of a medicinal marijuana advocate issued a public apology to him today and demanded that the judge grant him a new trial.	SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Only state could shield medical pot: Feds ignore cities' laws, advocates say Thursday, February 6, 2003 -- When the federal government charged prominent marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal with illegal cultivation, California's medical marijuana law proved useless as a shield. With Rosenthal now convicted and facing prison, and federal charges pending against other purveyors of medicinal pot, some advocates say it's time to strengthen the shield.	*SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE* Jurors say they were duped: Wish they had heard pot defendant's medical defense Wednesday, February 5 -- Four of the 12 jurors who convicted medical marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal of federal cultivation charges stood beside Rosenthal Tuesday and called for a new trial, saying crucial facts had been withheld from them.
*NEWSWEEK* Court News: Going to pot Feb. 17 -- A San Francisco jury last week convicted self-described "Guru of Ganja"' Ed Rosenthal, 58, on federal charges of cultivating marijuana. But no sooner had they convicted him than half of the jurors complained the verdict was unfair. The reason: The judge barred defense lawyers from telling them Rosenthal had grown the pot to provide medical marijuana--legal in California--to patients with AIDS and cancer.	*NEWSDAY* 'Guru of Ganja' Stirring the Pot Sunday, February 9, 2003 - Ed Rosenthal, known as the "guru of ganja," will go to prison later this year for growing marijuana for medical use, although he was authorized to do so by the city of Oakland, unless an appeals court intervenes. But some medipot supporters say his conviction last week is already giving their cause a major boost.	*WASHINGTON POST* In Calif., Medical Marijuana Collective Loses Hope, Patients State Law Provides No Shelter From DEA Friday, February 7 -- Just last week in San Francisco, a man who had been deputized by the city of Oakland to grow marijuana for a local patients' cooperative was convicted by a jury in federal court on three felony charges of cultivating drugs. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
*OAKLAND TRIBUNE* Jurors tell Ed Rosenthal they're sorry Some say having all facts could have influenced verdict in medical pot case Wednesday, Feb 5 -- Half the jurors who Friday convicted pro-marijuana author and activist Ed Rosenthal of three federal felonies apologized to him Tuesday, saying they'd have voted differently had they known one more fact.	*SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER* Jurors: We've been had: Claim they were misled by judge's instructions. Wednesday, Feb 5 -- All landscaper Charles Sackett really wanted to do was go home to Sebastopol and prune his roses. But the soft-spoken foreman of the jury that convicted marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal last week said he couldn't sleep at night if he had.	*ALTERNET* Angry Rosenthal Jurors Call For New Trial February 5, 2003 -- In an extraordinary condemnation of federal drug war tactics, five jurors who convicted medical cannabis grower Ed Rosenthal of federal marijuana cultivation and conspiracy charges, held a press conference yesterday (Tuesday, Feb. 4) to apologize and to call for a new trial.
*REUTERS* Calif. Jurors Convict, Then Decry Marijuana Verdict Wed., February 5 - First the jury convicted one of America's most outspoken marijuana advocates on drug charges. Now, just days later, jurors are praising him, expressing unusual regret about their verdict and saying vital evidence was withheld from them.	*AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE* California Jury Denounces Its Own Medical Marijuana Verdict Wed., Feb 5 -- The U.S. government's campaign against medical marijuana was denounced today by California jurors who said they were deceived into convicting a celebrated medical cannabis grower.	*ASSOCIATED PRESS* Rosenthal remains free as jurors decry their own verdict Tuesday, Feb. 4 -- In a courtroom crowded with medical marijuana advocates wearing "Free Ed" buttons, a federal judge said Tuesday that convicted marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal is not a flight risk and allowed him to remain free on $500,000 bail pending his June sentencing.
*DRUGWAR.COM* A Peek Behind the Rosenthal Grand Jury Veil Tuesday, Feb. 4 -- Groping for an indictment of Ed Rosenthal from a California grand jury veering out of control, Assistant U.S. Attorney George L. Bevan, Jr sought some reply to a rebellious grand juror who'd just argued that most of the jury had probably voted for the state's 1996 medical marijuana initiative.	*ALTERNET* Jurors Denounce Their Own Verdict Monday, Feb. 3 -- After she and her fellow jurors found Ed Rosenthal guilty of federal marijuana cultivation and conspiracy charges in San Francisco last week, Marney Craig discovered that that she had made a terrible mistake.	*ASSOCIATED PRESS* Jurors in pot case decry their own verdict Monday, Feb 3 -- Jurors who convicted marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal of cultivation and other drug charges said Monday they would have acquitted him had they been told he was growing medical marijuana for the city of Oakland.
*SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER* Medical Pot Jury May Speak Out Monday, Feb 3 -- Sources told The Examiner that several members of the jury are planning to hold a press conference in support of Rosenthal before the sentencing hearing on Tuesday.	*SANTA ROSA PRESS DEMOCRAT* Jury left in dark at marijuana trial Might have acquitted Rosenthal if medical evidence allowed Monday, Feb 3 -- North Bay residents made up nearly half of the jury that found a marijuana advocate guilty in a high-profile federal medical marijuana trial -- and several are angry about the outcome.	*THE FORWARD* Marijuana Mitzvah? Support Growing for 'Guru of Ganja' Feb 14 - To the federal government, Ed Rosenthal is simply a drug pusher, an enemy combatant in the war on drugs. To folks like Jane Marcus, however, the Bronx-born Rosenthal is a hero - a Jewish hero, in fact, whose cultivation of marijuana for medicinal purposes qualifies as a life-saving "mitzvah."

ON THE VERDICT
*NEW YORK TIMES* Grower of Medical Marijuana Is Convicted on Federal Charges Saturday, Feb 1 -- A federal jury today found the author of marijuana books and advice columns, Ed Rosenthal, guilty of marijuana cultivation and conspiracy. Under mandatory sentencing laws, Mr. Rosenthal faces a minimum of five years in prison.	*SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE* Feds 1, Pot Advocates 0 Saturday, February 1 -- Prosecutors score huge win in battle against CA's medical marijuana law as 'Guru of Ganja' is found guilty.	*OAKLAND TRIBUNE* Rosenthal found guilty on cultivation charges Saturday, Feb 1 -- Renowned pro-marijuana author and activist Ed Rosenthal of Oakland was convicted Friday of all three marijuana cultivation charges he faced, capping a federal trial in which state and local medical marijuana laws afforded him no protection.
*SACRAMENTO BEE* Reluctant jury convicts medical pot grower Saturday, Feb 1 -- The man who has been called the Martha Stewart of marijuana was convicted by a reluctant federal jury Friday of supplying hundreds of pot seedlings to patients through Bay Area dispensaries.	*REUTERS* Jury Finds California Marijuana Guru Guilty Fri January 31 - A San Francisco jury on Friday convicted a pro-marijuana guru on federal charges of growing the drug -- a verdict that could land him in prison for life even though California deems his actions legal.	CANNABIS CULTURE Ed Rosenthal found guilty: Grow Guru to be sentenced in June Friday, Jan 31 -- For the last two weeks, I've been impressed by the solidarity of the marijuana community in regards to marijuana cultivation expert and publisher Ed Rosenthal, whose "Ask Ed" column graces every issue of Cannabis Culture.

ARTICLES ON THE TRIAL
*NEW YORK TIMES* Clash on Medical Marijuana Puts a Grower in U.S. Court Jan. 21, 2003 — As a marijuana celebrity, Ed Rosenthal has been on a career roll. The author of a dozen cannabis self-help books and a magazine advice column, "Ask Ed," Mr. Rosenthal is the pothead's answer to Ann Landers, Judge Judy, Martha Stewart and the Burpee Garden Wizard all in one.	*ABC NEWS* Pot’s Federal Showdown: Noted Pot Guru Goes on Trial for Growing Medical Marijuana Jan. 21 — An author of how-to books and columns on growing marijuana and getting away with it went on trial today on federal charges of illegally cultivating pot. The case against Ed Rosenthal represents the latest clash between federal agents and state and local authorities over the medical use of marijuana.	*SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE* Oakland authority on medical pot faces federal trial: He had been deputized to distribute Tuesday, January 21, 2003 -To his supporters, Ed Rosenthal is the sage of marijuana, the man to go to for advice on growing your own and staying out of trouble, and the city- approved supplier of medicinal pot for the desperately ill.
*ASSOCIATED PRESS* Marijuana author, others battle for marijuana rights Tuesday, January 21, 2003 — The federal marijuana cultivation trial of former High Times columnist Ed Rosenthal began Tuesday like so many drug cases. Prosecutor George Bevan told jurors that agents seized some 3,000 plants growing in Rosenthal's warehouse in Oakland. "It's a federal offense," Bevan said.	*ALTERNET* The Trial of Ed Rosenthal January 17, 2003 — A federal judge in San Francisco is blocking a jury from hearing evidence that could exculpate an outspoken medical marijuana activist. Ed Rosenthal, who is facing 20 years in prison on federal drug charges, believed himself to be immune from prosecution when he was deputized by the nearby city of Oakland in 1998 to cultivate cannabis for chronically ill patients.	*OAKLAND TRIBUNE* Judge tosses medical defense in pot trial 1/16/2003 -- Jury selection began Tuesday for the trial of pro-marijuana author and activist Ed Rosenthal of Oakland, who faces federal drug charges for growing marijuana under the state's medical marijuana law. But evidence of that state law and Oakland's city ordinances will be excluded from his trial....
*OAKLAND TRIBUNE* Selection of jury in pot case moved up 1/11/2003 -- Jury selection for the federal drug trial of pro-marijuana author and activist Ed Rosenthal of Oakland has been moved up due to a judge's concern about public opinion making it hard to find unbiased jurors.	*OAKLAND TRIBUNE* Trial looms for medical pot figure from Oakland 1/9/2003 -- It looks like pro-marijuana author and activist Ed Rosenthal of Oakland is headed for trial on federal drug charges.	*OAKLAND TRIBUNE* Dismissal sought in medical pot case 1/7/2003 -- Lawyers for marijuana authority Ed Rosenthal of Oakland argued Monday the federal government has singled him out for persecution and prosecution, a prelude to asking that the drug charges against him be dropped.
*OAKLAND TRIBUNE* Judge denies gag order request in pro-marijuana activist's case 1/24/2003 -- A federal judge on Thursday refused a prosecutor's request for a gag order in the trial of pro-marijuana author and activist Ed Rosenthal of Oakland. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said there's no evidence jurors have been biased by extensive media coverage of the trial so far.	*SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER* Judge weighs pot-trial gag: Examiner's front page cited in request to silence defendant Jan. 23 - The drug cultivation trial of medicinal marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal turned into a free speech battle Wednesday when the presiding judge said he was inclined to sign a media gag order and defense attorneys vowed to fight any such order.	*SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER* Pot-possession trial tests law: Oakland activist in landmark medical-use case Wednesday, Jan. 22 — Twelve-year-old Justine Rosenthal knows her daddy could spend the rest of his life in jail, but still thinks he did the right thing by risking his freedom for medicinal marijuana.
*SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN* POTSHOT: Trial pits California against the DEA; could signal demise of state's landmark medical marijuana law. Federal prosecutors are attempting to undermine California's medical marijuana laws by rejecting efforts by Oakland city officials to immunize medical cannabis grower Ed Rosenthal from federal prosecution.	*OAKLAND TRIBUNE* Marijuana grower's trial under way 1/22/2003 -- The criminal trial of a renowned pro-marijuana author and activist from Oakland began Tuesday, a microcosm of the conflict between state and federal laws on whether the drug can be used legally as medicine.	BAY CITY NEWS REPORT Prosecutors Begin Presenting Evidence in Medical Marijuana Trial Wednesday, Jan. 22 — Prosecutors began presenting evidence Tuesday that could put Oakland marijuana author Edward Rosenthal behind bars for the rest of his life on marijuana cultivation and conspiracy charges.
*SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER* Groundbreaking pot trial wraps up Friday, Jan 31 -- The bizarre trial of marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal ended Thursday just as it had begun: with the judge and the prosecution pounding into the jury's consciousness everything they were not allowed to consider in rendering their judgment.	*SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER* Defense gets key ruling in pot trial Thursday, Jan 30 -- In a surprising development, the federal judge presiding over the trial of medical marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal has decided to allow Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley to testify on the pot advocate's behalf.	*ALTERNET* Rosenthal's Federal Drug Trial Turns Surreal January 27, 2003 -- They viewed the glossy color photographs of meticulously tended marijuana mother plants flourishing under timed lights inside an Oakland, Calif. warehouse. Then they watched a videotape showing DEA agents uprooting nearby marijuana cuttings to determine which had roots, and could thus be considered "plants" under the federal sentencing guidelines.

ARTICLE ON THE ARREST

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Pot-growing icon takes raid in stride; DEA sees author as bad medicine
February 25, 2002 — For almost three decades, Ed Rosenthal has helped thousands of criminals commit a better crime. "I just give advice on how to cultivate a better garden," Rosenthal said. "It's not my fault that marijuana -- the plant that is my specialty -- is still illegal."