Honorable (Name of Judge),

I (Your Name) write you this message in the name of the Most High and ask that you read its
contents in good health and wisdom. I am a Christian, sister and a daughter. I’m writing to you
because I was arrested on August 24th 2010 by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department
during a sting operation and have been charged with violating H & S Code 11360(a). I therefore
am writing to you to explain my actions which will, I believe rightfully so, lead to the conclusion
of striking this count in the interest of justice.

I was arrested for trading two ounces of Cannabis Sativa for two San Francisco 49er tickets
and $200. I found an ad on Craigslist.com where a person was trying to sell two San Francisco
49er tickets. I responded to the ad and asked if he/she was interested in a trade for an ounce of
medical Cannabis Sativa. I was contacted by an undercover officer and we arranged a meeting.
He later called and asked if I could add an extra ounce and for how much. Since I had never
done this before, we settled on a price of $100. I later called him back and asked if we could
make it $200. He agreed and we arranged the meeting. When we met at the arranged location, I
exchanged the Cannabis Sativa for the two tickets and the $200. I was then arrested and taken
back to my residence where a search of my residence was conducted.

During the search, I had to endure intense humiliation at the hands of the San Bernardino
Sheriff’s Officers. While I was sitting near a window, every time a car would pass the officers
would ask “Is that your boyfriend? He left you and he doesn’t care about you!” I ask you, where
was the humanity in this situation? The lack of respect was stunning! If my boyfriend would
have been involved in a tragic accident, would they have behaved in the same manner? Was it
their intent to anger me? I can see no other reason why they would behave in such a manner.
What was their motivation to get me angry? And what was their purpose for their behavior? Do
the derive pleasure from arresting and taunting helpless people in handcuffs? The nature of the
crime didn’t warrant such behavior. Even the court demands a certain level of respect! Human
decency demands even a minimal amount of respect. I was treated like a criminal for an act that
my beliefs and faith tell me is the right thing to do. All this was done to me even though I
complied with every request and demand that was asked of me.

Let us examine the nature of Cannabis Sativa. It is a plant that has two forms, the male and
the female. The male form of the plant is called hemp and is useful for clothing, rope, wood,
lotions, paper, and a great many other items, and has been used for over 8,000 years as such.
Our amazing country’s founding documents; the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of
Independence are written on hemp paper. George Washington, our first president, pictured on
the $1 bill was a hemp farmer. The female form of the plant has tremendous medical benefits
and potential. In fact, the so-called cannabinoid receptors found throughout the body and in
particular, in the brain, are called such from research conducted of cannabis use. Study after
study demonstrates the overwhelming evidence that Cannabis Sativa does not only provide a
user with medical benefits, but also serves as a spiritual nourishment for me and a great many
other Cannabis Sativa users.

Cannabis is currently, and I believe irrationally so, located on the Controlled Substances Act.
This means that it is not recognized as having any medical benefits. This is clearly not true from
an academic perspective and even less true from an anecdotal perspective. The federal
government’s contention that cannabis has a “high potential” for abuse is inconsistent because
research into toxicity and dependence from cannabis use has not been sanctioned or allowed to
be researched. For example, the National Institute on Drug Abuse only studies the deleterious
effects of the drug. Now how can I receive a fair and impartial hearing on this matter if all the
evidence I would need is being systematically suppressed by our own federal government?
Moreover, there have been countless studies in the United States that show that THC and other
derivatives from Cannabis Sativa have abundant therapeutic uses. I have attached one such
study, with many more in my possession that I will make available upon request. Here is what
Jerome P. Kassirer, M.D. has to say about this subject, “I believe that a federal policy that
prohibits physicians from alleviating suffering by prescribing marijuana for seriously ill patients
is misguided, heavy-handed, and inhumane. Marijuana may have long-term adverse effects and
its use may presage serious addictions, but neither long-term side effects nor addiction is a
relevant issue in such patients. It is also hypocritical to forbid physicians to prescribe marijuana
while permitting them to use morphine and meperidine to relieve extreme dyspnea and pain.
With both these drugs the difference between the dose that relieves symptoms and the dose that
hastens death is very narrow; by contrast, there is no risk of death from smoking marijuana. To
demand evidence of therapeutic efficacy is equally hypocritical. The noxious sensations that
patients experience are extremely difficult to quantify in controlled experiments. What really
counts for a therapy with this kind of safety margin is whether a seriously ill patient feels relief
as a result of the intervention, not whether a controlled trial “proves” its efficacy.”

In Genesis 1:29 from my New International Version, it reads, “"I give you every seed-bearing
plant on the face of this whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be
yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures
that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for
food." and it was so”. Now as a Christian, how am I to interpret this? This is clear-cut and to the
point. The Cannabis Sativa plant is a plant put here by the Most High for the benefit of His
perfect creations. I use this plant when I am meditating and when I have severe menstrual
cramps. It alleviates my pain and allows me to think clearly. It puts me in the right state of
understanding. I believe that God is the highest truth a person can understand. 2 + 2 = 4 is a
truth, but whose life is better for knowing that knowledge. But to know that God exists and to
treat your fellow man as you would be treated, what higher truth can one know? Through the
Most High’s Word, I live my life. To act as a servant to him and to treat others with love and
compassion. Now, I know that I broke a law created by man, but I have not broken any such law
in the eyes of what I believe. In fact the two laws are contradictory to one another. I am called
to follow the higher law.
 I studied and graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a Bachelors degree in
Chicano Studies. I love working with children. In them, I see the future of mankind. I worked
with two programs where I worked in a hands-on situation working with children. One site I
worked at was Lopez Elementary in the capacity as an after-school program leader. If you ask
any of the 5th graders in that area, they would know who I am and speak of me in a positive light.
I’m in the process of starting my own business: a tutoring service. I love the idea of teaching and
would gladly tutor those less fortunate for free. It would be a dream-come-true if I was ever
hired for a teaching position. I am not making any excuses for my actions. I broke a law and I
am here to make right what I did wrong. It was a foolish mistake, and it is one that I would
never do again. There are better ways to give medicine to people. I would gladly get all the
licenses and prescriptions from somebody instead of doing it illegally: pursuing legal avenues.
For breaking the law, I am gladly willing to make amends. I would happily pay a fine or serve
community service. I already perform much community service. My record is clean. But what
I’m charged with would undue all the good I’ve done to this point. All the good I have done and
the potential good I can do for my community far out-weighs the negatives’ from this one act. I
can be used as a vessel to do good by the court system. It would be a detriment to the society at
large if this five years of studying wasn’t allowed to be put to good use, and for what? Trading
an ounce of Cannabis Sativa, which I thought would help another person could take away my
chances of becoming a teacher and helping many needy children. My intent was honest. I never
even intended to make any monetary gain. The undercover officer initiated the sell. I only asked
for a trade: no money was ever mentioned until he asked about the sell. He asked me to include
an extra ounce. I was so confused that I didn’t even know how much to ask him for. Since I had
no work at the time, I asked him for $200 instead of $100. I thought he could use this medical
plant so I agreed to add the extra ounce. I was wrong to go about it in that way. With a felony
conviction, my future would be ruined: I could never be hired for a teaching position for the sole
reason of trying to help another human being by giving him a plant with numerous medical
benefits. Nearly 1 in 2 voters in our last election wanted to make it legal outright! How can
something where nearly 1 in 2 people agree that it should be legal be so severely punishable? It
would be a waste of tax-payers money to try this case where many of the jurors might see
Cannabis Sativa as helpful. One great idea I believe would be appropriate in this case would be
a PC1000 diversion program. I would willingly submit to such a program.

I have already lost so much because of this whole ordeal. I was evicted from my residence.
All of my property was seized. It’s hard for me to even get access to the internet to find a job for
the fact that all of my devices were taken. These last few months have been a real struggle. But
with the Grace of The Most High, many people have helped me. From the fruits of my work in
the community, I was asked, and will accept God-willing, to be a commissioner for the Cultural
Arts Committee in Pomona. I am looking forward to serving the citizens of Pomona and helping
raise the cultural awareness of the people in my community.

Above everything, I would like to thank this court system and all the police for helping me to
learn this life-changing lesson. The lesson I have learned is that a person should take all laws
seriously. I was care-less and now I am care-full. Careful to observe all laws. Just because my
beliefs allow me to use this plant, I now know that I still need to obtain the proper paperwork to
be in compliance with the law also. “Pay to Caesar what is Caesars, and pay to God what is
God’s”. The state allows people to use this plant with the proper paperwork. It’s simply not
worth it. I would love an opportunity to take this message to kids. That nobody should not use
this plant unless they have the proper paperwork from the state.

It’s clear to me and all around me, that my life has changed in a profound way. Again I
would like to say that I thank this court system and all the police for helping me to learn this life-
changing lesson. I’ll make a believer out of you! So if you could strike this count your honor, it
would be in the interest of justice.

One Among Equals

(Your Name)