Date: August 22, 2006 9:41:38 PM PDT
Subject: RB: Renee Boje is finally free
Reefer refugee Renee Boje is finally free. In 1998 fearing persecution over
medical marijuana charges, Boje fled from the US to Canada on the advice of
her lawyer. Boje faced a 10 year mandatory minimum to life sentence in a US
Federal Prison for her minor involvement in a well known medical marijuana
and research garden owned by cancer patient and marijuana activist Todd
McCormick and best selling author and Aids patient Peter McWilliams.
In 2001 Boje Married Canadian marijuana activist and author Chris Bennett
and in 2002 she gave birth to their Canadian son, Shiva Sun Bennett. Many
had hoped that Boje's marriage to a Canadian and the birth of her Canadian
son would be enough for her to be allowed to stay in Canada and avoid the
ten year sentencing she was facing in the US. But sadly through the decision
of the same Justice Minister who allowed US authorities to raid Emery Seeds,
this was not to be the case.
As some may recall Boje lost her fight against US extradition when the
Liberal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler decided against her in 2005. Boje and
her family were devastated by the decision because they were told by her
lawyers that the Minister’s appeal was her best chance for winning her
freedom in Canada and that there was a 99% chance she would lose her appeal
in the higher courts with the current Conservative government in power. Boje
appealed Cotler's decision and in that intervening period she received an
offer from the US for a plea bargain and negotiations then were initiated
between Boje's Canadian lawyer John Conroy and Federal US Prosecutors in LA.
On August 10th Boje traveled to Los Angeles for an August 14th court date in
which she pled guilty to possession of ½ of a gram of marijuana. Judge
George H. King who was the judge throughout the McCormick and McWilliams
hearings sentenced Boje to one year’s probation, giving her permission to
reside in Canada with her family. Boje returned to Canada on August 15th and
Canadian officials almost denied her entry into Canada, but relented and let
her stay for one week while a decision about her status was in the works at
Immigration Canada. In the end after a week of worrying she might be
deported Canadian Immigration officials granted Boje a 6 month visitors
permit, which will likely give her time to secure Canadian citizenship so
she can remain in Canada permanently with her family.
Attached is a photo of Renee Boje and her son Shiva Bennett taken today by
her friend Tim.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
To unsubscribe from freerenee, send a message to
