Letter from Todd McCormick

Dear Friends,

I am sad to inform you all that I am having to turn myself in to the federal marshals this morning at 9:00 AM at the downtown L.A. Federal building. I will be appearing before the court at 2:PM. It so appears that I am being accused of violating pre-trial service agreements by testing positive for THC shortly after a magistrate judge ordered me to stop using my prescription Marinol.

It appears to me that the court does not understand the science behind THC or how long it stays in a patients system. I cannot understand how they could expect a person prescribed 3 to 4, 10mg marinol caps per day to suddenly have no THC in their system so shortly after being forced off the medication. I thought the court was expecting to watch the THC levels to drop gradually and not just disappear. But it seems it is so important in this tense political war over a flower to control the medical use of any and all cannabinoids that the government sent no less than ten to twelve federal marshals to pick up one medical marinol user.

Which leads me to this letter.

It is a very strange feeling to have to think; tomorrow my life could end as I now know it, what should I do tonight…

Of course seeing and talking with my friends is a huge priority. In federal prison only immediate family and lawyers can visit me. So, I have never written an open letter to all my friends at once, but then, even when I had cancer ten times it did not feel as though someone was trying to intentionally hurt me, now I can see the people that hold the power over our freedom and our health but shed the responsibility of compassion and hide behind the shield of bureaucracy.

If I were to have one thing to say before I walk off to prison it would be:

Do not be daunted by their cruelty, PLEASE continue to fight for the freedom we know we genuinely deserve. The government may hope by attacking me and others they dissuade you from standing up and demanding change.

Lyricist from an old Steppenwolf song called "The Ostrich" just came to mind, I might as well share them while I have the chance.

Don’t criticize the fatherland or those that shape your destiny, cause if you do, you’ll loose your job, your mind and all the friends you knew, we’ll send out our boys in blue, they’ll find a way to silence you."

And they say music doesn’t influence a child, Ha!

While your checking out old sixty’s tunes for inspiration, be sure to listen closely to Steppenwolf’s other major influence over my youth titled "Don’t step on the grass Sam". You guessed it, Marihuana and Uncle Sam.

Well then, I send my love to all and hope for a beam of light to shine down upon the law makers that hold us all hostage in this "War on Drugs".

Wage Peace.