Russ you spoke out without really knowing any of the facts about the case of how much time and money Dana has invested on his own for the cause. Have you spoken to Dana since this happened?

Having said that if you use marijuana weather to injest it or to sell it to fund whatever you should support legalization groups. Those that dont piss me off too. Perhaps you should be more focused on changing the laws in order to end prohibition then worrying about the price and who's doing what to raise funds.

We dont need people to flood the market we need to be able to grow our own without going to jail for it.

There seems to be some judgmental people here who are deeply offended by the concept of profit.

You can be sure Dana has a good lawyer and hopefully he/she will do a good job.

If I had 150 pounds to transport across the country, I would probably rent a cessna. It is much harder to get pulled over.

Russ, does a NORML outreach coordinator get paid? I know for a fact that I sponsored events and such for legalization for years and 13 years later I still get blacklisted by people that are supposed to be my friends when it comes to employment opportunities. Yeah, they are worried about the image of their business. The police like to call up my employers when I do have a job and talk shit about me and try to get me fired. So what if Dana made a buck with what he is expert at . . . I'll bet you get paid Russ.

Dana is a political prisoner plain and simple. He is no smuggler. In fact, his work in finding cures for addiction and legalization of pot is aimed at putting all smugglers out of business. Law enforcement needs to understand that busting someone with Dana's long activism for legalizing the very herb for which he was arrested is in fact quieting dissent with police action. Let him go, back to the village.

You can see him again in prison, during visiting.

Everyone needs to relax on this, Russ made good points. Unless we find out that he planned on giving it all away for free, it DOES seem that hes trying to make a quick buck which doesn't help the legalization movement at all. You people are acting as though Russ said Dana should rot in jail, all he said was he SEEMS as though Dana was trying to take advantage of a corrupt system. No one has said anything against Dana's character or that he isn't a nice guy or that this isn't tragic. This isn't a place for people to trash someone for their opinion, and for someone to suggest Russ give up his position is just plain ludicrous.

schmoo wrote "Russ Belville should resign from Normal or be fired for these ignorant and back biting comments which prove that he knows nothing and is a fool. I am amazed that Normal would have someone working for them as 'Outreach Coordinator' who knows so little, and yet is such a big asshole."
amen schmoo, amen.

My, what kind and thoughtful responses! "Smellville", now that's creative. Haven't heard that one since third grade.

I'm always open for constructive dialog. I'm always open to education. But taunts of "asshole" and threats of "pie-ing" don't fit that bill. With p.r. tactics like this, it's no wonder the Yippie generation couldn't get it legalized.

So if someone can explain the altruistic intent that gets one busted for 150lbs driving cross-country, I'm listening. If 150lbs was being donated for free to suffering patients, I'll gladly apologize. If the $450,000 that can be made off 150lbs was going to reform orgs to help make the business legit, I'll change my tune.

But if someone is trafficking 150lbs to sell at grossly inflated prohibitionary prices for personal profit, then a bust and half-million bail is the cost of doing business, no? If you can't do the time...

I'm tired of dealers (and I have no evidence Beal was one, so hold off on your next curse) making bank off of pot consumers then complaining to NORML how unfair ir is when they get caught. I'm tired of trying to tell the public that pot consumers are normal law-abiding citizens, then having to defend someone busted trafficking 150lbs of weed cross country, especially when it is likely it came from California and our opponents will seize on that to say, "See, we told you medical marijuana is being abused by criminals!", thereby endangering the medical marijuana system for everyone.

People selling weed at ridiculous prohibition prices have as much vested interest in keeping weed illegal as the cops and prosecutors who bust them. If every dealer flooded the market with $20/ounce weed, this prohibition would be over in a month.

As for Dana, as I said before, he seems to be a nice man and he has done so much to try and legalize cannabis, so maybe my comments were too personalized. I'm writing in general terms here.

And finally, no matter the circumstance, nobody deserves jail for weed, period. However, I will reserve more sympathy for college kids losing a student loan and retired folks in need of medicine than someone trafficking 150lbs.

If you want to speak to me man to man about it, feel free to call 347-994-1810 next Saturday between 9-11pm ET. You can even call me an asshole; my show has no FCC regs to worry about.

Russ Belville should resign from Normal or be fired for these ignorant and back biting comments which prove that he knows nothing and is a fool. I am amazed that Normal would have someone working for them as 'Outreach Coordinator' who knows so little, and yet is such a big asshole.

never been driving down that stretch of I-80.....

i could care less. FREE HIM! dont want weed people in prison cuz ITS STUPID!