Marijuana Madness, May15th Amsterdam

“so grand the gift, so small the sin”

I am driving along the same motorway that circles Utrecht as I have a hundred times before, anticipating the pleasures of the Paradiso that night, the Magic Balloon Companies once in a lifetimes’ annual event. It is about lunchtime 2 days after Christmas 006 and I am following the flow of traffic which is medium to heavy, minding my own business. I had stopped for a coffee and took my medicine an hour ago and less than an hour to the boat and Amsterdam . A motorcycle cop appears on my tail, where the … did he come from and he overtakes and beckons me to follow him until he eventually pulls some way off the road to waste ground. I sit there some 15 metre away while he spends time on his radio, his back to me, I wonder if he is having a problem getting through..

Eventually, he gets off his bike, comes over and I get out of the car. I decided that I would be stoic, patient to his demands, resigned and undemonstrative, the Dutch police in my limited experience the best in the world, tolerant and fair, and I try to avoid lying, its’ easier that way, especially to the Police. The officer opens my car door, puts his head inside and he asks if I had been smoking Marijuana, I replied that I had taken my medicine an hour ago and he said that he was arresting me, my first time  in 40 years driving, your never too old.

He called up reinforcements, about a dozen in all in 5 different vehicles who crawled over mine. I owned up to the 3 grams of Marijuana, my medicine, they found in the boot of the car as I had a dozen or so times previously without consequences in the past 3 years by police in France and England as well as Holland, ever since owning the boat.

In England and France , they give me my medicine back.

I was driven by a different police officer to the Station in Utrecht . We did not feel like talking much though she agreed that it was the attitude of the local community rather than the laws that decided an individual’s code of behaviour.

At the station in Utrecht , I was put in the cell, it had been a long day as I had been up since 4a.m and it was now late afternoon and I nodded off. I am sure it would get sorted out. Clang of the keys, back into the main office where it seemed Christmas was still being celebrated by a team of officers and no screaming prisoners, the Dutch police are the best.  I had a chat with the tribal Chief and he was magnanimous in acknowledging the Maastricht research that for regular users of Pot drove slower than those who drank alcohol or nothing. Was I getting complacent, I certainly relaxed after this conversation. My car insurance company give me maximum no claims bonus, I have never had an accident in over 40 years driving and have never been arrested.

 I believe the sequence of events was that the arresting officer asked if I admitted to speeding and could I pay the fine. It went through my mind that I did not think that I had been speeding as I was following the flow of traffic that was rather heavy so everyone else must have been speeding too but that if he said that I was, then it must be true. I also pondered that if I had not have been speeding then, I might well have on another occasion, best just to get it over with and be on my way.  How stupid can I be?

He then informed me that my license was going to be taken away from me and I would have to apply to the Utrecht police to get it back and I was not allowed to use my car, loaded with Xmas luggage,  as my wife and kids were joining me in 2 days for the New Years celebration.  After the fine of 250 euros for speeding cleaned me out, no cards taken, the arresting policeman said that the doctor was to be called for him to jam a needle in my arm for blood and also to take an attentive urine sample, I had no choice.  The blood and alcohol results eventually showed that I had a very low level of thc in my blood and no trace of anything else apart from three slices of Christmas cake, was it was the marzipan that done it..

Fortunatley, Lexus are supposed to be the best cars in the world(maybe) but the dealer in Breukelen is, thank you Paul and thank you Hank and Sandra too, and actually my 17 year old motor is the best in the World since you might as well love the one I am with. They came to the station and eventually drove me and my car to Amsterdam and then took the car back to Breukelen.

Several months later, out of the blue, I receive in England a single sided typed sheet in Dutch telling me to appear in the court in Utrecht , November 2007. What now!

On the day with my lawyer/ translator at the back, me at the front of court, the prosecution outlined new and news to me that I had been driving dangerously under the affects of a large amount of THC according to the forensic department of the Police. There had been no previous mention of this at the Police station. When I had originally agreed to speeding, I had no idea he was claiming that I was driving at 140kph’ I was shocked. I would also like to question his assertion that he had to wake me up several times to continue his questioning. I must admit that I adopted a resigned stoic attitude, be resigned to my fate. There is also a tendency to drive to the right hand side of the lane in a LHD car, could this be what he meant? His accusations are ridiculous.

 The Judge in Utrecht asked if I would like briefly to say anything and I said there were three things I’d briefly like to say starting with that the prosecution was talking out of her arse. Little did I know the effect this would have, I got no further, my license was taken away for 6 months and I was fined a further 650 euros. After, the Judge added that I could hand over my written precedents and sources in my defence and did I want to appeal. Yes please, thank you!

I get to keep my license for now. But I broke the number one rule. The power of words to shock, I bloody hope so. Maybe it is because I am so polite normally.  Excuse my presumption in claiming to be a poet. I live in wonder and hope the Court will take my comments as genuine poetic license. All of this in a country whose history and tolerance enabled me to see everything with rose coloured spectacles, some say everything happens for a reason.

What next, 30,000 klm later, at the appeal court in Amsterdam 4 pm May 15 Prinsengracht.  Apparently, if we ask to interview the arresting Policeman, he will refer to the notes and say that is what he had written down at the time and he cannot remember anything else and the Court always accepts his word, so easy and convenient, his justice. After the letter,  a knock on the door?

And the insane part is that if I won the case, I could still lose my licence. The licensing issuing authority will refuse a driving license to those guilty of driving under the effects of Pot, even though it stays in your blood for up to 28 days. The beauracracy directed by right wing Christian Government in the US policy spreading their tentacles, praying together, with God on their side, chests out, filled with pride, don’t stop, no time to think, even as the corpses stink.

And their enemy, A gift of nature and a plant divine, used by man since ancient times

I feel that it is not me but Mother Nature that is being persecuted by the young arresting officer representing the States. 

Despite everything, this is still the best there is. If we do not, who else can? 

Are we blind to the agenda of others?  

Do not forget, our parents fought so we would have the right.

I have been a registered medical marijuana user for over 10 years and have been smoking it for over 40. When I originally asked my local doctor if I could be registered as a Medical Marijuana user, he said that he would be happy to after I explained my symptoms but my Life Insurance Company, in the case of my death, might refuse to pay out if I was a Marijuana smoker. He suggested that he would write in my records that I was a medical marijuana user but he would write in such a way that he would be the only person who could read his writing. Recently, when I went to him to ask for a letter, he said the Life Insurance companies had changed their policy no longer outlawing Pot users and he commented on how many of his patients seem to benefit from it and he was happy to attest.

My kids tell that I am more relaxed and do not shout at them after a joint? Really!

It also eases the ache I occasionally get from the varicose veins in my left leg. Would you like to see? And another things too, see attached ---------------”so grand the result, so small the sin”

Frankly, I would rather not be classified as an idiot maverick or a tragic hero, a criminal I am not so sure.

Mother Nature provides,

Viva!

Richard Jakubowski