Leroy Stubblefield

Leroy Stubblefield

Leroy Stubblefield became the

first person in Oregon to have his

medical marijuana seized by federal

agents when they raided his home in

September 2002 and removed 12

plants from an indoor grow room.

Neither Stubblefield nor his two

caregivers—Steve Russell and

Clarence VanDehay—were arrested

during or since the raid.

Confined to a wheelchair since 1969, Stubblefield became

a quadriplegic after a serious car accident the day after he

returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam. He suffers from sleep

apnea and post-traumatic stress disorder, both of which his

doctors believe are linked to his combat experience. Medical

marijuana eases Stubblefield’s pain and reduces his reliance on

other medications, including methadone. He has been legally

certified as a medical marijuana patient under Oregon state

law since 1999; Russell and VanDehay are both state-licensed

medical marijuana caregivers.

State law permits up to seven plants (three mature, four

immature) per person, so the 12 plants seized from

Stubblefield and his caregivers were well within the legal

limits. The Portland-based Hemp & Cannabis Foundation

(THCF) replaced Stubblefield’s plants after the raid. On

January 13, THCF filed a lawsuit against the DEA and U.S.

Attorney General John Ashcroft, asking for an injunction

against future medical marijuana raids in Oregon. As this

newsletter went to press, no hearing date had been scheduled.