Why is Paul Stanford not being held accountable?
Paul Stanford, (King Bong,Willamette Week, December 12, 2007, Pitkin) is once again the recipient of some well-deserved negative publicity in the local and recent television news.
October 15, 2014, KATU reporter Bob Heye: “Land owner Larry Trow, says he was forced to destroy medical marijuana plants. Trow said Paul Stanford signed a $30,000 lease to grow the medical marijuana on his property on behalf of other Oregon Medical Marijuana Program cardholders. Trow said Stanford never made his $30,000 lease payment and eventually ignored his phone calls. Stanford never returned KATU's called either.”
I have known Paul Stanford since 2002, when I received my first medical marijuana card through him. Because of that connection and my background as a police officer, detective and writer who supported the medical marijuana movement for those people who need the medical benefits the medication provides, I was asked to appear as a guest on Stanford's “Cannabis Common Sense” cable access Television program. Later, Stanford asked me to be the co-host, a position I maintained regularly for a bit over four and ½ years. I also wrote a weekly editorial on marijuana reform in the state of Oregon, delivering that editorial by reading it aloud on the program. Furthermore, I worked full-time hours for Paul Stanford beginning in 2006, in the The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, (THCF) medical offices for over a year.
While there, I answered phones, provided the service of examining (in a superficial context) patient medical records, (for qualifying conditions). Additionally, I facilitated the patient flow of twenty five to thirty appointments per day in other ways. During this time, I got to know Stanford very well. He revealed himself to me, not only by the things he said during our conversations but by witnessing his actions, which were by definition far more tell-tale than anything he may have said to me, the media or any others.
If a man is known by his public reputation, then the quintessential Paul, (King Bong) Stanford, has a lot to worry about. He is according to state records a college drop out. He attended Portland State, but never graduated, not a major offense at all, but there are others, and they are listed as follows...
Stanford admits to have supported himself by selling marijuana from illegal grow operations. He's been arrested twice and spent five months in a state penitentiary. He is therefore by definition an ex-convict.
“Basically Paul Stanford is a thief.” So says Bruce McKinney a Microsoft millionaire who gave Stanford $100,000 to initiate a campaign to legalize marijuana in Washington state. McKinney had to sue Stanford claiming $63,000disappeared while in Stanford's hands, including $4,200 spent on a Ford Thunderbird. Stanford admits he never paid it back. McKinney wrote “He (Stanford) has a long history of deceit and betrayal.”
Paul Stanford is an evasive, deceptive business man. Stanford was investigated by the IRS. A department of Justice, spokeswoman Victoria Cox has said, “This is a million dollar organization that is being run like a lemonade stand.”
In 2010 the IRS revoked the (THCF) status as a 503 (c) (3).
In May 2011, Stanford plead guilty to income-tax evasion and received a sentence of 18 months' probation and 160 hours of community service.
In 2006, the year I worked for Stanford in his medical offices, Department of Justice investigative auditor Douglas Pearson said Stanford received $100, 000 to cover “personal expenses,”
From the very first, I found Stanford's public persona of the smiling activist, concerned with helping sick folks obtain the necessary permits to legally purchase cannabis, ultimately, a facade. Most of his actions were that of a hypocrite. “I want THCF to be my brand, nationwide, just like Jim Beam is nationwide for drinkers,” he told me several times. This indicated to me that he was more motivated by his own self-interest, personal glorification and empire building than he was in helping the sick people who needed medical marijuana for chronic and terminal illness.
I began to notice the hypocrisy early on in my association with Stanford. It began with questions coming in from the television show viewing audience via phone patch, a telephone question and answer session following numerous cable access television programs. Most questions concerned the how-to of growing cannabis, expertly answered by Stanford and myself. These questions usually concerned which brands of fertilizer were the best, whether or not to use hydroponics as a grow system and other pertinent issues regarding harvesting, knowing when the trichromes are fully formed and indicative of a healthy ready to harvest plant and other details of growing.
Another constant question was, “How long after smoking marijuana should I wait to drive a vehicle?” The stock answer was, “Wait four hours before driving.” A sensible, honest and accurate answer, I always thought. However after every television show, Stanford held an an after-party at the medical offices, where snacks and beverages were served along with smoking and vaporizing lots of marijuana.
Then we all drove home.
This practice went on all during the time I was associated with Stanford. I admit I was sucked into this hypocrisy too. It afforded me the opportunity to rub elbows with some of the greats in the movement, Jack Herer, Dr. Tod Mikuriya, Elvy Musikka, Indian activist John Trudell, and of course Tommy Chong. It was fun and exciting. The problem was that most of or some of these people would also drink alcohol while consuming marijuana, which I never condoned. I smoked marijuana but always refused to drink, because having been a traffic copI knew how deadly that combination could be.
Many times when I rode with Stanford in his vehicle, to out of town events, he would drive and while driving would inhale marijuana vapor from a vapor bag. “No worries” he'd say, “there's no telltale smell to marijuana vapor.” He would be higher than a kite and driving down the road. The truth is Stanford can smoke more marijuana than anyone I know, and still function. I always knew it was the wrong thing for him to be doing. It was “don't do as I do, do as I say.” It was blatant hypocrisy and damned dangerous too.
One aspect of my association with Stanford that now troubles me is the memory of the “show and tell” part of his program. Stanford acquired over time, an extensive and thoroughly expensive collection of cannabis products made legally before 1937. Among these collectible objects were marijuana cigarettes for asthma, powdered hash, chocolate covered cannabis pills, specialty salves and poultices, and even cannabis foot medication for corns, as well as cannabis medications used for ailing horses by those working in animal husbandry. These collectors items were purchased with funds from the 501 (c) (3) non profit that Stanford operated. When the IRS removed Stanford's non-profit status in 2010; who then now owns this collection worth thousands of dollars?
Many times at the end of the working day at the medical clinic, I transported the office cashier to the bank to deposit the days receipts. The cashier would bring back new $100 dollar bills, and pay the doctor in cash with the hundreds as I watched. During the time Stanford was paying the doctor with crisp hundreds, he twice bounced my paycheck. Other employees suffered the same infuriating problem, with Stanford always apologizing, telling us the checks would be good in a “day or two.” This was 2006 when IRS investigator Douglas Pearson said Stanford received $100, 000 to cover “personal expenses.”
During the clinics, I watched as normally twenty five to thirty patients a day, received their new medical permit cards; only to leave the building with one question? Where can I get my first bag of marijuana? At that time Stanford partnered with Oregon Norml, operated by Madeline Martinez. Norml charged $35.00 a year to join, and they met monthly behind closed doors. New patient members might receive a gram of cannabis and perhaps a one plant start to get them growing. But the meetings were used by growers, trolling for new patients. Promises were made by growers to furnish the patient with an agreed on amount of marijuana. Greedy growers would charge new patients money to buy their grow lights, fans, and soil, and then tell the patient it takes about four months to grow your medicine. At the medical office I continually answered the phone fielding complaints by patients about how their grower had ripped them off in one way or another. Patients might receive a little cannabis from the grower, and then be told the crop was stolen, the cops got it, spider mites ate it all or mold ruined it. The patient-grower system was rife with corruption and greed and sick and ailing patients were suffering because of it.
The “let's get medicated and then drive home”hypocrisy was perpetuated by Norml and Madeline Martinez. When Norml meetings were held at the old Mt Tabor theater-turned pub, the bar was open for business as well, and alcohol was sold and consumed by many. Norml meeting's usually lasted about two hours. The locked doors would then be opened and everyone drove home, a fact not lost on the Portland police. It wasn't possible to tell the police that you just came from a two hour Norml meeting and and were not high. You were busted,
It was obvious that Stanford's only real interest was in certifying twenty five or thirty patients daily at $160.00 a clip, with no real concern for their further future needs as medical marijuana patients. After a year of working for Stanford it was clear to me that my initial observations of him were correct. The smiling persona of the chubby concerned activist, wanting to help the sick was at best a cruel ruse. Gradually, I backed away from the dishonesty, hypocrisy and greed and terminated my relationship with Stanford and Martinez.
The lesson for all is to realize who Paul Stanford is; for when you combine gross hypocrisy with gross dishonesty you get Paul Stanford. His record is clear and speaks for itself.
Caveat Emptor.
By Don DuPay