Report: Congressman Frank was present during 2007 marijuana bust

By Stephen C. Webster
Saturday, November 7th, 2009 -- 4:25 pm
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barneyfranksmile Report: Congressman Frank was present during 2007 marijuana bustTipped off by two unnamed individuals, MyFox Boston claims to have unearthed a police report placing Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) at the home of his longtime partner when police arrested the man and charged him with marijuana cultivation, possession and paraphernalia.

In a telephone interview, Frank acknowledged he was present for the bust but denied knowledge that James Ready was growing cannabis. He reportedly told police during the August, 2007 incident that he only smokes cigars and would not be able to identify marijuana if he came across it.

Charges against Ready were dropped after he admitted to possession and paid a fine, MyFox added.

Congressman Frank, while professing to be unable to identify cannabis if he came across it, is no stranger to progressive positions on its prohibition. In April 2008, he proposed federal legislation that would have removed penalties for adult possession of the plant. Appearing on Real Time with Bill Maher, he jokingly referred to it as the "Make Room for Serious Criminals Bill."

“I think it is poor law enforcement to keep on the books legislation that establishes as a crime something which in fact society does not seriously wish to prosecute," he said in a media advisory. "In my view, having federal law enforcement agents engaged in the prosecution of people who are personally using marijuana is a waste of scarce resources better used for serious crimes."

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Frank was also a co-sponsor of Rep. Ron Paul's (R-TX) bill that sought to legalize the farming of industrial hemp. Hemp is a drug-free relative of cannabis and can be used to make thousands of commercial goods, from food to paper, clothing, hygiene products and more. It is currently illegal to grow hemp in the United States.

Speaking to MyFox Boston reporter Alison Bologna, Frank called the arrest of his partner "one of those unfortunate incidents that happened in the past." Pressed by the reporter on whether he had seen Ready's cannabis, he said, "I didn't see it, the police didn't charge me with seeing it. It was out of sight of where I was; it was around the other side of the house."

Court records did not mention Frank's presence at time of the arrest, the report noted. However, sources who tipped off the news organization claimed the original police report listed the congressman as a witness.

This video is from MyFox Boston, broadcast Nov. 6, 2009.

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Story comments are below...

  • joealmedia
    Barney Frank is an embarrassment. Several years ago this liberal fagot's roommate was running a male brothel from the Barney Frank apartment and Barney played dumb to that as well. Well.. time to kick his ass out and throw him in Jail.. oh wait, never mind .. he will like jail.
  • RFWoodstock
    Valid medicinal value, it’s a victimless crime, the War on Drugs WAY too costly, too many arrests for simple possession, tax it and use the money to pay for health insurance and to reduce the deficit…Need I say more?

    Woodstock Universe supports legalization of Marijuana.

    Add vote in our poll about legalization at http://www.woodstockuniverse.com.

    Current poll results…97% for legalization, 3% against.

    Listen to RADIO WOODSTOCK 69 which features only music from the original Woodstock era (1967-1971) and RADIO WOODSTOCK with music from the original Woodstock era to today’s artists who reflect the spirit of Woodstock. Watch Woodstock TV.

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  • Zzzzzzzz... who cares????

    And I heard Dick Cheney was present when an old man got shot in the face.
    And George Bush was present when the decision was made to kill thousands of US troops in Iraq
    And Larry Craig was present in a men's room when a man tried to get blown (Larry Craig)
    And George Bush was present in a bar in Alabama snorting coke off a stripper's ass instead of performing his assigned duties in the ANG.

    Who gives a crap about marijuana? There are more important things to worry about!
  • name1234566789
    Did FOX 'news' miss the memo: no one under 60 cares anymore. Arresting cannabis users is a waste of police resources, just as this inane 'report' is a waste of scarce journalistic resources.
  • wifather2000
    About all the war on drugs has accomplished is a massive expansion of government and a wholesale destruction of our rights and the Constitution. All at our great expense. What ever happened to a government of the people, by the people, and for the people??
  • pricklygirl
    I don't get why this is being hyped now. The incident happened in 2007, and according to HuffPo, Mr. Frank was interviewed by the Boston Globe and Fox25, so it wasn't a secret in the first place. Seems like a sensationalistic attempt to damage a great Senator to me...
  • jsknow
    Legalize marijuana NOW!

    No one of any age in all of recorded history has ever died from the ingredients in marijuana. NO ONE! It's almost completely nontoxic and has many beneficial uses.

    The goals of the drug war are to reduce drug related death, disease, crime and drug use. It has accomplished NONE of those goals after almost 100 years of prohibition policy, over 1 trillion tax dollars wasted, ever tougher criminal penalties, arresting millions of Americans, removing an ever increasing list of our Constitutional rights and all the other effort and resources that have been put into this failed wasteful and harmful unproductive policy.

    The Constitutional right to freedom of religion, free speech, a free press, to keep and bear arms, to be secure in your person, house, papers and effects against unreasonable search and seizure, to life, liberty and property, to be protected from having your property taken by the government without due process of law and without just compensation, to confront the witnesses against you, to be protected from excessive bail, excessive fines, cruel and unusual punishment, to vote and others have been unjustly denied to millions of Americans in the name of the drug war.

    More information about drug laws from Just Say Know:
    Using Internet Explorer web browser: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home
    With All Other Browsers: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html
  • WJM51
    No, they TOLD US the drug war was to "reduce drug related death, disease, crime and drug use". When you look at the history of it, the reality is far different. In 1913, CA made cannabis illegal. The reasons given in the state records are so that they could have a legal means to remove people of Mexican origin and deport them to Mexico. That way there would be more jobs for the "good white people" who had moved to the state.

    4 years later, CO did the same thing, and for the same reasons. It was joined by NV, NM, AZ, and several other states, ALL of which passed these laws so they could get rid of their minorities.

    By the time it got to the national level in 1937, it was done so that we could protect white women from being coerced into sleeping with black men. This is all in the congressional record.

    This country never had a problem with any drug or substance until it had a minority to use it against. That is a direct quote from the Federal judge who wrote the book "Drug Crazy". It's an excellent read.
  • jsknow
    You're right about the early history of marijuana prohibition targeting
    Mexicans then blacks. You left out the dangerous jazz musicians that were
    targeted in the early days of marijuana prohibition. However, the term "drug
    war" used in my comment was coined by Richard Nixon in 1971 and marked the
    beginning of a state of illegal war by the US government against not drugs
    but American and worldwide so called "illegal" drug users and suppliers.
    The objectives of the "drug war" were officially listed as I posted them.
    The drug war is just one example of many similar covert illegal US actions
    that have morphed into illegal US policy and wars in direct contradiction of
    the US Constitution.

    The bottom line is substance prohibition should only be implemented when
    there is a clear and present danger to society, families and individuals.
    This certainly is not the case with marijuana. A few powerful people
    interested in their own financial interests promoted prohibition of
    marijuana and they still do to this day. When alcohol was prohibited an
    amendment to the Constitution was required. There has been no such amendment
    prohibiting marijuana.

    You can read the history of marijuana prohibition and the reasons for it
    using the link below. Be sure to read the articles, " Marijuana Facts The
    Government Does Not Want You To Know" and " Why is Marijuana Illegal ".

    You should watch the video that auto-starts when the site first loads and
    compare the "drug war" to all the other covert wars presidents from both
    parties have started and/or supported.

    Creating a fictitious perceived threat and funding covert wars using illegal
    sources to promote their personal interests and profits are becoming the
    norm for our executive branch. It's time "we the people" end such actions
    permanently but it will only happed through vigorous legal actions by the
    voters. Get involved and support drug policy reform. Contacting your elected
    representatives is quick and easy. If they hear from you things will change.


    No one of any age in all of recorded history has died from the ingredients
    in marijuana, many have died from its prohibition.

    More information about drug laws:
    Using Internet Explorer web browser: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home
    With All Other Browsers: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html
  • DrWinky
    And why is this news? I would consider it worse that he smokes cigars than if he smoked marijuana. Tobacco kills over 400k Americans a year, marijuana zero.
  • davidrvelasquez
    Wow, great sleuthing Webster.... and who the fuck are you helping here?
  • WJM51
    So?
  • johnny
    he smokes pole instead.
  • Savantster
    .
    what do you care what he smokes? is it still pretty dark in your closet?
  • harlinredlands
    Well, at least unlike all the other Congressmen who get caught doing stuff, Barney Frank is no hypocrite. Good for him, we need more Congressmen like him. (and yeah he's wrong about banks, but right about everything else)
  • Savantster
    .
    wrong about banks in what regard?

    Banks are a vile creation that are destroying the very fabric of our existence, aided and abetted by large corporations. The two of them together are the single destructive force that will be the undoing of humanity.

    You should go watch zeitgeist addendum..
    .
  • harlinredlands
    Savantster, I agree with you. And that's why I say Barney Frank is wrong about the banks. He protects them way too much. (He also tough-talks against them, which is good, but he protects them too much behind the scenes). In his new bill, which places new "restrictions" on banks (a good thing), you read down further and he also wants to give them unlimited future TARP money with the approval of the Fed chairman. That's just more corruption! The Fed Chairman is part of the problem, which I'm sure you'll agree. But like I said, outside of the financial issue, I think Barney Frank is a great person.
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