Breaking-News: New York Marijuana Activist Dana Beal Jailed

OMG! I am a Medical Marijuana Patient with a HIV condition and related symptoms only eased by the medical benefits of THC and just found out what happened. Patients in New York could surely die if Dana is not freed to advocate for us with his network of co-operative activists. I for one just found out that I have slipped into full-blown AIDS numbers and I am too afraid to get often-compromised street weed as it is either laced, sold by undercovers or I risk being shot for being a cop and I'm Not! I'm just a fella who got unlucky one New Year's Eve. I could be YOU. Please help Dana or more People will die in this Drug War! PEOPLE WILL DIE!!

send Dana money..and weed!

im sorry to hear that in this messed up world we have to hide our money or (launder it) if the gov thinks u have too much money in your pocket they try to take it so we are forced to give it up for a precentage of what we really had. so what he launderd money if he wouldn't have the gov would have there hands out wanting something. i have a wife 4 that. so i'm giveing a 100 dollers to a man cought up in this bullshit gov extorshion racket god bless him man.

Smoke some weed and send Dana money.

1. Forcade was the founder of High Times magazine, not the website. The internet wasn't even a twinkle in Gore's eye when he died.

2. Beal isn't an AIDS activist. You're thinking of Denis Peron.

There've been many groups in the history of American protest who've made great strides for social justice, but a rarefied few have left a mark an indelible as the Youth International Party (Yippies). A group of anti-Vietnam War activist who used irony, humor, intelligence and their own blinding belief in peace & love to challenge the establishment on the streets, in the courts and the halls of Congress.

Names like Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Nancy Kurshan, Paul Krassner, Allen Ginsberg, Phil Ochs & Judy Collins are all iconic.

A name you might not know, however, is Dana Beal. In '72, Dana founded & edited the Yipster Times (later to become Overthrow), until `79. He wasn’t in Chicago in `68 when the Chicago Seven passed into legend for being stomped & persecuted. Beal was already underground, hiding from the authorities for revolutionary activities in opposition to the Vietnam War, in support of individual rights, & support of marijuana legalization. He continues to fight for your rights to this day as the primary organizer behind the World Wide Marijuana March through Cures Not Wars.

A few days ago in Coles County, IL, Beal was arrested. A man who's sacrificed so much of his life for the civil rights of his fellow man now languishes in a rural jail and needs your help this time.

Dana's been involved in every major social justice movement since his introduction to radical politics in the early '60’s. In '63, during a left-wing political rally he stated that should a tyrant ever become President, he should be shot. While that seems like a pretty reasonable assertion, he was informed on and thereafter, whenever a sitting President or candidate came to NYC his whereabouts & activities were monitored and verified by the Secret Service. In '67 before the '68 Democratic Convention where the Yippies would become famous, Dana was charged with selling acid to an undercover cop. Beal skipped out on the rap, remaining on the run with help from various activist around the country, including members of the Weather Underground, only to later be apprehended in WI. He served a year in prison.

Upon his release, he became more active than ever, not only founding the Yipster Times but also starting the Greenwich Villages Community Bail Fund, a money collection that bailed out members of the counter-culture arrested on various drug charges. This fund bailed out dozens of fellow activist and revolutionaries over the years, including Beal himself. When he was freed from the jail, hundreds of fellow hippies gathered then carried him on their shoulders back to his office.

Dana's spent the last 20 years focusing on the legalization of marijuana and the African hallucinogen Ibogaine, as a cure for heroin, cocaine & alcohol addictions. Howard Lotsof, an activist/scientist who's done extensive work with Ibogaine as a cure for addiction, stated this afternoon that, “Dana’s support of Ibogaine has enabled thousands of people to walk away from addiction.”

Several days ago, Dana Beal was arrested by local police in Coles County, IL after being stopped. According to a Sheriff’s department spokesperson, Beal was in possession of over $100,000.00 cash. Unable to verify where he obtained the money, Beal's been incarcerated- bail has been set at $250,000.00 (he's been deemed a flight risk due to his past record), and he's being charged with “Laundering of criminally derived property with a value of $100,000.00.”

Mr. Beal is yet to step into a courtroom, as his bail was set by a judge who evaluated his arrest and ruled it valid with cause. Thursday morning (June 12th) at 9:30am Dana will appear in local circuit court, possibly to be formally charged. Meanwhile, he remains incarcerated with bond set at $250,000.00 unable to come up with 10% ($25,000.00) needed for bail.

Beal's obtained a local attorney, Ronald Tulin, who doesn't want to comment on the case before they get into a courtroom, but they've verified that they're representing Beal and further stated that no formal charges have been filed as of yet.

Over the next few days, I'll be posting news about the case and who Dana Beal is. He needs our help now, my stoner friends. Mr. Lotsof stated that Dana’s immediate need is to raise $10,000.00 dollars in order to keep his attorneys on retainer. After that, an additional $25,000.00 is needed for bail. Dana's given up much for his ideals, to protect your rights.

If you can assist with fees email Cnance@weird-load.com I'll put you in contact with his lawyers.

If you don’t have money, please send love, good wishes & vibes at freedanabeal@weird-load.com and they'll be forwarded to him.

Please stay tuned and help this old warrior once again become a free man!

http://weird-load.blogspot.com

I sent an email earlier about how wrong your information is. We at SKUNK Magazine have been on this story for days now. We are getting our information from those close to Dana and his attorneys on the ground. The phone number you have is wrong and the attorneys DO NOT want to be contacted directly by anyone. The address for sending money to him is correct. Get your facts straight or don't publish. If any of your readers want to know what is really going on they can find out at:

http://weird-load.blogspot.com/

and a MySpace has been set up at:

http://www.myspace.com/freedanabeal

I'd just like to know how in the world someone can be charged with allegedly doing something? don't there got to be proof ? And if there is proof to be found, then I wouldnt wanna be helping someone that did launder $. So.... sorry.

I'd love to help this guy out, i unfortuantely am too broke to even give like five bucks. I hope it all turns out good. And to the guy below me, fuck you dude, Beals done alot for the Causes that have Meaning.

Fuck sending this guy any money until we get a real story. High times must think all their readers are fucking retards.

ya know, the title says "alleged money laundering"... so if u take that into consideration maybe he is guilty of it... but u know the worst part about it... the justice system is a fukin joke... present ur evidence state ur case and hope to God im on ur side... an opinion of some situation is NOT THE TRUTH... fuk the stupid ass jury people... praise to the ones that understand what im trying to say...

the person below is right. him and Thomas Forcade (founder of this website) have been doing positive things for anti-war, marijuana law reformation, and aids. so anyone who doesnt wanna give this man 5 or 10 bucks is blind to who has been outside helping the community. who do you think makes all of these pro-marijuana sites and newsletters. mr.Beal is a true hero.

i am getting a money order tomorrow. The founder of the high times magazine has done a lot of good work with Mr.Beal. Dana has been serving the community since the 60's and marching for since a decade before i was born. i got you mr.Beal.

where was he and the world when i was in jail needed some bail money?

Sorry , He didn't send all us money when we were in that position . Maybe next time .

Is there a way HT or NORML can set up a pay-pal or credit card system to help Mr Beal out? I'm broke but my credit card has some left I could give. This guy really needs it.

a few dollars from everybody would add up

we should all donate like $2 or so, which will add up in numbers.