Overview

Down for the Cause is Bruce Margolin's memoir, covering his career as the ""dean of cannabis law"" and as an ardent advocate for the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana. He has been ""down for the cause"" since the heyday of the 1960s in Los Angeles, when he was horrified by teenagers and young adults with no criminal intent being thrown behind bars along with rapists and murderers for enjoying a little weed or hustling to supply their friends with some friendly smoke. He quickly became well known for defending those who didn't ""just say no"" and for keeping them out of jail and prison. Bruce struggled to become an attorney-- his undiagnosed dyslexia meant he had to study a lot harder than others-- but his older brother had wanted to be a lawyer, and when he died at an early age from leukemia, Bruce took up the mantle. His father's untimely death also affected Bruce deeply, making him seek out the answers to the deeper questions of life. To explore his search for meaning, Bruce left his booming law practice to travel, winding up in India where he met Ram Dass (whose book, Be Here Now, had a profound impact on him) and Ram Dass's (and his) guru, Neem Karoli Baba, who touched his heart deeply. When Bruce returned to the West, he brought to his law practice a yogic outlook, a spirituality based on the Vedic concept of dharma (right living) mixed with the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam (the ""repair of the world""), and a regular meditation practice. He was called upon to defend Dr. Timothy Leary, the Pied Piper of LSD, in the trial that followed his escape from prison. Margolin's defense of the man President Nixon labeled as ""the most dangerous man in America"" was a valiant attempt to bring the concept of the punishment fitting the crime to the forefront of America's attention, as Leary had originally been sentenced to ten years for simple possession of a very small amount of marijuana. As a prominent voice for those imprisoned for cannabis, and as the founder and director of the Los Angeles chapter of NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), Bruce ran for political office a number of times in order to promote the idea of legalization, and came close to winning. Today, when an overwhelming majority of US adults say marijuana should be legal both for medical and recreational use, Bruce provides an overview of how legalization, in all its complexity, was accomplished in his home state of California. He publishes the The Margolin Guide to Marijuana Laws, used across the country by those in law enforcement, judges, lawyers, and cannabis advocates and users alike to make sure they know the most recent rulings. Down for the Cause is a slice of history as seen through one man's life and his passionate plea to leave behind the days of ""reefer madness"" and harsh penalties in the war on drugs..

Full Product Details

9798350949551

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

BRUCE M. MARGOLIN has been a relentless advocate in his efforts to legalize marijuana since 1967. As a criminal defense attorney, he has successfully defended thousands of cannabis cases and all types of criminal charges. As a candidate for the California State Assembly in 1970 and 1994, governor of California in 2003, and the US Congress in 2012, he helped establish the credibility of marijuana legalization. He was an advisor for Proposition 215 (California's Compassionate Use Initiative Nov. 1996) and served as legal counsel for The California Hemp Initiative. Margolin has served as Chairman of the Ethics Committee for the N.A.C.D.L. (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) and is the Director Emeritus and Founder of Los Angeles NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) since 1973, the longest board member of California NORML. He was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), as well as honors for his work on behalf of the Constitution Rights Foundation. Bruce was named Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year in 1999 and was selected as Criminal Defense Super Lawyer in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2012. He is the author of the Margolin Guide to State and Federal Marijuana Laws. PARVATI MARKUS is the author of Whisper in the Heart: The Ongoing Presence of Neem Karoli Baba (Mandala Publishing, 2022); Love Everyone: The Transcendent Wisdom of Neem Karoli Baba Told Through the Stories of the Westerners Whose Lives He Transformed (HarperOne, 2015); and a children's book, Isabella Castaspella: The Happy Little Witch and Her Friends (SitaRam Press, 2022), with co-author Radha Baum, which is in development as an animated television series, Izzy Casts A Spell. Parvati is a developmental editor who has been midwifing spiritually oriented, non-fiction books and memoirs since her first efforts with Ram Dass's classic Be Here Now and has helped with spiritual organizations (past President of the Board of the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram and Temple in Taos, NM) and events (as a development consultant for the Global Peace Initiative of Women). She is on the Board of Advisors for the Love Serve Remember Foundation.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available