Renee was featured in the November issue of Glamour magazine. Renee Boje's trials and tribulations began after California medical marijuana activist Todd McCormick was arrested growing thousands of cannabis plants in a rented Bel Air mansion in the summer of 1997. Inspired by the recent passage of Proposition 215 that effectively legalized medical marijuana in the state, McCormick began growing the plants as part of his research for a book he was working on, " How to Grow Medical Marijuana." Renee Boje was hired to illustrate this book. Renee was initially arrested along with a number of other people on the premises, but her charges were later dropped. In 1998, Renee's lawyer advised her that the charges against her were about to be reinstated and told her that he did not feel he could save her from the lengthy 10 year mandatory minimum to life sentence that she faced, so she fled to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia and eventually filed for refugee status. Renee offered to return to the US and stand trial if the former US Attorney General Janet Reno would drop the charges against co-defendent Peter McWilliams, who was dying of AIDS. Unfortunately, the US Federal authorities denied Peter his legal right to use medical marijuana, a proven powerful anti-nauseant, and Peter died alone in his apartment from choking on his own vomit. On February 9, 2000, a BC Supreme Court judge ordered Renee to surrender herself for extradition. However, Renee appealed the decision to the Canadian federal Minister of Justice's office asking them to intervene. On June 17, 2005, Federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler ordered Renee Boje to surrender herself for extradition. Renee Boje and her lawyer have entered an appeal to the Canadian Court of Appeals and are now waiting to hear whether or not the appeal will be accepted. Below you will find a selection of media articles and background material about Renee's struggle. Media Coverage

	"its a serious soverignty issue"(north shore outlook august 25 2005)
	'"Marijuana refugee' granted bail" (cbc news, june 17, 2005)
	"Woman facing marijuana charges in U.S. loses refugee bid" (CBC News, Fri, 17 Jun 2005)
	"Drug war refuge could get 10 years" (The Ottawa Citizen, June 18, 2005)
	"U.S drug warriors looking to inflict another casualty" (Courier (CN BC) June 28, 2005)
	"U.S. pot activist gets bail, fights extradition" (ctv news Canadian Press june 2005)
	"Pot activist gets bail in bid to prevent extradition U.S." (mcleans June 17, 2005)
	"Activist gets bail in bid to prevent extradition to U.S." (national post june 18, 2005 )
	"Activist bailed out"(Ottawa sun June 18, 2005)
	"Canadian Press" (vancouver sun Friday, June 17, 2005)
	"Pot activist gets bail in bid to prevent extradition to U.S." (Winnipeg news june 2005)
	"Americans flock to Canada in search of medicinal pot" (Mercury News, Sep. 08, 2002)
	"THE JOINT: Medical pot prisoner Todd McCormick joins Callum for an unforgettable episode of HIGH ON THE AIR" (High Times, June 30, 2002)
	"Pot advocates flee to freer life in Canada" (Cannabis MD, March 24, 2002)
	"Weed Wedding" (Cannabis Culture, December 4, 2001)
	"Marijuana tea houses for the ill open in British Columbia" (Canadian Press, November 1, 2001)
	"Medicinal pot store opens" (Coast Reporter, October 28, 2001)
	"Destiny's Child" (High Times, July 2001)
	"Cannabis concert in Vancouver" (Cannabis Culture, November / December 2000)
	BC NOW interview (Knowledge Network, October 25, 2000)
	Expert Witness Radio Show interview (Expert Witness Radio, October 2000)
	"American faces 10 years in jail for tending plants," by Dan Gardner (Ottawa Citizen, October 6, 2000)
	Renee Boje: Another Casualty in the War on Drugs (Las Vegas City Life, August 24, 2000)
	"Pot smoker fears abuse in U.S. jail," by Mark Dunn (Ottawa Sun, June 16, 2000)
	"Pot advocate appeals for refugee status" (MotherJones.com, April 7, 2000)
	"U.S. harsh marijuana laws: War or witch hunt?" by Sarah McGregor (Ottawa Xpress, April 3, 2000)
	"Drug War Refugee," by Barry Brown (Playboy, March 2000)
	"Dodging the drug war" (Now On, March 23-29, 2002)
	"American Told Leave Canada And Face US Drug Charges" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 11, 2000)
	"American woman in B.C. faces prison in medicinal pot case," by Cori Howard (National Post, February 11, 2000)
	"Her fate in minister's hands," by Andy Ivens (Vancouver Province, February 10, 2000)
	"US Woman Vows To Fight Extradition" (Vancouver Sun, February 10, 2000)
	"Border-hopping to beat the rap," by Del Quentin Wilber (Baltimore Sun, January 13, 2000)
	"American Medical Marijuana Advocate Returns To Court" (Vancouver Sun, December 15, 1999)
	"Judge refuses to hear evidence" by Reverend Damuzi (Cannabis Culture website, December 1999)
	"Drug Queenpin or Innocent Victim?" by David France (Glamour, December 1999) [Originial version as it appeared in the magazine - requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view]
	""Drug Queenpin or Innocent Victim?" by David France (Glamour, December 1999) [HTML version]
	"The Marijuana Mess," by Andrew Phillips (Maclean's, November 22, 1999)
	"U.S. Fugitive and Refugee Claimant in Canada, Willing to Surrender in Return for Dying Friend's Freedom" (Marijuana Times, November 10, 1999)
	"Extradition Hearing Adjourned for Woman," by Dene Moore (Vancouver Sun, November 3, 1999)
	"She's A 'Pawn' In Drug War," by Andy Ivens (Vancouver Sun, November 3, 1999)
	"U.S. Woman Fights Extradition on Medical Pot Bust," by Steve Mertl (Vancouver Sun, November 1, 1999)
	"Canada and US in drug debate," by Ruth Walker (Christian Science Monitor, October 19, 1999)
	"Renee Boje's International Indictment Of U.S. Drug-War Crimes," by Dean Latimer (High Times, October 15, 1999)
	"On the Lam," by Barry Brown (ABCNews.com, September 26, 1999)
	"American Woman Fights Extradition on Drug Charges," by Erin Anderssen (Globe & Mail, September 2, 1999)
	"American Woman Seeks Refugee Status in Canada," by Barry Brown (Buffalo News, September 2, 1999)
	"US Medical-Marijuana Refugee Kicks Back Tough," by Dean Latimer (High Times, August 10, 1999)
	"Medical Marijuana vs. Democracy" - a short Quicktime video documentary on Renee Boje (Spring 1999) Note: Link will open in a new browser window
	"Medical Marijuana vs. Democracy" mirror using Real Player
	"Pot Advocate Called Refugee From US 'War'," by Jack Keating (Vancouver Province, April 20, 1999)
	"Canada to Extradite US Medical-Pot Defendant?" by Dean Latimer (High Times, April 13, 1999)
	"Pot advocate appeals for refugee status (MotherJones.com, April 9, 1999)
	"Artist In Pot-Law Battle Tries For Refugee Status," by Peter Clough (Vancouver Province, April 7, 1999)
	"War on drugs has woman in hiding," by Darah Hansen (Coast Independent, March 15, 1999)

	An Open Letter from Renee Boje on behalf of Peter McWilliams & Todd McCormick
	"Los Angeles Drug Case Bars Medical Marijuana Defense" (New York Times, November 7, 1999)
	"Medical-Marijuana Movement Split By Federal Charges," by Michael Simmons (LA Weekly, August 6, 1998)
	"Medical Marijuana Advocates Accused Of Cultivation For Sale," by David Rosenzweig (LA Times, July 24, 1998)
	"Medical Marijuana Activist, Others Indicted" (Associated Press, July 24, 1998)
	"Agents Raid Home of Writer on Medical Use of Marijuana," by Sue McAllister (LA Times, December 18, 1997)
	"Woody Harrelson ready to post bail in mansion pot case" (Orange County Register, August 7, 1997)
	"Cancer patient ran 'pot palace'," by John M. Glionna and Tina Daunt (LA Times, July 31, 1997)
	RELATED SITES: Peter McWilliams' Trial Site Todd McCormick Updates How to Grow Medical Marijuana

Medical Marijuana

	"Medical marihuana in a time of prohibition," by Lester Grinspoon, MD (International Journal of Drug Policy 10 (1999) 145-156 )
	"Official U.S. Report Backs Medical Use Of Marijuana" (Reuters, March 17, 1999)
	"Reefer Madness: The Federal Response to California's Medical-Marijuana Law," by George J. Annas (New England Journal of Medicine, August 7, 1997)
	"Editorial: Federal Foolishness and Marijuana," by Jerome P. Kassirer, M.D. (New England Journal of Medicine, January 30, 1997)
	Proposition 215, as approved by California voters
	RELATED SITES: The Compassion Club Marihuana: the Forbidden Medicine

Women in Prison

	"ABSTRACT: Women in Prison: Sexual Misconduct by Correctional Staff" United States General Accounting Office, June 22, 1999)
	"Guards' Misconduct In Prison Reported," by Elizabeth Olson (San Francisco Chronicle, March 31, 1999)
	"Sex abuse 'fact of life' for women in prison" (Vancouver Sun, March 5, 1999)
	"Report of the mission to the United States of America on the issue of violence against women in state and federal prisons" (United Nations Commission on Human Rights, January 4, 1999)
	RELATED SITES: California Coalition for Women Prisoners Not Part of my Sentence (Amnesty International report, 1999) Breaking the Chain (Amnesty International booklet, March 1999) Sexual Abuse of Women in U.S. State Prisons (Human Rights Watch publication, December 1996)

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