Libertarian Party Leader, Wife Accused of Cultivating Pot
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OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. — Steve Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian candidate for governor of California, and his wife are expected to be arraigned today on suspicion of cultivating about 300 marijuana plants at their home, officials said.
Kubby, 52, and his wife, Michele, 32, were arrested Tuesday when police raided their home near Lake Tahoe. They were booked at Placer County Jail on suspicion of unauthorized cultivation, harvesting and processing of marijuana, possession with intent to sell, and conspiracy.
Kubby was diagnosed with adrenal cancer in 1975 and uses medical marijuana under doctor’s orders. His cancer is now in remission. He also takes medical marijuana to treat high blood pressure.
Kubby, publisher of the online recreational magazine Alpine World, played a key role in Proposition 215, the medical marijuana initiative that voters overwhelmingly approved in November 1996.
Since his arrest, Kubby has been denied access to marijuana, said Libertarian Party state Chairman Mark Hinkle.
“This arrest is an outrage and a slap across the face of California voters,” Hinkle said.
State Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer announced this month that he would take a softer stance on Proposition 215 than his predecessor, Dan Lungren, did.
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