I didn’t write the following blog but I felt it was important enough that people should see what is going on with innocent people in the name of the law. -S

By SpaceHippy - On February 4, 2010, 24 officers of the Food and Drug Administration, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and local law enforcement raided Bouncing Bear Botanicals, a legal botanical shop and warehouse in Lawrence, Kansas. With guns drawn, the officers burst into the building and handcuffed everyone, including senior citizens. Jonathan Sloan, the 29-year-old owner, was immediately arrested and jailed.

Officers confiscated $700,000 worth of products and property, and seized all operating accounts, including Jon’s personal and business accounts, as well as his six-year-old son’s savings. Jon was left with nothing in the bank, making it impossible for him to post bond or hire a lawyer.

The employees of Bouncing Bear hired a lawyer and Jon was released the following day. The conditions of his release state that he is not allowed in his place of business or talk to employees, associates, or customers. He is denied the ability to run his lawful business and generate income to mount a credible defense.

Jon faces 75 years in federal prison. Among the eight felony charges against him are:

• Unlawful manufacturing of controlled substances: Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), Mescaline, Lysergic Acid Amide.

• Unlawful cultivation or distribution of controlled substances: Mescaline (San Pedro cactus), Dimethyltryptamine (Chaliponga, Chacruna, Illinois Bundleflower, Epena, Cebil seeds, Bufotenine), Lysergic Acid Amide (Morning Glory seeds, Rivea corymbosa).

 • Unlawful possession of certain drug precursors and drug paraphernalia: Plastic jugs and filters used or intended for unlawful use to manufacture, cultivate, plant propagate, harvest, test, analyze, or distribute a controlled substance.

The State of Kansas has also imposed a $906,000 drug tax on Jon, although most of the controlled substances he was accused of selling are available at any gardening store and Wal-Mart. In Kansas, illegal drug dealers are required to attain a drug tax stamp to place on the illicit drugs they sell, or face the seizure of all assets including bank accounts and property, without being first convicted of the crime of which they are accused. This is a clear violation of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution that states, “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, … nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

Jon and Bouncing Bear Botanicals were not selling or in possession of illicit drugs. Sacred plants available from Bouncing Bear are not intended for conversion into usable drugs for human consumption. Disclaimers on the web site and purchase agreements state this very clearly.

For the past 10 years, Bouncing Bear Botanicals has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted online suppliers of sacred plants in the United States. In a day where many “legal highs” are advertised for sale at exorbitant prices, Bouncing Bear has respectfully offered sacred plants that are ecologically harvested, and at a fair price to the grower and end-user.

The attack on Bouncing Bear Botanicals and Jon Sloan affects every American who wishes to obtain rare and sacred plants. Many online retailers have already pulled Chaliponga, Chacruna, Mimosa hostilis, sacred cacti, and Morning Glory seeds from stock since the Bouncing Bear raid.

Jon Sloan is not allowed to leave his house, go grocery shopping, or pick up his son from school. His bank accounts are liquidated, and he is faced with $200,000 in legal fees to be represented in court. Your donations will help Jon in his legal battle, and all those interested in sacred plants.

To learn more, visit http://www.savejon.org

Donations can be made at Savjon.org, there is also a mailing address there for physical donations.