Feds Bust 103 Medical Pot Dispensaries In Socal, Delivering Major Blow To Patients In Area

[bobandtorey]

The states -- and public opinion -- are clearly way ahead of the federal government when it comes to marijuana policy. Nonetheless, the feds insist on shoving their ‘weed is the devil’s lettuce’ propaganda down all of our throats, sometimes with guns and raids. Yesterday, they sent their weed warriors to Los Angeles County, where they busted in and raided 103 (LEGAL) medical marijuana dispensaries

"Out of the 103 storefronts targeted today, federal authorities sent warning letters to 28 stores in Long Beach, 71 in Los Angeles, and four in the Antelope Valley," the U.S. attorney said in a statement. "Two of the stores in Long Beach are housed in buildings that are the subject of asset forfeiture lawsuits that were filed today in United States District Court."

If my math is correct, that means the vast majority of those raided were un-warned. Nonetheless, that's two more buildings the war on drugs' has eaten up as part of its larger policing-for-profit model, which includes the money-making incentive of asset forfeiture.

"Today's [Tuesday's] federal actions involve all known marijuana stores in the City of Long Beach; the City of Lancaster; the high desert community of Pearblossom; and the parts of Los Angeles served by the Newton, Rampart and Harbor divisions of the Los Angeles Police Department," the statement said, shamelessly removing each and every point of access to care for ailing residents in those areas.

Add these busts to a list of more than 600 marijuana dispensaries the feds have already screwed with, despite evidence that marijuana is effective medicine for a variety of issues, ranging from side effects of chemotherapy to glaucoma, chronic pain, and muscle spasticity. But the feds know their no-science is the best science, so they will spend tax dollars and send public servants to interfere with what voters want, but the feds don’t want them to have.

 

http://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2013/06/12/Feds-Bust-103-Medical-Pot-Dispensaries-SoCal-Delivering-Major-Blow-Patients-Area

[cristinew]

Ouch,,

[bobandtorey]

They can't do that

Can they?

[+Malamute]

They had sent warning letters to all of them.  The DEA sent warning letters.  Warning letters.....

 

 I mean seriously, if the DEA sent you a warning letter, what would you do?

 

 Hahaha.... no pity for those fools.

 

 The Fed government said they wont accept large commercial entities in 3 separate released documents.  Patients are okie dokie. Small grows are okie dokie.  Commercial is bad.

 

*shrug*

[cristinew]

"You know, it's really not a good use of Justice Department resources."

[bobandtorey]

They had sent warning letters to all of them.  The DEA sent warning letters.  Warning letters.....

 

 I mean seriously, if the DEA sent you a warning letter, what would you do?

 

 Hahaha.... no pity for those fools.

 

 The Fed government said they wont accept large commercial entities in 3 separate released documents.  Patients are okie dokie. Small grows are okie dokie.  Commercial is bad.

 

*shrug*

Sorry but someone new may come here and read what you post and it could lead then to think that it's OK for them to use and grow Marihuana for Medical reasons 

i mean no disrespect 

[+Malamute]

Can you show me one patient growing their state allowed plants(6-18 depending on state) that has been Federally convicted during the Obama Administration?

 

 And you are right to say that it is still not Federally legal.

[bobandtorey]

What about a caregiver here with the limit of 72 plants 

[t-pain]

this means the obama administration will not be honoring colorado and washingtons laws it seems.

 

of course, california's city councils attacking the dispensaries didnt help either.

[+Malamute]

But remember,... the DEA.... ya know... that DEA,... is sending "warning letters" to cease and desist..?

 

I mean,... the DEA... sending a warning? 

 

 We have come a long way my friends.

 

 Heh,... used to be the only warning was a gas cannister, a shock grenade or a semiautomatic to the face.

 

 

 

 I wonder what the letters said?  So far, most of these letters I have read from other incidents had to do with proximity to schools and daycares and such.  They would say... too close to school, close or get closed.

 

 But seriously,... if the DEA sent you a letter ... said "Dude, close up or go to jail",... what would you do?

 

 Well, these 103 idiots chose the exact opposite. ;-)

[bobandtorey]

I/we would have been very Happy to get such a letter 

But we did get one letter from Leo it said turn yourself in or else 

[pic book]

They had sent warning letters to all of them.  The DEA sent warning letters.  Warning letters.....

 

 I mean seriously, if the DEA sent you a warning letter, what would you do?

 

 Hahaha.... no pity for those fools.

 

 The Fed government said they wont accept large commercial entities in 3 separate released documents.  Patients are okie dokie. Small grows are okie dokie.  Commercial is bad.

 

*shrug*

you nailed it!!

[pic book]

and tho the feds don't yet get it, that they are on the mean end of a public opinion change, those disp ops are gonna get Fed Med Bye Bye for ten long years.

[pic book]

Wasted families, ruined marriages, busted lives.  Bullheads who ignored the inevitable, no diff than the bullheads still operating disps everywhere--they have all been sent a warning by example--and not every disp the feds have ever hit has gotten a letter--the DEA has no rule requiring warnings.  These recent warning letters are the single tangible sign that the DEA takes note of public opinion.  In CA over eighty percent of voters are ok with disps and sixty percent not ok with taxing them.

Edited June 14, 2013 by pic book

[Petyr]

Perhaps state wide there is that level of support, but not in LA.

 

Reuters) - Los Angeles, which has more storefront medical marijuana shops than any other U.S. city, will close hundreds of the dispensaries and hike taxes on those that will be allowed to remain under a ballot measure approved by a wide margin of voters.

 

Nearly 63 percent of voters supported Proposition D, which will cap the number of medical pot dispensaries at 135, compared with 37 percent opposed, according to preliminary results released on Wednesday, the day after the vote.

 

Two rival measures that also would have placed new restrictions on the city's medical marijuana industry were defeated by wide margins.

 

At least 850 storefront medical cannabis shops are estimated to be operating in Los Angeles, the country's second-largest city, and some residents have complained that the dispensaries are a blight on their neighborhoods.

 

Or Long Beach, dispos banned there for over a year.

 

LONG BEACH -- Following Monday's California Supreme Court decision, medical marijuana collectives will continue - for the time being - to be banned by the city, but dispensary advocates say the battle is far from over.

 

Long Beach banned medical marijuana collectives of more than three people in February 2012, and Monday's ruling said a city's ban on medical marijuana collectives is not pre-empted by the state's law legalizing medical marijuana.

 

"The ruling confirmed our opinion that we have the right to ban or regulate medical marijuana dispensaries," said Bob Shannon, Long Beach's city attorney. "We essentially have a soft ban in place. A small number of people can form a collective, and we will continue doing that.

"Now the City Council has a full range of options open to it, whether to keep our law in place or to regulate the collectives. "

 

Though Long Beach's ban does not prohibit medical marijuana entirely, advocates say the small number of collectives allowed are not realistic for sick patients who are unable to invest the capital and labor required to grow cannabis.

 

I couldn't find any info about Antelope Valley other than it is an area, not a town.  Here is a snippet from Wiki I found enlightening.

In recent decades the valley has become a bedroom community to the Greater Los Angeles area.^[8] Major housing tract development and population growth took off beginning in 1983, which has increased the population of Palmdale around 12 times its former size as of 2006. Neighboring Lancaster has increased its population since the early 1980s to around 3 times its former level. Major retail has followed the population influx, centered on Palmdale's Antelope Valley Mall.

 

The Antelope Valley is home to over 475,000 people, and the population is expected to reach 1,000,000 by the year 2020.^{[citation needed]}

 

Non-Hispanic whites make up approximately 48% of the population of the Antelope Valley and form a majority or plurality in most of its cities and towns. Hispanics are the next largest group, followed by African Americans and Asian Americans.

 

Some long-term residents living far out in the desert have been cited by Los Angeles County's Nuisance Abatement Teams for code violations, forcing them to make improvements or move. One of the properties is a church building which was used to film "Kill Bill". The code enforcers have arrived on some of their visits in SWAT team formats.

 

SWAT teams for not mowing your lawn, lets open a dispo there!

Edited June 14, 2013 by Petyr

[bobandtorey]

Wasted families, ruined marriages, busted lives.  Bullheads who ignored the inevitable, no diff than the bullheads still operating disps everywhere--they have all been sent a warning by example--and not every disp the feds have ever hit has gotten a letter--the DEA has no rule requiring warnings.  These recent warning letters are the single tangible sign that the DEA takes note of public opinion.  In CA over eighty percent of voters are ok with disps and sixty percent not ok with taxing them.

 no difference than the bullheads still operating dispensaries  everywhere? why do so many still think the Dispensary's our illegal ? they must have the OK from their city or town and i know some of them even have paid money to their city i have seen some of them have papers posted in their office from the city also

Edited June 14, 2013 by bobandtorey

[+Malamute]

Because local law doesn't overrule the MMMAct.

 

The MSC made it pretty clear, dispensaries(as generally understood) cannot operate without transfers occurring outside of the registry connected transfer process.