cannabisnews.com: Pot Clubs Bracing for DEA Crackdown 





Pot Clubs Bracing for DEA Crackdown 
Posted by FoM on November 13, 2001 at 08:16:55 PT
By Mark Martin, Chronicle Staff Writer
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Days after federal drug agents burst into a well-known Los Angeles cannabis club to snatch up the medical records of 960 people who bought marijuana there, Lynette Shaw made sure her clients' paperwork wouldn't be so easy to seize. Shaw, founder of the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana, moved records from her Fairfax office to another site -- she is not telling where -- as she braced for a visit from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. 
Two recent raids by the DEA at California medical marijuana operations have intensified the 5-year-old conflict between the state's voter-approved legalization of the drug for medicinal purposes and federal prohibition. As U. S. attorneys threaten criminal prosecution, Bay Area clubs that distribute cannabis to the sick are worried they will be next. Many California officials have blasted the DEA's crackdown, but it is little consolation to those in the middle of one of the drug war's most confusing fronts. "Everyone is gravely concerned," Shaw said. "There are 1,000 people in Los Angeles who are getting sick and wasting away because of the DEA raid. We don't want that to happen here." In the past two months, the DEA has shut down the Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center in West Hollywood and confiscated thousands of records from a doctor in El Dorado County who gave medical marijuana referrals to patients. In addition, San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan says several Bay Area clubs have been the targets of DEA surveillance. Shaw and directors of other area cannabis clubs are moving to protect their clients' privacy and urging patients to grow marijuana at home or be prepared to find another source if they are busted. At the Berkeley Patients Group, flyers alerting clients to the Los Angeles raid are being passed out to all clients, said Don Duncan, the group's founder. "We're on a heightened state of alert," Duncan said. "We're in full compliance with California laws, but the federal government doesn't seem to care about that." The recent federal action is in part a result of a unanimous Supreme Court decision in May. The high court ruled that federal drug laws make no exception for seriously ill patients who smoke marijuana for health reasons, essentially clearing the way for law enforcement officials to close organized co-ops that distribute marijuana. The ruling stemmed from a civil lawsuit filed against the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative and five other Northern California cannabis clubs. Now federal authorities say they have the right to break up the 50 or so clubs that have opened storefronts since California became the first state in the nation to legalize medical marijuana in 1996. "They know they're breaking the federal law," said Richard Meyer, spokesman for the DEA's San Francisco office. "Our job is to enforce the federal drug laws, and that's what we plan to do." Meyer would not say whether agents planned to go after any Bay Area organizations. Two major medicinal marijuana operations have been targets so far. In El Dorado County, the DEA took thousands of records from the California Medical Research Center, which provides doctors' referrals to people if they qualify to use medicinal marijuana. The U.S. attorney's office hasn't yet announced charges. In West Hollywood, about 30 armed DEA agents entered the Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center on Oct. 23 to uproot marijuana plants and seize computer records for clients, most of whom use marijuana to counter the effects of drugs they take to combat AIDS. The DEA and the U.S. attorney's office have threatened to criminally prosecute the club, although charges haven't been filed in that case either. Cannabis activists say the Southern California raid is particularly troubling because the club has gone out of its way to conduct business in the open and has the backing of city officials and the Sheriff's Department. "We applied for every business license, filled out every piece of paper we could," Imler said. "We've walked through all this bureaucracy for the last five years exactly to prevent this. Now I have to tell the people here I may not be able to help them because I'll be in federal prison." The California Medical Association has denounced the seizures of patient records, saying the DEA is interfering with the doctor-patient relationship. San Francisco Supervisor Mark Leno announced legislation last week that would make the city a symbolic medical marijuana "sanctuary," and Hallinan held a press conference to deliver a blunt warning to the DEA: Stay out of San Francisco. "All we can do is send a message to the federal government that they will not get any support from San Francisco officials," Hallinan said. Activists are working on strategies to counter the new crackdown, and some have suggested that states should be involved in distributing the drug to further stymie federal attempts to stop medical marijuana. But that idea hasn't been seriously studied in California. "This is now a matter to be decided in federal courts or Congress," said Gina Palencaer, a spokeswoman for Santa Monica-based Americans for Medical Rights, which wrote Proposition 215. U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., is sponsoring a bill that would allow physicians to prescribe marijuana in states that have legalized the drug as a medicine. And lawyers for the Oakland cannabis club have filed new briefs in their case, asking a federal appeals court to recognize a state's right to determine the issue. Note: Operators fear members' records will be confiscated.Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Mark Martin, Chronicle Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, November 13, 2001 Copyright: 2001 San Francisco Chronicle  Page A - 17 Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/Related Articles & Web Sites:Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana http://www.cbcmarin.com/Los Angeles County Research Centerhttp://www.lacbc.org/Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmAshcroft's Moral Stand Out of Linehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11332.shtmlUS Marijuana Clinics Raided in Crackdown http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11328.shtml
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Comment #12 posted by DdC on November 14, 2001 at 11:06:45 PT
Don't Look For Help From Grave Dufis!
He already sold us out taking the Highway Grant from Bushit and permitting the C.A.M.P. air monkeys to exist. 34 states turned the Highway Grant down, but not the Californicator! Lose your license if you smoke a joint in your living room!
Time to remove the politico's serving WoD Inc. Frankenfeinstein teamed with the Hatchet bill censoring the internet of hemp talk. The D.E.A.th is so concerned about the citizens health they prohibit cannabis to stimulate appetites and instead re-legalize Thalidomide. Remember the "flipper babies?" To top off the hypocrisy and the blind ignorance of the D.E.A.th. 99.28% of the "marijuana" eradicated in this country is wild non-psychoactive ditchweed hemp rope. Count the lobbies in Washington serving International G8 corporate interest and the major sponsors of the DARE propagandist, coincidently all in competition with Sacramental Cannabis Food, Fuel, Fiber, FARMaceuticals, Hardrug&Booze Alternative! Below is a short list of D.E.A.th Deceptions no American should put up with. It is time to put away our differences and come together to overcome this profitable embarrassment called WoD. There is no medicinal "marijuana" or hemp or re-creational. It is all one plant in different stages of development and the danger has always been the same since the inception of this prohibition. The danger of the corporations losing shelve space in the markets. Solidarity with the 3 cannabis factions and with the victims of chemicalization and WoD, and we can stop this war. No one profits on zero tolerance or Peace, only perpetuating the war can do that. When the people lead the leaders will follow.
Peace, Love and Liberty
DdCGravis says smoke a joint, lose your license!
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionwhyitstimetolegalize.showMessage?topicID=90.topicThalidomide vs Cannabis
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionstuff.showMessage?topicID=62.topicAnnual Ditchweed Eradication Boondoggle Underway Again
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/194.html#ditchweedProhibitionist Deceptions 
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionprohibitionistwodjunkies.showMessage?topicID=43.topic  
Welcome
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on November 13, 2001 at 22:48:11 PT
Thanks EJ
Very nice web site.
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Comment #10 posted by E_Johnson on November 13, 2001 at 22:27:06 PT
Here's something for Gray Davis to watch
Y'all might like it, too!http://superstringtheory.com/vigil/vigil.html
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on November 13, 2001 at 22:24:40 PT
shrox 
It says so much. You did a great job. Thank you.
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Comment #8 posted by shrox on November 13, 2001 at 21:41:29 PT:
Object of Government Hatred
I am an artist. A picture is worth a thousand words. Distrubute this freely. I am seeking to have it placed in bus shelter ads and in newspapers.Shrox
Object of Government Hatred
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Comment #7 posted by Lehder on November 13, 2001 at 20:58:20 PT
crackdown!
"All we can do is send a message to the federal government that they will not get any support from San Francisco officials," Hallinan said. DEA: "Our job is to enforce the federal drug laws, and that's what we plan to do." Hallinan held a press conference to deliver a blunt warning to the DEA: Stay out of San Francisco. http://www.counterpunch.org/troyer4.htmlelsewhere, 12/11 IBD, it was reported that bush has requested various tech gadgets for fighting terrorism. most interesting among them is a hand held polygraph for assistance to officers in field interrogation of suspects. available in 12-18 months.abc evening news reported that bush has issued an executive order allowing for trial of terrorists in military courts.
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Comment #6 posted by idbsne1 on November 13, 2001 at 14:54:44 PT
Yeah, right...
Gray Davis is a pussy!!!! What kind of bullshit is it that the Governor AND the 2 Senators of California are doing NOTHING to implement or support PROP 215... of which their OWN constituents voted for and approved!?!?!?!!? Fienstein, Boxer, and DAVIS: NOT doing what Californians WANT. Anyone else pissed about this? The ONLY saving grace is that Davis is waiting until Jan. 9, 2002 to verify his postition on SB187. Before, he was against such an initiative.Whether you like SB187 or not, we need the States to pass stuff like this so that the Federal Government will be scared. How come we can't get terrorists to take out the DEA, FBI, or CIA?!?!!?.....Oh wait....I see.....idbsne1
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Comment #5 posted by p4me on November 13, 2001 at 12:40:17 PT:
civil disobedience
Some people believe that prior preparation prevents poor performance. Now when the day comes that you are allowed to grow marijuana in your house you will want to have a digital timer. When you want your plants to bud you need this timer to create 12 hours of light followed by 12 hours of darkness. Or you may just want to practice civil disobedience until we get the attention of the media. That was somewhat funny although it wasn't meant to be. Set your timer to cut off at 4:20 AM or PM. When you hear Richard Cowan end his Marijuana Headline News with "What have you done for freedom today" you will know that at least you had done something. You may be laid off or on reduced hours as many people are around Hickory, NC and are catching up on your home maintenance. If you are repainting your closet use a high gloss latex paint. That way when MJ is rightfully legal you will be prepared. That will good enough until you get your mylar.Of course p4me believes that growing marijuana is patriotic because it eliminates the black market that the corrupted government either protects or allows. It also keeps money from the leaving the country. Let's get rid of those incumbents and buy someone you love a vaporizer. 
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Comment #4 posted by jtree on November 13, 2001 at 10:47:43 PT:
National Guard
I agree with lookinside. Gray Davis should take the hardline. Call up national guard troops to provide security and rule of (California) law at the centers. Allow only cardholding patients inside. If the DEA agents want to look around they can as long as they are escorted by guards to make sure the don't STEAL anything. Peace.
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Comment #3 posted by wades on November 13, 2001 at 09:27:09 PT:
Remember Selma?
This crackdown could actually be an opportunity of sorts for the reform movement. If enough patients were organized for passive resistance to seriously interfere with one of these raids, and the TV people could be persuaded to cover the situation, the result could be as memorable as the footage of the cops setting the dogs on the freedom marchers in Selma.
I'm picturing a couple of hundred MS sufferers chaining their wheelchairs together in a ring around all of the vehicles the narcs used to travel to the bust, keeping them there until the TV crews show up...
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Comment #2 posted by Jose Melendez on November 13, 2001 at 09:16:44 PT:
YES!
Arrest Prohibition
Drug War is INDUSTRY, NOT POLICY
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Comment #1 posted by lookinside on November 13, 2001 at 08:51:55 PT:
personally...
i'd like to see gray davis take a hard line and demand that the DEA leave the clubs alone...put teeth in it by directing all california law enforcement to arrest any DEA agent caught going against that order, on constitutional(state's right's) grounds...davis wants to be president...a tough stand against unconstitutional acts by the feds could get him elected...
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