cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Raids are Criticized Medical Marijuana Raids are Criticized Posted by CN Staff on January 19, 2007 at 06:47:05 PT By Tami Abdollah, Times Staff Writer Source: Los Angeles Times Los Angeles -- A day after agents raided 11 Los Angeles County marijuana dispensaries, local officials and residents complained Thursday that the federal government was trampling on state laws that allow the cultivation and sale of marijuana for medical uses.The raids Wednesday, part of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, were the largest such operation in the county in recent years. Five dispensaries in West Hollywood were raided with the other six in Venice, Hollywood, Sherman Oaks and Woodland Hills. The action highlights a continuing struggle between the state, where voters approved medical marijuana in 1996, and the federal government, which prohibits the use and sale of pot."A lot of people are involved in some pretty major criminal activity, and they're using state law to traffic in drugs," said Sarah Pullen, spokeswoman for the DEA's Los Angeles office.But medical marijuana activists said the DEA raids mark another attempt to stem a movement they say can't be halted. They also said the busts mirror a burgeoning trend by federal agents to pounce soon after local governments tighten dispensary rules, as Los Angeles and West Hollywood did this week."In truth, what people all over the state are saying is they want dispensaries regulated. That's not the same as saying we want them closed down," said Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, an advocacy group for medical marijuana. About 100 people attended a protest the group organized Thursday morning outside West Hollywood City Hall.California voters in 1996 approved Proposition 215, which made marijuana available by doctor recommendation for medicinal uses. SB 420, which took effect in 2004, clarified Proposition 215, and taken together legalized possession and cultivation of marijuana for qualified medical patients.But a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles, Thom Mrozek, said the dispensaries violate federal law. "There's no reason to explain beyond that."In West Hollywood, city officials said the raids took them by surprise. The city has a "long-standing commitment" to the use of medical marijuana for people with such catastrophic illnesses as HIV and AIDS, said city spokeswoman Helen Goss."Cities throughout California are struggling with how to deal with the situation," she said. "The voters in California have clearly voted and support the medical use of marijuana…. The cities are caught in the middle." Snipped:Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/2xqlalSource: Los Angeles Times (CA)Author: Tami Abdollah, Times Staff WriterPublished: January 19, 2007 Copyright: 2007 Los Angeles TimesContact: letters latimes.comWebsite: http://www.latimes.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Americans For Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/ DEA Raids Medical Marijuana Centershttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22535.shtml DEA Raids 11 Pot Clubshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22532.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by afterburner on January 19, 2007 at 21:41:30 PT zandor & Toker00 I was going to make a similar point yesterday and suggest that the DEA deserves to be sent to Guantanamo, but I'm tired of poking them with a stick. Homeland Security is a fraud when the DEA uses such tactics against our own people, the sick and dying no less. The DEA are trying to divide-and-conquer, to enforce homeland interdiction. The DEA is an obsolete organization, a dinosaur in its death throes. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Toker00 on January 19, 2007 at 09:30:43 PT Zandor Great point! (Toting automatic weapons, warring ski masks and hiding their face just like terrorist do, make the DEA a domestic terrorist to the people). We need a billboard with these jackboots in their vulgar garb next to a picture of a Pot farmer beaten and shackled and ask: "Who's the REAL terrorists here?!?" The Drug War is a racist jihad against minorities AND the counter-culture. They will never win. Break their budget! THE DEA ARE TERRORISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Not only are their uniforms black, but their hearts are too.Toke. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Hope on January 19, 2007 at 09:23:13 PT A few years ago I remember reading about a sheriff in Montana or Utah or somewhere that banned federal agents from operating in his county...and he could legally do it. Why can't the California sheriffs do the same thing?That sheriff was successful at doing it and it was legal. I don't have time to search down the information on that story right now...but we need more local sheriffs willing to use that option if it's available to them. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by doc james on January 19, 2007 at 08:44:09 PT 2007 year of homegrower has it ever been anyone but us? really....we've been doing it in the illegal states forever. nothing has ever really changed. soon they r most likely going after the home grower by getting all the addresses and names from the dispensaries files. Its just wrong for the terrorist bastards to do that and I agree that the cities should have been protecting city law by calling in the state boys for backup, it is a statewide law. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by zandor on January 19, 2007 at 08:03:14 PT "The cities are caught in the middle." The author say's this crap.....it's the people who are caught in the middle. The cities have a responsibility to act on behalf of the PEOPLE of their city period, end of story!The cities have no right to help the feds to violate the will of the people of the state. This is a state law and any city or county government should be removed from office for not following the will of the people.The people have spoken and our elected officials have a responsibility to execute the will of the people....period!The cities are not caught in the middle it's the sick & dieing that are the ones who suffer the most & are stuck in the middle. The city should protect the will of the people and especially the sick & dieing. The cities just use this as an excuse to drive us all back into the shadows and stay "out of site out of mind" so they do not need to deal with us.City police should be forced to stand guard and protect the people who pay their salaries and stop the feds from performing terrorist type of acts upon the people they are charged with protecting. (Toting automatic weapons, warring ski masks and hiding their face just like terrorist do, make the DEA a domestic terrorist to the people)."Cities are caught in the middle" is pure bullshit and a lie.2007 is the year of the home grower so grow your own and stay safe; help your brother & sister when and where you can, it’s time like this that we all must stick together to get by and not let them take us down and make us hide again in the shadows of society. PeaceZandor - The Grow Report [ Post Comment ] Post Comment