cannabisnews.com: Activists Protest Marijuana Raids and Arrests





Activists Protest Marijuana Raids and Arrests
Posted by CN Staff on July 08, 2006 at 06:45:11 PT
By Jeff McDonald, Union-Tribune Staff Writer
Source: San Diego Union Tribune
San Diego, CA -- The dragnet that was dropped over San Diego County medical marijuana dispensaries Thursday has prompted deepening concern among patients who rely on the plant to relieve their symptoms. Most of the dispensaries targeted by the drug task force stayed closed yesterday, but some were open despite a terse warning from officials that they might be next.
Dozens of medical marijuana activists protested yesterday outside the federal courthouse, where one day earlier local and federal law enforcement leaders announced the results of a raid on area pot dispensaries. Fifteen people were arrested on various state and federal charges after an 18-month investigation into the dispensaries, which are legal under state law but remain forbidden under federal drug rules. California's landmark 1996 medical marijuana law allows patients to grow and use marijuana, but a follow-up bill that tried to clarify the legislation does not fully spell out guidelines on the commercial sale of the drug. The resulting confusion has left patients and local officials in a lurch. “How can you bust people for breaking the law when there are no rules?” wondered Dion Markgraaff, a medical marijuana advocate who helped organize the demonstration. “That's what everybody wants – regulation.” Motorists driving by the protest along Broadway honked in apparent support of the protesters, who stayed at the corner for nearly an hour before marching to the Hall of Justice. They hoped to meet with District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who vowed at a news conference Thursday to continue raiding dispensaries if they do not shut down. Courthouse security teams refused to allow all the protesters to enter the building, permitting only a handful of them to drop off a letter to Dumanis. The rejection did not sit well with Richard Hertz, a medical marijuana advocate from Clairemont who was among those left outside. “Our local officials aren't following state law or the will of the people,” he said. Snipped: Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/q6vagNewshawk: MayanSource: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)Author: Jeff McDonald, Union-Tribune Staff WriterPublished: July 8, 2006 Copyright: 2006 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.Contact: letters uniontrib.comWebsite: http://www.uniontrib.com/Related Articles: Medical Marijuana Profiteers Targetedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21973.shtml Five Arrested, Marijuana Dispensaries Raided http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21971.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by Wayne on July 08, 2006 at 16:28:23 PT
FoM
Actually, a great source I've found is Independent News in the UK. They have all sorts of stories that you will NEVER hear from our news bureaus (or even from the BBC for that matter). And I haven't found out for sure, but I think they lean in our direction on MJ legalization. The UK did, after all, relax possession laws, much to our government's chagrin.Oh, and I love it when they call our leaders Mr. Bush and his deputy, Dick Cheney, like they're cowboys or something.
http://news.independent.co.uk
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on July 08, 2006 at 13:13:52 PT
Wayne
I agree that we need to get our news from many sources. My problem is when I know that something is not true I stop watching the channel. I haven't been watching even CNN recently. I think I must be on summer vacation from the news channels at least until the hurricanes start. Then I watch the news because no one can spin it. I get my news from the Internet and programs on the different Discovery Channels.
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Comment #5 posted by Wayne on July 08, 2006 at 13:04:24 PT
Fox part II
Yeah, I understand completely. I'm not a big of Fox either, and they're definitely NOT 'fair & balanced' like they claim. And they use a lot of fear tactics, similar to Cheney and Condoleezee. I also prefer CNN, they provide for more of a middle ground, and Lou Dobbs is my hero. He sticks up for the middle-class. MSNBC is not high on my list though. They have all the left-wing extremists, just like Fox has the right-wingers. Extremists make me angry. And MSNBC often resorts to smearing the other networks when their ratings go down. I find it's best to get my news from as many different sources as possible... even the ones I don't like. I was taught that in college, and it was one of the most valuable things I took with me in life. I can't stand my local newspaper or USA Today, or my local news networks at that. But I read and watch them anyway, just to gain a more well-rounded perspective. I find that things are a lot clearer and I become less agitated if I understand the point-of-view of both my allies and my enemies.Hey, if you can stay awake long enough, there's always C-SPAN. The only station where you can get your news without the middleman.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 08, 2006 at 11:57:50 PT
Wayne
I don't even know who Brian Wilson is. If I didn't get Fox News along in a package with DirecTV I wouldn't want it. I watch CNN and sometimes MSNBC because those two channels try to get a little closer to the way I believe. Fox is so Republican and right leaning I just can't watch it. Life's too short for me to feel sick. It really makes me feel sick.
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Comment #3 posted by Wayne on July 08, 2006 at 10:50:33 PT
"Fox News Alert"
I try to avoid this station whenever possible, but Brian Wilson at Weekend Live wants us to let him know what stories they should be covering, and what stories they cover too much. I just sent him an email that said we should start re-examining the War on Drugs. I encourage all of you to do the same.
http://www.foxnews.com/weekendlive
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on July 08, 2006 at 09:46:36 PT
reporter
See, I told you yesterday that Jeff was a good guy.  This article is covering the news but also makes up for the one-way article printed yesterday.I think a lot of reporters don't even realize what they're doing when they write up a story featuring only quotes from prosecutors and cops. Normally when someone gets shot or robbed or assaulted, reporters just go to the DA and write down everything he/she says for their story.But they get sucker-punched on MJ news because all the DA's and cops are part of a huge political campaign to attack medical MJ users and to continue the legal persecution of all MJ users. I think sometimes these reporters get blind-sided by this and don't realize what they've done until they're flooded with emails from patients like myself & others.
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Comment #1 posted by Wayne on July 08, 2006 at 07:31:03 PT
fight fight fight!
God bless these people. Mr. Hertz is dead-on. The local officials are flying in the face of the state law and the will of the people! I say that since Ms. Dumanis won't let them air their grievances, they should take it to the state level. And fight it with that theme...that the WILL of the PEOPLE is being DENIED. Then it would make more headlines. And the true agenda of these heartless officials would be exposed. This is exactly what we need to be doing. God bless these people, for they are doing His work, and setting a damn fine example for the rest of us.
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