cannabisnews.com: Dellums Seeks Probe of Threats To Pot Sites





Dellums Seeks Probe of Threats To Pot Sites
Posted by CN Staff on December 22, 2007 at 07:16:50 PT
By Kelly Rayburn, Staff Writer
Source: Oakland Tribune
Oakland, CA -- Mayor Ron Dellums has asked a long-time former colleague, U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., to investigate the federal Drug Enforcement Administration's use of "threatening letters" to target medical cannabis dispensaries throughout California, including at least one in Oakland. The DEA has sent hundreds of letters to people who own property on which cannabis dispensaries are operating. A DEA official called the notices a "courtesy" even though they threaten landlords with imprisonment and property forfeiture.
The DEA's focus on the dispensaries — and the city's response to it — highlights the discord in federal and state laws on marijuana: California voters approved Proposition 215, supporting medical usage, in 1996, but federal law outlaws marijuana. And the DEA has warned cannabis dispensary owners that relying on state law is not a valid defense against federal charges. Dellums spokesman Paul Rose said the mayor was representing his constituents' interests in broaching the issue with Conyers, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "The city of Oakland believes in compassionate care," Rose said. "The people of California voted to support medical cannabis. ... The mayor was discouraged to learn of the DEA's actions, which were in opposition to the will of the residents of this city." Dellums wrote in the letter, which was also addressed to Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, the committee's ranking Republican, that Oakland has a "long history of successful regulation" of its four licensed dispensaries. "The DEA's recent surge tactics, such as the dissemination of threatening letters to property owners and unrelenting raids that continue to place citizens in harm's way, undermine state and local authority, and jeopardize the integrity of state law," Dellums wrote. "We urge the House Judiciary Committee to expeditiously hold hearings and examine this very important issue." A committee spokeswoman said she was not sure whether Conyers had yet received Dellums' letter. Conyers said earlier this year that he was concerned about the issue, but no date for any congressional hearings has been set. In a prepared statement, DEA Special Agent in Charge Javier Pena said, "The DEA San Francisco Field Division Office has sent out letters as a courtesy to the landowners to inform them of the suspected marijuana distribution center operating on their property. The DEA is committed to enforcing our nation's drug laws and will continue to work to keep our neighborhood communities safe from drugs and the negative ripple effects they cause." Some say the DEA's priorities are poorly placed. Dellums' appeal to Conyers followed a similar appeal by the City Council earlier in the week. In a resolution requested by Councilmember Nancy Nadel (Downtown-West Oakland), a staunch medical cannabis advocate, the council voted to urge congressional hearings as soon as possible. Oakland officials had hoped the city's regulation of cannabis dispensaries would keep the DEA away. The city adopted new guidelines on cannabis in 2004, nipping a then-burgeoning medical marijuana market and limiting the number of cannabis dispensaries to four. At least one of the four — the Coffeeshop Blue Sky, formerly called SR-71 Coffeeshop, in the 300 block of 17th Street — has received a letter. Owner Richard Lee could not be reached for comment Friday. Bruce Mirken, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project, called the DEA's actions "outrageous" and "damaging." "They're trying basically to get landlords to do their dirty work," he said. "They don't have enough agents to close down the dispensaries and they're trying to get landlords to do it for them." Mirken added, "The wheels don't turn in Washington, D.C., as fast as we would like them to, but this does appear to have gotten Chairman Conyers' attention — and that's a good first step." Conyers became chairman of the House Judiciary Committee following the Democrats' takeover of Congress following the 2006 election. Dellums served with him in Congress for 27 years. "They've known each other for a long time and they have a very good relationship," Rose said. Source: Oakland Tribune, The (CA)Author: Kelly Rayburn, Staff WriterPublished: December 22, 2007Copyright: 2007 MediaNews Group, Inc. Contact: triblet angnewspapers.comWebsite: http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/DEA Tries New Push Against Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23552.shtmlDEA Moves To Pull Pot from Under San Franciscohttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23533.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #13 posted by Dankhank on December 25, 2007 at 10:04:24 PT
theory ...
a scientific fact is a hard thing to quantify, hence the propensity of scientists to use "theory" to all, for the accumulation of information will likely never end.do we have an end-all fact for anything, really?how about gravity? think so?what if we build a machine that negates gravity?What if we develop our minds to overcome gravity?that's why scientists say, "theory of gravity" as we know we don't know everything.evolution is the same thing.We have a mass of data that suggests that evolution is very likely.We have NO data of the counter, merely, here-say evidence.It matters not what Darwin said, he was reacting to the outrage of society at his notion that we were related to the ape.Besides, he knew nothing of the research and information to come. what exactly will we find to determine that evolution is an immutable FACT?Will it be writ in the rock somewhere?RPaul evidentially believed in medical theory enough to gain skill as a physician. Yet denies the orderly progression of FACTS that contribute to a "Theory" that he must deny to win votes and assuage his mind of the conflict between superstition and observable FACT?Seems pretty obvious what's going on here.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by PatrioticDissension on December 25, 2007 at 04:37:30 PT
evolution
It means their religious. I am too. Did you know that darwin himself said that if evolution could not be proven as a fact in 100 years - sorry i forget the exact time frame, that it was indeed false. It is far past the amount of time Darwin gave. So how can we believe one thing Darwin said and totally disregard the other?
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by Dankhank on December 24, 2007 at 19:40:18 PT
so .....
what are we to make of this?http://alternet.org/blogs/peek/71473/I don't know what to think about any one who denies that evolution happened ...
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by The GCW on December 23, 2007 at 21:10:45 PT
Ron Paul on that YouTube...
Ron Paul on that YouTube video made points.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by Max Flowers on December 23, 2007 at 13:24:49 PT
Thanks buddy!
[grin]
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by aolbites on December 23, 2007 at 12:41:23 PT
Ron Paul
Ron Paul on Meet The Press Part1 12/23/2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xihPrpyB1EMRon Paul on Meet The Press Part2 12/23/2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kPXZNeUDEcRon Paul on Meet The Press Part3 10/23/2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvuFdJXLaGgRon Paul on Meet The Press Part4 12/23/2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtQdq3KpVe0
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by Max Flowers on December 23, 2007 at 10:32:37 PT
Ron Paul on Meet The Press last night
Did anyone see it? I missed it. It seems Tim Russert, the very subtle neocon shill, tried like heck to smear the good doctor, but every attempt failed and he (Paul) came out smelling like a rose. I really want to see it, I hope it will be on YouTube. I'm sure it will, but I notice that it takes a few days for things to get to YouTube from TV.Apparently he is now tied for third regarding Iowa, and climbing. I love how just a couple months ago he was being dissed as not important enough to mention, and now he's being taken *very* seriously and raising WAY more money than any other republicans
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by mykeyb420 on December 23, 2007 at 00:09:10 PT
max
that is a great idea,,,,she's hthe kind that would fall for it,,her cronies too...
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by john wayne on December 22, 2007 at 20:47:59 PT
Dellums?
Woah! Dellums turns out to be useful for more than just attaching his name to boondoggles? Will wonders never cease.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by Max Flowers on December 22, 2007 at 15:52:07 PT
mykeyb420
Here is what you might do (what I might do anyway). You call her and tell her you've reconsidered her deal, and want to negotiate it. You set a place for it and set it up with video (like your office or something). You get her on tape extorting you again. Then, you turn the tables on her and show her a copy of the video and tell her you're about to go to the FBI with your evidence of a great extortion/RICO case, which they will want more than DEA would want a dispensary case. Tell her if she leaves you and your friends alone from now on, maybe you won't go to the cops with that evidence.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by mykeyb420 on December 22, 2007 at 11:54:07 PT
max
yes , this group gets paid IN CANNABIS by SHONA to protest cannabis clubs that do not give away FREE cannabis to its members. They have extorted many clubs here in the city and my club is one of them. I refused to pay her extortion money , and she threatened to expose us to the FEDS. mabey she did have something to do with this issue...
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by Max Flowers on December 22, 2007 at 08:45:06 PT
Mayors and governors and federal thugs
It takes a MAYOR to say something when the GOVERNOR doesn't have the balls to. That's just wrong.mykeyb420, you're saying that this group gets paid in cannabis to complain about cannabis dispensaries?? What could be more bizarre and hypocritical?In any any case, this is a state versus federal issue... the DEA overreaches its jurisdiction (which technically is really only the 10 square miles of D.C.) when it does anything in one of the 50 states. All it would take to stop it is for the governor of any state to say "Enough---you no longer have permission to do this, you have to clear any and all proposed raids in my state with ME."Today on Google news there is a headline from a TIME story that reads "Schwarzenegger vs the Feds"... it almost got me excited but it is about some EPA issue, not medical cannabis.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by mykeyb420 on December 22, 2007 at 08:16:24 PT
Gavin ,say something PLEASE
We here in San Francisco have tried to call the mayors office to get his response. He WILL NOT give a stance on this issue because he is afraid of a SMALL vocal group in SF that HATES clubs and all they stand for. They are called 
"AXIS OF LOVE" led by Shona Grocenhauer. They are a small group of people with way too much time on their hands,( (homeless 5150s), they are paid volunteers by this group. They get paid in FREE cannabis to do what ever the den mother tells tem to do.
 At least the mayor of our neighbor Oakland has the balls to voice his opinion. 
 Gavin has turned his re-elected back on the patients of SF,,just to bow to the "AXIS of luff"
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment