cannabisnews.com: Pot Dispensaries Closing Under Threat of Feds





Pot Dispensaries Closing Under Threat of Feds
Posted by CN Staff on February 07, 2008 at 05:50:50 PT
By Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff Writer
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco, CA -- Medical marijuana in San Francisco may be going up in smoke.In late December, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sent letters to landlords of buildings that housed medical cannabis dispensaries in the city, telling them they face the loss of their property and possibly prison if the businesses stay open.
Now, less than two months later, seven of the city's 28 dispensaries have closed or are on the verge of closing, according to medical marijuana supporters and activists. They fear more will follow."It's like a dagger in the heart," said Wayne Justmann, a medical marijuana advocate. "We're barely holding on right now."Dispensary owners are being guarded about the closures, as they are fearful that speaking publicly will draw attention to their individual businesses and put them at greater risk.So far, the Mason Street Dispensary in the Tenderloin district has closed completely. One of the city's older dispensaries, 194 Church St. - which last year city supervisors tried to name as a historic site - no longer sells marijuana but is still open for people to use the space to get high.One of the best known dispensaries, the San Francisco Patients' Cooperative on Divisadero Street, will shut its doors at the end of the month after nearly 20 years, according to the Rev. Randi Webster, one of the cooperative's founders.The owner of the building was "severely frightened" by the DEA letter, and the cooperative founders and the landlord had agreed years ago to part ways in the event of a situation like this, Webster said. Snipped:Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/yv49s2Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff WriterPublished: Thursday, February 7, 2008Copyright: 2008 Hearst Communications Inc.Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #14 posted by Truth on February 08, 2008 at 03:28:07 PT
those mofos
I can't believe the federal mispolicy. Those mofos would steal candy from a baby. How do I know this?The fkn take medicine away from sick people. Jesus H. Christ. How can an american stoop so low as to do that.WTF?
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on February 07, 2008 at 18:56:17 PT
My gosh, Max...
Somebody stole from them, so they just stole from you and others? That's just wrong and they shouldn't have done that.
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Comment #12 posted by Max Flowers on February 07, 2008 at 18:44:48 PT
Divisadero
I'm glad to see them shut down. I believe this place is the same one that ripped me off for a whole lb of medicine about four years ago. They claimed they had had an internal theft and basically shrugged their shoulders and said "Sorry, wish we could pay you". They had no remorse at all for what they did to me (and several other vendors). They're creeps.
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Comment #11 posted by mykeyb420 on February 07, 2008 at 13:10:41 PT
wrong info
" One of the best known dispensaries, the San Francisco Patients' Cooperative on Divisadero Street, will shut its doors at the end of the month after nearly 20 years, according to the Rev. Randi Webster, one of the cooperative's founders."350 Divisadero has NOT been there 20 years,,,they opened in late 1999,,the movement started at 194 Church,which is mentioned in the article as well,started in 1994. I think that makes 14 years.is this a typo??? or a fact checker mischeck???I also don't like the term,,get high,,let's say that we " medicate"
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Comment #10 posted by Dankhank on February 07, 2008 at 12:49:36 PT
so now ...
we need to tell the Dems that whoever gets the nod ... and the Big Nod, should ask John Edwards if he wants to be the Attorney general.and let's have Denis K for Drug Czar... or Gasp ... RPaul
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Comment #9 posted by runruff on February 07, 2008 at 12:21:01 PT:
My spelling again :>)
Colonist not columnist.I did'nt mean that the revolutionary war was being fought by newspaper reporters. Ha ha!
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Comment #8 posted by Commonsense on February 07, 2008 at 12:20:31 PT
Sam Adams
It won't matter much whether Congress endorses the raids or not. The DEA is an agency of the executive branch. If the president wants the raids to stop he can stop them. He can tell them to go find something else to do with their time. He can instruct his attorney general to put a stop to prosecutions of medical marijuana providers that are acting within state laws too. 
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on February 07, 2008 at 11:58:44 PT
Related Article and Pictures from IndyBay.org
San Francisco Responds To Safe Access Crisis and Calls on Mayor Newsom To Lead the WayBy Rev. Randi WebsterThursday, Feb 7th, 2008 The DEA in its latest attack on Medical Cannabis Dispensaries in California is using a new tactic - sending letters to landlords who rent to the dispensaries threatening them with property forfieture and jail time.At a Press Conference held on San Francisco City Hall Steps at noon on Monday February 4th, members of the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Community and supporters gathered in solidarity to call for Mayor Gavin Newsom to end his silence about recent D.E.A. scare tactics against medical cannabis facility landlords. These threats are in the form of letters threatening asset forfeiture and imprisonment if they continue to rent to Medical Cannabis dispensaries, even though they are doing so pursuant to City regulations. This tactic has already worked in Southern California. Complete Article: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/02/07/18477576.php
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Comment #6 posted by runruff on February 07, 2008 at 11:34:37 PT:
revolution
The first revolution lasted from 1775 to 1783. Along the way the continental army made many retreats lost many battles and nearly lost the hearts and the minds of the people. History shows that only about 5% of the columnist actively fought the war against Britain. This war we are now fighting in the new revolution against the New Britain, is making headway. We have our losses in battle we've made many retreats but if all goes well the worst of it should be over in about 10 more months.
I believe this big push by the DEA in California will help to solidify people behind the democratic cause.
In a book I once read titled the "Art of War" the author claimed sometimes in guerrilla warfare the revolutionary army must necessarily lose every battle in order to win the war.
Keep heart, revolution is still alive and the new Britts are we running out of resources. In a war of attrition, this is how the way imperial army's lose.Namaste
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on February 07, 2008 at 09:23:02 PT
lost battle on the way to victory
All is not lost! Consider than hundreds of dispensaries are operating right now in LA county alone. But it is very unfortunate that these people who worked for years to help the sick and dying are now being shut down after all their work.Congress has repeatedly endorsed the contintuation of these raids by the DEA, I hope it will be stopped when the new president comes in, but realistically I doubt that will happen until more states have med MJ laws & more states have dispensaries.
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Comment #4 posted by dongenero on February 07, 2008 at 08:51:46 PT
DEA is protecting organized crime
I guess all you can really say about the DEA cracking down on dispensaries is that organized crime has a good friend in the DEA.Take cannabis away from caregivers trying to work within the framework of law and put the cannabis business back in the hands of gangs and organized crime.While they're at it, the DEA arrests, incarcerates and steals the assets of those trying to work within the framework of law.Your tax dollars at work against you and against our country. Thanks DEA.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on February 07, 2008 at 08:30:55 PT
News Article From The Associated Press
Oregon Man Sentenced To 16 Months for Home Marijuana***February 7, 2008CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — A man arrested for an indoor marijuana growing operation after a county worker smelled the illegal plant on a tax payment has been sentenced to 16 months in prison.Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/3bzway
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Comment #2 posted by museman on February 07, 2008 at 08:11:22 PT
American Terrorism
Some definitions: 
 
 Terrorism is the use or threatened use of force designed to bring about political change.  -Brian Jenkins Terrorism constitutes the illegitimate use of force to achieve a political objective when innocent people are targeted. -Walter Laqueur Terrorism is the premeditated, deliberate, systematic murder, mayhem, and threatening of the innocent to create fear and intimidation in order to gain a political or tactical advantage, usually to influence an audience. -James M. Poland Terrorism is the unlawful use or threat of violence against persons or property to further political or social objectives. It is usually intended to intimidate or coerce a government, individuals or groups, or to modify their behavior or politics. -Vice-President's Task Force, 1986 (George Bush Sr.) Terrorism is the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. -FBI Definition notice the little insert of "unlawful" there in 1986, just 2 years after Reagan declared his WOD.The DEA is American Taliban
wikipedia
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Comment #1 posted by fight_4_freedom on February 07, 2008 at 07:25:06 PT:
San Jose Mercury News
related article
More San Francisco pot dispensaries close as feds crack down
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