California vs. The Feds: Obama's DOJ Cracks Down on Medical Marijuana

[walerosco]

Run time: 10:20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYANybQlaUc   Posted on YouTube: November 29, 2011 By YouTube Member: ReasonTV Views on YouTube: 305   Posted on DU: November 30, 2011 By DU Member: walerosco Views on DU: 1823

 
The federal government is in the midst of a crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries across the state of California.

This is despite repeated claims from President Obama and his Department of Justice that they would not devote federal resources to circumventing state medical marijuana laws.

"The law has been hijacked by profiteers who are motivated not by compassion, but by money," said Melinda Haag, one of California's U.S. Attorneys, at a DOJ press conference on October 11, 2011.

Aaron Sandusky, owner of G3 Holistic, a group of medical marijuana dispensaries in California's Inland Empire, is one such target of the DOJ's crackdown on medical marijuana "profiteers." The DOJ sent him a letter promising to shut down his operations within 14 days. And they followed through.

Reason.tv talked to Sandusky, who's long battled the city of Upland's sordid handling of medical marijuana dispensaries, before and after he was raided.

"We all want the same thing," said Sandusky. "We want to see less crime. That's why we have these places."

Sgt. Glenn Walsh and Agent Mark Brewster, both members of the California Narcotic Officer's Association, believe that the stepped up enforcement from the DOJ is a positive development.

"There's no avenue in the law, whatsoever, to accommodate the sales of marijuana," Brewster said.

Walsh concurs, arguing that California's Prop 215 and SB 420 allow for the collective cultivation of medical marijuana but do not allow for a single cent to exchange hands during that process.

"If it's my land, and I want to help you cultivate marijuana , I can do that," said Walsh. "You cannot, however, reimburse me for any expenses."

The prospect of cultivating and distributing a legal product to a large demand base without any money changing hands seems far-fetched to medical marijuana growers and sellers like Sandusky, who himself invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of his life in a grower's facility before it was raided and destroyed in early November.

"They seized all of our assets, all of my personal assets," said Sandusky. "I have sixty dollars in my pocket. That's it."

The DOJ has issued threatening letters to dozens of dispensaries across the state and plans to continue shutting them down one by one. While some in the government work to shield Obama from criticism on the issue, the President has so far remained curiously silent on the crackdowns.

About 10 minutes, 30 seconds. Written and Produced by Zach Weissmueller. Associate Producer is Tracy Oppenheimer. Shot by Paul Detrick, Oppenheimer, and Weissmueller.

Go to Reason.tv for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel for automatic notifications when new material goes live.

[suede1]

1. It is beyond excusable idiocy to be on the side on the drug warriors. From Obama on down,

it is morally reprehensible to ruin so many lives, and cause so many deaths. The drug warriors make me ill.

And to withhold medicine from the sick - sadistic at best.

[truedelphi]

2. There are three entities that benefit from the crackdown on the clinics

Organized mob, both American and Mexican.

And the Big Pharma people. Many of us remember how Chief of WH Staff Rahm Emanuel coddled the Big Pharma executives, letting them help write the "Affordable HC Act of 2009?"

And then there is the big prison industry. Make us all prisoners all the time. If not for marajuna- then for being our terrorists! (SB 1867 could pass this week.)

[2banon]

3. There's another angle I *suspect* might be playing out behind the curtain..

California had a proposition on the ballot a couple of years ago which appeared on it's face to be a very pro-liberalization of marijuana laws. It was viewed by many in the community to be a very deceptive initiative which would have ultimately benefited BigPHARma. In other words, the law would have paved the monopolization road to the benefit of BigPharma

I had heard that PG&E actually funded the initiative, but I never checked as to the veracity of that claim, but it made sense and wouldn't have surprised me since they profited mightly with the use of energy.

I suspect, this crack down is for political points for Obama, but also a sort of paving the ground to hand the entire industry over to Big PHARma...It may take a few years, but sooner or later....

The bottom line is, the FEDs and Cartels do not intend to lose this huge revenue source and will not be given up gladly.

[truedelphi]

4. Have you heard discussion of whether the Smart Meters are part of this?

It seems like it is silly for PG & E to spend 2.1 billion dollars on these meters.

Granted, from their point of view, the meters mean they don't need meter readers any more. But some of the folks I know are skeptical, and think it will allow P G & E to know who is growing indoors and who isn't.

[Liberaltalker]

5. Obama went back on his word plain and simple.

I cant wait for a voter to challenge him on this either at a townhall meeting, rally or one of the debates to come next year. It's not good for him to be flipfloping on this wile he is putting out adds against that very thing at the moment. I just do not understand him on this... I mean the man used to smoke it when he was younger.California WILL be the first to 100% legalize it in the nation, and Im sure an anti pot descrimination law will be passed too. Other states will follow California's example. The question is, what will DC do then?

[Name removed]

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[Liberaltalker]

7. Just got one more thing to say on this.

It pisses me off so much when I hear the tired old argument on this that federal law trumps state law. That line of reasoning agianst a states right to legalize medical marijuana goes against the 10th amendment of the US Constitution! The DEA has never been challenged on this in federal court. I hope to god that they will be one day!

[DreamSmoker]

8. A must watch for the Facts

Thank you for this informative Video..
It supports my claims that this was a planned and secret attack on MMJ by the Feds..
It was coordinated with Local police Departments through out California in Secret..
A blanket sweep of California's MMJ Community and the Patients access..


K&R

[Irishonly]

9. The Patients Suffer

God only knows what patients are getting now. My regular doctor and I were having a conversation about it. When I brought up the fact that many medical patients may be getting swag now instead of grows that were regulated he was shocked. No one ever thinks about the patients and their needs.

[dotymed]

10. Profiteering. Yes, the dispensaries were making a profit.

Sadly, that is what America is now all about. What the narcs failed to mention was that this will greatly increase the profits of the drug cartels and cause many more violent deaths. Their profiteering was protected by "our" government.

As were the huge profits of the "judicial" system and the prison industrial complex. It is obvious that the bloody money from the cartels have made its way into the federal "electoral" process.

It is sickening that the federal government is sponsored by violent drug money. At least when the legal dispensaries were operating, they created American jobs and paid taxes. Obviously, the federal politicians make more money (just like their criminal allies) by killing, imprisoning and denying freedoms to Americans.

GO OWS!