DEA Raids More California Medical Pot Dispensaries - Obama Admin. Reiterates Pledge to Stop Them

[bigtree]

from Drug War Chronicle: http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/571/DEA_raids_more_medical_marijuana_dispensaries_under_obama_administration



2/6/09

DEA agents raided four medical marijuana dispensaries in the Los Angeles area Tuesday, hitting two in Venice, one in Marina Del Rey, and one in Playa del Rey. The raids come nearly two weeks after President Obama took office and on the same day that Eric Holder was confirmed as head of the Justice Department, the agency that oversees DEA operations. They mark the second such incident taking place under the Obama administration, the first being a January 22nd raid of a medical marijuana dispensary in South Lake Tahoe.

President Obama made repeated campaign pledges to halt the raids on dispensaries operating within California's medical marijuana laws, and by Wednesday night, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro was telling the Washington Times that the raids would end once new DOJ officials are appointed.

"The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind," Shapiro said.

The raids came a day before the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) announced it had commissioned a poll by Zogby International that found overwhelming support for ending the DEA raids. The poll asked the question: "During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama said he would stop federal raids against medical marijuana providers in the 13 states where medical marijuana has become legal. Should President Obama keep his word to end such raids?"

No one was arrested in Tuesday's raids, but as is typically the case, DEA agents broke down doors and seized marijuana destined for patients as well as cash and computers. Several dispensary operators told California activist organizations that agents acted even more aggressively than usual.

"Those raids were little more than piracy," said Dale Gieringer, head of California NORML. "The conduct of the agents was unprofessional and vindictive. They call them 'investigations,' but they just go in there and steal medicine and money and smash things."

read: http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/571/DEA_raids_more_medical_marijuana_dispensaries_under_obama_administration

January 22nd raid of a medical marijuana dispensary in South Lake Tahoe: http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/569/DEA_raid_medical_marijuana_dispensary_first_obama

[truebrit71]

1. So then does this bullshit end? I thought that elections 'had consequences"..?

:shrug:

[stillcool]

7. I think Eric Holder just got confirmed...

has Obama appointed a new Director?

[HowHasItComeToThis]

12. CITIZEN'S ARREST OF THE POLICE-THUGS

[SlipperySlope]

13. Executive Order Time?

This seems like exactly the kind of thing that an executive order could immediately halt.

[corruptmewithpower]

2. Time to fire some DEA feds.

This was blatent disregard of their Commander in Chief.

[Tsiyu]

3. So peanut butter has killed eight ? people

and we're told there is just no money in the budget for FDA to inspect food facilities, yet we have enough $$$$$$ to raid people legally dispensing something that HELPS people?

Fucked up America, fucked up DEA.

Obama should be livid, as should everyone who had a family member die from salmonella poisoning because "there's just no money in the budget to keep you safe."

[bigtree]

4. just a note

President Obama promised a comprehensive review of the FDA.

"I think that the FDA has not been able to catch some of these things as quickly as I expect them to catch," Obama said in an interview aired Monday on NBC's "Today" show. "And so we're gonna be doing a complete review of FDA operations."

The president said Americans should be able to count on the government to keep children safe when they eat peanut butter and that includes his 7-year-old daughter Sasha.

"That's what Sasha eats for lunch probably three times a week. And you know, I don't want to have to worry about whether she's going to get sick as a consequence to having her lunch," Obama said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8338567

[goclark]

5. Our family friend was prescribed Medical MJ at a well

known hospital in California.

He was ready for Hospice Care and is now thriving.

[Zhade]

11. YAY! That is awesome!

It saved my sight, literally. My doctors even found it IMPROVED my vision - they had to downgrade my prescription!

[goclark]

17. Saved your sight?! That is awesome! I didn't know it was

used for vision improvement.

Please tell me more, I have many issues with my sight. :cry:

[htuttle]

18. From what I understand, it depends on what's wrong with your sight

Marijuana is proven to reduce intraocular pressure. If your sight problems are a result of that, ie., glaucoma, it would probably help.

Anecdotally speaking, ie., according to Jamaican fishermen, it also improves night vision, but I don't know of any actual studies that prove that to be the case (yet).

CAVEAT: I know this mostly because I spent some years working with NORML during the first Bush and then Clinton administrations (cf. Sisyphus), not because I'm a doctor or anything of the sort.

[goclark]

20. Thanks! I'll ask my doctor on my next visit

Yea for everyone that it helps!

[asdjrocky]

6. No one ever gets arrested anymore at the dispensary.

It has nothing to do with justice, it's only about harassment and economic intimidation. I know our President has a lot on his plate, but it would be wonderful to see him do something about these over zealous shitwads.

[bigtree]

8. a poster here suggested they just wanted the stash and the money

. . . for their personal use.

[asdjrocky]

14. To anyone that's had any experience with law enforcement,

especially on the federal level, would know that's not too far from what is probably the truth.

[Kaleko]

23. The cops are the robbers in this case.

[Zhade]

9. ONE MORE STRIKE, OBAMA.

These raids against a proven-beneficial herb MUST END. They are fucking with MY HEALTH.

[Webster Green]

10. DEA are scum!

Evil mutherfuckers, and corrupt from top to bottom. :mad:

[FiveGoodMen]

16. Could NOT agree more!

DEA needs to be disbanded.

[mitchum]

19. Absolutely...I do not shed a tear whenever any of them "die in the line of duty"...

when one's life is a farce
ones death can hardly be considered a tragedy

[MadHound]

15. Yipee, more "change"

Sorry, but the excuses are starting to wear a bit thin. How long does it take to pick a the WH phone, call the DEA and order them to stop this shit?

But I'm sure that some sort of lame excuse will be forthcoming from the hallelujah chorus

[backscatter712]

21. Kos had a diary on the Obama administration and the raids.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/2/6/145515/3547/508/694121

Obama is ordering a stop to them.

Of course, the Reefer Madness thugs in the DEA were trying to game the system and knock out a few more raids before they got official marching orders from the White House to knock it off...

[underseasurveyor]

22. President Obama certainly has his hands full.

So much bullshit in this country, so many broken things that need fixing.