Coolguy

DEA Raids Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
10news.com | 12/12/2005

SAN DIEGO -- Raids began Monday afternoon against several medical marijuana dispensaries in San Diego.

Authorities swooped down on locations where pot is sold in violation of federal law, which is at odds with state law.

Federal law supercedes state law, and the debate over using marijuana to combat pain has reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ten states allow it, including California, but the high court ruled this summer that the government can prosecute seriously ill patients who smoke pot.

Monday's series of raids city-wide netted jars of marijuana and packages of hashish destined for sale to people suffering from cancer, AIDS and auto accidents.

Armed officers served warrants simultaneously at several storefronts in Ocean Beach.

The Purple Coconut on El Cajon Boulevard was hit, too. The net stretched from the beach community to the inner city.

"The message is clear -- marijuana is against the law. The DEA has an obligation (and) we take our role very seriously," said John Fernandes, with the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Patients and supporters of medical marijuana are up in arms and planning protests.

"Some people have cancer -- (it's) not fair when all we want to do is get help," said medical marijuana user Cole, who didn't give his full name.

"At least we now know what we're up against, and we can get on with solving problems of not being able to access medicine under federal law," said Barbara MacKenzie.

A total of 14 locations were raided Monday accross the county. Plants, processed marijuana and financial records were seized.

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nacrypt

"The more you tighten your grip the more star-systems will slip through your fingers."

Hopefully there will be a public outcry and backlash about this. Maybe it will expose how evil the DEA is and draw more supporters to the legalization movement. What does everyone else think?

Buzzby

I think labeling the DEA as "evil" is kind of silly. It's a law enforcement agency doing its job: enforcing federal drug laws. If anything is "evil", it's the laws, but I don't see the advantage of putting that tag on them. It's almost impossible to find any kind of accommodation with something so labeled. If we want to change the laws we're going to have to find a middle ground with those who advocate them.

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Cassius

What's evil is the Supreme Court's ruling that the federal government can ban a benign substance that is explicitly permitted by state law, on the grounds of the Interstate Commerce Clause. That is what's evil.

California should do like South Carolina did in 1861 -- secede. That would show the DEA who's boss.

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{ Cassius, Your Humble Narrator }
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MiNtSnafu

Amen, in fact, why don't we all?

student

dude my ****ing buddy was down at the club when all this **** went down. some fool rolled with up with 5 p's and got rolled on the spot.

lilgrasshoppah

The DEA is a political organization.

They exert influence on politicians regarding public drug policy.
They have repeatedly attempted to expand the existing cannabis laws to include hemp foods. (They have already succeeded in outlawing the growing of nonpsychoactive hemp in your country).

There can be no "accommodation" with them, for they refuse to be accomodated. A rational role for them would be to pursue violent, organized crime and to keep such dangerous elements away from peaceful citizens. But the DEA ignores the Hell's Angels and assaults MS and cancer patients in hospices. They have demonstrated, clearly, repeatedly and sincerely that they DO NOT WANT TO ACCOMODATE A RATIONAL DRUG POLICY.

As such, they cannot be accomodated. They want us all dead or imprisoned. I am more merciful than they. I do not want their deaths. I do not even require they all be imprisoned. But I will not be satisfied until they are all divested of power, and unable to cause harm to my brothers.

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I got soul, But i'm not a soldier - The Killers

killer12382

They are a machine....a government machine....no emotions. It has a set of laws that it enforces to the best of its ability. If their overseers told them to stop enforcing the marijuana laws, they would do what they were told.

Buzzby

They can't expand the law because they don't make the laws. That is the function of our elected representatives in Congress. They interpreted the law to include hemp foodstuffs, it was challenged in court, and their interpretation was shot down.


Again, they don't make the laws. They enforce the laws. By the definitions in federal drug laws, all parts of the cannabis plant are considered to be marijuana. The only exception is sterilized seed.


You're right about that. They are police officers and enforce the laws as they stand. Accommodation must be reached with the lawmakers and the general public.


They do that.


Where did you come up with the idea that they don't bust violent offenders? It is extremely rare for the DEA to hassle medical marijuana patients. In the 10 years that medical marijuana has been legal in California, federal agents have arrested 20 patients. To give you some idea of how tiny that number is, there are currently 100,000 medical marijuana users in that state.


They are law enforcement, not policy makers. If you want to change the laws that the DEA enforces, don't talk to the DEA. Talk to your Congressperson and Senators.


I think you've got a persecution complex. The DEA wants to do its job and enforce the federal drug laws. BTW, 95% of marijuana busts are under state and local laws. Why focus on the DEA?

lilgrasshoppah

They interpreted the law to include hemp foodstuffs, it was challenged in court, and their interpretation was shot down.

Even though the original liar, Harry J Anslinger specifically excluded nonpsychoactive hemp, the DEA tried to "interpret" the law in a self-serving way. The very fact that they did so demonstrates how dangerous they are to Liberty.

Where did you come up with the idea that they don't bust violent offenders? It is extremely rare for the DEA to hassle medical marijuana patients. In the 10 years that medical marijuana has been legal in California, federal agents have arrested 20 patients. To give you some idea of how tiny that number is, there are currently 100,000 medical marijuana users in that state.

One medical marijuana user in jail, in fear, inconvenienced by the DEA is one too many.

They are law enforcement, not policy makers. If you want to change the laws that the DEA enforces, don't talk to the DEA. Talk to your Congressperson and Senators.

They are soldiers in a war I did not start. I view them as Gandhi viewed the British soldiers who massacred the innocent civilians at Amritsar. Because I am a pacifist, I do not ask for their deaths. I do, however, require that they seek other employment.

I think you've got a persecution complex. The DEA wants to do its job and enforce the federal drug laws. BTW, 95% of marijuana busts are under state and local laws. Why focus on the DEA?.

13 medical dispensaries shut down, and all the people dependant on those dispensaries left destitute. Coupled with the Corral raid from a couple of years ago. Coupled with their incursions into MY country to pursue victims of their war. And you, my so-called friend, supporting them. 'Poor, put-upon DEA agents, toiling away at a dirty job somebody has to do...' And I have a persecution complex?

I should think the DEA has a persecution complex, not I! They're the ones afraid of a nonexistent threat! They're the ones hurting harmless people! They're the ones getting rich off the suffering of others! Guess how many automatic weapons I own? Guess how many children I have killed, because they happen to be associated with my enemy? Guess how many homes I have invaded... how many people I have arrested and imprisoned... how many foreign powers I have subverted in my zeal to achieve my aims?

Zero.

The same can not be said about the DEA.

Just for the record, if we can expect Iraqi "insurgents" to lay down their arms when they are defending their homeland, we can most assuredly expect the soldiers of this war to lay down THEY'RE arms when they are merely defending their (admittedly, sizeable) paycheque.