CA: Federal agents raid Palm Springs medical marijuana dispensary

Federal agents raid Palm Springs medical marijuana dispensary
11-02-06 l The Desert Sun

A search warrant was served around 10:45 a.m. at Palm Springs Caregivers at 2100 N. Palm Canyon Drive, and federal drug agents along with Palm Springs police are searching the business, which is a medical marijuana dispensary.

The search was triggered by suspicions that the dispensary has been operating as a storefront business selling marijuana for profit, said Special Agent Sarah Pullen, a spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Under California's 10-year-old medical marijuana laws, qualified patients with a doctor's recommendation can grow and use the drug, but it cannot be sold for profit. Federal law bans any use, cultivation or sale.

Jeff Brown of Palm Springs was one of the patients arriving at the dispensary, only to find it blocked off with yellow police tape. He said he uses the dispensary because he thinks it has the better deals and selection than the two other dispensaries in the area, CannaHelp in Palm Desert and the Collective Apothecary of Palm Springs, called CAPS.

"I like to do everything legally," said Brown, who has a state-issued medical marijuana identification card. "I was buying off the street before."

DEA agents and Palm Springs police closed down and searched the dispensary a month ago after Joshua Aleck, a relative of the dispensary’s owner, allegedly left edible items laced with marijuana as a tip for an employee at The Spa Resort Casino in September.

Pullen said today's raid was triggered by information developed from the earlier raid.