DEA raids 11 medical marijuana clinics in Los Angeles area

[Lunar Loops]

For some reason, SWIS visualises goose stepping, Bush saluting Nazi storm troopers when he reads this article. This from SFGate.com (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...&sn=001&sc=423)

DEA raids 11 medical marijuana clinics in Los Angeles area

(01-17) 23:06 PST Los Angeles (AP)

Federal drug agents raided nearly a dozen medical marijuana clinics Wednesday, seizing several thousand pounds of processed marijuana, along with weapons and money, authorities said.

Several people were detained, although no arrests were made after five dispensaries in West Hollywood and six others in Venice, Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley were searched, said Sarah Pullen, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Pullen declined to provide details of the investigation, saying the search warrants remained under seal. "But obviously we are looking for marijuana and other illegal drugs, marijuana edibles and evidence of ongoing criminal activity and anything from paperwork to documents -- you name it," Pullen said.

Officials in West Hollywood said they were surprised by the action, learning of the raid as it was happening.

West Hollywood spokeswoman Helen Goss said the city has a "long-standing commitment" to the use of medical marijuana for people suffering from illnesses like HIV and AIDS.

Agents in bulletproof vests, gloves and face masks left a West Hollywood storefront with boxes and trash bags filled, as about 50 protesters booed and shouted "states' rights."

At one dispensary, The Farmacy on Santa Monica Boulevard, amateur videographers and others mobbed officers filling three cars with evidence.

California voters approved Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act in 1996, which made marijuana available by prescription for medicinal uses. The DEA, which does not recognize California laws legalizing medical marijuana use, has recently stepped up its enforcement.

"Today's enforcement operations show that these establishments are nothing more than drug-trafficking organizations bringing criminal activities to our neighborhoods and drugs near our children and schools," said Ralph W. Partridge, head of the DEA in Los Angeles.

[Nagognog2]

[QUOTE=shroomonger;222150]For some reason, SWIS visualises goose stepping, Bush saluting Nazi storm troopers when he reads this article. This from SFGate.com (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...&sn=001&sc=423)

DEA raids 11 medical marijuana clinics in Los Angeles area

(01-17) 23:06 PST Los Angeles (AP)

Federal drug agents raided nearly a dozen medical marijuana clinics Wednesday, seizing several thousand pounds of processed marijuana, along with weapons and money, authorities said.



Weapons? Such as what, pray tell? Box-cutters and a bent paper-clip??

I want more info on this lil' Siegity Diggity Heil episode. A few states around my locale (which already did - but they don't dare raid here) are soon to be enacting similar laws. Nice to see what the agents of the pharmaceutical industry are playing.

[Woodman]

Originally Posted by shroomonger

(http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...&sn=001&sc=423)

DEA raids 11 medical marijuana clinics in Los Angeles area

(01-17) 23:06 PST Los Angeles (AP)

Federal drug agents raided nearly a dozen medical marijuana clinics Wednesday, seizing several thousand pounds of processed marijuana, along with weapons and money, authorities said.

...California voters approved Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act in 1996, which made marijuana available by prescription for medicinal uses. The DEA, which does not recognize California laws legalizing medical marijuana use, has recently stepped up its enforcement.

"Today's enforcement operations show that these establishments are nothing more than drug-trafficking organizations bringing criminal activities to our neighborhoods and drugs near our children and schools," said Ralph W. Partridge, head of the DEA in Los Angeles.

WRONG!

This enforcement operation shows that the Federal Government is willing to act in complete disregard to the will of the people and ignore State's initiative, to the point where they will shut-down businesses and prosecute individuals involved in a state sanctioned enterprise.

...Now, tell me about "freedom" in America, and how police "protect & serve" the people.

[zera]

Gosh golly gee! I'll sure be able to sleep better tonight knowing that those dangerous chemotherapy patients are no longer threatening to destroy modern civilization by watching Cartoon Network and eating all the food at Taco Bell. Thank you George Bush, the 2.8 trillion dollars taxpayers send to the federal government is certainly worth it! Those DEA agents must certainly feel like big strong badass men by conducting paramilitary raids on a bunch of sick people.

[brown_thing]

Originally Posted by shroomonger

Federal drug agents raided nearly a dozen medical marijuana clinics Wednesday, seizing several thousand pounds of processed marijuana, along with weapons and money, authorities said.

what's that AIDS patients with weapons sounds dangerous lucky there wasn't a shoot out, and that crap about organised crime how does he sleep at night.

[El Calico Loco]

Stories like this always make the voices tell me to kill...but at the same time, I can't help but be a little amused at Californians shouting "state's rights!" It would be more amusing coming from New Yorkers, but still.

Personally, I'm a big believer in localism and (genuine) Federalism, yet I've never liked the phrase "state's rights." I prefer to think of it in terms of individual rights, including the right to live in a state, county, parish, city, or even neighborhood that is different from others down the road.

When ordinary citizens on the right were feeling ignored and put-upon by the Federales, many of them called for less centralization of power and more local control; pundits on the left scoffed and answered that the right wanted to return to the era of Jim Crow, or perhaps even slavery. Now that Republicans have been in power for over a decade, we hear voices from the left calling for localism and even talking of secession.

Delicious irony. As you sow, so shall you reap. Or, as Libertarian presidental contender Harry Browne put it when debating the nominee from the Constitution Party (ie, the Bible Party), "Giving the government the power to enforce God's law gives it the power to enforce The Devil's law when the reins of power change hands."

This is true whether one's prophet of choice is Jesus Christ or Karl Marx.


ECL

[CRUNK]

This makes me sick.

[The Mucking MaDMAn]

While obviously this is horrible this incident shows the ppl something very important about changes happening... The DEA raided 11 clubs, siezed several thousand pounds of marijuana... yet they did not arrest a single man. They didn't have the balls for the consequences of if they did. Giving us more weird irony of its illegal, definetly needs to stay illegal, but we'll only confiscate it when otherwise u could be looking at 20+ in prison, understand that under federal law those were very serious felonies that were just overlooked.

We're starting to get the DEA by the balls!!!

[Beeker]

the dea is about power and money. They raided for the money.

[Donmeka]

where SWIM lives south of LA they closed every single club in the valley maybe even the county because of stupid fucking owners being irresponsible. 1 incident that did it was a man tipping a waitress at a local casino with marijuana.