Drug Policy Alliance Action Center - More Medical Marijuana Raids in California

Who's really in charge here?

While on the campaign trail, President Obama promised to end medical marijuana raids in places like California where the right to use marijuana on a doctor's recommendation is protected.

And now, the DEA has raided not one, but at least four medical marijuana dispensaries in California. Either those were hollow promises or President Obama's Department of Justice is not respecting his stated positions.

Sick patients who use medical marijuana in states like California are in grave danger from these wasteful abuses of federal power. You can do something to help.

Last week, thousands of DPA Network supporters like you faxed the White House imploring President Obama to end these raids. He has yet to respond -- so now is the time to take the next step.

By taking just a few moments to call the White House now and urge President Obama to honor his campaign promise to end these raids, you can protect sick and dying patients. There are detailed instructions on the website.

DPA Network is already working behind the scenes with our allies in Congress to pressure the new administration to stand up for justice. Together, we can ensure the safety of patients across the country, but only if you take action.

I'll be sure to keep you posted as the situation continues to develop.

Sincerely,
Bill Piper
Director, Office of National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance Network

P.S. Did you miss my note last week regarding Obama and Medical Marijuana? It's not too late to join the more then 3,100 people who've faxed the White House on this issue. You can also read the news about the most recent raid, and I've pasted below the phone number for the White House, but it's most helpful for coordination efforts if you use the take action button above and log your call.

Who to Contact: The White House, at (202) 456 - 1414.

What to Say: "I just read that the DEA made several raids recently on medical marijuana patients and providers in California. I’m calling to urge President Obama to put a stop to this."

Additional Talking Points (choose one):

* "I'm mad that my tax dollars are being used to harass cancer and AIDS patients."

* "I know that President Obama said last year that if he was president he wouldn’t waste law enforcement resources undermining state medical marijuana laws. I really hope he puts a stop to these wasteful raids."

* "President Bush spent eight years undermining state medical marijuana laws. I hope President Obama doesn't spend eight years doing the same."

* “I support medical marijuana and hope Obama does, too.

Feds Raid Medical Herb Dispensary on the Day Appellate Court Rules That State Law is Paramount!

This is the type of tyrannical, quasi-military urban invasion that we should be actively and aggressively fighting. This is the stuff of a rogue, rampant, runaway government bent on dictatorial power. The people of the state of California voted for medical marijuana dispensaries with Proposition 215 in 1996 and it was passed into law by 56% of the vote - far more than presidents ever get! This is truly a law of the people and an example of the importance of state's rights. Not only that, but it appears from the photo that federal drug law enforcement is being farmed out to private Christo-fascist military contractors! Can you say creeping fascism?--Pete

Posted by Auguste, Pandagon

There’s not a single item in this article that doesn’t make me stuff-throwing, puppy-kicking angry.

Federal agents raided a Culver City medical marijuana dispensary and spent more than four hours there, making no arrests but leaving the shop in disarray, it was reported Friday.

Nice place you have here. Shame if anything were to happen to it...on the taxpayer’s dime.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrived about noon Thursday at Organica Collective in the 13400 block of Washington Boulevard, DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen told the Los Angeles Times.

“Marijuana remains a controlled substance, and it is illegal under federal law to possess, dispense or cultivate marijuana in any form,” she said.

Someone should probably teach DEA spokesperson Sarah Pullen a little bit about the timing of public statements:

The federal operation came on the day an appellate court in San Diego ruled that federal law does not preempt the state’s law allowing the use of medical marijuana—a ruling touted by supporters of California’s medical marijuana law as a significant win.

Unless Congress passed that one law making DEA spokespeople pope-like in their infallibility, this is a real black eye for the feds. Or it would be, if I thought any of them cared.

Doghouse Riley has a photo which suggests that DEA agents are big Blackwater fans, which is probably consistent with this whole authoritarian clusterfuck of an operation.

At the dispensary, agents left behind trash, counters strewn with open and empty glass jars, piles of receipts thrown on the ground, upturned couch cushions, bits of marijuana on the edges of counters and an ATM with its doors torn open and emptied, The Times reported.

Not only that but they ate all the damn Fritos! You know, ATM tampering is a federal crime. I’m sure once local police refer it up the chain, the FBI will want to know...about…

Culver City police assisted federal agents at the scene.

I’ve tried at least three times to find the words to describe how wrong this is. Local police cooperating with the DEA to enforce a law which contradicts local law may be the worst thing I’ve heard this weekend, and I heard a detailed story about medical waste.

As for the dumbass in the Blackwater t-shirt, one reporter wonders something which should have occurred to me instantly:

Is the Bush Administration Using Blackwater Mercenaries in the DEA?

Or more to the point, are we contracting with Blackwater to provide backup for the DEA? For that matter, whatever became of the Blackwater hearings?

But let’s assume for a moment that this was purely a DEA operation. Federal agents storm a private business, purportedly due to illegal activities, but make no arrests. They do it in contradiction of local laws, with the help of local law enforcement. They break shit, intimidate citizens, take a bunch of stuff and leave. And all this just happens to occur on a day when the courts are about to deliver a bit of a slap in the face? I hate to be the boy who cried fascism, but: Fascism, for fuck’s sake.

Related News:

Congress has recessed for the summer without voting on the medical marijuana amendment that Congressmen Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) offer every summer. Unfortunately, this means the amendment will not come up for a vote this year — the first year since 2002.

If passed, the amendment would have prevented the Justice Department — which includes the DEA — from interfering with the medical marijuana laws on the books in 12 states.

Congress decided that rather than considering the Justice Department's annual spending bill, which contains thousands of funding requests and issue-oriented amendments, Congress will instead simply vote to allow this year's funding levels to carry over until next year.

However, there are two other pieces of legislation in Congress that your U.S. House member needs to hear from you about:

1. The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2008 (H.R. 5842) would give states greater authority to determine their own medical marijuana policies.

2. The Personal Use of Marijuana By Responsible Adults Act of 2008 (H.R. 5843) would remove federal penalties for possessing up to 3.5 ounces of marijuana.

Would you please take one minute to visit MPP's online action center and ask your U.S. House member to co-sponsor these two bills?

Meanwhile, we're also gearing up for the changed — and more favorable — political climate that we can expect from a new presidential administration and Congress next year. You'll be hearing more from us about our plans for 2009 in the coming months.

As always, thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.