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Fascists Raid Medical Marijuana Clinics in San Francisco
(J.K Dineen, San Francisco Examiner, June 23, 2005)
Federal agents raided three medical marijuana clubs and more than 20 other homes and businesses Wednesday in what law enforcement authorities are calling a sprawling investigation into an alleged criminal organization involved in money laundering and other illegal activities. . . . While the details of the investigation will not be officially released until indictments are unsealed today, the probe is focused on three medical pot clubs: the Sunset Medical Resource Center at 454 Judah St.; the Herbal Relief Center at 1545 Ocean Ave.; and the Alternative Relief Co-Op at 1939 Ocean Ave. . . . The raids, which netted at least 15 arrests, came just two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a blow to medical marijuana advocates, ruled that the federal government had the authority to prosecute medical marijuana users, although medical use remains legal under state law. California voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996, which allowed the use of marijuana under a doctor's prescription for medicinal purposes. . . . The City has more than 40 marijuana dispensaries and the Board of Supervisors recently passed a moratorium on new clubs opening until regulations can be established. . . . Former District Attorney Terence Hallinan, who is representing the owners of the Sunset Medical Resource Center and the Herbal Relief Center, called the raids "a reaction to the Supreme Court decision." . . . "I'm just surprised they didn't wait longer," said Hallinan. "These are legitimate medical marijuana clubs that have been operating for years serving thousands of sick people in San Francisco."

Americans for Save Access (ASC) Comments on the San Francisco Raids
Update on SF raids: The US Attorney's office announced indictments for 19 individuals on charges of growing and transporting at least 1000 marijuana plants over a 4 year period. 3 are for conspiracy to possess ecstasy, 2 for conspiracy of money laundering. It seems that the main thrust of the raid was on what they consider the shield of medical marijuana for a non-medical marijuana operation. We have no information to know whether this is true or not, but in any case, there are 2 fewer dispensaries open to serve patients, the raid was intimidating to state-legal patients, and the numbers of plants we've heard described as being impossibly large seems possibly within reason for a large medical dispensing enterprise.

ASA is having a press conference starting at noon at SF City Hall. The SF City Attorney's office will be there to say they support medical marijuana dispensaries still post-Raich, and that the vast majority of allegations of dispensaries opening after the moratorium were, in fact, invalid. Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi will be speaking, and commenting on hs efforts to license dispensaries, and expressing concern that local officials were out of the loop on this. The SF District Attorney's office will also be present to assure SF that they support SF patients, caregivers, and dispensaries.

ASA continues to be concerned that SFPD was present at a raid on a medical marijuana facility, that the timing post-Raich is not coincidental in terms of the intimidation factor, and that we continue to support all patients, caregivers, and doctors. That said, those that are caregiving for patients cannot put patients at risk by engaging in illegal drug activity, if that proves to be true. We're still waiting to gather more information before doing any media releases, and we assume that all defendants are innocent until proven otherwise, in a process that allows all evidence to be presented.

posted by LoZo 12:26 PM