Feds raid three SF pot clubs

[not systems]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/06/22/MNpotbust22.DTL

Feds raid three SF pot clubs
Law officers hit 20 homes and businesses within the city

Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Federal agents raided three San Francisco pot clubs early this afternoon as part of a broader investigation into drug trafficking, authorities said.

The operation targeted two pot clubs on Ocean Avenue and another on Judah Street, and came just two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court — in a crushing blow to the medical marijuana movement — ruled that the federal government has the authority to prosecute people whose actions are legal under state law.

...

The city is home to 44 medical marijuana dispensaries, more than any other city in the nation. Residents and city officials have grown increasingly frustrated that San Francisco’s 2-month-old moratorium on the clubs appears to be having little effect, with as many as six new clubs opening in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, joined by Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval, introduced a resolution urging City Attorney Dennis Herrera to take action against the illegal clubs.

[dissent1977]

1. This is absolutely sick

Anyone who thinks that people should be arrested for dispensing medical marijuana to sick and dying patients, has no right preaching to me about moral values.

[fooj]

7. No kidding! This is so far over the top I can't believe it!

:grr:

[arcane1]

2. link?

this sucks, I have friends who own clubs here, and I'll be pissed if it's one of them :grr:

[not systems]

4. added n/t

[Cooley Hurd]

3. Throwing cancer patients in jail...

...because big liquor and big pharm doesn't want pot to cut into their profits. Utterly shameful.:thumbsdown:

[Shakespeare]

5. Goddamnit. (edited to add link that congress persons knew this was coming)

A couple of the pot clubs in the north bay closed a few weeks ago after they received a tip from a U.S. congressman (they wouldn't say who it was) who warned them the feds were about to go after the clubs.

This is obscene, not to mention a huge waste of taxpayer money and law enforcement energy that would be so much better spent on counterterrorism or inner city violence, which has gotten much worse in California lately.

edited to include link to news story about Congress critter giving a heads-up about the raids:

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=10AAFF1C272A854C&p_docnum=2&s_dlid=DL0105062221311024082&s_subterm=Subscription%20until%3A%2012%2F14%2F2015%2011%3A59%20PM&s_subexpires=12%2F14%2F2015%2011%3A59%20PM&s_username=santarosa

One of Ukiah's two medical marijuana clinics has closed its doors, citing fears of a crackdown in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding federal laws banning pot use.

A sign at the club said it had closed "for our safety and the safety of our patients."

United Medical Caregivers, which operated clubs in Ukiah and Los Angeles, closed them both Tuesday, a day after the Supreme Court decision.

Gaby Flores, general manager of the Los Angeles clinic, said a member of Congress -- whose name she wouldn't divulge -- notified them that federal drug agents and the Internal Revenue Service are forming a task force to investigate cannabis clubs. "Everyone is scared," she said.

[the other one]

6. I am outraged

but not surprised.

[endarkenment]

8. whew! I feel so much safer now! FUGWB. EOM.

.

[fooj]

9. Oh...so that's what "COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVE" means!

:sarcasm: Prey on sick, suffering cancer patients!

peace.

[Sayitisntso]

32. Even though you were being sarcastic

I am as pissed at Democrats as I am at repugs when it comes to federal attacks on MMJ patients. I bet some of those agents were dems. Many of those that voted against the recent bill to reschedule MJ to make it available to sick were Democrats. I say this because I believe this is an issue that we could use to garner much needed support from average Americans. Polls show that as much as 80% of Americans favor MMJ for medical use. Where is the Democratic outcry against this abuse of Federal power? Are our representatives more beholden to pharmaceutical interests than those they are elected to represent?

[Eloriel]

10. Aw, geeze. Haven't they got some terrorists to find, or some

library and bookstore records to search?

[0rganism]

31. Well, it is the DEA, they don't have much else to do

It's not like they're going to be checking up on the pharmaceutical industry or anything like that.

[killbotfactory]

11. More taxpayers money wasted

Feel safer, America?

[dissent1977]

15. Oh yes, I am so much safer

You know those people dying of cancer, and blinded by glaucoma pose such a serious threat to my safety. :sarcasm:

Seriously though, if anyone wants to tell me that medical marijuana "sends the wrong message" I want to ask them what kind of message it sends to watch people die a slow painful death because they are being denied their medication.

I want Clinton, Bush, and all the others who think that medical marijuana is immoral to explain to me why they are so much more moral than I am because they withhold medication from cancer patients. They are nothing but politicians who don't care if people suffer, as long as they look "tough on drugs". If they really wanted to be tough on drugs they would go after the pharmaceutical companies rather than the cancer patients.

[Mythsaje]

37. What's bad

is that Bill Clinton said, after leaving office, that he thought it should be legalized.

[Paranoid Pessimist]

12. I'm surprised that anyone is surprised about this. n/t

[dissent1977]

16. I'm not surprised, but I am pissed. n/t

[PunkPop]

13. Anybody from SF?

How do these clubs work exactly? What are the rules? I'm assuming you have to have some kind of prescription right?

[Shakespeare]

18. From what I understand....

They're primarily self-regulated, but extremely strict so as not to cause problems with local authorities. And yes, you have to have a prescription from an MD. If you want an excellent story on just how strict most of these clubs are, check this out:

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/03.30.05/reefer-0513.html

Reefer Madness

What is it about medical marijuana that makes everyone act so funny?

By R. V. Scheide

Marijuana can make people do funny things. Take journalists, for instance. For the past several weeks, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat has run a series of news stories and opinion pieces that have taken a decidedly negative slant on Santa Rosa's three medical marijuana dispensaries, more popularly known as cannabis clubs. In a March 17 column titled "Death to the Medical Cannabis Club," columnist Chris Smith wrote that "the needs of legitimate patients are overshadowed by the inevitable comings and goings of fakers, rip-offs, dealers and recreational pot-heads."

Strong words, and one might presume that Smith had visited at least one of the three clubs before making such a harsh judgment. After all, one of the dispensaries, Resource Green Caregiver and Patients Group, is a mere six blocks from the Press Democrat's offices. However, such was not the case.

"No, I did not got to any of the medical marijuana clubs in Santa Rosa," Smith admitted to the Bohemian.

Press Democrat reporter Paul Payne did visit Resource Green before writing his March 16 story on cannabis clubs, titled "SR Medical Marijuana Club Leaves Neighbors Fuming." The problem is that Payne, according to allegations by three individual sources who were at the club, failed to identify himself as a reporter when he first showed up outside. One patient, disturbed by the incognito journalist's questions, immediately notified a Resource Green security guard, who escorted Payne off the premises.

[PunkPop]

22. Thanks!

[democracyindanger]

40. Yep. If you don't have a prescription, you have

to go about getting it the usual ways.

[Spinzonner]

14. Apparently they've found all the terrorist cells

and don't have anything else to do.

[Dr Fate]

17. States rights?

Fuggitaboutit.

[JDPriestly]

19. The pharmaceutical industry

prefers that patients with pain be prescribed Oxycontin or something like that. Marijuana doesn't generate as much profit as the manufactured painkillers. The pharmaceuticals do not care that people are more likely to have serious side effects including addiction from the prescription medicines.

[fooj]

21. No kidding. Last night I counted 5 pharmaceutical commercials

within the time frame of 20 minutes!

peace.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

20. so much for believing the feds, guys

they said this would not happen, but here it is

[bluestateguy]

23. Jack booted thugs and goons

No respect for states rights.

I'm brought back to John C.Calhoun's South Carolina Exposition and Protest from 1828.

[jsamuel]

24. How many alchohol clubs were raided for allowing underage teen girls in?

how many clubs were raided when people who left got DUI's?

I don't like drugs, but alchohol is the worse problem of the two right now.

[keopeli]

25. Distressing! I'm going to have to drink myself into oblivion tonight EOM

[Selteri]

26. And again, things will continue to get worse.

I guess a war on the sick and dieing is more important than a war on terror...

[thinkingwoman]

27. my fbi guys, what big guns you have...

could you be, uh, compensating? </sarcasm>

This administration needs to rearrange their priorities a bit. Of course, that is an incredible understatement.

[0007]

28. The dirty rotten motherfuckers......when so much going on in the world

that needs attention these assholes are zeroing in on targets that cause no harm to no one.

And we wonder why everyone on this planet hates this nation and George W. Bush.

[Joey Liberal]

29. The GOP Gestapo didn't waste any time

I guess Americans smoking pot are more of a concern than Al Qaeda.

[Rex]

30. How many times can corporations say it people?

You ain't gonna get pot legalized! We gave you beer & cigarettes, by happy with what you got. Weed is bad for business.

[mongo]

33. Kick the DEA out of the state

I wonder how many DEA offices are in rented facilities, in buildings owned by the state of Ca, or private office buildings.

Someone should be putting presure on them to kick the bums out of their offices.

[shanti]

34. on a similar note...

it's pretty clear that they ARE cracking down on bud in cali. i attended the sierra nevada world music festival in angels camp (calaveras county), very herb friendly show. this year, though, the jackboot presence was in full force, unlike previous years. 200 people were busted for weed. this is a very mellow show, nonviolent, but calaveras county somehow felt the need to push the issue. sickening.:-(

[Sayitisntso]

35. Prohibition is about control...

It has no business in a nation that values liberty and freedom. We are quickly becoming a police state and both political parties are generally supporting it. It is immoral, disgusting as well as unAmerican.

[mike_c]

36. pigs....

eom

[ms liberty]

38. Gee, now why would they do that???

Oh yea, that's right, it's nonconformists, people who think for themselves! We just can't have that in a good christian world now, can we? :sarcasm:

This is something I think the dem's should be jumping on with both feet. Most americans agree that pot should be legalized for medicinal use, by a wide margin, about 80%. A lot of people, I don't know the percentage, also believe pot should be decriminalized. It also crosses with farming, because hemp is an excellent crop plant, low growing costs, naturally disease resistant, doesn't drain the soil of nutrients like other crops (this would make it an excellent choice as a replacement crop for tobacco, which is terrible for the soil). It also gets a good return per acre, and America imports more hemp products than any other country.

OK, I'll stop...I realize I'm on a rant, and preaching to the choir here!

[AgadorSparticus]

39. seems Cancer patients are the only ones they can "nail". woooh.

so tough, these asswipes are! :eyes:

[leesa]

41. Where's the anthrax murderer? Where's the investigation of BushCo

for treason? Where's the investigation of 9-11?? Oh right, I forgot...we have harmless pot smokers, bong dealers and prostitutes to harass. The FBI is a worthless organization now.

[stickdog]

42. Nothing better to do, Federalis?

It's fun to steal sick folks' medicine, huh?