"Weed Wars" clinic (Harborside) under RICO filing by CA. USDA

[annata]

SAN FRANCISCO -- Federal prosecutors have filed civil forfeiture actions against an Oakland medical marijuana dispensary that bills itself as the world's largest, as part of a crackdown by U.S. authorities on California's massive cannabis trade.

The lawsuits, filed on Monday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, seek forfeiture of two properties where Harborside Health Center operates, said Melinda Haag, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California.

The larger the operation, the greater the likelihood that there will be abuse of the state's medical marijuana laws and marijuana in the hands of individuals who do not have a demonstrated medical need," Haag said in a statement on Wednesday announcing the actions.
EDIT MINE: ( self fufilling logic)

"The filing of the civil forfeiture complaints against the two Harborside properties is part of our measured effort to address the proliferation of illegal marijuana businesses in the Northern District of California," she said.

Earlier this year, federal prosecutors and the Internal Revenue Service raided Oaksterdam University, a medical marijuana trade school in Oakland, and forced its founder to step aside.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris, in a November interview with The New York Times, said the federal campaign had "only increased uncertainty about how Californians can legitimately comply with state law."Harris also said federal authorities were "ill equipped to be the decision makers as to which providers are violating the law
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/20...-in-calif?lite

[annata]

any doubts this is all out warfare on medical marijuana?? Just another Obama war, this one on sick ppl.

[RazorX]

Another in a long list of broken promises by Obama. Should anyone be surprised?

Obama 2008:

Barack Obama insisted that medical marijuana was an issue best left to state and local governments. "I'm not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue," he vowed

[annata]

Thousands of Patients Threatened to Lose Safe Access
U.S. Attorney & DEA Threaten
Harborside Health Center Landlords
Property Forfeiture Filed in District Court of San Francisco ***
Invitation to Attend Press Conference

Oakland, California - Thursday July 12th at 9 AM - Oakland City Hall
With Appearances and Statements by Patients, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, State Board of Equalization & City Officials, Union Officials, Arturo Sanchez, LEAP Officers, Rebecca Kaplan and Other Statewide Officials

July 12, 2012 – Oakland, California - The federal attack on safe access for medical cannabis patients continues. Yesterday morning, taped to the front doors of the nation’s model medical cannabis dispensary, Harborside Health Center in Oakland and San Jose, was an official 'Complaint for Forfeiture of Property.' The complaint is signed by U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvan Perteet, and DEA Agent David White, filed on July 6, 2012, in the District Court San Francisco Division and received by the court on Sunday, July 9. The complaint seeks forfeiture of real estate and improvements on the grounds that cannabis is being distributed on the premises, in violation of federal law.

This latest federal action to seize property flies in the face of promises made by Haag to exclusively target dispensaries less than 1000 feet from a school, and recent statements from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who stated that only those dispensaries out of compliance with state law would be subject to Federal enforcement actions. Harborside Health Center is neither close to a school, nor out of compliance with state law. The location at 1840 Embarcadero is more than 1000 feet from the closest school, and Harborside is widely recognized as the most legally compliant dispensary in the state, and renowned nationwide.

“Harborside has nothing to hide or be ashamed of," said Steve DeAngelo, Executive Director of Harborside Health Center. "We will contest the DOJ action openly and in public, and through all legal means at our disposal. We look forward to our day in court, and are confident that justice is on our side.”

Harborside Health Center employs over 100 people, and is Oakland’s second largest retail tax payer. Last year, HHC paid combined taxes in excess of $3 million, over a million dollars of which went directly to the City of Oakland. Should Harborside be forced to close:

Our 100,000 patients will return to the illegal marketplace
Street drug sales and law enforcement costs will both rise
Over $3,000,000 in tax revenue will be destroyed
Our more than 100 current employees will become jobless
“This is a policy that hurts not only those who depend on cannabis for medicine. It will destroy tax revenue, endanger patients, increase unemployment, and empower criminals. Whoever thinks this is a good idea must be smoking something a lot more powerful than cannabis,” said DeAngelo.

Media Contact:
Gaynell Rogers
415.298.1114
gaynellrogers@gmail.com

[annata]

July 11, 2012

Pelosi told Raw Story and other bloggers in attendance at the round table that she believed congress should take action on the issue. Speaking to this point she stated, “I think that it would be really important to do that [address medical marijuana in congress]. It would be hard for anyone to agree with the fact that someone who has HIV/AIDS or has cancer and they find relief from pain in medicinal marijuana that should be something that should be a priority to raid on the part of the Justice Department. Going along with that, we need to address some of the penalties for any non-violent crime that are out there.”

With prominent Democrats such as Representative Pelosi, Chicago Mayor and former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, New York Governor Cuomo, and the Democratic Parties in a growing number of states getting behind marijuana law reform, you have to wonder how long until President Obama realizes his drug policy has fallen out of touch with not just the electorate, but his own party


When Pelosi had the power to act on this issue, she passed. When Pelosi had the chance to co-sponsor HR-1983, she passed.

It’s only when she is approaching another election that Pelosi suddenly wishes she could vote to ease Prohibition. Don’t believe her. When the 2012 vote is in her rear view mirror, she’s going to forget this issue again.

[SmarterthanYou]

Liberals/Obama supporters are greatly 'disappointed', but will still vote for him since they don't want to be 'single issue voters'.

[annata]

Michael Montgomery(interviewer) 3/15 redact w/USDA Haag
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2012/0...going-to-draw/

One thing we've heard in response is that this is a good dispensary. This is a dispensary that's patient-run, or they consider themselves to be a good actor in the marijuana space. I hear them, but I have a hard time making that distinction. I've already drawn a line.You’ve also taken action against dispensaries in San Francisco and the Berkeley Patients Group.

Melinda Haag

One of my concerns about dispensaries that are in proximity to schools and parks and playgrounds is the possibility they could be the target of violence or armed robbery. People in the community may be supportive of the dispensary being in their community until there's a robbery and people come running out of the dispensary shooting guns.

I'm concerned about that circumstance with respect to every dispensary. I simply don't have the resources to take action with respect to every dispensary in the northern district, so I've had to make some decisions about how to best use my resources. So I've decided to focus on dispensaries that are near kids.

Michael Montgomery

Some people say "wait a minute, we're doing fine." For example, the situation in Berkeley. They say, "we haven't had any problems." The school across the street is happy with us. Why pick on us? Go somewhere else. What’s your response?

Melinda Haag

Marijuana dispensaries are full of cash and they're full of marijuana and everybody knows that. And many of them are very public about their operations. Some of them go on television, most of them have web sites, and everybody knows where they are. They are at risk of being robbed and many of them are robbed. I spoke to a police chief today about another topic and I asked him have you had any marijuana dispensaries robbed recently and he ticked off three in the last week in his community. Any given dispensary may not have been robbed to date, but they could very well be robbed in the near future and there very well could be violence associated with that. I'm concerned about the people in the dispensary, certainly; I'm also concerned about the people in the vicinity of the dispensary. Which is again why I've drawn this line. When a dispensary comes to my attention that is close to a school, a park, a playground or children, that's a line I've decided to draw
We were hearing the U.S. attorneys are not going to take any actions with respect to marijuana in California because of the 2009 Ogden memo…We felt we needed to send a message that wasn't correct

[annata]

Harborside press confernce video
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/23940765
Prepared Statement
This latest federal action to seize property flies in the face of promises made by Haag to exclusively target dispensaries less than 1000 feet from a school, and recent statements from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who stated that only those dispensaries out of compliance with state law would be subject to Federal enforcement actions. Harborside Health Center is neither close to a school, nor out of compliance with state law. The location at 1840 Embarcadero is more than 1000 feet from the closest school, and Harborside is widely recognized as the most legally compliant dispensary in the state, and renowned nationwide.

“Harborside has nothing to hide or be ashamed of,” said Steve DeAngelo, Executive Director of Harborside Health Center. “We will contest the DOJ action openly and in public, and through all legal means at our disposal. We look forward to our day in court, and are confident that justice is on our side.”

Harborside Health Center employs over 100 people, and is Oakland’s second largest retail tax payer. Last year, HHC paid combined taxes in excess of $3 million, over a million dollars of which went directly to the City of Oakland. Should Harborside be forced to close:

Our 100,000 patients will return to the illegal marketplace
Street drug sales and law enforcement costs will both rise
Over $3,000,000 in tax revenue will be destroyed Our more than 100 current employees will become jobless

“This is a policy that hurts not only those who depend on cannabis for medicine. It will destroy tax revenue, endanger patients, increase unemployment, and empower criminals. Whoever thinks this is a good idea must be smoking something a lot more powerful than cannabis,” said DeAngelo.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/201...2/18717370.php

[Rune]

any doubts this is all out warfare on medical marijuana?? Just another Obama war, this one on sick ppl.

Obama didn't start this war.

[annata]

Obama didn't start this war.

it's been going on for decades, yes,; this particular war was started by Holder,the DoJ doesn't do anything in terms of major policy change without POTUS knowledge.

Obama has raided many more clinics ( thru Holde'rs clarification of the Ogden Memo) then Bush.
Shows no stopping, and is going back on his campaign promise

You can say Obama didn't start AfPak, but over twice as many U.S. soldiers have died in Afghanistan under Obama in 3 1/2 years than did under Bush in 8 years

Your pharase is technically correct, though in perspective of the whole, it's an extremely weak defense.

[annata]

Melinda Haag

Marijuana dispensaries are full of cash and they're full of marijuana and everybody knows that. And many of them are very public about their operations. Some of them go on television, most of them have web sites, and everybody knows where they are. They are at risk of being robbed and many of them are robbed. I spoke to a police chief today about another topic and I asked him have you had any marijuana dispensaries robbed recently and he ticked off three in the last week in his community. Any given dispensary may not have been robbed to date, but they could very well be robbed in the near future and there very well could be violence associated with that. I'm concerned about the people in the dispensary, certainly; I'm also concerned about the people in the vicinity of the dispensary. Which is again why I've drawn this line. When a dispensary comes to my attention that is close to a school, a park, a playground or children, that's a line I've decided to draw

•Study: Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Not Associated With Neighborhood Crime
by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director

June 7, 2012

The establishment of medical cannabis dispensaries does not adversely impact local crime rates, according to a federally funded study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Investigators at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) examined whether the proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries is associated with elevated crimes rates. Researchers assessed the spatial relationship between density of medical marijuana dispensaries and two types of crime rates (violent crime and property crime) in 95 census tracts in Sacramento, California, during the year 2009.

Researchers reported: “There were no observed cross-sectional associations between the density of medical marijuana dispensaries and either violent or property crime rates in this study. These results suggest that the density of medical marijuana dispensaries may not be associated with crime rates or that other factors, such as measures dispensaries take to reduce crime (i.e., doormen, video cameras), may increase guardianship such that it deters possible motivated offenders.”

Authors acknowledged that their findings “run contrary to public perceptions” and that they conflict with public statements made by the California Police Chief’s Association, which had previously claimed, “Drug dealing, sales to minors, loitering, heavy vehicle and foot traffic in retail areas, increased noise, and robberies of customers just outside dispensaries are … common ancillary by-products of (medicinal cannabis) operations.”

The UCLA is not the first study to dispute the allegation that brick-and-mortar dispensaries are adversely associated with crime. A 2011 study of crime rates in Los Angeles published by the RAND Corporation similarly concluded, “[W]e found no evidence that medical marijuana dispensaries in general cause crime to rise.” However, shortly following its publication RAND removed the study from its website after their findings were publicly criticized by the
LA District Atty.
http://blog.norml.org/category/cat-law-enforcement/

[blackascoal]

Liberals/Obama supporters are greatly 'disappointed', but will still vote for him since they don't want to be 'single issue voters'.

Single issue???

How about war?

Civil liberties?

Corporatism?

Gitmo?

[blackascoal]

Obama didn't start this war.

Is that supposed to matter?

What did he say about it when he ran for the job?

[Rune]

Is that supposed to matter?

What did he say about it when he ran for the job?

It only matters for overall clarity. I said that solely in response to this;

Just another Obama war, this one on sick ppl.

I don't agree with or support or even understand these actions.

[annata]

Obama escalated AfPak/ drones/ destrutive war in Libya ( led by the US)/medical marinuana/ taking sides Yemen's civil war.

any male within 40 feet of a 'significant target' is also considered a "militant" and 'droneable', i could go on, but Obama's specialty is WAR.
He is a corporatist , does not serve the ppls best intersts, ramped up the GWOT ( Global war on terror).

How can Dem's defend this guy? I can't, wouldn't put myself thru contortions to do so.