cannabisnews.com: Bad Buzz Bad Buzz Posted by CN Staff on September 14, 2006 at 08:13:02 PT By Wendy Fletcher Source: Los Angeles City Beat California -- At about 2 p.m. on August 30, a man with a ponytail walked into the Trichome Healing Caregivers (THC, get it?) medical marijuana dispensary in Van Nuys with an attitude and a fake prescription for medical pot. When a security guard wouldn’t let him pass, the stranger pleaded.“Come on, man. I’m just trying to buy some weed for a friend. I heard you sold to anybody,” he said, according to what witnesses have told attorney David Kestenbaum, who represents THC, and posted to the Internet. Then they heard what sounded like radio noises, and noticed the man’s gun as he tried to push his way past the guard, at which point the guard stopped him and demanded he identify himself. “Please don’t hurt me,” the man said into his radio. Seconds later, nearly a dozen federal agents with guns drawn kicked down THC’s door and had everyone lie on the floor. Several hours later, they got a warrant from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brett Klein and, with the help of a safecracker, seized pounds of marijuana and other supplies, as well as cash, computers, records, and surveillance tapes that had recorded the incident, according to Kestenbaum. No arrests were made and no charges have yet been filed, but during the 12-hour raid, agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration held several THC employees without food, water, or access to lawyers.DEA Special Agent Sarah Pullen said the undercover agent – from the DEA, it turned out – was at THC as part of an intelligence gathering operation. A raid wasn’t initially intended to happen that day, she said, but occurred only after the agent felt he wasn’t being allowed to leave.“I stand by what we knew at the time, and what we still believe was that the agent was not being allowed to leave,” she said. “Whether the employees felt he put them in danger is not really a question – the agent felt he was not being allowed to leave.“They realized when they got there that they would need a search warrant. That’s what happened,” added Pullen, who would not discuss materials seized from THC, as they might be used if any charges are filed later.Since the raid, attorneys for THC have told patients, staff, and other witnesses not to speak for attribution to the press but criticize the incident as an unwarranted violation of patients’ rights under voter-approved state law.“The federal government is directly targeting patients, despite their public position [that they will not],” said Sean Tabibian, another THC attorney. “This recent raid has made Van Nuys an unsafe place as a result. They allow drug dealers to flourish, because patients need to go to the streets to get their medicine instead of a controlled environment. They’re wasting resources by going after patients. We don’t know why they chose THC, but we’re investigating their actions.”As agents sacked the dispensary, the first to open in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles police were called in to mediate a growing demonstration of patients, activists, and owners of medical cannabis co-ops.“Early on, when there were only like seven activists, the DEA took a camera from one patient who was taking pictures,” said Dege Coutee, an organizer with Americans for Safe Access. “But he couldn’t figure out how to erase the pictures, so he gave it back and told the patient to erase them. Then the LAPD showed up, and they said it was fine if we took pictures.”An LAPD spokeswoman referred all calls about the incident to Pullen, who said that local police had no knowledge of the DEA intelligence-gathering operation. However, rumors abound in the medical cannabis community that local police, members of the North Hollywood Narcotics Division in particular, are working with the DEA. On August 11, LAPD Det. John Smith made a presentation to members of the North Hollywood Neighborhood Council attacking medical cannabis clinics and promised that narcotics detectives would pursue action against medical pot clubs despite the protections afforded by California’s Compassionate Use Act, also known as Proposition 215, according to an account published by the California branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)Allison Margolin, a lawyer who handles marijuana cases and calls herself “L.A.’s dopest attorney,” attended the neighborhood council meeting on behalf of clients who want to start a dispensary. Smith, she said, “told me in a conversation that he was going to forward the names of the people I advise to the DEA when he found out they wanted to open.”Smith did not return calls for this story and, according to the message on his voice mail, has been off duty since August 30 while recovering from a minor injury. The North Hollywood and Van Nuys narcotics divisions also did not return calls.Dale Gieringer, state coordinator of California NORML, says local police often work with federal agents despite state laws protecting medical marijuana use. “For the last three or four years, the DEA has not gone after any medical cannabis operations in California without cooperation from local police,” said Gieringer. He described the Valley raid as “amateurish,” and believes the feds are hunting for any evidence that distributors aren’t following state laws in order to undermine the medical pot movement.Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Council members are considering a moratorium on new dispensaries – and new regulations for existing ones – due to what Councilman Dennis Zine described as a proliferation of facilities over the past 18 months.“It’s gone from a few to many. There are now 60 to 150 operating in L.A.,” said Zine, who is crafting proposed regulations based on those passed by county officials in May and could introduce them as early as this week. “Meanwhile, we find the federal government is doing as they wish to do, the municipalities vary in their response, and we have to look at what the voters voted for,” said Zine, who is a reserve LAPD officer. “They’re all conflicting. We have to bring some order to this while making sure people in need have access to their medicine. A lot of people who suffer from various ailments say medical marijuana helps them. I look at patients as the ones being victimized because there’s so much uncertainty.”Bruce Mirkin, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, said the DEA is sending mixed signals. “It’s been kind of weirdly on-and-off with DEA operations. They’ve picked a few places here and there, but there hasn’t been a broad crackdown. It’s a little confusing,” he said.In San Diego County, both federal and local law-enforcement agents raided 13 dispensaries and arrested 15 owners and employees in July. So far, five people have been charged with the federal crimes of conspiracy to distribute and conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, while others are being charged in state court with drug sales and possession. In July, Damon Mosler, head of the San Diego County District Attorney’s narcotics unit, said that the raids were a warning to dispensaries, and a short time later the DEA announced plans to eventually arrest San Diego’s remaining dispensary operators if they don’t voluntarily close.On September 6, nearly 200 people demonstrated at the federal building on Van Nuys Boulevard to protest the THC raid. Some brought signs with pictures of the DEA agents that had been taken during the raid several of which were posted to: http://aids-write.org/?p=224Note: L.A.’s growing medical pot movement is outraged after feds shut down Van Nuys clinic in surprise afternoon raid.Source: Los Angeles City Beat (CA)Author: Wendy FletcherPublished: September 14, 2006Copyright: 2006 Southland PublishingContact: editor lacitybeat.comWebsite: http://www.lacitybeat.com/California NORMLhttp://www.canorml.org/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #18 posted by FoM on September 16, 2006 at 07:13:09 PT Mayan Very good news for hopes of getting the Republicans out of control in Ohio. I so much want Ohio to become a blue state. Then I will feel it is the way it should be.Effect of Ney's Guilt Could Weigh Heavily http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20060916-9999-1n16ney.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by FoM on September 16, 2006 at 06:25:50 PT mayan Stirring up trouble between religions is a dangerous thing to do. I also believe that the Catholic church has done terrible things to people over it's history and they have no room to talk. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by mayan on September 15, 2006 at 22:27:08 PT FoM It's an obvious attempt by the pope to stir up more hatred between the faiths. Just what the world needs. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by FoM on September 15, 2006 at 10:02:37 PT Off Topic: This is Not Good Pope Benedict Creates International Furor with Remarks on Islamhttp://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0915/dailyUpdate.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by whig on September 15, 2006 at 09:43:44 PT mayan In the current environment, you're absolutely right.I think the environment will change soon.I just wrote what was in practical terms a letter to George Bush and all the members of the Republican Party. I'm obviously not addressing it to him directly and he would not hear me now if I did. But I honestly believe he will read this letter one day.It is going to happen. I have faith.Please read this and tell me what you think, and send it to anyone who you think it might apply to.http://cannablog.wordpress.com/2006/09/15/i-pray-for-george-bush/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by mayan on September 15, 2006 at 08:32:48 PT Obama I'm leery of anyone that the ptb are obviously grooming for the white house. He won't get there without first selling his soul. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by afterburner on September 14, 2006 at 21:43:53 PT E_J US CO: PUB LTE: Don't Believe DEA http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1223/a01.html (Thu, 14 Sep 2006) Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by FoM on September 14, 2006 at 17:41:44 PT whig I like Obama too. Maybe he will get picked to run as Vice President in 08. I think he has a good future in politics. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by whig on September 14, 2006 at 17:05:30 PT OT: Obama Barack Obama is impressive to watch. I have to say I believe he is a good man and he will run for President some day. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Dankhank on September 14, 2006 at 16:47:28 PT believable ... Weeds is the craziest show.I don't believe that all DEA agents are snarling hater's of sick old men and women ... but likely many are ...Weeds is valuable, as it shows that the dangers from Cannabis use are legal, and criminal.Celia will likely never use Cannabis, her head is in Suburbia-old-style.I've known folks with Cancer and never saw their treatment or saw them vomiting.Nancy and Peter show how easy it is to be arbitrary in your life, something we all should already know, but there it is.A true believer in Cannabis, in charge of the show, should write in a bust of a cooperative that Peter has to do, and let him then try to explain to Nancy.EJI understand and sympathize. Let's e-mail the show ...Peace to all who would educate: [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by E_Johnson on September 14, 2006 at 11:52:24 PT But a hole has been torn in the believability The character of her husband isn't believable to me. Why would a basically nice guy want to go after sick people?But of course in the world of the show, he doesn't go after sick people.The show lies. The show in the first season made it seem like Zofran really worked well and chemo was no big deal for Celia.The writer seems to have a skeptical attitude towards medical marijuana. I'm feeling less comfortable with this show the more I watch it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on September 14, 2006 at 11:51:35 PT Canada: Article from the CBC.ca New Marijuana Seed Business Sets Up Shophttp://www.cbc.ca/story/news/national/2006/09/14/bc-marijuana-seeds.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 14, 2006 at 11:26:13 PT EJ, Just My Thoughts I know how you feel. When I realized the direction Weeds was going I wasn't sure what to think. I will keep watching it because they can throw a complete curve and make something good out of something bad. Nancy is a character that lacks a good deal of integrity but she still can be likeable. The series continues to shock me. I like the show for it's interesting twists. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by E_Johnson on September 14, 2006 at 10:58:44 PT Okay I am now boycotting Weeds Nancy Botwin, you're in bed with the devil. There's no excuse that show can make for what people like Nancy's husband are doing to sick Americans. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 14, 2006 at 10:32:32 PT Whig That's a cool picture. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by whig on September 14, 2006 at 10:17:03 PT Here's a great picture I can't help but think it's like a sign. Our smoke clouds are getting pretty powerful. Not much longer now.http://cannablog.wordpress.com/2006/09/14/weather-underground/ Weather Underground [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Graehstone on September 14, 2006 at 09:54:36 PT DEA raid Here's the story with pictures even, lol. http://www.aids-write.org/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by mayan on September 14, 2006 at 09:27:30 PT DEAth Goons Then they heard what sounded like radio noises, and noticed the man’s gun as he tried to push his way past the guard, at which point the guard stopped him and demanded he identify himself.The tough guys aren't the brightest crayons in the box are they?!? Who knows what kind of drugs they're on since everyone knows they get the best!THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...VIDEO: 9/11 2006 - Truth Rally at the CFR Headquarters: http://prisonplanet.com/articles/September2006/140906Rally.htmVIDEO: September 11, 2006: http://prisonplanet.com/articles/September2006/140906September.htmCalifornia's Orange County Register Editorial hints LIHOP/MIHOP: http://911blogger.com/node/2842Five Years From 9/11, Giuliani's Actions Questioned: http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001493.php9/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB - OUR NATION IS IN PERIL: http://www.911sharethetruth.com/ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment