Protestors Rally Over Medical Marijuana Crackdown

SAN DIEGO -- Protestors rallied to stop the crackdown on medical marijuana.

The Drug Enforcement Agency and local police raided 13 dispensaries of medical marijuana Monday, including the Purple Coconut, on El Cajon Boulevard.

Tuesday, there was a demonstration of solidarity by some of those targeted.

Several dozen people gathered at the street corner of Broadway and Midway between the federal and county courthouses at noon so they would have a chance to get their voices heard.


"We want our rights. State law says Prop 215 passed -- we're voters and we want medical cannabis," said San Diego Norml President Laurie Kallonakis.

The DEA-led raid in San Diego and San Marcos closed down more than a dozen dispensaries where patients and caregivers picked up marijuana for medical purposes. But the DEA said undercover operatives bought it, too, without prescriptions, violating both the spirit and letter of the law.

"You have a high percentage of healthy 18-to 25-year-olds walking into locations, smoking joints around community. We received complaints (so) we took action," said John Fernandes with the DEA.

One caregiver, who also works at a dispensary talked about what he called the darker side -- places that he said shouldn't be tolerated because they sell to people without a medical need.

"Our stare policy is real strict. If you don't have paperwork, there's no way to get in," said Tim Janson, with Legal Ease Inc.

There have been no arrests for the sale or purchase of marijuana in these raids.

Three people were taken into custody on unrelated warrants.
http://www.10news.com/news/5529325/detail.html

Med. marijuana being put into the public eye. It'll be interesting to see how this fight is resolved.

I really don't see any legalization or anything of the sort, in the future. They are actually convinced that weed is REALLY REALLY BAD.

Doesn't surprise me much. San Diego is sooo different from the rest of California, especially San Francisco. Lots of retirees sandwhiched between the craziness of L.A. and the Mexican border. It's no wonder they're on edge all the time. Hell, you'd think a good smoke would be exactly what they need.

SAN DIEGO - Medical marijuana supporters say last week's searches of 13 dispensaries was illegal because the federal warrants were issued by a state judge.
Critics of the searches note that marijuana is legal under California law if it's recommended by a doctor, and state judges are bound by state law.
Jon Sullivan, who owns two dispensaries that were searched, noticed immediately that Superior Court Judge John Thompson signed the warrant.
"I asked them about it, and they wouldn't comment," Sullivan said. "It's important because it's a county judge violating state law ... I think it will help with the appeal, if there is one."
Thompson declined to discuss the jurisdictional conundrum.
Misha Piastro, a spokesman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said the sweep was part of an ongoing investigation that began six months ago, days after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal government's authority to prosecute medical marijuana cases. If evidence suggests crimes occurred, cases could be presented to federal or county prosecutors, he said.
"The warrants were executed as an investigative tool," Piastro said. "We are still investigating whether any charges will be brought, and where."
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/13443753.htm

Seems they might have a case...I saw something on the tube though that talked about the "Supremecy Rule" in the Constitution that stated that Fed. law overrides State law....we'll see how California deals with it! Best of luck to em'!!! :thumbsup: