Dispensaries Busted Across Montana!

I can't believe this hasn't been posted yet!

From Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ Toke of the Town:
http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/03...ss_montana.php

You have to wonder about the timing. On the very same morning that a Montana Senate committee failed to endorse a bill that would have repealed the state's medical marijuana law, federal agents, with guns drawn, hit at least 10 dispensaries across the state Monday.

"The timing is impeccable," said Chris Lindsey, a Missoula attorney who specializes in medical marijuana cases, reports Gwen Florio of The Missoulian.

"They're seizing everything -- plants, marijuana, grow equipment, files and computers," Lindsey said. "It's very, very broad in its scope." The attorney said he retains a business interest in Montana Cannabis, one of the dispensaries where federal search warrants were executed.

Employees and clients stood around outside the Missoula branch of Montana Cannabis early Monday afternoon. The shop shut down after Monday morning's raid.

"We're closed," said employee Toni Ware to clients as they pulled up to the shop. "We're closed," she repeated.

"They even took our cannabis-infused lotion," Ware said a minute later.

Included in the federal raids was the huge Montana Cannabis greenhouse in Helena, with agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI, with Lewis and Clerk County and the Helena Police Department taking part, according to The Associated Press.

At least eight people were led away from the greenhouse in handcuffs, according to the AP report. Employee Brett Thompson, 30, said federal agents questioned each worker individually and then released them, except for one worker who had an outstanding warrant, reports CNBC.

Inside, agents in DEA and FBI jackets wearing respirator masks and blue gloves jerked waist-high plants from their pots and hauled them away out of sight, wrapped in blue tarps.

Montana Cannabis co-owner Christopher Williams told The Associated Press that raids were taking place at other dispensaries, including Big Sky Patient Care in Bozeman, at MCM in Belgrade and at Good Medicine Providers in Columbia Falls.

"It's strictly a political move to stop us from providing medicine to sick people," said Williams, standing outside the fence at Montana Cannabis.

Barbara Trego, Williams's mother and another worker at Montana Cannabis, said some of the people who use the company's marijuana are cancer patients and she feared what would happen to them if the operation shut down.

"We weren't trying to hide anything," Trego said. "Our windows are open. Our door was open. We've got patients that could die just by what's happened today."

Williams said of the 1,680 plants inside the greenhouse near Helena, 480 were flowering plants that produce about five ounces of marijuana each. He said he sells ounces for $190, meaning about $456,000 worth of marijuana was "seized" from that one location.

"Word is coming in literally as we speak," said Kris Hermes, spokesman for Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a national group which advocates for medical marijuana patients.

Like Lindsey, Hermes noticed that the raids coincided with Montana's legislative action.

"This smacks of officials, whether law enforcement or hostile local public officials, not getting their way and sidestepping the democratic process to shut down legitimate providers," Hermes said.

According to Americans for Forfeiture Reform, the raids appeared to be "smash and grab" operations, where businesses which are legal under state law have their cash, inventory, computers, bank accounts, and other property violently seized by federal agencies who directly profit from those seizures.

"Worse, since these seizures can happen prior to any criminal charges being filed, victims are often unable to obtain paid representation by an attorney," Eapen Thampy wrote at the AFR site.

The federal warrants were sealed, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in Helena.
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Here's the live blog update via NormL.. THanks John M. !

Live Blog: DEA Raids of Medical Marijuana in Montana » Montana NORML Blog

This is just horrible, can't believe this is happening, again like it was said - the same morning the vote happened.. it really didn't matter what the vote was, they were happening anyway, or maybe during the 10 min recess the Senate took , after realizing that 1000 ppl showed up to the Capitol and in support of MMJ - not for repeal- they didn't want to vote then, so maybe there was a heads up given.... then again it's DEA, they do what they want. ! Today is the worst, rumors are flying that they ARE NOT DONE WITH RAIDS !!! we've been in the middle of "Joint Row" and theres about 6 more just within 5 miles here... we'll stay tuned. !

The only grow-ops/dispensaries being busted here in California are those with more than 99 plants, which is the line the Feds have publicly drawn, irrespective of state law, and no matter how many coop members there are. Sorry to say it, but 1680 plants are going to draw attention. (Not defending the Feds here in any way...but them's the facts.)

StoneMeadow - Actually the DEA task force did bust several dispensaries in Santa Clara County mainly in San Jose but also Angel Care in Santa Clara. It was clearly an intimidation tactic. They just wanted to send a message.

People in Santa Clara County voted to tax Medical Marijuana but did not make it legal. So all the dispensaries are technically illegal yet they still have to pay one of the highest tax rates in the state. If they do pay they are technically admitting to doing something illegal and if they don't pay it is tax evasion.

They estimate that there are approximately 110 dispensaries in San Jose and they plan to make 10 - 30 the legal limit. They are talking about giving the licenses to the highest bidder on EBay. They are not going to go by how they have been operating or who the operators are, just who is willing to pay the most for a license. Then they will try to shut down the rest.

So there is still insanity going on in CA and not just MT. At least the MT legislation failed to materialize. That probably would have made things worse.

Do you have sources for that, rudy2010? I know the County Sheriff' narc squad raided some dispensaries in December of last year, but those raids have stopped with the election of a new DA and clarification of tax laws.

Moreover, the raids did not, as far as I can find on the web, involve Federal agents, which was my point. The California-NORML website lists just two federal dispensary raids in the past year-plus. One of a grow op with ~500 plants, and the other of a guy who is accused of using his SoCal dispensary as a front to smuggle in Mexican pot by the ton.

I know of no Federal effort to usurp California-legal MMJ dispensaries, but would be interested to hear if there's been any recent change to their operations.

@StoneMeadow yeah, thought the same thing ..."1680 plants will draw attention"... like Eddy Lepp - 32,000 - ! and unfortunately - like Eddy you could see his greenhouse from the Interstate.....???DUH??

You are correct. I was referring to the busts in December. Three months is not that long ago. The situation is still very much up in the air in Santa Clara county and San Jose (info can be found in the San Jose Mercury News). The new DA and tax laws are not involved in the confused situation though you are correct in that we have a new DA. The main problem here is the San Jose city council dragging their feet on clarifying what the rules are (also in the Merc News). In the mean time there is no official stoppage of the raids and the dispensaries are still expected to pay their taxes.

At that time two undercover officers contacted a local delivery service. They showed up with one legitimate license and one that was expired. The narc with the license I think asked for an ounce and the other narc with the expired license asked for a half ounce. The delivery guy said the narc with the license could purchase pot but not the other guy. So the narc with the license increased his order and the delivery service person complied. He was then arrested even though he only sold weed to the narc with the valid license. Entrapment for sure and the transaction was not even illegal technically. Definitely intimidation.

I don't condone using a dispensary as a front for moving tons of MJ. The number of plants a dispensary has should be high if clones are counted and dispensaries growing their own weed to sell should be allowed. However that should not be a front for a large operation either. At Harborside in Oakland you can purchase up to 72 clones at a time. Thus they reasonably need to have hundreds of clones in stock. It is the same for most dispensaries that sell clones. They need to have a very large stock of clones.

Reefer Madness still rules the day in many minds.

This is good news for the independant grower. Less dispensaries means more demand and higher prices for your extra bud.

In wake of the Montana raids on dispensaries, The Seattle Time has again reiterated it's support for stronger protection for marijuana dispensaries in Washington State.

Editorials | State should improve protections for medical marijuana patients and suppliers | Seattle Times Newspaper

"State should improve protections for medical marijuana patients and suppliers
The Seattle Times editorial board reiterates its support for Senate Bill 5073, to expand the protection for medical marijuana users and their suppliers.

Related

THE medical-marijuana bill in Olympia should be passed, because existing law does not protect legitimate patients or their suppliers from arrest, jail and prosecution.

This page supports full legalization, taxing and regulation of cannabis for sale to adults. The Legislature also has a bill to do that, but it is not likely to pass this year. The medical bill â?? the modified version of Senate Bill 5073 â?? has passed the Senate 29-20 on a bipartisan vote and is now in the House.

There is an urgent reason to pass it. On Monday, federal agents raided greenhouses and dispensaries across Montana, confiscating plants, processed cannabis, computers, firearms, cellphones, vehicle titles and cash.

The Obama administration's policy has been not to enforce federal law on users who comply with state law in the 15 states that allow medical cannabis. Montana is one of those states â?? but its law does not protect the dispensaries.

Neither does Washington's. And there are dispensaries all over the state."

NOW there's this memo that affects ALL OF US
Feds Threaten Marijuana Dispensaries Nationwide - Toke of the Town

I have always said I only consider my license an argument for a lawyer to use if I end going to court. It is still and has always been illegal on the Federal level regardless of state law. I have to travel 10 miles through the national forest to get to my property. It is an island of private land surrounded by the national forest. I fear those 10 miles worse than any other part of my 4 1/2 hour trip there.

I am sad to see the AG seems to be backpeddling on the initial optimistic announcement that was made 2 years ago. Reefer Madness all over. The last three or four presidents have smoked or snorted something. It is time to end the ridiculous discrimination against marijuana.

Two were raided by the feds in West Hollywood on or about March 15th too. Scuttlebutt says it was tax issues at those two locations.