Los Angeles DA Declares War on Marijuana Dispensaries
by F. Aaron Smith
The Los Angeles Times reports today that L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley thinks California’s medical marijuana collectives are breaking state law. Cooley vowed to prosecute all the medical marijuana facilities in his county, estimated to have nearly 1,000 medical marijuana collectives. Cooley can say that these collectives are illegal all he wants, but that doesn’t make it true.
Last year, the state’s attorney general issued a legal opinion that clearly stated that “a properly organized and operated collective or cooperative that dispenses medical marijuana through a storefront may be lawful under California law.” Maybe Cooley didn’t get the memo.
If Cooley is somehow successful in eliminating L.A.’s medical marijuana facilities, the effect would be disastrous for patients forced to find their medicine in the underground market and would be a boon to the violent drug cartels that often supply that market. Voters in Los Angeles — who overwhelmingly support medical marijuana — are probably scratching their heads trying to figure out why their district attorney wants to enrich criminal drug dealers at the expense of patients.
Cooley’s priorities are dangerously misguided. Los Angeles County maintains a backlog of more than 3,000 untested rape kits (evidence collected from a sexual assault). This means that these rapes have been reported but are still not being investigated due to limited resources. I guess Cooley thinks law enforcement efforts would be better spent terrorizing seriously ill patients and the people who provide their legal medicine than solving violent crimes like sexual assault.
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Especially a WAR on OUR OWN PEOPLE!
Can I get an assault rifle for the posse?
Here's a sad exploration: Find out how many of the victims from the rape kits not yet tested end up getting arrested for medical marijuana .
How would you didtinguish domestic from US pot? And since they have growers here raising it in the public lands and houses and warehouses and outback rural properties. What is domestic anymore?
With the draw of easy storefront dealing,we know that the cartels and our own entrepreneurs are going too try to set up shops to move their wares. So some of the medical clinics are undoubtedly fronts for criminal activities and all the raids will never stop completely if the police do their job,but he is over reacting a bit. And if he does try to prosecute the 1000 clininc in LA,what is hegoing to do with the 2000
street dealers that repalce the clinics? And all the turf wars collateral damage he causes will have too be figured in somewhere.
Anything these prohibitionists do that delays the American consumer of marijuana just underwrites the existence of criminal activity and violemce that surrounds it. If everyone grew more pot that they could smoke,who would they sell it too? Remove the market,remove the crimes.
Grow your own,don't buy,don't sell
Would you rather it be sold at your local CVS, LONGS DRUGS, SAVON,RALPHS,RITE AID, etc. NO!!
People need to understand that this is for very sick patients. I donate my time and help out with patients at a dispensary.
My name is Shawn, and I deal with very sick cancer , and AIDS patients and they depend on this medication to help sooth their aches and pains. Feel free to e-mail me for more information.
you are wright like me suffering from my knee injury for a long time and it helps me when i use it but now im here in hawaii i don't know anyone can help me get it because is not legal here maybe you can help me please i really apreciate very much.
hopeless in hawaii
This zealot thinks he can "eradicate" 800+ businesses? And who will serve the ill when the dispensaries are all eradicated?
Dumkopf, there are no less than THREE ballot measures being circulated to LEGALIZE it fro adult rec use. WHAT are you thinking? What have you been smoking ?
-Richard Steeb, San Jose California
If they have there way by shouting dowwn the dispenceries then everything will go underground providing the same product but will deal on the streets,in the shadows,behind the schools .Once medical marijuana was just a nusence will now become what officials call a major problem.once under ground we will be known as drug dealers.maybe the DA cant fight the little illicid pot activity on the streets and now wants a fight with lagite medicinal dealers.
one point:it is a crime to enter the usa illgaly.. 20 years for doing so. But you dont see the prosacuting any one in court.maybe marijuana smokers are easy targets.more pot smokers being prosicuted the any one coming in to this country illgaly.I guess it would be easier to beat up the kid down the street than face the real problem.why dont we make asprin illgal!!!! a lot of people would be buying it on the street.The DA should find a way work with the laws rather than try to elimanate them.Rules and reg's baby .I would hope hte DA needs medical help and people begin to rufuse to treat him.Anyone need medical marijuana I can help I AM NOT A DESPENCRIE>..t
hank you