US launches California medical marijuana crackdown

[garbon]

http://news.yahoo.com/us-launches-california-medical-marijuana-crackdown-192518533.html

I'm glad Holder told us that the DOJ wouldn't be cracking down on California's medical marijuana.

U.S. prosecutors announced an aggressive crackdown against California marijuana dispensaries Friday, saying the worst offenders are using the cover of medical marijuana to act as drug dealers.

The move comes soon after the Obama administration toughened its stand on medical marijuana. For two years before that, U.S. officials had indicated they would not move aggressively against legal dispensaries in the 16 states where marijuana is legal for people with doctors' recommendations.

The U.S. Department of Justice in July issued a memo to federal prosecutors saying dispensaries and licensed growers in states with medical marijuana laws could face prosecution for violating federal drug and money-laundering laws. The California crackdown appears to be the most far-reaching effort so far.

Many of the drug trafficking ventures are using California's 15-year-old medical marijuana law to operate in plain sight, said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, the top federal law enforcement officer for the San Francisco Bay area.

"I understand there are people in California who believe marijuana stores should be allowed to exist, but I think we can all agree we don't need marijuana stores across the street from schools and Little League fields," she said, referring to sports fields.

Authorities promised to shut down dozens of operations but declined to say how many dispensaries are subject to closure orders.

The crackdown also involves new indictments and arrests of marijuana growers throughout the state over the past two weeks, said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wager.

Not all of the thousands of storefront marijuana dispensaries thought to be operating in the state are being targeted. Instead, officials are initially going after shops located close to schools, parks and other places where there are a lot of children, as well as what Wagner called "significant commercial operations."

He said that includes farmland where marijuana is grown.

"California's marijuana industry supplies the nation," he said. "And huge amounts of money are flowing back in the other direction."

Haag said the move is not designed to crack down on patients who grow their own marijuana for medical use.

Is this part of Obama's re-election campaign? Distract them from the utter shitttness with a line about how he managed to be tough on cancer victims who were buying pot?

[AnchorClanker]

Yeah, there's nothing more important out there to be devoting time and resources.   

[DGuller]

   The law is the law, and it's pretty clear.  If something is legal and illegal, then it's one of the two, or some place in the middle.

[dps]

Reading between the lines, it seems what they are saying is, "OK, we're not going to target shops that mostly cater to glaucoma and cancer patients whose doctors have told them that marijuana might help them get some relief from pain.  We're targeting the shops that are selling to people who just want pot for recreational purposes."

[garbon]

Reading between the lines, it seems what they are saying is, "OK, we're not going to target shops that mostly cater to glaucoma and cancer patients whose doctors have told them that marijuana might help them get some relief from pain.  We're targeting the shops that are selling to people who just want pot for recreational purposes."

Except that they haven't really said that - and I'm not sure why one would be generous with one's interpretations as far as the gov't. They've said that they are targeting shops whose locations suggest they fit the profile of a shop selling for recreational purposes.

And then, what Ank said.

[Neil]

Yeah, there's nothing more important out there to be devoting time and resources.   

If you're saying that abusing druggies isn't a good use of resources, you're wrong.

[dps]

Reading between the lines, it seems what they are saying is, "OK, we're not going to target shops that mostly cater to glaucoma and cancer patients whose doctors have told them that marijuana might help them get some relief from pain.  We're targeting the shops that are selling to people who just want pot for recreational purposes."

Except that they haven't really said that - and I'm not sure why one would be generous with one's interpretations as far as the gov't. They've said that they are targeting shops whose locations suggest they fit the profile of a shop selling for recreational purposes.

And then, what Ank said.

I'm generous about their intentions.  I never trust the government to actually act on those intentions in a competant manner.  In this case, I think you're on the right track--they don't have a clue about which shops are selling to people who want the stuff for medical reasons, and which ones are just using the state law as a cover to sell recreational drugs. 

[AnchorClanker]

Yeah, there's nothing more important out there to be devoting time and resources.   

If you're saying that abusing druggies isn't a good use of resources, you're wrong.

I prefer to be more careful than that... "druggies" means something different to me than someone who smokes pot.   

[Neil]

Yeah, there's nothing more important out there to be devoting time and resources.   

If you're saying that abusing druggies isn't a good use of resources, you're wrong.

I prefer to be more careful than that... "druggies" means something different to me than someone who smokes pot.   

Pot-smokers are dangerous.

[Josquius]

Yeah, there's nothing more important out there to be devoting time and resources.  

If you're saying that abusing druggies isn't a good use of resources, you're wrong.

I prefer to be more careful than that... "druggies" means something different to me than someone who smokes pot.  

Pot-smokers are dangerous.

Only if you trip over them.

[garbon]

Pot-smokers are dangerous.

Cancer victims aren't that dangerous.

[Neil]

Pot-smokers are dangerous.

Cancer victims aren't that dangerous.

Only once they're dead.

[garbon]

Pot-smokers are dangerous.

Cancer victims aren't that dangerous.

Only once they're dead.

Too soon to hate on Steve Jobs!

[HisMajestyBOB]

http://news.yahoo.com/us-launches-california-medical-marijuana-crackdown-192518533.html

I'm glad Holder told us that the DOJ wouldn't be cracking down on California's medical marijuana.

He's done covering the BATF's ass already?
He must be a hard worker.

[AnchorClanker]