Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
With President Barack Obama voicing support for an end to federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in California, Coachella Valley patients and advocates are ready to push Riverside County officials for a similar end to raids and prosecution.
And they are taking their case to the county Board of Supervisors meeting at 9 a.m. today in Riverside, where several are expected to speak during the part of the meeting reserved for public comments.
“We're going to ask them to get the Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's Office just to sit down with us to talk about how collectives can operate without them coming in and (people) getting arrested,” said Lanny Swerdlow, president of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project, a patient advocacy group.
Swerdlow said he has been trying for a few months to set up a meeting with either the Sheriff's Department or the district attorney without success.
Responding to recent federal raids on four California dispensaries, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro last week reiterated the president's belief “that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws.”
California is one of 13 states that have legalized medical use of marijuana for patients with a doctor's letter of recommendation. Federal law bans all use of the drug.
Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department, said, “The Riverside Sheriff's Department does not have a current updated policy on medical marijuana investigation and enforcement.”
The department is revamping its policy, Guitierrez said.
Michael Jeandron, spokesman for District Attorney Rod Pacheco, said the DA's office continues to use the narrowly drawn guidelines for patients, collectives and cooperatives set out in a 2006 white paper on medical marijuana issued by former District Attorney Grover Trask.
The white paper said “true collectives or cooperatives” are permitted under the law, but for-profit storefront dispensaries were illegal.
State Attorney General Jerry Brown issued guidelines on medical marijuana last August, which similarly outlawed for-profit dispensaries but allowed more leeway for dispensaries organized as nonprofit collectives or cooperatives.
The most recent raid in Riverside County occurred in September, when the Sheriff's Department arrested Martin J. Victor of Temecula, , a member of a 10-person collective, who was growing marijuana for the group at his home. Victor was released and has yet to be charged.
Supervisor Roy Wilson said patients should be able to meet with the DA or Sheriff's Department, but pointed out that the board has no jurisdiction over either office.
“The district attorney and sheriff are directly elected by the people,” Wilson said. “The DA isn't meeting with them because he did put out a white paper saying this is how we view the law and we haven't changed.”
News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: MyDesert.com
Author: K Kaufmann
Copyright: 2009 MyDesert.com
Contact: MyDesert.com
Website: Backers of medical marijuana dispensaries to speak to board
And they are taking their case to the county Board of Supervisors meeting at 9 a.m. today in Riverside, where several are expected to speak during the part of the meeting reserved for public comments.
“We're going to ask them to get the Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's Office just to sit down with us to talk about how collectives can operate without them coming in and (people) getting arrested,” said Lanny Swerdlow, president of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project, a patient advocacy group.
Swerdlow said he has been trying for a few months to set up a meeting with either the Sheriff's Department or the district attorney without success.
Responding to recent federal raids on four California dispensaries, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro last week reiterated the president's belief “that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws.”
California is one of 13 states that have legalized medical use of marijuana for patients with a doctor's letter of recommendation. Federal law bans all use of the drug.
Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department, said, “The Riverside Sheriff's Department does not have a current updated policy on medical marijuana investigation and enforcement.”
The department is revamping its policy, Guitierrez said.
Michael Jeandron, spokesman for District Attorney Rod Pacheco, said the DA's office continues to use the narrowly drawn guidelines for patients, collectives and cooperatives set out in a 2006 white paper on medical marijuana issued by former District Attorney Grover Trask.
The white paper said “true collectives or cooperatives” are permitted under the law, but for-profit storefront dispensaries were illegal.
State Attorney General Jerry Brown issued guidelines on medical marijuana last August, which similarly outlawed for-profit dispensaries but allowed more leeway for dispensaries organized as nonprofit collectives or cooperatives.
The most recent raid in Riverside County occurred in September, when the Sheriff's Department arrested Martin J. Victor of Temecula, , a member of a 10-person collective, who was growing marijuana for the group at his home. Victor was released and has yet to be charged.
Supervisor Roy Wilson said patients should be able to meet with the DA or Sheriff's Department, but pointed out that the board has no jurisdiction over either office.
“The district attorney and sheriff are directly elected by the people,” Wilson said. “The DA isn't meeting with them because he did put out a white paper saying this is how we view the law and we haven't changed.”
News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: MyDesert.com
Author: K Kaufmann
Copyright: 2009 MyDesert.com
Contact: MyDesert.com
Website: Backers of medical marijuana dispensaries to speak to board
