“Shock and Awe” Enforcement Has No Place in Civil Society

[User]

The “shock and awe” tactics used by local and federal law enforcement yesterday to raid several medical marijuana providers were indefensible. One would have thought that such paramilitary-style raids were a thing of the past, a remnant of the Bush Administration. And, yet, videos like this one indicate that not only is law enforcement still trying to undermine California’s medical marijuana law, it’s being done with a vengeance. Where else would you see wheelchair-bound people being thrown into police squad cars?

Why would President Obama continue this heavy-handed approach given his statements about a new federal policy for medical marijuana? That remains a mystery for now, but his ability to stay quiet on the matter may be short-lived. Medical marijuana advocates and activists are not idly standing by. Hundreds of people frustrated by the recent spate of federal raids used ASA’s action alert and have contacted President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder urging them to end harmful federal interference.

Certainly, local officials like District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis are able to regulate medical marijuana distribution without the thuggish methods used in yesterday’s raids: breaking down doors, destroying property, wielding and pointing guns at seriously ill patients, and generally spreading fear and intimidation. In a recent press release on the San Diego raids, Americans for Safe Access California Director Don Duncan said:

Local officials must regulate medical marijuana and enforce those laws with civil actions, not with the barrel of a gun.

The accusations leveled at medical marijuana providers in no way warrant such combative behavior. Is there a plausible rationale for pointing the barrel of a gun at someone living with cancer or multiple sclerosis? Why can’t District Attorney Dumanis enforce the state’s medical marijuana laws civilly? Why can’t District Attorney Dumanis help the City of San Diego enact sensible medical marijuana regulations that can then be enforced through fines and other civil actions?

Case law and the California Attorney General have pointed San Diego in the right direction. The city must promptly adopt medical marijuana dispensary regulations and end harmful raids that fail to serve anyone. Aggressive enforcement actions have no place in a civil society that claims to care for its sick. San Diego can and should do better!




News Hawk: User: http://www.420magazine.com/
Source: Americans for Safe Access
Author: Kris Hermes
Copyright: 2008 Americans for Safe Access
Contact: info@safeaccessnow.org
Website: Medical Cannabis: Voices from the Frontlines Blog Archive ?Shock and Awe? Enforcement Has No Place in Civil Society

[michaelkaer]

They use those tactics because A) they can and B) they work. If your job is to strike fear and distrust of government, then I would say they are doing an excellent job