Feds Threaten State Dispensaries Nationwide

[Jim Finnel]

In a little-publicized memo, the federal government has indicated that the gloves are off with regards to medical marijuana dispensaries, "regardless of state laws." Previous memos had indicated a loosening of federal prosecutions of medical marijuana, however the new memo states very clearly that the feds consider all dispensaries illegal under federal law and that their prosecution is a "core priority" of the feds.

The "Haag Memo" was written on Feb. 1, 2011 from United States Attorney Melinda Haag (Northern District of California) to John A. Russo, Esq., Oakland City Attorney, in response to an Oakland City Council request for guidance regarding medical marijuana and federal law. The memo was written with consultation and approval from U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

The "Haag Memo" clarifies the "Ogden Memo", which was written by former Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden on Oct. 19, 2009 for the Department of Justice. The "Ogden Memo" seemed to indicate that the new Obama administration would restrict federal prosecution of medical marijuana providers in states that had medical marijuana laws. This was heralded by many as giving them the green light to pursue medical marijuana activities, as long as they were in compliance with state law.

The "Haag Memo" clears up that misconception with some very unambiguous statements. The memo says clearly that the feds will not look the other way on medical marijuana. The "Haag Memo" states very clearly that the feds will continue to investigate, arrest and prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries in every state "regardless of state laws."

In addition, the memo calls prosecuting medical marijuana dispensaries a "core priority" for the feds.

According to the memo, medical marijuana commercial activity is still considered by the Department of Justice to be "a violation of federal law regardless of state laws permitting such activities."

The memo may be the cause of the recent increase in federal raids at medical marijuana dispensaries. Only 4 days after the memo was issued, the DEA raided 4 dispensaries in California Just this week, the DEA raided more dispensaries in California and Montana. They arrested dozens of people, and seized the assets and bank accounts of several dispensaries.

IMPLICATIONS FOR COLORADO

"Maybe this will wake people up who think that it can't happen here," says Kathleen Chippi of the Colorado-based Patient and Caregiver Rights Litigation Project (cannabislawsuits. com), who is trying to raise money to file lawsuits to uphold Colorado's Constitutional right to cannabis medicine. Many legal observers agree that Colorado has the best chance of fighting the feds in court because Colorado is the only state whose medical marijuana law is actually in the state Constitution.

However, last year the state of Colorado set up a regulatory scheme that required caregivers to surrender their Constitutional rights. The state created a new entity called a Medical Marijuana Center (MMC). However, in order to apply to become an MMC, the applicants had to surrender their Constitutional rights to be caregivers, leaving them with no Constitutional protection.

MMC applicants also had to sign their power of attorney over to the state Department of Revenue for extensive investigations of every aspect of their lives, including family, spouses, children, and bank accounts. Over 700 people applied to become MMCs last July 1, 2010. The investigations on these applicants are in full swing, and no licenses to applicants have yet been granted.

MORE QUOTES FROM THE HAAG MEMO

"We will enforce the CSA vigorously against individuals and organizations that participate in unlawful manufacturing and distribution activity involving marijuana, even if such activities are permitted under state law."

"Others who knowingly facilitate the actions of the licensees, includmg property owners, landlords, and financiers should also know that their conduct violates federal law."

"As the Attorney General has repeatedly stated, the Department of Justice remains fumly (sic) committed to enforcing the CSA in all states."

READ THE DOJ MEMOS:

"Haag Memo" (Feb. 1, 2011)

"Ogden Memo": Oct. 19, 2009



NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Cannabis Therapy Institute
Copyright: 2011 Cannabis Therapy Institute
Contact: info@cannabistherapyinstitute.com
Website: Direct Email

 

[Jacob Bell]

Man, this is INSANE! What is it going to take, for the Federal Government, the DEA in particular, to stop this war on the citizens of America?? Obama clearly stated that medical care centers would not be a priority in his Admin, why does he not stop these people? Surely he knows what is happening to the citizens of this country. He has the power to stop the DEA, the Feds, etc. So why is he not?
I have just about had it with this garbage. It's infuriating that the DEA goes after care centers while just last month they gave the approval to Big Pharma to grow real cannabis and use it in pills.
What is it going to take to stop this War????

 

[DTFuqua]

If you read closely, it states that they are going to pursue anyone for the manufacture of it too. Look out if you have a state card for MMJ, you have a target on your back anf their taking aim at you. As for Obama, I was very hopefull when he was elected but he's turned into another political whore just like the rest of the presidents we've elected on reform tickets. At least hes not looking to just willy nilly trying to get us into another war but some of his cohorts may talk him into that too so be carefull. We don't have a drug war just like Viet Nam wasn't a war but a "POLICE" action. If we are to achieve justice again in America, we need to get just as aggressive as the drug warriors and use the same tactics as they do. I hate violence but it seems like its going to be either us or them.

 

[Jacob Bell]

I'm sorry if my thoughts led to a thought of violence. Not my intention, even though yes, I was feeling it. I apologize for that negative energy.
We do need to end this War on People. As we all know, Human Beings are being thrown into 8x8 concrete cells for a dried plant, while the DEA gives Big Pharma the go ahead to produce and sell real cannabis. This is un-acceptable!!! This is so far beyond sanity that it's not even funny anymore. This is like.....taking lives away from people because we partook of a natural plant that does have medicinal qualities. We all know the arguments. The question is, what can we do? Protesting at this point has not worked. Legislature at this point has not worked. Voting at this point has not worked.
I don't know what the answer is. I am still really upset about this and cannot think clearly because of it. There is no "clear" answer of course, if there was, we would have Won this War already!
Anyway, I am not out to incite a riot. Just out to say hey, let's get off our collective duffs and do something, even if it is just emailing the White House. That would help. 2 Million Americans collectively saying NO might help. We all have Internet. We all have 5 minutes of Time.

Contact the White House | The White House

And now, we All have the email address. So do it. Don't waste another minute. Tell your President exactly what you think, minus the curse words LOL. Professionally lol. Do it every single day.

 

[free2blaze]

I sent my email, come on people lets over load em, I will email them every day.

 

[DTFuqua]

I also sent my email but emails aren't going to change a thing. We as a people are becoming oppresed by the people that are supposed to protect and serve us and JUSTICE. They lie and cover up anything that shows them to be the true terrorists they are. And they are never brought to justice. Not even for out right murder of and old person laying unarmed, face down on the floor. As long as they are left in power, they will continue to become further entrenched untill there will be no way but to return the violence to them that they terrorize us with. And thats not saying anything about the whores and fear mongers that knowingly lie to get on the money train that is prohibition

 

[free2blaze]

I pray this issue dont have to come to violence from us, there has to be another way, no I dont have the answer but I will continue to do all I can without violence as violence will not help our cause.

 

[Jacob Bell]

Dear Mr. President,

I am a concerned citizen of the United States. More than concerned, actually. I am a citizen who is terribly upset at your policy regarding Medical Cannabis. You have chosen to allow the dogs off the leash, Sir, with Dire Consequences. You are destroying the lives of Americans who are not only giving back to the economy by creates jobs, i.e. Small Business, but you are also allowing those same people to be persecuted, because of their choice of Medicine. And yet, your government is allowing, with the O.K. from the D.E.A, pharmaceutical companies to grow real Cannabis, and make pills from it. Yet you allow small businesses to be raided and thrown into disorder and chaos, and lives to be raped by this new Policy. Shame on You Sir!!! Shame on You!! You are a a Traitor to the American People!!

Jacob

that's what I just sent to the CIC. Again. Sent one yesterday too. We have to do what we can. It might only be an email that is never read, but at least we are making our voices heard. In the correct peaceful manner.

 

[Bonehead]

"Maybe this will wake people up who think that it can't happen here," says Kathleen Chippi of the Colorado-based Patient and Caregiver Rights Litigation Project (cannabislawsuits. com), who is trying to raise money to file lawsuits to uphold Colorado's Constitutional right to cannabis medicine. Many legal observers agree that Colorado has the best chance of fighting the feds in court because Colorado is the only state whose medical marijuana law is actually in the state Constitution.

In addition to contacting the president, contact your local officials to get more protection from attacks by the fed. gov't in your state. I know there are many state officials who are NOT happy abouts these raids. We need our state representative to stand up and put and end to this.

 

[DTFuqua]

What good is contacting local officials gonna do? NADA. NOTHING. The feds have already proven that they care nothing about local laws and officials. OPEN YOUR EYES!! The only major difference between where we are at now and pre-war Germany is technology and time. The DEA is a force unto their own and answer to no one just like the Nazi SS and have their own black ops and foreign as well as domestic inteligence services and our local and state police forces are building into a Gestapo stylized force. Look at how many innocent citizens are murdered by our law enforcment officers. And the conspiracy even goes down to private security. They kill, torture, maim, and terrorize our people at will and the worst that has ever happened in recent decades are a slap on the fanny and moved to another position or some "friendly" company gives them a new job, usualy with better pay and benifits. Why do you think we are building prisons faster than hospitals while at the same time laying off teachers and closing schools? We are the equivalent of the Jewish people in Nazi Germany. Those prisons aren't needed for violent people. There are plenty of prison beds for violent people. They are for anyone that makes waves and/or tries to expose the fascist shadow government taking control over our supposedly free nation. Am I paranoid? Yes. But remember, just because your paranoid doesn't mean that there isn't a very real reason to be paranoid. Hell, George Bush got pretty close to being able to delcare martial law and clamp down on anyone with a voice for freedom. He did get away with the so called " Patriot Act" that has effectivly erroded our rights to privacy without the need to get an honorable judge to say they had good enough reason to do so. How many more little tyrants are out there just waiting for their chance?
And for all those people with their collective heads up their collective anal cavities that say " well if you have nothing to hide, whats the problem with letting them look at whatever they want?". If we didn't have laws that are base on prejudical and corrupt ideology, maybe we wouldn't be so afraid. Our law enforcment officers aren't alll bad but they almost all cover for the bad ones for fear of being considered "a bad apple" on the force.
If you realy want to do something with a slight chance of making things better, do your own research and pay attention to the news stories that mainstream media just gloss over if they even report them at all. Keep track of the injustices starting with the smalllest infraction by a cop who is "just having a bad day" all the way to the Gestaop like raids that comit murder, mayhem, and terrorize our citizens. Then,educate your friends and neighbors. Law enforcment officers are not supposed to be judge, jury and EXECUTIONERS. If they either don't have the training or refuse to implement the training to "PROTECT AND SERVE" our citizens and comunities, they shouldn't be allowed to have any job with any athority or be allowed to carry any type of offensive weapons.

 

[DTFuqua]

IMPLICATIONS FOR COLORADO

"Maybe this will wake people up who think that it can't happen here," says Kathleen Chippi of the Colorado-based Patient and Caregiver Rights Litigation Project (cannabislawsuits. com), who is trying to raise money to file lawsuits to uphold Colorado's Constitutional right to cannabis medicine. Many legal observers agree that Colorado has the best chance of fighting the feds in court because Colorado is the only state whose medical marijuana law is actually in the state Constitution.

And what in an LSD induced haze makes you think this will do any good when the DEA has already defied their own judge and continue with their terror tactics

 

[Bonehead]

IMPLICATIONS FOR COLORADO

"Maybe this will wake people up who think that it can't happen here," says Kathleen Chippi of the Colorado-based Patient and Caregiver Rights Litigation Project (cannabislawsuits. com), who is trying to raise money to file lawsuits to uphold Colorado's Constitutional right to cannabis medicine. Many legal observers agree that Colorado has the best chance of fighting the feds in court because Colorado is the only state whose medical marijuana law is actually in the state Constitution.

And what in an LSD induced haze makes you think this will do any good when the DEA has already defied their own judge and continue with their terror tactics

Hope you have a good day.

 

[Gothmog]

Where it really gets depressing is when you look at these stories on the general news sites which aren't specifically pro-cannabis. Small-minded and self-righteous readers, who have little control over their own laws, crow about the enforcement of their moral code on "potheads". The conservative leadership is pushing the conservative masses--and the rest of us--over the cliff, but by God they're still putting marijuana "addicts" "where they belong".

 

[DTFuqua]

I appreciate the thought bonehead but i live in Florida for now so its real hard to have a nice day. I am sevearly handicaped but not determined disabled. I am alergic to any pain medication (pharmacuticals) that should provide any relief and am the only caretaker for my wife who is in the last stages of a rarely found form of Muscular Dystrophy and has been for 2 1/2 years taking a toll on me and making my back problems worse. She has been eligable for aid for a long time now but is in line waiting for any number of people to die before we can get some help. This is our health care system after being raped by the powers in the republican party and the democratic whores that go along with it. To quote "the republican health care plan is for you to hurry up and die if your not rich". But thanks for the good thoughts anyway.
Terry

 

[WillyBudz]

Big Pharma must be getting nervous.......

WillyB

 

[Jacob Bell]

I am wondering about this:
Now that the DEA has given big pharma the go ahead to grow real cannabis, is the DEA going to start severely cracking down nationwide on medical marijuana? To clear the way for big pharma? I hope not. But a thought.

 

[Jim Finnel]

I'm so weary of Nazi/SS/Gestapo metaphors. To compare Cannabis users to the Jewish population of Germany in the 30's is a big stretch if not absurd. These comparisons have been done to death. The wrongs and evils of law enforcement, the DEA and the federal government can stand on their own. In my opinion to go 'Nazi' on them is to rob credibility of our arguments in the minds of many.

 

[DTFuqua]

I'm so weary of Nazi/SS/Gestapo metaphors. To compare Cannabis users to the Jewish population of Germany in the 30's is a big stretch if not absurd. These comparisons have been done to death. The wrongs and evils of law enforcement, the DEA and the federal government can stand on their own. In my opinion to go 'Nazi' on them is to rob credibility of our arguments in the minds of many.

Yea and people not willing to open their eyes and look at something farther away than the end of their nose is how people like Hitler and Bush the Second come to power. As far as calling some of our law enforcment Nazis. What would you call people that can break into your, or your grandmothers, private residence looking for a second generation relative that didn't live there, and shoot her dead. Or the one that had an old man laying face down on the floor and shoots him in the back and says "woops, I slipped" and then gets a pat on the back and an " ATA BOY" with a paid vacaiton and free counseling to make sure the guy didn't feel too bad about murdering an old man. I said nothing when they came for the bakers. I don't eat their bread. I said nothing when they came for the cabdle stick makers. I use electricity. doesn't bother BUT, when they came for me, there was nobody else left to say anything.

 

[Jim Finnel]

......As far as calling some of our law enforcment Nazis. What would you call people that can break into your, or your grandmothers, private residence looking for a second generation relative that didn't live there, and shoot her dead. Or the one that had an old man laying face down on the floor and shoots him in the back and says "woops, I slipped" and then gets a pat on the back and an " ATA BOY" with a paid vacaiton and free counseling to make sure the guy didn't feel too bad about murdering an old man.....

I'd let their deeds speak for themselves. These people are evil and care about nothing but sustaining their power, agendas and jobs. They are traitors to the Constitution and the vows they took. Rather than serve and protect they choose to subjugate, bullie and master the very people they swore to protect and serve.

The Nazis swore oaths not to a constitution or the people, but to one man and followed him like he was a god. They were committed to the genocide of a race of people just as one example of their brand of evil.

I said nothing when they came for the bakers. I don't eat their bread. I said nothing when they came for the cabdle stick makers. I use electricity. doesn't bother BUT, when they came for me, there was nobody else left to say anything.

Who's not saying anything? The fact that we are still able to have this conversation (at least for now) on a website such as this shows that we're not under Nazi control, yet. Thats not to say they wouldn't like to silence us, but they can't (at least not yet). I'm sure that they would have made very good Nazis if they'd been there and if allowed would be in the future.

The fact that some law enforcement members such as LEAP are able to speak out shows that we aren't yet under Nazi type control. The fact that there are still politicians who can speak out against the war on drugs, few though they be, show its not the same. If it were the same all those who speak up would be disappeared by now or publicly punished or executed as examples.

I would say ask survivors of those times if they feel its the same. Would those who witnessed crystal night or survived the camps think its the same? Would those who suffered Gestapo interrogations think its the same? Would veterans who fought the Nazi's think its the same? I'm not defending the evil being done by our government and agencies like the DEA. I just think its a disservice to those victims of the Nazis and those who fought them.

I do think we suffer under Facisim though, if corporate control of government is indeed facisim.

I'd also throw in theocratic control since the drug war is justified in the minds of many because its seen by them as sin and of being against god. And our politicians love to pander to the religious in order to maintain their power and control. Its what religion is all about.

I guess I'd call it Theocratic-Corporate Facisim.

Its the ones pulling the strings we need to direct our stuggle against. You cut the strings and the puppets will collapse.

 

[DTFuqua]

We are on a parallel path towards facisim as the Nazis. Not an exact parallel but leading in the very same direction. The misquote about speaking up may not have been totaly appropiate but meant to emphasise that a quite voice hasn't been working and a loud voice hasn't been working. The thing is that no mater what we as a people or a state do, the DEA and most of the AG officals are on their on level that has no fear of being chastised in any meaningfull manner. What has happened in the last 20, 30 years? Our police have been militarized and are confiscating money and property to enrich their own lives without any due process. THEY HAVE AN AGENDA and they have the money. They own more than 90% of the normal media and are lieing to everyone and teaching them to accept athority without question. They are indoctrinating our children to not question their word. One of the scariest things I have heard was a young couple on a news show saying something to the effect that they are raising their children to be good corperate citizens. Y And about our freedom of speach. You do know that every message, file, picture, even your conversation over the cable phone network are sorted through by government systems. Ask a network administrator what being "compliant" means. it means that our government mandates that all internet network providers install eavsdropping services on the switches. hubs and other digital information transfering devices. They also hire the brightest programers to set up algorithms to get information on anyone and everyone that trip certain triggers. And do you think your sqafe using any annonimous servers? Not if you use any of them on a regular basis or very long or very often. Too many people actualy believe the "system" works. That your vote actualy means something. Look at the last presidential election. The republican powers had screwed everything up so bad, they didn't want to be seen as in power while we suffer through getting things straightend up. They put the most un-electable pair they could muster up and make it look real. When the don't have control of the white house, they use lackys in congress and the senate to make sure that they don't let anything meaningfull happen. I'm just glad I'm old enough that I won't likely be alive when they have the right circumstances to get the martial law through that Bush the second almost got.