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Feds Threaten to Extinguish
California's Pot Boom
June 20, 2011 - californiareport.org
Local officials say that regulating the commercial pot industry could
protect public safety, and would be a good source of tax revenue. But
the Obama administration is pushing back.
With demand for medical marijuana surging around the country, some
cities and states are looking to license commercial growing, including
in California. Local officials say regulating the industry protects
public safety and is a good source of tax revenue. But now the Obama
administration is pushing back.
Last October business and city leaders gathered with medical marijuana
growers and activists in a gritty industrial compound in east Oakland.
With DJs on hand, the crowd was inaugurating a super-store for pot
growing supplies -- and celebrating plans to open four industrial-scale
medical pot farms under a new city ordinance.
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan spoke at the event, welcoming the potential tax
windfall.
"When these cultivation facilities come online, we're estimating in the
first few years five to eight million dollars. Now that's a sizeable
chunk of change and it's going to be an important part of this city's
economy," said Quan.
Eight months later, Oakland's plans are in tatters following stern
warnings from the U.S. Justice Department that licensing of commercial
marijuana growing, even for medical use, violates federal law.
At a large industrial park just off the Oakland's 880 Freeway,
developer Jeff Wilcox walks into a giant concrete and glass warehouse.
It's empty.
"This building was dubbed the football field of cannabis during our
heyday. We were going to have 380 employees, and the average pay was
about $52,000 [a year] per person," said Wilcox.
Wilcox thought the facility would be safe from the feds as long as the
operation closely complied with the city's regulations and state laws.
But today he sees things differently.
"The industry is scared that there's a big push back coming against
us," said Wilcox.
The push back isn't just against Oakland. Recently, the Justice
Department warned officials in eight other states that they would be
violating federal law if they allowed commercial production of medical
marijuana.
"That, in very simple terms, is what drug traffickers do. That is drug
trafficking period," said Tommy LaNier, director of the National
Marijuana Initiative, a program funded by the White House Office on
Drug Control Policy.
LaNier says the tripwire for the Feds' tough new posture came last year
after Californians narrowly rejected Proposition 19, a measure to
legalize recreational pot use. He says officials then zeroed in on
local medical marijuana schemes like Oakland's, and decided to threaten
prosecution.
"They're not going to go after someone who's standing on the corner or
in their home using marijuana. This is going to be targeting those
individuals who are facilitating production, trafficking, engaged in
the distribution," La Nier said.
LaNier says the Justice Department letters state pointedly that even
local officials could face criminal charges. But Jay Rorty, an ACLU
attorney, says those warnings violate previous assurances from the Feds.
"It's important that the DOJ makes clear that people who are complying
with valid state law do not fear federal prosecution," Rorty said.
Rorty and others insist that was the promise made in a 2009 Justice
Department memo, which essentially stated: comply with state law and
the feds won't prosecute you. But Justice Department officials are
saying the exemption only applies to seriously-ill people, not
commercial growers and not medical marijuana distribution outlets.
Benjamin Wagner, the US Attorney for California's Eastern District,
says the Justice Department will enforce federal law.
"We've met with the DEA in this regard. People from Washington have
been out to California to coordinate a statewide enforcement strategy,"
Wagner said.
It's unclear whether the Feds will target the state's most established
medical marijuana operators, like Harborside Health Center in Oakland.
On a recent afternoon at Harborside, dozens of customers were eagerly
inspecting gleaming glass cases displaying well-manicured marijuana
buds. Despite a grueling audit battle with the IRS, owner Steve
Deangelo says Harborside is turning over millions of dollars in sales
each month. Still, he says, medical marijuana remains a risky business.
"Until federal law changes, this is not an industry, it's a movement.
And anybody who gets involved in distributing medical cannabis has to
be prepared to be arrested and have a monumental challenge on your
hands," said Deangelo.
Oakland city officials say they haven't given up on plans to license
marijuana cultivation. But for his part, developer Jeff Wilcox says the
Feds' warnings have scared off people who wanted to invest in a
legitimately regulated business.
"You want to try to start an industry and then you have the IRS working
against you, the federal government working against you -- you've got a
real problem," said Wilcox. "So the problem is if you don't grow this
industry what happens is that it remains a black-market industry, and
it's always going to be that way."
Medical-marijuana supporters are calling on the Obama administration to
clarify the recent warnings. Sources close to the Justice Department
say Attorney General Eric Holder is planning to do just that, in a
letter that will be released soon.
"That, in very simple terms, is what drug traffickers do. That is drug trafficking period," said Tommy LaNier, director of the National Marijuana Initiative, a program funded by the White House Office on Drug Control Policy.
Screwin the states over while the DEA just approved 55 organizations to start producing marijuana for medication, the same drug they say has no medical value...
Here in WA there are over 80,000 card holders, and each can possess a pound and a half legally. 120,000 legal pounds for the state. Now that they are cutting out dispensaries, that is that many more people who get to go to the street and buy it. No taxes, legit jobs, etc...
The only up side is when Big Pharma comes through with all the new prescriptions made from MJ, insurance will cover it. Id still rather grow it myself.
They have the power but we got numbers. Start pumping that shit out people! Grow! Grow! Grow!
Man wouldn't it be sweet if all the police in california all realized at the same time that leagalization was the answer and stood up and fought the DEA raids. It would be epic. But only can dream. Unless of course someone figures out how to put dmt into aerosol form and crop dust it over the masses.
Its more of a wish than actually plausible of course.haha It would be like those left behind movies...cars crashing, planes falling outta the sky.But the select few that outlast that chaos would be forever joined in an blown ego utopia of a society. But... more likely everyone would think satan started his reign on earth and church attendance would rise like after 911
I don't think they really change the person though... the person had a certain mindset that led to them taking psychedelics, not that psychedelics are some wonder drug. I've been tripping for years and still a self centered douche bag
-------------------- There's a thin line between sanity and insanity... and I just snorted it.
Idk they really helped my views. Started taking pdels when I was realizing christianity was bullshit and at the same time I thought I had testicular cancer. I know for a fact every "christian" has doubts about it but are too afraid to venture out and actually use their heads, that's where pdels helped me break that and seal the deal about all the proof I knew was out there against it.
As for the cancer issue they helped me be comfortable with dying because the spiritualness behind a lot of the trips I had. I believe what ever is beyond this universe has a hand in mushrooms and dmt , that's what I've gotten outta the majority of the trips and its not something I went in searching for , I've approached all my trips with an open mind and no preconceptions.
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