U.S. Atty.'s Office Gives Statement On WA Med Marijuana Raids TokeoftheTown / Steve Elliott / November 16, 2011 The Inquisitr U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan: "We will continue to target and investigate entities that are large scale commercial drug enterprises, or that threaten public safety in other ways." U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan of the Western District of Washington released a statement late Tuesday on the Drug Enforcement Administration's dispensary raids. The raids, which stretched across at least three counties and involved more than a dozen dispensaries, took many in the community by surprise, even some who had long expected such as move on the part of the federal government. The post on the U.S. federal government's Department of Justice website follows in its entirety: November 15, 2011 Today, Drug Enforcement Administration agents and local law enforcement executed search warrants in four ongoing federal investigations in Western Washington relating to illegal drug distribution and other crimes in violation of federal law. Each of the investigations targets commercial enterprises that purport to operate as "medical" marijuana establishments but also fail to comply with applicable state law. As set forth in the search warrant affidavits unsealed by the U.S. District Court today, these businesses attracted the attention of federal law enforcement for a number of reasons: their failure to abide by state medical marijuana guidelines; indications that they were distributing large amounts of drugs; and evidence they were laundering large amounts of money. Some of these marijuana stores were the subject of complaints from their surrounding communities as well as medical marijuana supporters, concerned about businesses operating outside the letter and spirit of state law. One operator was arrested this morning for violating the court ordered terms of his federal supervised release for a prior federal conviction. The following is a statement from U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan on the ongoing investigations: "The activities today and the ongoing investigations are targeted actions consistent with Department of Justice policy and guidelines. Our job is to enforce federal criminal laws. In doing so, we always prioritize and focus our resources. As we have previously stated, we will not prosecute truly ill people or their doctors who determine that marijuana is an appropriate medical treatment. However, state laws of compassion were never intended to protect brash criminal conduct that masquerades as medical treatment. In determining how to focus our drug enforcement resources, we will look at the true nature and scope of an enterprise, and its impact on the community. We will continue to target and investigate entities that are large scale commercial drug enterprises, or that threaten public safety in other ways. Sales to people who are not ill, particularly our youth, sales or grows in school zones, and the use of guns in connection with an enterprise all present a danger to our community." Those identified in the search warrant affidavits are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
My take on this is if these dispenseries are violating the laws, then local authorities should be dealing with it. The DEA has a boner for cannabis and these DA'a are lying about their true intentions.
It is absolutely ridiculous. Based on an email i received from the owner of one of the places raided she has no idea why things went down with their establishment. All meds are donated by patients. They were on the ball with all verification and paperwork and insured they met changing laws. I enjoyed the place because of its professionalism. Now it is gone.
"threaten the public safety"??? suck my balls, nothing threatens the safety of the public quite like the federal govt!
Innocent until proven guilty. Meanwhile their entire livelihood is ripped up and destroyed. After which, these people will have to find many thousands of dollars to hire an attorney to represent them in an arduous legal battle that could take years. If they are found innocent, the still will have absolutely no recompense with which to get back on their feet, restore their businesses or recoup the money lost defending themselves. None of the truly ill people who depend upon these dispensaries as their primary source of medicine will be compensated for their suffering or the money they have to give pharma or, tragically, the black market to acquire an alternative source of medicine. American Justice at it's best: Pissing on American citizens and expecting them to see it as rain.
I was at one of the dispensaries the day before it got raided. The government keeps claiming it's because they are "drug enterprises" One of the articles I read said something like "x deposited 83k in his bank account over the course of 1 year." Yet DC will bailout and protect big timers laundering millions of dollars. Bullshit. You can run a "non profit" organization and still make money Just look at the American Cancer Association...the RICHEST non profit organization in the country. This is all a fucking joke