Feds Order 11 Seattle Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to Shut Their Doors

[Newsjock]

Source: The Stranger

Eleven medical marijuana dispensaries in Seattle received letters from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration yesterday, ordering them to shut down within 30 days or risk having their properties seized.

... “These letters suggest that if my clients remain in business, they could lose their companies, their homes, their cars, basically every piece of property that the Feds consider an asset,” said Seattle attorney Kurt Boehl in a letter responding to the DEA's threats yesterday. Boehl represents three of the affected access points, including Wallingford’s Truly Helpful Collective.

“We strictly followed Washington’s Medical Marijuana Law (RCW 69.51A),” says Arasp Khoshkhoo, a dispensary owner. “We had business licenses from the City of Seattle and the State of Washington. We paid our taxes. We did everything any other legitimate business would do.”

Read more: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/05/02/feds-order-30-seattle-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-to-shut-their-doors

[montanacowboy]

1. Ah! that hard working DOJ

and now they can go after the pill! bwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

pills and pot pills and pot

Eric Holder - bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa worst AG since Alberto G

[Heather MC]

32. Our last three Presidents have smoked pot

Weed produces world leaders

[fredamae]

2. The Solution? >

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/LegalizationNation/archives/2013/05/02/us-judges-can-end-drug-war-researchers-say-institutional-racism-creates-unequal-protection-for-whites

[villager]

3. That, or fewer routine betrayals from this administration

n/t

[AnotherMcIntosh]

9. That would be contrary to policy.

[Mnemosyne]

4. Despicable actions. Legalize now. nt

[Matariki]

8. It IS legal now. In Seattle. Where this happened.

[Mnemosyne]

16. Federal legalization is needed, now. They use fed law as excuse to oppress citizens right to pursue

happiness.

Sorry didn't clarify in first post.

[idwiyo]

5. Someone will be here shortly to explain how it has nothing to do with Obama's admin.

[markpkessinger]

11. "Just wait until his second term, you'll see . . ."

Oh, wait . . .

[frylock]

29. rogue state attorneys and whutnot and sich

[Life Long Dem]

6. They are within 1000 feet of a school.

Legal is having a store over a 1000 feet of a school.

"Part of the letter referred to enhanced penalties for operating within 1,000 feet of a school or playground. It's confusing and disappointing to the owners of Herbal Healing in Seattle's Crown Hill neighborhood.

One of them, named Sara, said her business is not anywhere near a school, and they've complied with all state and local laws.

Sara said she and her husband opened the dispensary two years ago to help medical marijuana patients.

They will now reopen in another location."

http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/federal-crackdown-medical-marijuana-dispensaries/nXdjQ/

[MindPilot]

28. Yes, but I think that 1000 ft rule is a State law

The feds are using the violation of a state law to enforce federal law. And if there was actually a crime being committed, where are the arrests? The landlords are doing nothing illegal, nor are the operators so Obama's goons threaten property seizures.

[randome]

7. “We strictly followed Washington’s Medical Marijuana Law..." What imbeciles!

You can argue about whether federal law needs to be changed but, come on, were they really this stupid to not know that federal law trumps state law?

Since they are not making a profit from this enterprise -supposedly- why not close up shop and find some other business rather than play the part of innocent bystander?

[Comrade Grumpy]

10. Wow, who needs right-wing assholes when we have our very own right here?

[randome]

12. Really? If you were opening a medical marijuana shop, you wouldn't check federal law first?

[Fumesucker]

13. If you followed federal law you wouldn't open a medical marijuana shop in the first place

Cannabis is still schedule one..

[randome]

14. Sure, but the majority of medical marijuana shops are left alone.

It's part of the schizophrenic attitude toward the subject.

It's only those that come even CLOSE to violating federal law that end up getting dinged by the authorities. If I were running such a shop, I would make damned sure the feds couldn't find a single issue with me.

Even when federal regulations change, the thing to do is change to keep abreast of them, not sit around and do nothing with your fingers crossed.

[Comrade Grumpy]

15. The problem is not with "imbecilic" medical marijuana dispensary operators.

The feds go after dispensaries without rhyme or reason. Sometimes they make up reasons, like the 1,000-foot rule, which has nothing to do with medical marijuana, but is a sentencing enhancement for federal drug offenses. Using that rule in this regard is totally and completely arbitrary. Sometimes they go after the most law-abiding dispensaries around, as was the case with the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana and the Berkeley Patients Group. Sometimes they work hand in hand with state and local law enforcement officials who just accept the law of the state.

The Justice Department has issued two different memos on medical marijuana. The first, in 2009, was basically a hands-off policy, which worked pretty well. The second, in 2011, gave a green light to federal prosecutors to go after dispensaries. Most of the raids, arrests, threats of property seizure, and prosecutions have come since then.

That is a policy decision by the Justice Department, led by Eric Holder, whose boss is President Obama.

Attacking people who are attempting to provide medicine to sick people is just ugly. That's what you did, and that's what the Obama administration is doing.

In my opinion, support for access to medical marijuana is a progressive position. Sniping at dispensary operators is not.

[randome]

19. I really, really doubt most medical marijuana shops are started from altruism.

I could be wrong, nothing wrong with that. But if altruism is their primary pursuit, why would they not stay abreast of federal law in order to continue their selfless mission? Why let cancer patients down like this?

[Vinnie From Indy]

35. You have a very bizarre take on this issue

The simple fact is that ALL medical marijuana dispenseries are AGAINST federal law. Each and every one of them! How would "keeping abreast" of the laws change anything?

Cheers!

[MindPilot]

30. Every single dispensary was closed in San Diego.

Every. Single. One. Just like this...landlords were threatened with property seizures, yet there were no arrests. With all that illegal activity, one would think there would be a lot of arrests.

[randome]

33. Yet they leave hundreds of MM dispensaries alone across the country.

I'm not saying the DEA is flawless or even doesn't have its collective head up its collective ass.

But I wonder why San Diego didn't have any say in this. Were all 11 dispensaries within 1000 feet of a school?

The details cited in the article are very short on details.

Also, the link says '30' dispensaries but the article says '11'.

[Bluenorthwest]

31. How can some 'come close to violating federal law' when they all violate federal law?

The feds have issue with ALL of them. Your post is absolutely ludicrous and ill informed. Federal regulations have not changed. What tripe.

[randome]

34. Hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries across the country are left alone.

They have been turning a blind eye to those dispensaries that are flawless in NOT violating any federal law.

The DEA appears to be targeting those that flagrantly violate federal law or those that the local authorities want to be closed down, as happened in LA.

[Niceguy1]

26. yeah it just depends

a few days ago there was lots of calls to take away states rights when it comes to gun control. A lot of people think when it comes to firearms the federal government should have more say than the states. There is an actual thread on how nice it would be to take away states rights.

I guess I guess the issue of states rights depends on the topic on hand sometimes they should have it and sometimes they should n''t

[hobbit709]

18. I see Norbert The Nark speaks.

[randome]

21. Hardly. I don't pretend to be anything.

I question why these shops did not know this was coming. I have no problem AT ALL with medical marijuana being made available.

[hobbit709]

22. Then why spout the official party line.

[randome]

25. What party line? That they were violating federal law and should have known about it?

That's not denigrating them for trying to run a medical marijuana shop. That's pointing out that they should have known. Time after time, when the feds go after shops that violate federal law, we hear the same 'defense': "But we were following state law."

And then those who are in favor of full legalization conveniently ignore the fact that many of the previous closures (not sure about these) were done at the behest of local authorities.

[Bluenorthwest]

36. If they followed Federal law there would be no dispensaries. Those who run them know the

law. The President when he wanted West Coast votes promised like the Christian man he is that he'd respect State Medical Marijuana laws. Now he's not. You can not spin this:
Obama: "I'm not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue."
Willamette Week, asked Obama, "Would you stop the DEA's raids on Oregon medical marijuana growers?"
Obama: "I would, because I think our federal agents have better things to do, like catching criminals and preventing terrorism."

How's that terrorism prevention going?
I guess Obama figures 15 amputees and 3 dead is not enough to distract from the horror of marijuana as medicine.

[randome]

38. And how often have local authorities specifically requested federal help in closing dispensaries?

And what about the mushrooming of dispensaries since Obama became president?

I understand the need to legalize marijuana (I don't agree with that but I wouldn't stand in the way of it, either) but when the situation changes, DEA actions change with it.

When Obama made those statements, the situation was stable. Afterwards, the situation changed. I'm not even saying it's right that the DEA took additional actions, I'm saying Obama is not a 'liar' as you implied just because he adjusted to a changing situation.

[Bluenorthwest]

41. The State of Washington did not request this. This is what Eric and Barack do instead of preventing

terrorist attacks. Obama directly promised not to do exactly what he is doing. He lied, he is not a man of his word at all.
And you are misrepresenting the facts and using rhetoric. What is 'unstable' about the 'situation'? Jesus.

[SomethingFishy]

17. So why these 11? There are hundreds of MMJ in Washington

What makes these 11 so different?

I notice they have been called Imbeciles in this thread. I find that hilarious. The US has been waging a War on Drugs for over 30 years now and have not put a single dent in the flow of "illegal drugs" or in it's use. Billions upon billions of dollars wasted on nothing yet the people who are running a legal shop are the imbeciles. The only imbeciles here are the proponents of the epically failed War on Drugs.

[leftstreet]

20. Supposedly violating the 1000 feet away from schools thing

So they're saying

Sounds more like a Fed/State turf war though

[Half-Century Man]

40. Thank You

I was beginning to think I was the only one who noticed the failure of law enfarcement in the war on drugs. IF ALL THAT MONEY HAD BEEN SPENT ON TREATMENT PROGRAMS.

[bvar22]

23. "Its ALL Joe Lieberman's fault".

"There was nothing he could Dooooo."




You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.
[font size=5 color=green]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
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[SoCalMusicLover]

24. More Guns, Less Pot

Too bad our forefathers didn't decide to stick an amendment in on that one.

Unfortunately potheads are not as gung ho as gun owners or the gun lobby.

[bemildred]

27. Awww, are they worried about losing control?

Nothing quite like an authoritarian bully to piss you off.

[MFM008]

37. asshats

why dont you stay out of this state. Accept the fact we voted for this.

[Bluenorthwest]

39. Obama in 08:

"I'm n-ot going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue."

"Would you stop the DEA's raids on Oregon medical marijuana growers?"

Obama 's reply: "I would, because I think our federal agents have better things to do, like catching criminals and preventing terrorism."

That DOJ has been pretty shitty at preventing terrorism recently, but I guess they don't have anything better to do after they ignored warnings and red flags about the Boston Bros. Too late to prevent that, eh Eric? So why not hit the pot shops?

Obama is a flat out liar on this issue.