Feds Target Harborside Health Ctr — California’s Largest, Most Prominent Medical Cannabis Dispensary

[marmar]

from NORML:




Feds Target Harborside Health Center — California’s Largest, Most Prominent Medical Cannabis Dispensary
by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director July 12, 2012


Many of California’s most prominent and well-respected medical cannabis dispensaries and related facilities — including Oaksterdam University, Berkeley Patients Group, and Harborside Health Center (HHC) — flourished under the George W. Bush administration. But they’ll be lucky to survive President Barack Obama’s first term.

On Tuesday, federal prosecutors targeted Harborside Health Center in Oakland, as well as its sister facility in San Jose, for closure and civil asset forfeiture. In court papers filed by the US Attorney for the northern district of California, Melinda Haag, the federal government alleges that Harborside is “operating in violation of federal law” by providing cannabis to state-qualified patients.

The actions taken by the US Department of Justice stand in sharp contrast statements made by President Obama prior to his election, when he pledged to no longer use federal “Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws” regulating the physician authorized use and distribution of medical cannabis — a promise this administration has repeatedly broken. The actions also contradict more recent statements made by US Attorney Eric Holder to Congress in June when he asserted that Justice officials are solely targeting individuals who are “taking advantage of those state laws and going beyond what those states have authorized.”

Yet despite Eric Holder and the President’s claims to the contrary, the DOJ’s actions against Harborside are consistent with a growing trend by the Obama administration to target and close many of the state’s most prominent, longstanding, and well-respected medical cannabis operations — including the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana (1996-2011), Berkeley Patients Group (2000-2012), and El Camino Wellness (2008-2012). ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://blog.norml.org/2012/07/12/feds-target-harborside-health-center-californias-largest-most-prominent-medical-cannabis-dispensary/

[99th_Monkey]

1. Meanwhile in UK they are considering

forcing alcohol containers to be labeled with garish
warnings about the "ill effects" alcohol has on peoples
health.

What a crazy world we live in.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014165737

[marmar]

2. Thanks for the link.....I missed that one.

nt