Obama’s DOJ Cracks Down on Medical Marijuana: California vs. The Feds
httpvh://youtu.be/WYANybQlaUc
State Drops Charges Against DEA-Busted Operators of a Tempe Medical Marijuana Clinic
Phoenix New Times: “All charges have been dropped from September’s high-profile bust by the Drug Enforcement Agency of a Tempe medical marijuana clinic. The DEA arrested James Chaney and Rachel Beeder of Arizona Go Green Co-Op on September 29 following a morning raid on the clinic and Chaney’s Phoenix home. . . . The DEA turned over prosecution of the case to the office of Tom Horne, state Attorney General. But Horne, despite his previous legal action against the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, dropped the charges last month against Beeder and Chaney. . . . Nor were charges ever filed in two high-profile busts in June by Gilbert PD: Garry Ferguson and the Medical Marijuana Advocacy Group in Tempe, and the raid of a Gilbert patient’s home over two ounces of weed.
Probation Officer Fired for Statement in Support of Marijuana Legalization, Launches Lawsuit With ACLU’s Help
Phoenix New Times: “Maybe one reason marijuana prohibition is still in effect is this: Law officers face being fired merely for stating publicly their views on legalization. That was the case for Joe Miller, a former Mohave County probation officer whose supervisors terminated him after his name appeared on a letter — with 31 other law officers — in support of the 2010 California ballot proposal that would have made pot as legal as booze and cigarettes. Now Miller is suing for damages in a federal complaint with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona.
New Med Pot Shop Says It Won’t be Shut Down
KSAZ Fox 10: “A new one-stop medical marijuana shop is getting ready to open in the valley. But with so many questions about Arizona’s medical marijuana law, many of these facilities have already opened up, only to be shut down. It’s called Elements Caregiver Collective, and the name says it all. This company said that because caregivers supply the marijuana, what they’re doing is 100 percent legal.”
Why has the Obama Administration declared WAR on Medical Marijuana?
The New Republic: “When you get a new car, you start noticing the same model all over the highway. It’s the same way when you figure out what California’s marijuana dispensaries look like—green crosses and signage about “medicine” and “420” start popping up all over the City of Angels: On your commute to work, in your neighborhood, around the corner from your favorite restaurant. To put it bluntly, it’s not hard to find weed in California. But that all might be about to change. The state’s four U.S. Attorneys are gamely trying to alter the broadly popular status quo with arrests and threats of prosecution and property seizure for landlords who rent to dispensaries, a campaign announced in a rare joint press conference in October. Medical marijuana advocates call it an “intense crackdown” and have launched a lawsuit claiming the federal attorneys’ tactics violate California’s tenth amendment rights.”
Medical-marijuana Business Set to Open in Northeast Phoenix
Arizona Republic: “Northeast Phoenix’s first medical-marijuana operation is scheduled to open next week. Elements Caregiver Collective touts itself as Phoenix’s ‘first caregiver collective and a one-stop shop for medical marijuana and wellness services.’ The shop, which holds a Phoenix permit for a dispensary, plans to offer a range of services, as well as medical marijuana. Ingrid Joiya, is the operator. A press release about the facility went out last week, but she could not be reached for comment this week. The shop is in a small strip center at 12620 N. Cave Creek Road. . . . The business will sell memberships to patients, who will donate the marijuana they grow in exchange for ‘reasonable reimbursement,’ the press release says.”
Prop 203 – Know Your Opponents
Keep AZ Drug-Free recently announced its intent to place a Prop 203 repeal measure on the ballot next November. Following the ancient wisdom of “know(ing) thy enemy”, advocates should learn who belongs to this group in order to effectively fight the effort to reinstate prohibition. Do these members have a vested interest in making nearly fifteen thousand peaceful Arizonans into criminals, or are they merely well-meaning individuals under the influence of seventy years of anti-cannabis propaganda?
For our purposes, two other good questions are: who among them simply doesn’t (yet) understand the many palliative benefits of marijuana? And, is it possible that at least some of them might favorably respond to a more-informed perspective? Based on my experience with various elected officials and other opinion leaders, the answer is “yes”. So, if you know any of these folks, see if you can meet with them to break through the myths and misinformation that have fostered their bias.
Helpfully, the Keep AZ Drug Free website (www.keepazdrugfree.com) provides the names of the organization’s members. Below are the “Steering” and “Advisory” committee members, along with “Law Enforcement” and “Political Leaders”. Visit the website to see lists of “Community Leaders” and “Concerned Citizens”.
Leaders Against 203
Steering Committee:
- Carolyn Short, retired lawyer — KeepAZDrugFree Chairman
- Steven A. Betts, former CEO of SunCor Development
- Michael J. Bidwill, President of the Arizona Cardinals
- Paul K. Charlton, former U.S. Attorney, now a partner with Gallagher & Kennedy
- Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of USA Basketball
- Ed Gogek, M.D., clinical psychiatrist and addiction recovery specialist
- Doug Hebert, ex-DEA agent, now with The Partnership for a Drug-Free America
- Michael K. Kennedy, Chairman of the Super Bowl Host Committee
- David P. Kimball III, partner with Gallagher & Kennedy
- Debbie Moak, founder of notMYkid, a nonprofit organization
- Len Munsil, lawyer and former gubernatorial candidate
- Steve Twist, corporate general counsel, former Chief Asst. Attorney General of AZ
- Darrell D. Wadas, M.D., Director of Medicine at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital
Advisory Committee:
- Claren Scott, former news anchor
- Jessica Smith, director of SADD/Arizona
- Leland Fairbanks, M.D., family practitioner and smoke-free workplace advocate
- Alex Romero, board member of Drug Watch International
- Susan Engle, high school guidance counselor
- Dr. Mark Rohde, clinical psychologist and substance abuse specialist
- Peg Kimball, community activist
- Sean McMaster, political consultant
- Eric Wnuck, former Congressional candidate
Law Enforcement
- Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Sheriff
- Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police
- Rick Romley, Maricopa County Attorney
- Sheila Polk, Yavapai County Attorney
- Barbara LaWall, Pima County Attorney
- Brad Carlyon, Navajo County Attorney
- Alberto Gutier, Governor’s Office of Highway Safety
- Roger Vanderpool, Former Director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety
Political Leaders:
- Governor Jan Brewer
- Attorney General Terry Goddard
- US Senator John McCain (AZ)
- US Senator Jon Kyl (AZ)
- US Congressman John Shadegg (AZ-3)
- Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne (Candidate for Attorney General)
- State Senator Steve Pierce (LD-1)
- State Senator Sylvia Allen (LD-5)
- State Representative and House Majority Whip Andy Tobin (LD-1)
- State Senator Jack Harper (LD-4)
- State Senator Russell Pearce (LD-18)
- State Representative Cecil Ash (LD-18)
- State Representative Thayer Verschoor (LD-18)
- State Senator Amanda Aguirre (LD-24)
- David Schweikert, Candidate for Congress (AZ-5)
- Ben Quayle, Candidate for Congress (AZ-3)
- Candidate for Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery
- Pinal County Supervisor, Bryan Martyn
- Jo Kelleher, Democratic Party Vice Chairwoman & Former LD-1 Senate Candidate
- Rick Gray, LD-9 House Candidate
- Bob Donahue, LD-1 Senate Candidate
- Lindsay Bell, LD-1 House Candidate
- Karen Fann, LD-1 House Candidate and former Chino Valley Mayor
- Eric Sheats, Former LD-4 House Candidate
- Prescott Winslow, LD-5 Candidate for State House
- Michael Coskun, Former LD-7 House Candidate
- Dr. Ray Mahoubi, Former LD-8 House Candidate
- Ben Arredondo, State House Candidate in LD-17
- Jim Waring, Former State Senator
- Deb Gullett, Former State Representative
- Clark Silver, Candidate for Agua Fria School Board
- Jon Jensen, Former Candidate for Congressional District One
- Jay Schlum, Mayor of Fountain Hills