Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
This is a guest blog from Clay and Debra Tepel. They operate Kush Korner, a medical cannabis dispensing collective raided by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in September.
Clay and Debra Tepel
The day began without incident. Kush Korner, our California Medical Marijuana Dispensary, had been open for 6 months to the day and we were not making our overhead. Much has been said about fast, plentiful paydays from these coops. Throughout our existence we never made a profit from our operations.
That day, our first few patients were very ill, one with cancer and another with Parkinson’s disease. Serving these patients was most rewarding. Each had a humility and continence that you only see in the severely ill. When these patients left with their meds, we felt satisfied that we were fulfilling our mission.
The next two patients were check-in nightmares. Each had the same doctor who required a fax to his office for verification. The doctor would verify and fax back to us a response. The process took much longer than expected, but in the end we were successful.
The day moved on. It was a quiet mid-afternoon, when the telephone call came into the coop. A loud excited voice on the other end announced himself from the LAPD, and ordered us to open the front door immediately, with a threat of invasion they made very clear. At first I thought it was a joke, but the voice sounded too excited and threatening.
(more…)
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Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
The San Diego Police Department cooperated with a multi-agency task force, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to raid at least six medical cannabis collectives in the San Diego area today. Today’s action puts new urgency behind the calls for clarity on the Administration’s policy, and underscores the danger of local cooperation with federal law enforcement. It may be difficult for medical cannabis patients and advocates to maintain faith in comments made by the President and US Attorney General Eric Holder if DEA raids continue in California and other medical cannabis states. San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has been a vocal opponent of safe access and repeatedly cooperated with the DEA in 2007-2008 to close approximately twenty facilities. Her cooperation is almost certainly a factor in today’s raids.
You can see video of the raid online, including the police department shoving a handcuffed and wheelchair-bound man into a squad car.
Details are still coming in, but the San Diego chapter of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) reports raids at the following patients’ associations: SDDC, Top Quality, Natures RX, SDDS San Marcos, Answerdam, Movment in Action, Healing Dragon, Green Kross, PB Collective, Hillcrest Compassion, Medicinal Solutions , Green Tree Solutions, Total Herbal Care, and Kush Lounge.
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Sunday, September 6th, 2009
From the ASA Blog: Getting Ready for a Raid – Too Soon for Complacency in Los Angeles
“The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has recently stepped up enforcement against medical cannabis dispensing collectives in the city, and there is reason to believe that this may be the beginning of a new trend. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is encouraging patients and providers to prepare in advance for a possible confrontation with local police. Taking some simple precautions in advance and knowing what to do during an LAPD raid can preserve your rights and keep you out of serious trouble…”
Read the entire post, including links and tips, on the ASA Blog.
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