Los Angeles County DA vows to take down “about 100%” of dispensaries “dealing marijuana illegally”
Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 4:23 pm | By: Radical Russ
OK, when I get really pissed 
, I like to turn the sarcasm knob to eleven…
(Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley said Thursday he will prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries for over-the-counter sales, targeting a practice that has become commonplace under an initiative approved by California voters more than a decade ago.
Because the people of Los Angeles have had enough of conveniently purchasing their marijuana in a controlled, safe storefront, paying taxes to the state, and providing a boost to the local economy. They’d much rather go back to giving $400 cash to “their guy” who might be back in a couple of hours if he can find the other guy who said he could get the weed. See, that’s why the number of dispensaries in Los Angeles County skyrocketed from a few dozen to a few hundred in just a couple of years, because the customers really really dislike this model and are so disgusted by the lack of problems from dispensaries that they are clamoring for DA Cooley to bring the hammer down.
“The vast, vast, vast majority, about 100%, of dispensaries in Los Angeles County and the city are operating illegally, they are dealing marijuana illegally, according to our theory,” he said. “The time is right to deal with this problem.”
See, the DA has a theory. Not a mandate, not a clear statute being violated, but merely the wisp of an idea that maybe after he’s ransacked hundreds of taxpaying businesses, stolen their cash and destroyed their equipment, and put hundreds of thousands of needy patients back out on the streets to pick up medicine from drug dealers in the park, maybe he can lose a few court cases that he can appeal to the Supreme Court that will once and for all end marijuana sales in California… well, at least the above-ground, taxed, regulated marijuana sales.
Cooley and Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich recently concluded that state law bars sales of medical marijuana, an opinion that could spark a renewed effort by law enforcement across the state to rein in the use of marijuana. It comes as polls show a majority of state voters back legalization of marijuana, and supporters are working to place the issue on the ballot next year.
Hey, I have an idea! If you really want to stop the 56% of California voters who want to just go ahead and legalize over-the-counter marijuana sales for everyone, wait til they’ve seen what it could look like for real on a limited, medical basis, get them used to the convenience, selection, and quality of dispensaries, and then take it all away from them in an operation that generates sympathetic visuals for wheelchair-bound Californians and compelling narratives of police-as-unwelcome, smash-and-grab thugs. I’m sure that rather than increase the support for putting an end to your stupid prohibition once and for all, at least 7% of the California voters will change their mind because they really liked the way things were before Prop 215.
In addition to prosecuting dispensaries, Cooley said he would consider going after doctors who write medical marijuana recommendations for healthy people. Medical marijuana critics argue that some doctors freely recommend the drug to people who are not ill.
Thank goodness for all of DA Cooley’s medical school training so that he will be able to overrule a doctor’s opinion by deciding who’s too healthy to use marijuana. President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, back in his Clinton administration days, tried this nonsense of squelching a doctor’s right of free speech and the Supreme Court stuffed it in Conant v. Walters. But I’m sure that DA Cooley has a much tighter legal theory to support putting a cop between you and your doctor.
Topics: California, dispensaries, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Times, Steve Cooley
Great Article! I feel the rage through sarcasm approach. This will be quite a blow to our community. As pointed out in this article, it will be short lived, and lead to greater freedoms.RECALL TRUTANBITCH, COOLEY, REYES, ZINE, and all others that vote for this insane measure.
Valid medicinal value, it’s a victimless crime, the War on Drugs WAY too costly, too many arrests for simple possession, tax it and use the money to pay for health insurance and to reduce the deficit…Need I say more?
Woodstock Universe supports legalization of Marijuana for a number of reasons. Check them out and vote in our poll “Should marijuana be legalized?” at http://woodstockuniverse.com
Current poll results: 96% for legalization and 4% opposed…add your vote. Poll runs through October.
Peace, love, music, one world,
RFWoodstock
[...] run by drug dealers hiding behind the state’s medical marijuana law.” According to Los Angeles DA Cooley, “about 100%” of dispensaries are not “in strict compliance with state laws.” In other words, does [...]
[...] least NORML continues to debunk the bullshit myths that the government and law enforcement continue to propagate even in the face of a [...]
Yeah, Cooley you’re gonna close ‘em all… Bring it, chump!
San Jose California
The more prohibitions there are, the more ritual avoidance,
The poorer the people will be…
The more laws are promulgated,
The more thieves and bandits there will be.
Therefore the safe has said:
So long as I “do nothing” the people will of themselves be transformed.
(Tao Te Ching, in Waley 1958, 211)
crap, that should be “sage” not “safe” in my post.
I sure am glad that Los Angeles County has no problem with unsolved murders, rapes, assault, battery, theft, fraud, arson etc.
Every single one of those crimes has an identifiable victim, someone who is harmed.
It would be silly persecute peaceful adult cannabis smokers when the purpose of law enforcement is to protect citizens from criminals, so they don’t get harmed against their consent.
How do they get there numbers? 56% Only? I am willing to bet its way higher than that. I didn’t vote…This is a stupid example but if you look at some of the Facebook polls that ask the questions, should we legalize marijuana they are all at 75% and higher that say ‘yes’. Yes some are young but there is a lot of voters also. Also just means the younger generation could be wising themselves up on the issue.
Lets put aside the fact that this guy is completely going against the voters choice, and state law, I want to know when the police got into the business of legislating.
Aren’t they supposed to be enforcing existing laws instead of creating their own?? Wtf?
Well if the clubs followed the rules and were non profits than they would not have this problem. If we legalized it then there would be no grey area. Follow the law and you got no problems but people just want to make money…
Has someone reviewed their financials and decided that they aren’t following the guidelines for non-profits? People can make money (ie:salaries, bonuses, even housing) and still qualify as non-profit. It’s the manner of the financial trails and bookkeeping for the most part.
A lavish office, housing owned by the non-profit, salaries paid, employees being assigned company owned vehicles. It can all happen and the company still be a fully accounted for non-profit.
I just read again about all the Rape Kits sitting in LA county that are just waiting for cops to investigate/prosses. Yet they want to spend their time going after something that the majority voted for and want? They should get every single one of those kits done before anyone worries about marijuana and even then their are crimes that need more attention than marijuana.
Cooley sucks monkey balls. The guy needs to be shit-canned. Anyone in their right mind is going to see this dickhead for what he is. Americans need to wake the hell up.
This could be a dimond in a pile of shit for all marajuana supporters! It could be the straw that breacks the back of CA voters and sends a clear overwhelming message to all, Stop arresting marijuana users period. So we shall see.
this actually might help the movement. people wont put up with this crap and there will be a huge uproar and it will be all over the news and then i bet any amount of money that we will get even more supporters.
The more the prohibitionists push, the further the movement gets. It sucks that some MMJ patients will suffer though. I wonder if there is even a judge that will sign a warrant for him to enter these establishments. And if there is, doesn’t that just show the corruption in our law enforcement system?
There will be a little bit of bad that comes from this but im sure in the end there will be a whole lotta good also. I hope.
oh and im in love with that smiley you put