(Mission Local) The federal government will continue raids on medical marijuana operations in California despite guidelines issued by the Justice Department two weeks ago indicating the contrary.
“I think it’s unfortunate that people have for some reason picked up on this as a change in policy, because it’s really not a change at all,” said Joseph Russoniello, federal prosecutor for the northern district of California, who was appointed in 2007 by then-President George W. Bush.
Asked if federal officials will halt investigation and prosecution of medical marijuana operations in the state, Russoniello said simply, “The short answer is no.”
Russoniello said many dispensaries in San Francisco and around California aren’t really not-for-profit, and he will prosecute any distributor fraudulently operating as a commercial enterprise in violation of state laws.
“By that I mean people who are in it as if they were running a neighborhood candy store instead of running a commune, a collective or a group club that caters only to specific identified persons,” he said.
Asked if federal agents are currently preparing to raid dispensaries suspected of illegal activities, Russoniello declined to comment.
“I cannot affirm or deny the existence of ongoing criminal investigations,” he said.
You know, I was just thinking that President Obama’s approval ratings are still way too high. What he needs to do is have his administration issue a memo that seems to remove the threat of federal raids from lawful dispensaries, and then when people are comfortable about visiting those dispensaries, send in a few DEA agents in body armor to point assault weapons at people in wheelchairs. Think of it as Obama’s “Read my lips; no new taxes” moment a la George Bush Sr. in 1988. A few stunning visuals of jack-booted thugs taking down the neighborhood dispensary in a state where 56% of the voters want not just medical marijuana but outright legalization ought to drop that approval rating a few points, huh?
We will be held back as long as the vast majority of Americans remain unversed in politics and as suckers to shiny liars like Obama, and Bush, and all the fools before them since 1913.
The country will change when enough people learn and take initiative towards the truth.
amen brethren
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[...] Northern California federal prosecutor says they will continue to raid dispensaries, despite DOJ mem… [...]
I knew this would happen. memo’s don’t mean a damn thing unless they are signed into law.
how much longer will we be held back by wussy politicians who are too afraid to speak up in fear of losing their over glorified jobs? how many more sick people will be thrown in jail for extended periods with no legal protection to aid them?
all because of the years of propaganda, all because legal drug companies and other industries would lose money, all because of closed minded fools who refuse to listen to the people who voted them in and instead follow the money handed in from prohibitionists.
I just dont get it anymore, the only people that are against any reform of our failed drug laws are police and legislators. They all say if the will of the people want reform then do it.
Well what the hell do they think we are trying to do, I watched that debate all the way through. The part one on the stash last night. The main point the cop kept making is that reformers want it legal, well DUH! So we are legalizers, and that is bad because? He makes a comment that all debates are heavly loaded with reformers, gee shoulnt that tell him somthing that he is fighting a losing battle and one the public doesnt want?
They say we have no FDA approval and yet the DEA wont let it happen. They say they grow it at MissU and its availible for research, but the DEA wont release any to be looked at. They say we wont bust medical marijuana and its users, then they come out ansd say no we will?
Im so done with the legislators and the cops, they both dont do whats best for us, they do whats best for them to keep jobs and money flowing to thier departments. Im done with Obama he should have ended this months ago, he should be calling up that CA Federal Prosicuters and fire his ass for going against his memo.
Im so done with this, we can not wait for that “one man” like Obama or whomever to step up and end this, we have to stop waiting for “the day to come” and start making it happen today for ourselves. We can not count on anyone in this fight, thats why we need every single smoker to stop the games and the hiding and get out of the cannabis closet and now! They have to step forward or we will be doing this for another 70 years, another 20mill will be arrested and many many will die seeking treatment in the streets. We have to force our fellow hidden smokers to stop hideing and start fighting with us!