LOS ANGELES — Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided at least two Westside marijuana dispensaries Tuesday, and a spokesperson defended their actions, despite President Barack Obama’s opposition to such raids.

One of the raids was at the Marina Caregivers at 730 W. Washington Blvd. about noon, said Sarah Pullen of the DEA.

Marina Caregivers was served with a search warrant, she said, declining to say if  anyone was arrested.

A Los Angeles police spokesperson said the department, which is normally notified of such operations, got no advance warning from DEA.

A medical marijuana activist told City News Service another dispensary called The Nile was raided at 1505 Pacific Ave. in Venice.

Asked about Obama’s comments that he did not want to waste Justice Department resources on raiding medical marijuana shops, Pullen said that “marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

“The law is still that it is illegal to possess, distribute or cultivate marijuana in any way,” she said.

via DEA Raids Westside Marijuana Dispensaries | NBC Los Angeles .

President Obama, a raid two days after you’re inaugurated could be attributable to Bush-era holdovers.  Three raids twelve days after you’re inaugurated is your tacit approval.  If I may quote the Canadian philosopher Gary Lee Weinrib, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”

It does not cost you money in this economic crisis to stop DEA raids; it saves money.

It does not cost you difficulty in solving the health care crisis to stop DEA raids; it helps people get health care.

It does not cost you popularity with the people to stop DEA raids; it fits with the views of 2 out of 3 Americans.

I can only assume that, as a brilliant politician, you calculate that it will cost you political capital to stop DEA raids.  For in the penultimate paragraph of what now seems to be your false promise in Medford, you said,

“I will tell you that – I want to be honest with you – whether I want to use a whole lot of political capital on that [laughs] when we’re trying to get health care passed or end the war in Iraq is, yeah, the likelihood of that being real high on my list is not likely.”

President Obama, I supported you.  I stood among 75,000 in Portland just to see you in person.  I gave money that I really can’t afford to support your campaign.  I proudly displayed bumper stickers and yard signs and an Obama hat on my head for you.  I drove from Portland, Oregon, to Denver, Colorado to attend your nominating convention.  I believed you in Medford, Oregon. I believed you in Nashua, Hew Hampshire. I keynoted for you at a Portland fundraiser.  I supported you openly on my talk radio show.  I voted for you.

But mostly, I voted for CHANGE.  As far as this issue goes, for patients and caregivers, growers and dispensaries, you might as well be George W. Bush.  And to paraphrase the departed “decider”, I think you misunderestimate how many of us there are, how much money we have and contribute to the economy, and how sick and tired we are of being ignored, following vote after vote, poll after poll, study after study that confirms that WE ARE RIGHT!  In addition to being right, we are the majority — actually, a super-majority — and you are not following our will!

You ignore us at your peril, sir.  The perfect storm of marijuana law reform is building.  Michael Phelps just shattered one of the few remaining “reefer madness” myths of amotivation.  Michigan and Massachusetts just proved The People are way ahead of the politicians on marijuana reform.  The economy is in tatters and states are desperate for new tax revenues and jobs and cutting costly programs like eradication and interdiction.  Out of control health care costs have people clamoring for cheap safe effective alternative medicine.  Pineapple Express grossed $87 million.  I’m telling you, Mr. President, if you get on the right side of this issue, not only will you win re-election, you’ll win bigger than 2008.

Stay on the wrong side of this issue and I’m dogging you like a rabid hungry pit bull / wolf hybrid on steroids and meth.  And I want my money back.

‘Pineapple Express’ the latest stoner hit – CNN.com
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — Stoners are riding high nowadays. Fans are buzzing about the reunion of Cheech and Chong after a long feud, and a couple of tokers are lighting up the box office with “Pineapple Express.”

The movie casts Seth Rogen as a pot smoker hunted by druglords and crooked cops after he witnesses a murder. He leaves a smoking gun — or rather, a smoking roach — at the scene, a strain of pot called Pineapple Express that’s so potent and rare, the bad guys can track it back to its source: Rogen’s dealer, played by James Franco.

So the duo ends up as an odd couple on the run. Rogen’s pot-hound is a fairly responsible guy with a day job as a process server, while Franco’s peddler is so lovably fuzzy-headed from the weed that it’s a wonder he can tell a nickel bag from a potted fern.

“Pineapple Express” inhaled a healthy $40.5 million at the box office since opening Wednesday, no doubt securing Rogen and Franco a perpetual place among partiers’ pantheon of Hollywood bong buddies.

According to the website the-movie-times.com, which tracks box-office receipts, Pineapple Express‘s $40 million has grossed more than Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, which grossed about $38 million.  Of course, the sales of DVDs and the international box office may push both of these movies closer to $100 million between them, especially considering Pineapple Express is still in wide release.