Obama Administration Conducts Aggressive SWAT-style Medical Marijuana Raids in Spokane, Washington

For Immediate Release: April 29th, 2011

Obama DOJ Conducts Aggressive Medical Marijuana Raids in Spokane as Bill Hits WA Governor's Desk

Patient advocates urge Gov. Gregoire to stand up for safe access; protests planned for Monday in Seattle & Spokane

Olympia, WA -- The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted aggressive SWAT-style raids yesterday on at least three distribution facilities in Spokane, Washington, that provided medical marijuana to qualified patients. Earlier this month, numerous facilities shut down after U.S. District Attorney Michael Ormsby threatened numerous landlords in Spokane with seizure of their property if they keep letting their tenants provide medical marijuana to state-compliant patients. These actions come as the state is trying to pass Senate Bill 5073, which modifies its current medical marijuana law to set up a licensed distribution system.

"The governor should not buckle to federal pressure," said Steph Sherer, Executive Director of the medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA), which is currently holding raid preparedness trainings across Washington, and will host a stakeholders meeting in Seattle Saturday to discuss next steps for safe access in the state. "Hundreds if not thousands of patients in Washington are now terrified and don't know where to get their medication," Sherer continued. "It's incumbent upon Governor Gregoire to stand up for the patients in her state and provide them with a means to safely obtain medical marijuana."

Ormsby also sent a letter to the governor on April 14th threatening state officials with prosecution if a distribution licensing system, such as that proposed by SB 5073, is adopted. In response, Governor Gregoire has said she will veto parts of the bill that "subject state workers to risk of criminal liability." Gregoire has announced she will take formal action on the bill today at 2:30pm in the Governor's Conference Room. Although the patient community has several concerns with the amended legislation, it is eager to implement a distribution licensing system.

Advocates call federal Justice Department attempts to coerce state elected officials, such as yesterday's raids and the Ormsby letter, blatant intimidation in an effort to undermine the full implementation of state law. Obama's Justice Department has now made threats to state and local public officials in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana and Washington. "It's time for local and state officials to defend the rights and dignity of patients and to stand up to federal bullying."

As part of a coordinated national day of action in support of two medical marijuana patients surrendering to federal authorities on Monday, Noon protests will occur at federal buildings that day in Seattle and Spokane. The Obama administration fought to impose 5-year mandatory minimum prison sentences for Dr. Mollie Fry and her husband Dale Schafer, which they will begin serving Monday. Fry is a breast cancer survivor, though both are qualified medical marijuana patients and both are in need of medical attention.

ASA gave President Obama a failing grade in a report card the group issued last week as part of its "Sick and Tired" campaign, calling on the federal government to address medical marijuana as a public health issue. Despite a Justice Department memo issued in October 2009, indicating a shift in the government's enforcement policy, the Obama administration has since then conducted nearly 100 raids in six medical marijuana states. "President Obama has given us broken promises and half-measures and patients deserve better," said ASA spokesperson Kris Hermes.

Further information:
Obama Report Card: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/downloads/Obama_Report_Card.pdf
Several threat letters from DOJ: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/downloads/DOJ_Threat_Letters.pdf
ASA Sick and Tired Campaign: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/article.php?id=6369

Sad day in America.

two sets of laws. Smoke/grow pot go to jail. Steal millions get called a great businessman.

Pres. Obama is making a terrible mistake here..........that whole 'war on' crap? doesn't work, it DOES put bodies in jail-beds though, private jails sucking up tax revenue

know that the greatest heist in America happened in front of them.... And hopefully remove them before they take down the last standing middle class family...

Bet it isn't cheap.

:mad: :grr: :banghead: :argh:

K & R. So much for laying off the MM dispensaries.

about going after medical marijuana. This is really disgusting.

:mad:

Change that is difficult to discern and not always desirable.

No More Federal Funds to Clean Up Meth Labs
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x999628

Every day it is more difficult to believe that the government is for the people.

Technically, if one always looks forward and not backward, nothing will ever get punished, and nothing will ever be learned. Good plan!

:shrug:

"I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users. It's not a good use of our resources."

http://granitestaters.com/candidates/barack_obama.html

I hate to call the president a liar, but what else are we supposed to think?

Facts are facts. The guy lied.
Fucking rah rah for him.
Same as it ever was.

Its typical DLC neolib fuckery! Obama,Holder,Leonhart the axis of evil!I have a medical condition that is chronic and can be fatal if not treated. Obama and his DLC buddies would like to see people die because of their ignorant fucking ideals. The poor, the disenfranchised and the sick are truly fucked under this DLC president.

what will it take to get WEED LEGALIZED already god damnit you'ld think we were living in the 16th century and puritans were running everything. Obama said the DEA would not interfere with state laws. He needs to address this - people who need marijuana - actual sick people are being hurt by this! I'm about ready to become a 1 issue voter over this insanity. whoever will legalize it - or at the least do medical - gets my vote.

http://www.projo.com/news/content/Pot_04-30-11_C0NR00V_v56.1af76fe.html

"U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha Friday threatened to prosecute civilly and/or criminally those involved in Rhode Island’s three planned medical marijuana dispensaries — from the organizations that would run them to the landlords who rent them floor space.

The threat was contained in a letter hand-delivered to Governor Chafee’s office in the morning and also sent Friday to the would-be proprietors of the dispensaries."

It still makes absolutely no logical sense to me to be doing this. The buck stops with President Obama here, he has the authority to redirect the DOJ and it's resources.

Where is the rational explanation or even irrational explanation for this? What is Obama up to? The "war on drugs" should have long since been abandoned in favor of education as opposed to legal penalties.

This is one time where I can't find any logical excuse or reasoning for what's going on. He either lied about his intent, or quickly changed his mind after becoming President.

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