Medical Marijuana Clinic or called dispensary has been the subject of constant raids by the DEA. Though the medicinal value of marijuana has been proven through scientific methods, DEA is still viewing the dispensaries (Medical Marijuana Clinic) as a front for dispensing the controlled substance to people who may not be in need of any relief but just wants to get “high”. DEA is also looking keenly on the lifestyle of the dispensary (Medical Marijuana Clinic) owners. In some cases the dispensary (Medical Marijuana Clinic) owners were arrested and prosecuted as drug traffickers.
“Federal drug laws prohibit the cultivation and sale of marijuana. Anyone who breaks these laws to run a lucrative drug trade, buy fancy cars, boost their bank accounts, and exploit vulnerable citizens is not compassionate, they’re criminal,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Javier F. Peña when interviewed by CBS 5. “Make no mistake – these defendants were in the business of dealing drugs, and DEA is in the business of arresting drug dealers.”
DEA has even employed the strategy of threatening land owners of prosecution and asset forfeiture. Even the U.S. Attorney has joined the DEA is this kind of tactic curbing the number of openings of new and shutting down existing medical marijuana clinic operators since the US Attorney General has the authority to press charges or file for forfeiture. Landlords and property owners was in an untenable position as most would not even dare challenge the combined actions of US Attorney’s office and the DEA in fear of being prosecuted and losing their property. This has resulted in partial success as several medical marijuana clinic operators have now held back in opening new clinics or even going back into opening again.
As Federal raids on medical marijuana distributors continued at least into the second week of Barack Obama’s presidency, when federal agents shut down at least two dispensaries in California on Feb. 3.
Dispensary (Medical Marijuana Clinic) owners however has found a relief from the constant raids conducted by DEA with Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. ASA’s unique technique in employing strategies that have never been tried in the field of medical cannabis enjoys unprecedented access to elected officials and a special credibility with stakeholders due to its exclusive focus on medical cannabis. ASA is working to change federal policy to meet the immediate needs of patients as well as create long-term strategies for safe access and programs that encourage research.
The success of the concerted effort of ASA has finally paid off with the swearing in of the new President of the U.S., Barack Obama. The U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s confirmation of President Obama’s campaign promise to end the Drug Enforcement Administrations’ raids on state-approved marijuana dispensaries has been accepted as a victory of the dispensary (Medical Marijuana Clinic) owners.
Holder was asked about those raids in Santa Ana, Calif., at a news conference that was called to announce the arrests of 755 people in a nationwide crackdown on the U.S. operations of Mexican drug cartels. He said such operations would no longer be conducted.
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