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Federal drug agents, local police, city attorney's investigators and code enforcement officers fanned out across the city Wednesday, raiding a chain of medical marijuana dispensaries and a private residence, police said.
The Drug Enforcement Administration served warrants at Kush Concepts East at 1996 Del Rosa Ave., south of Highland Avenue, Kush Concepts West at 1600 N. Arrowhead Ave., at 16th Street, and Kush Concepts North at 305 W. 40th St. Authorities also served a search warrant at a private residence at 3577 Manzanita Drive, according to the search warrant affidavit.
"The search warrants were all served simultaneously without incident," said a DEA spokeswoman, Special Agent Sarah E. Pullen. "Once the evidence is processed the U.S. Attorney's Office will make the final decision if any criminal charges will be filed against Kush Concepts."
Assistant City Attorney Jolena Grider said these businesses are attracting criminal elements that loiter and panhandle, making people uncomfortable.
"The crime rate has risen within a one-mile radius of these businesses," she said. "I think everyone is waiting on the (state) Supreme Court ruling that would decide how much further we can go in these cases."
Even though California voters voted to legalize the sale of medical marijuana, medical marijuana businesses were banned in the city in April 2011, according to a letter issued by City Attorney James F. Penman.
In the letter, Penman says 52 medical marijuana businesses opened up in the city, thus violating the ordinance. Twenty-six of them have closed because of city action, and the rest have been put on notice, he said.
No arrests were made during the raids, authorities said.
At Kush Concepts East - a former McDonalds restaurant - police marched a half-dozen people from the dispensary in single file and escorted them off the premises at 10:45 a.m.
Others scampered north on Del Rosa. One, when asked about his encounter, shouted an expletive and ran off down the street.
One man who wanted to stay unidentified was in the dispensary when authorities stormed in. When asked what his ailment was he said he told a doctor he couldn't sleep.
"It's more of a hobby, not a necessity," he said.
At Kush Concepts West, two police officers stood guard outside the dispensary, located on the second floor of a two-story office building, while DEA agents and police officers served a search warrant inside.
The raids come one day after the California Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case questioning the use of city zoning ordinances to ban medical marijuana dispensaries.
The court heard arguments from attorneys representing the city of Riverside and a Riverside-based medical marijuana dispensary, the Inland Empire Patients Health and Wellness Center.
The state high court is expected to issue a ruling within 90 days that will be binding on other cases challenging cities' use of zoning to ban dispensaries.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: sbsun.com
Author: Joe Nelson
Contact: Contact Us - San Bernardino County Sun
Website: DEA, police raid three medical marijuana dispensaries plus home in San Bernardino - San Bernardino County Sun
The Drug Enforcement Administration served warrants at Kush Concepts East at 1996 Del Rosa Ave., south of Highland Avenue, Kush Concepts West at 1600 N. Arrowhead Ave., at 16th Street, and Kush Concepts North at 305 W. 40th St. Authorities also served a search warrant at a private residence at 3577 Manzanita Drive, according to the search warrant affidavit.
"The search warrants were all served simultaneously without incident," said a DEA spokeswoman, Special Agent Sarah E. Pullen. "Once the evidence is processed the U.S. Attorney's Office will make the final decision if any criminal charges will be filed against Kush Concepts."
Assistant City Attorney Jolena Grider said these businesses are attracting criminal elements that loiter and panhandle, making people uncomfortable.
"The crime rate has risen within a one-mile radius of these businesses," she said. "I think everyone is waiting on the (state) Supreme Court ruling that would decide how much further we can go in these cases."
Even though California voters voted to legalize the sale of medical marijuana, medical marijuana businesses were banned in the city in April 2011, according to a letter issued by City Attorney James F. Penman.
In the letter, Penman says 52 medical marijuana businesses opened up in the city, thus violating the ordinance. Twenty-six of them have closed because of city action, and the rest have been put on notice, he said.
No arrests were made during the raids, authorities said.
At Kush Concepts East - a former McDonalds restaurant - police marched a half-dozen people from the dispensary in single file and escorted them off the premises at 10:45 a.m.
Others scampered north on Del Rosa. One, when asked about his encounter, shouted an expletive and ran off down the street.
One man who wanted to stay unidentified was in the dispensary when authorities stormed in. When asked what his ailment was he said he told a doctor he couldn't sleep.
"It's more of a hobby, not a necessity," he said.
At Kush Concepts West, two police officers stood guard outside the dispensary, located on the second floor of a two-story office building, while DEA agents and police officers served a search warrant inside.
The raids come one day after the California Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case questioning the use of city zoning ordinances to ban medical marijuana dispensaries.
The court heard arguments from attorneys representing the city of Riverside and a Riverside-based medical marijuana dispensary, the Inland Empire Patients Health and Wellness Center.
The state high court is expected to issue a ruling within 90 days that will be binding on other cases challenging cities' use of zoning to ban dispensaries.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: sbsun.com
Author: Joe Nelson
Contact: Contact Us - San Bernardino County Sun
Website: DEA, police raid three medical marijuana dispensaries plus home in San Bernardino - San Bernardino County Sun
