DEA Says Marijuana Raids Could Continue in Long Beach

[Smokin Moose]

LONG BEACH - Tuesday's raid at a local medical marijuana clinic was the first of its kind for Long Beach, but it may not be the last, according to federal authorities.

Federal agents served the search warrant at Long Beach Compassionate Cooperative, 342 E. Fourth St., at about 11 a.m. Tuesday, seizing 33 kilos of dried marijuana and about $10,000 cash, said Special Agent Jose Martinez, a spokesman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Los Angeles Field Division.

Agents also arrested a man listed as the dispensary's operator, Martinez said.

He was identified Friday as Samuel Matthew Fata.

Fata was booked on a charge of possession of narcotics for distribution and released the same day, Martinez said.

Control of the dispensary was turned back to the operator once the search warrant was executed, the agent said.

Since the search warrant, however, the dispensary's doors have remained locked and a sign reading "closed indefinitely," hangs in the front of the business.

Tuesday's raid was the first of its kind in Long Beach since the 1996 passage of state Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act that legalized marijuana for patients with debilitating and terminal medical conditions.

Although state laws authorize the distribution of medical marijuana in certain circumstances, federal law still prohibits distribution of the drug for any purpose, Martinez explained.

Letters were sent to the property owners who lease space to all the dispensaries in the city a few months ago. In the letters, property owners were told illegal business was being conducted in the locations and must cease immediately, Martinez said.

Rumors were sparked by the warrant earlier in the week with several supporters of the medical marijuana initiative questioning the timing of the warrant and the selection of just one location.

"It's a very tedious process," Martinez said, adding that the agency has only a few agents to cover the entire Los Angeles County region.

Martinez said the warrant at the L.B.C.C. dispensary was the first for the area, but it will not be the last if any other dispensaries remain.

"We'll follow up on every location served ( with notice )," Martinez promised.

Although the city does not allow business licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries, police officials recently identified 11 dispensaries they said are operating throughout Long Beach.

Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram (CA)
Copyright: 2007 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contact: letters@presstelegram.com
Website: Press-Telegram - HOME

 

[odiemea]

Time To Fight Back Even Harder As The True Patriot's We Are Inside Each Of Us

 

[sano420]

High Moose,
This is quite a sad affair, through the years I have seen one after another fall.
It's a horrible cost we have been forced to pay to keep those greedy special interest groups from ruling the trade, but we're speaking of a multi billion dollar business and the government after all, is practicing the age old skill of profiteering,(better known as piracy)after the initial surprise of the beginning of their commandeering the trade they'll cause to be created a bill that shall make seizure of private assets their right, come to think of it they've done that already.

We must demand our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and commit civil disobedience until all terminally ill patients or those endureing continual pain are granted the right to have a quality of life they, as human beings, deserve.
Until the silver blue smoke of ganja is free to bless the world, a spliff smoker in the parade salutes all who see the light, soni420

 

[Smokin Moose]

We have to be strong in our resolve to keep up the good fight, until we overgrow the World.

 

[alapoet]

Sad to see this starting to happen now in my former home city of Long Beach...

We have GOT to get the laws changed at the federal level, to stop this senseless targeting of patients and medicine by DEA goons. Do they really have nothing better to do? All the drugs in Long Beach, and they go after medical MARIJUANA?

 

[Boss]

But get this; The State, county, and local police (State taxpayer funded) are helping and condoning these raids.

So hold up a minute. The taxpayers, that voted overwhelmingly for Medical Marijuana, over 10 years ago mind you, are paying to have their own laws broken. Something is fundamentally wrong here.

 

[TTerng52]

I can not believe how much hatred is induced because of a small plant that was created by God's loving hands.

God wanted us to treat our boldies as a temple. So when you smoke the plant you take the risk of cancer and that does not help the cause. It must be ingested just as any plant food in our diet. Then, you will receive the beneficial therapies that God intended. Don't allow any negative statistics to be created.

God's word clearly states that all seed bearing plants were created for man's purpose and benefit.

The only reason that this plant was outlawed was hatred for the blacks in New Orleans and the Mexicans on the border looking for work. For a plant created out of love for his greatest creation, man, we sure have made it ugly.

I retired from a very difficlult job. I was there in NY to witness 9-11, I worked at ground zero for a few weeks. My reward is very severe anxiety that creates extreeme pain in my chest and arms. They have put me on all of their best medicines ranging from klonopin, valium and the main antidrepressants that are to help anxiety. I still suffer from too many episodes. I am close to giving up.

I sent for some seeds and trying it on my own to see if the hype is good. I have picked a couple flowers and ingested them and I have never been so relaxed and happy in the last 6 years. So if they take this from me i'll die. I have given so much for this country over twenty years of dedicated service. I live alone and I am now like a feral cat who wants affection but cannot trust anyone to allow them to get close to me. Iwish it was like self pity or depression then it could be fixed. But, I have experienced too much violence in my life and that is not as easy to fix.

What will it take to get people to open their minds and become aware of the truth. To win everyone has to be smart.

 

[alapoet]

Actually, there's no evidence that smoking marijuana causes cancer; pot smoking is not linked to cancer, even for the heaviest smokers:

Pot Smoking Not Linked to Lung Cancer

and in fact, I've seen studies that indicate marijuana LESSENS the occurrence of some cancers; THC actually kills brain tumor cells:

High times: Cal Pacific tests marijuana's cancer-killing potential - San Francisco Business Times:

It also fights lung cancer tumors:

Medical Benefits of Marijuana: Cancer - Vox

and breast cancer tumors:

Cannabis compound stops spread of breast cancer: researchers

 

[sano420]

TTerng52,
It's sad to realize and acknowledge the fact you, or any of US are meant to endure pain because there are greedy politicians that can manufacture laws to make a heaven sent plant to garner a pirates booty from honest and good citizens.

Special interest groups hold fast to a lie created in the 30s sso that they may gain certain powers that give the police a way to inhumanely ravage and rape citizens in an unjust search and seizure procedure that steals a citizens property and auction it then they divide the take.
Only in America could such a procedure work.
Don,t give up, adversity makes you stronger.
soni420, peace, out.