Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Wednesday's raids on medical pot dispensaries across San Diego County could have been avoided if law enforcement had been willing to give the shops some guidance on following the law, advocates for medical marijuana said Friday.
"The truth is that carrying out these raids doesn't help medical marijuana patients. It only spreads fear and intimidation and there's no need for it," said Kris Hermes, spokesman for Americans of Safe Access, an Oakland-based medical marijuana advocacy group.
"Rather than take a proactive stance, they've taken a reactive one," added Patrick Dudley, a San Diego defense attorney who specializes in representing medical marijuana patients and proprietors.
Authorities shut down 14 dispensaries during the raids and arrested more than 30 people from Vista to San Marcos to San Diego.
They said their 5-month probe was spurred by neighbors' complaints about noise and vandalism generated by the clubs.
San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said Thursday that the dispensaries acted as for-profit businesses and sold to customers who were not members of their cooperatives, both of which are violations of state law.
Asked Friday what measures law enforcement took to bring the dispensaries into compliance with the law prior to the raids, district attorney spokesman Paul Levikow said he didn't think any meetings between the two sides took place.
"I don't think that (law enforcement) sat down and said: 'This is how you sell dope.' I don't think that conversation was had," Levikow said.
"It's the storefront owner's responsibility to be in compliance with the law," he added.
A few future conversations between the two sides might go a long way, said Alex Kreit, assistant professor at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.
He said the San Diego City Council's recent decision to create a task force to study and create pot dispensary rules is an opportunity for law enforcement to take a different approach.
"I think if the DA's office were to work with that task force to create some regulations, that would be a far more effective and humane way of dealing with this," Kreit said.
Eight of Wednesday's arrests were made at clubs in Vista and San Marcos, officials said.
They said decisions on whether to charge the arrestees were still being made.
One person arrested Wednesday was scheduled to be arraigned on charges of possession of marijuana and possession for sale of marijuana, Levikow said.
He added that the remaining suspects had posted bail, extending the time the district attorney's office has to charge them with a crime.
He estimated that most of the arrestees would be charged in about a week.
Federal charges have been filed against James Dean Stacy, operator and founder of the Vista dispensary Movement in Action.
Stacy pleaded not guilty Thursday to three counts of illegal marijuana sales, said Erick Guzman, his federal public defender.
He faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
Stacy was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego, in lieu of $40,000 bail. Jail records showed that he had not posted bail by Friday afternoon.
The San Diego County district attorney's office on Friday released the names of 33 people arrested during Wednesday's raids, but did not provide their ages, residences or the charges against them.
They are: Veronica Barbosa, Chun Simmons Barry, James Arlando Bess, Kevin Curtis Cawley, Ronnie Chang, Paul Derrick Cody, Ryan Joseph Coff, Jon Asher Corbisez, Wilber Jay Dawson, Mark Leonard Garcia, Joseph James Grady, Sean Patrick Grady, John Hill, Gregory Immerso, Jordan Blake Jarvis, Christopher David Jensen, Michael Joseph Macias, Raul Adrian Maestre, Sebastian Maselli, Robert John Merten, Virgil Leon Murphy, James Gabriel Novella, Michael Joseph Partridge, Aaron James Ralstin, Ashley Nicole Ridge, Daniel Simental, Tony Lamar Travis, Frank Paul Vawter Sr., Frank Paul Vawter II, Patricia Lee Walker, Jacob Abram Waller, Derek Williams and Myron Lawrence Wynn.
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: nctimes.com
Author: Chris Nichols
Copyright: 2009 North County Times - Californian
Contact: Contact Us - North County Times/The Californian
Website: REGION: Medical pot advocates call raids heavy-handed
"The truth is that carrying out these raids doesn't help medical marijuana patients. It only spreads fear and intimidation and there's no need for it," said Kris Hermes, spokesman for Americans of Safe Access, an Oakland-based medical marijuana advocacy group.
"Rather than take a proactive stance, they've taken a reactive one," added Patrick Dudley, a San Diego defense attorney who specializes in representing medical marijuana patients and proprietors.
Authorities shut down 14 dispensaries during the raids and arrested more than 30 people from Vista to San Marcos to San Diego.
They said their 5-month probe was spurred by neighbors' complaints about noise and vandalism generated by the clubs.
San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said Thursday that the dispensaries acted as for-profit businesses and sold to customers who were not members of their cooperatives, both of which are violations of state law.
Asked Friday what measures law enforcement took to bring the dispensaries into compliance with the law prior to the raids, district attorney spokesman Paul Levikow said he didn't think any meetings between the two sides took place.
"I don't think that (law enforcement) sat down and said: 'This is how you sell dope.' I don't think that conversation was had," Levikow said.
"It's the storefront owner's responsibility to be in compliance with the law," he added.
A few future conversations between the two sides might go a long way, said Alex Kreit, assistant professor at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.
He said the San Diego City Council's recent decision to create a task force to study and create pot dispensary rules is an opportunity for law enforcement to take a different approach.
"I think if the DA's office were to work with that task force to create some regulations, that would be a far more effective and humane way of dealing with this," Kreit said.
Eight of Wednesday's arrests were made at clubs in Vista and San Marcos, officials said.
They said decisions on whether to charge the arrestees were still being made.
One person arrested Wednesday was scheduled to be arraigned on charges of possession of marijuana and possession for sale of marijuana, Levikow said.
He added that the remaining suspects had posted bail, extending the time the district attorney's office has to charge them with a crime.
He estimated that most of the arrestees would be charged in about a week.
Federal charges have been filed against James Dean Stacy, operator and founder of the Vista dispensary Movement in Action.
Stacy pleaded not guilty Thursday to three counts of illegal marijuana sales, said Erick Guzman, his federal public defender.
He faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
Stacy was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego, in lieu of $40,000 bail. Jail records showed that he had not posted bail by Friday afternoon.
The San Diego County district attorney's office on Friday released the names of 33 people arrested during Wednesday's raids, but did not provide their ages, residences or the charges against them.
They are: Veronica Barbosa, Chun Simmons Barry, James Arlando Bess, Kevin Curtis Cawley, Ronnie Chang, Paul Derrick Cody, Ryan Joseph Coff, Jon Asher Corbisez, Wilber Jay Dawson, Mark Leonard Garcia, Joseph James Grady, Sean Patrick Grady, John Hill, Gregory Immerso, Jordan Blake Jarvis, Christopher David Jensen, Michael Joseph Macias, Raul Adrian Maestre, Sebastian Maselli, Robert John Merten, Virgil Leon Murphy, James Gabriel Novella, Michael Joseph Partridge, Aaron James Ralstin, Ashley Nicole Ridge, Daniel Simental, Tony Lamar Travis, Frank Paul Vawter Sr., Frank Paul Vawter II, Patricia Lee Walker, Jacob Abram Waller, Derek Williams and Myron Lawrence Wynn.
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: nctimes.com
Author: Chris Nichols
Copyright: 2009 North County Times - Californian
Contact: Contact Us - North County Times/The Californian
Website: REGION: Medical pot advocates call raids heavy-handed
