San Diego Collective Manager Jovan Jackson Found Not Guilty

[Jim Finnel]

What a wonderful victory for the patients and a stunning defeat for District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’ crusade to overturn Prop 215. This was another case where law enforcement used undercover officers to pose as sick or disabled persons, using a fake identity while lying to a doctor to receive a medical marijuana recommendation. Then, under those assumed identities, the undercover officers take the very real recommendation and their very real-looking state ID cards to these legal collectives, join them, and set up marijuana purchases as a sting.

Does it bother anyone else to imagine the planning, coordination, strategy, time, and money San Diego is expending on trying to bring down collectives of growers and patients? Could they work this hard to bring down some human trafficking ring or maybe a corrupt banker or two? Police and prosecutorial resources are finite; every minute and dollar used to fight medical marijuana, DA Dumanis, is time and money diverted from protecting us from actual crime.

SAN DIEGO (760 KFMB) – The manager of a San Diego medical marijuana collective was acquitted Tuesday of possessing marijuana and selling the drug for profit.

Jackson cried when he heard the not guilty verdicts being read.

Jackson’s case was the first to go to trial in the wake of law enforcement raids in September which resulted in 31 arrests and the shutting down of 14 medical marijuana storefronts in San Diego.Jurors who spoke to reporters after the verdicts said the laws on medical marijuana sales from collectives were vague, prompting them to find the defendant innocent.

“On a personal level, if you’re going to hold somebody to a law, you have to define that law,” said juror Perry Wright.

The number of medical marijuana dispensaries rose recently, in the wake of San Diego County’s failed attempt to overturn the state’s 1996 medical marijuana law and U.S. Attorney Eric Holder’s directive that federal agents will only target medical marijuana storefronts when operators violate both state and federal laws.

*some content has been edited to meet posting guidelines



News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: NORML
Copyright: 2008 NORML
Contact: Contact Us - NORML
Website: San Diego collective manager Jovan Jackson found not guilty

 

[McBudz]

This is awesome!

 

[GanjaAL2]

OUtstanding!

How about they spend the time and effort to catch child molestor's, rapists, gang members, cartel's, meth labs, child prostitution, ect.

NO instead... lets make fake ID which is a federal offense and hunt down sick people.

Yup... this is good example of t e r r o r i s t s running wild in our country hiding behind a badge.

 

[greengo840]

My pops used to call me a DA when ignorance and immaturity influenced some of my less then stellar life choices, although I have never blown a ton of other people’s money in order to achieve nothing.

Does one go back to being a judge after such a reckless display of incompetence?

 

[Weed420]

Great news. The jurors must have understood the concept of entrapement and having officers breaking the law to try and enforce it.

 

[farmboy420]

What a great day for Jackson. I bet the DA still doesn't get. How many more decisions like this do they need. Congrads!!!!

 

[Warbux]

Untill marijuana is declassified off Schedule 1 status, Expect more of these sh!#ty arrests...Nuff said.