LA Med Vendor Targeted - etc. etc.

[Bass Akwards]

According to this article, heads are going to roll in LA.

The situation has deteriorated, through happenstance, blind luck, benign neglect, or the power and fluidity of the marketplace.

State functionaries now feel obliged to send in their ham-handed shock-troops.

Here's the url:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/us/18enforce.html?_r=1&emc=eta1


The legal/political/social matrix will be sorely tested in LA and the rest of California.

No telling how it will shake-out, or how long it will take.

The most curious part of the article is on page 2, where the owner of the Harborside dispensary in Oakland toots his own horn.

Here's the quote:

"There is a laboratory where technicians determine the potency of the marijuana and label it accordingly. (Harborside says it rejects 80 percent of the marijuana that arrives at its door for insufficient quality.)"

What procedures and equipment do they use to "test" their product.

Thin Layer Chromatography? Gas Chromatography perhaps?

Highly doubtful.

Rejecting 80% of the weed for quality and not on price?

Also, highly doubtful.

Something smells, and it doesn't smell like a skunk.

 

[furley]

Why do you doubt any of this? More and more clubs everyday are sending samples to be GC/MS tested, and more and more shitty vendors walk into East Bay dispensaries everyday...

 

[johnnyla]

so they test each sample and reject 80%??

bullshit.

they probably reject herb not grown by their close "associates".

they also rake in 20 million a year. follow the money trail.

 

[SeniorBuzz]

LOS ANGELES — There are more marijuana stores here than public schools. Signs emblazoned with cannabis plants or green crosses sit next to dry cleaners, gas stations and restaurants. The dispensaries range from Hollywood-day-spa fabulous to shoddy-looking storefronts with hand-painted billboards. Absolute Herbal Pain Solutions, Grateful Meds, Farmacopeia Organica. Cannabis advocates claim that more than 800 dispensaries have sprouted here since 2002; some law enforcement officials say it is closer to 1,000. Whatever the real number, everyone agrees it is too high. And so this, too, is taken for granted: Crackdowns on cannabis clubs will soon come in this city, which has more dispensaries than any other.

L.A. is gangland central .. time to clean up the store.

 

[NorCalFor20]

Steve Cooley just lost his job.....

“About 100 percent of dispensaries in Los Angeles County and the city are operating illegally,” said Steve Cooley, the Los Angeles County district attorney, who is up for re-election next year. “The time is right to deal with this problem.”

I'm guessing he doesn't want to get re elected....

Lets all send a message to Steve telling him he is basically firing himself, maybe file a lawsuit against cooley, and dumbass i mean dumanus- by the way harborside is a joke, they only turn down 80% of pot there because not because of quality, but because they only pay people that are growers for them protected under their little cave of shit bats....

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

Here's the quote:

"There is a laboratory where technicians determine the potency of the marijuana and label it accordingly. (Harborside says it rejects 80 percent of the marijuana that arrives at its door for insufficient quality.)"

What procedures and equipment do they use to "test" their product.

Thin Layer Chromatography? Gas Chromatography perhaps?

Highly doubtful.

Rejecting 80% of the weed for quality and not on price?

Also, highly doubtful.

Something smells, and it doesn't smell like a skunk.

statements like that shows how ignorant you really are.
im so sorry you have to make yourself look like a fool.

even in longbeach do dispos do that, one i rountine has turned down crops of mine that had too low levels of CBN.

pathogenic mold sequencing isnt very expensive.

hahahaha so funny.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

so they test each sample and reject 80%??

bullshit.

they probably reject herb not grown by their close "associates".

they also rake in 20 million a year. follow the money trail.

this dispo does.

most people have mold all over there crops.

alot of the pics on this site prove that.


they also turn down crops grown by people who cut them down too fast, not enough CBD.
thats just what they deserve too.

 

[FreedomFGHTR]

LOS ANGELES — There are more marijuana stores here than public schools.

That is a misleading statement. Because of the huge number of students each school serves its comparing apples with guitars. I bet there are still way more bars than schools. Heck there are probably more gun stores too, lets not even talk about the Korean grocery.

Cannabis advocates claim that more than 800 dispensaries have sprouted here since 2002; some law enforcement officials say it is closer to 1,000. Whatever the real number, everyone agrees it is too high.

If everyone agrees there are too many then they would be going out of business for lack of revenue. Apparently the market has dictated that statement to be false.

Crackdowns on cannabis clubs will soon come in this city, which has more dispensaries than any other.

The only reason for the crackdowns are the pigs. Ofcourse LA has more dispensaries than anyother. It is per capita and square footage the largest city in the United States which is in a state with a medical marijuana law.

L.A. is gangland central .. time to clean up the store.

Lets also clean up city hall, the state capital, and all of Washington DC. The real gangsters wear suits or badges.

 

[SeniorBuzz]

Somehow there is something lost in the translation between operating a legal mmj dispensary, and legalized marijuana (which hasn't happened).

If the number of mmj licensed persons, published by the state, is anywhere close to accurate, it seems that the number of dispensaries in L.A. is far out of proportion. The demand isn't to accommodate licensed mmj persons.

L.A. is synonymous with gangs and drugs. and as long as it is that way; expect heavy pressure on the mmj dispensaries.

 

[Blue Dot]

Harborside is one of four licensed dispensaries in Oakland run as nonprofit organizations. It is the largest, with 74 employees and revenues of about $20 million.

There is even a bank vault where the day’s cash is stored along with reserves of premium cannabis. An armored truck picks up deposits every evening.

City officials routinely audit the dispensary’s books. Surplus cash is rolled back into the center to pay for free counseling sessions and yoga for patients.

That's a LOT of yoga.

 

[kmk420kali]

That's a LOT of yoga.

Can I get a link for your quote??
Keep in mind, if all 74 of those employees make an average of $25,000 a year...that is $1,850,000 a year in payroll alone-- My guess is the bills get higher from there-- Remember...not only are they paying their ppl, Rent/Mortgage, utilities (Which prolly involve a grow...no idea what size), Security, buying a vault...(I'm sure it wasn't cheap...but with those numbers it is needed), Advertising, Accounting!!, Website costs, oh...and let's not forget they have to pay for their Meds--
I am sure they are still making a grip...but damn man...would you do all that work for nothing??
(What work?? I can just hear you say...lol)
Coordinating all that...taking the initial risk with your $$...etc...etc....
Remember...you think you cannot do anything in SD...because you might get arrested...well Buddy...same goes for all these others who ARE doing it--

 

[Blue Dot]

The link is in OP's post. It's the nytimes story. Page 2.

 

[Owl Mirror]

Steve Cooley just lost his job.....
I'm guessing he doesn't want to get re elected....
Lets all send a message to Steve telling him he is basically firing himself....

“About 100 percent of dispensaries in Los Angeles County and the city are operating illegally,”

While I can not believe "100 percent" are operating illegally, from my vantage point, it appears greed and dishonesty is ruining the legal medical marijuana movement. By pushing the boundaries and making it possible for any & everyone to be approved for the program, regardless of the true need, has lead to a sense that the peoples trust when passing the compassionate law regarding marijuana use has been violated.

If the entire premise of Medicinal marijuana use is a fallacy and, was promoted simply to gain the advantage legally, it's no wonder the other half of society is pulling back and saying, enough is enough.

One more thing, freestyle, no borders medical marijuana makes a mockery of the real pain and suffering some of us endure each and every day. It will be the careless, flippant behavior of those using the medical marijuana program for simple recreational usage which will lead to the rescinding of the privilege for the many patients who truly rely on this herb.
In my case, it not only provides a measure of pain relief but, even more importantly, it allows me to remain off the opiate pain pills. That alone is of value and adds tremendously to my quality of life.
I grow my own, remain in the stated guidelines of our state program and use it judiciously.
The carelessness of violators is what draws attention, not my closet.
Their actions will bring about the end of our program and, I will lose out.

I advocate a network of volunteer supported workshops to allow people like myself, on a tight budget, learn how best to grow from the more learned.
Hands on demonstrations, in a group setting where people can ask questions and, receive assistance throughout their crops cycle.
There are people who simply can not grow due to their condition yet, someone could volunteer to assist them. Most others don't have the confidence and therefore rather purchase it in a finished state.
Inviting the public to a greenhouse once a month, might lead to patients becoming more
self-reliant and less reliant on these dispensaries which may be operating illegally.

Greed will be the ruination of the peoples compassion.

Blue Dot: "Capitalism ruins everything, including cannabis."

 

[Owl Mirror]

Cannabis advocates claim that more than 800 dispensaries have sprouted here since 2002; some law enforcement officials say it is closer to 1,000. Whatever the real number, everyone agrees it is too high.

If everyone agrees there are too many then they would be going out of business for lack of revenue. Apparently the market has dictated that statement to be false.

800-1000 dispensaries vs the number of registered patients ?

When you say "the market has dictated", are you including the currently illegal market of recreational users who make up the bulk of purchases ?
You see, it is that which has brought close scrutiny and "buyers remorse" by those who, with compassion voted to allow for medicinal use of marijuana.

I'm not saying the recreational users should stop enjoying marijuana, I am saying that the current medical marijuana system should not be abused by that element. Otherwise the patients will lose out the most when the medical marijuana laws are revoked. Many patients are law abiding citizens who consume marijuana because it is now legally available to them. If the laws are revoked, they (I) would follow the law while the recreational user can continue unabated. Why ruin a law meant for patients?

 

[kmk420kali]

The link is in OP's post. It's the nytimes story. Page 2.

Thank you...but I am a li'l disappointed that is the only comment you had about what I said/asked--

 

[nephilthim]

Somehow there is something lost in the translation between operating a legal mmj dispensary, and legalized marijuana (which hasn't happened).

If the number of mmj licensed persons, published by the state, is anywhere close to accurate, it seems that the number of dispensaries in L.A. is far out of proportion. The demand isn't to accommodate licensed mmj persons.

L.A. is synonymous with gangs and drugs. and as long as it is that way; expect heavy pressure on the mmj dispensaries.

thats just a load of crap,your basing your arguments on what that you hate l.a. and think everyone is a gangmember?jesus crawl back under the rock you crawled from in the hills.

 

[Blue Dot]

^I don't think it's too much of a stretch to believe that some (maybe a lot) of the dispensaries in LA have gang ties.

I mean gangs and pot go together so it just seems like a natural outgrowth in LA.

I'm just suprised that you (or anyone) would be suprised by this?

 

[HydroManiac]

La is out of control I have seen peeps waiting in cars while somebody goes in buys some stuff for them and brings it out to them. It's a known fact that anybody can get a card in California if they have the money

 

[anikas88]

of course their is crime and corruption where there is money, but i think the real criminals continue to be the leo and politicans who continue to keep pot illegal so they can continue to make billions of dollars

 

[SeniorBuzz]

thats just a load of crap,your basing your arguments on what that you hate l.a. and think everyone is a gangmember?jesus crawl back under the rock you crawled from in the hills.

I beg your pardon; let's argue the issue rather than launching personal attacks on anyone that doesn't agree with you.

Fact: L.A. has far more mmj dispensaries than are supported by the number of licensed mmj patients.

I have no hate, or side, on this issue

Nearly 300 Los Angeles area gang members and associates arrested in nationwide crackdown
October 15, 2009 | 11:53 am
Nearly 300 gang members and associates across the Los Angeles area were arrested as part of a larger nationwide crackdown that targeted gangs involved in cross-border smuggling of people and weapons, drug trafficking, identity theft and other crimes, federal officials said today.

The arrests were among 1,785 made around the country as part of Operation Community Shield, a sixth-month investigation of transnational gangs that ended Sept 30, said Virginia Kice, spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Among those arrested were Elmer Fredy Hernandez-Ayala, 29, an El Salvadoran national and member of the 18th Street gang, for reentry after deportation, and nine members and associates of Barrio Evil 13, a Bell Gardens street gang, for drug trafficking and weapons charges, Kice said.
“The goal of Community Shield isn’t to just take individual gang members off the streets, but to disrupt the cycle of crime and dismantle the entire gang,” Kice said.

Of the 293 arrests made in the Los Angeles area, 185 were on criminal charges, Kice said. The remaining arrests were for immigration violations, and federal authorities are working to deport the foreign nationals from the country, Kice said.

Many of those arrested were previously in custody, she said.

Kice said that many transnational street gangs have significant numbers of foreign-born members, and that federal officials, along with state and local law enforcement, have worked on identifying gang members who were previously deported and prosecuting them for felony immigration violation.

“This is a very, very effective way to take gang members previously off the street,” she said. Using both criminal arrest authority and prosecuting them for immigration violations is a “one-two punch,” she said.

The majority of arrests occurred in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire, Kice said. In Los Angeles County, 147 were arrested, compared to 135 in the Inland Empire, nine in Orange County and two in Ventura County.

San Diego Border Patrol Sector Apprehensions---Length 66 miles long
----------OCT---NOV---DEC---JAN---FEB---MAR---APR---MAY---JUN---JUL---AUG---SEP
FY2009-10035--7954--6552-10245-11678-16472-12619-11001-10279--8854--6471
FY2008--9801--9163--7773-12877-15092-18870-20569-16019-12396-13129-13735-12976
FY2007--9494--7764--6591-12489-12997-18044-17999-16136-13283-12941-13312-11410
FY2006-10145--7730--6531-13959-17160-18361-14736-13888-10597--8683-10009-10305

El Centro Border Patrol Sector Apprehensions---Length 71 miles long
----------OCT---NOV---DEC---JAN---FEB---MAR---APR---MAY---JUN---JUL---AUG---SEP
FY2009--2619--2176--1691--2969--2904--4140--3314--2955--2812--2452--2771
FY2008--3230--2412--2000--3839--4095--4604--5090--3860--3161--2726--2995--2949
FY2007--4379--3667--3037--4983--5187--7198--6983--5747--3842--3835--3789--3236
FY2006--5072--3831--2998--5797--6399--9048--6847--6187--4112--3240--3705--4229