"Out of Control" DEA Busts Mendo's First Registered Collective Grow

[nomaad]

DEA Flouts Mendocino Medical Marijuana Ordinance by Raiding First Grow Permit Applicant

Posted July 10th, 2010 by canorml_admin

COVELO, Cal, Jul 7th 2010: The DEA flouted Mendocino County's newly enacted medical marijuana cultivation ordinance by raiding the first collective that had applied to the sheriff's cultivation permit program.

A multi-agency federal task force descended on the property of Joy Greenfield, 68, the first Mendo patient to pay the $1050 application fee under the ordinance, which allows collectives to grow up to 99 plants provided they comply with certain regulations. Ms Greenfield had applied in the name of her collective, "Light the Way," which opened in San Diego earlier this year. Her property had passed a preliminary inspection by Mendo sheriff's deputies shortly before the raid, and she had bought the sheriff's "zip-ties" intended to designate her plants as legal. In the days before the raid, Ms Greenfield had seen a helicopter hovering over her property; she inquired with the sheriff, who told her the copter belonged to DEA and wasn't under his control.

The agents invaded her property with guns drawn, tore out the collective's 99 plants and took Ms Greenfield's computer and cash. Ms Greenfield was not at home during the raid, but spoke on the phone to the DEA agent in charge. When she told him that she was a legal grower under the sheriff's program, the agent replied "I don't care what the sheriff says."

When she returned to her house she found it in disarray with soda cans strewn on the floor. "It was just a mess," she said, "No one should be able to tear your house apart like that."

Ms. Greenfield called the raid a "slap in the face of Mendocino's government."

The DEA has been tight-lipped about the raid, but claims it was part of a larger investigation involving other suspects.

"Here Mendo is trying to step out in front by passing this ordinance, and what do the feds do but raid the first applicant," commented Ms Greenfield's attorney, Bob Boyd of Ukiah. " The DEA is stepping all over local authorities trying to tax and regulate."

Neither Boyd nor other locals believe that the sheriff tipped off the DEA or gave them any information about permit applicants. Sheriff Allman has been highly supportive of efforts to bring local growers into the permit program. Nonetheless, observers fear that the raid will have a chilling effect.

"This raid is clear evidence that the DEA is out of control," said California NORML director Dale Gieringer. "A change in federal law is long overdue. In the meantime, the DEA needs a new director who will enforce Attorney General Holder's pledge not to interfere in state medical marijuana laws." The agency is currently directed by Michele Leonhart, a Bush holdover who has presided over numerous medical marijuana raids and has obstructed research efforts to develop marijuana for medicine. Obama has renominated her to head the agency - a move strongly opposed by drug reformers, who are calling on the administration to honor its pledge of change.

from: http://www.canorml.org/news/deamendo.html

 

[Grendelkhan]

Fear. They are spreading fear. They want for this to stop and are going after this because they want for others to be afraid.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

^your right they are trying to scare yall out of voting yes for prop 19, and expanding pot rights.

they are also getting scarred they could lose there worthless jobs when it passes, so they are putting on the pressure.

Dont give in. This woman will not be found guilty of anything. The DEA might not be listening to Eric Holder but the DOJ is. so tuff shit for the DEA. they are wasting court time and it will only be tolerated for so long.

 

[mullray]

Either way it's illegal under Fed law to grow, possess or sell. That's the reality and growers need to keep it underground. My bet is Calif is going to become one hell of a mess with the State law proving worthless - in the meantime a lot of people are going to go down until the Feds close down the Med scene. Just my opinion but let's be realistic. Do you really think the Federal Government of the country that started this shambles is going to sit there and let the Single Narcotic Convention be undermined?

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

^I imagine there might be a mess at first, but not like if Bush was in office. New things like this bill take time to get going smoothly. The Federal government will see things a little differently once they are having to deal with 3 times the amounts of arrests due to blatant disregard for federal law. Basically it will cause the nation to shit or get off the pot on this issue. pun not intended.

 

[Tommy Trichome]

mullray is right - it's gonna be a huge mess! and this is only the beginning...

 

[vta]

Either way it's illegal under Fed law to grow, possess or sell. That's the reality and growers need to keep it underground. My bet is Calif is going to become one hell of a mess with the State law proving worthless - in the meantime a lot of people are going to go down until the Feds close down the Med scene. Just my opinion but let's be realistic. Do you really think the Federal Government of the country that started this shambles is going to sit there and let the Single Narcotic Convention be undermined?

It is going to be a mess for a while...no doubt. However you say 'until the Feds close down the Med scene'...Well it's been 14 years and they haven't done it yet. There is no way the Feds are going to try and invalidate the medical cannabis laws in all the states that have them. It's too late, the ball is rollin and its ain't stopping. When 19 passes...try to imagine all the people that will be just growing their own. Were talking thousands of new backyard grows in every big city. Then what are they gonna do?

 

[mullray]

It is going to be a mess for a while...no doubt. However you say 'until the Feds close down the Med scene'...Well it's been 14 years and they haven't done it yet. There is no way the Feds are going to try and invalidate the medical cannabis laws in all the states that have them. It's too late, the ball is rollin and its ain't stopping. When 19 passes...try to imagine all the people that will be just growing their own. Were talking thousands of new backyard grows in every big city. Then what are they gonna do?

I agree on this also. Keep it a mess and it all will cave in that much quicker but let's not forget what happened around 2000 - 2005. It's a pendulum. Right now we have Obama - next President may see things differently. We also have a bankrupt California. The conditions are perfect for a Prop 19. Funniest stuff is it took the dumbest and most red necked US president in history to set up the dynamic and if that aint irony, what is? G.W thanks brother... You kinda sucked but in the end when ya all got ya arse booted, ya done some good lol.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

I agree on this also. Keep it a mess and it all will cave in that much quicker but let's not forget what happened around 2000 - 2005. It's a pendulum. Right now we have Obama - next President may see things differently. We also have a bankrupt California. The conditions are perfect for a Prop 19. Funniest stuff is it took the dumbest and most red necked US president in history to set up the dynamic and if that aint irony, what is? G.W thanks brother... You kinda sucked but in the end when ya all got ya arse booted, ya done some good lol.

The points that you and vta make are perfect. they sum up the big picture of why we need to vote yes on prop 19.

My view is if you vote no on prop 19 then you are trading your freedom for your relative financial and legal safety. there is nothing safe about it though. as soon as the bible thumpers are back in power prop 215 wont mean shit to them. they have no respect for anything, except a fictional dictator from the sky, and believe it makes anything they do justifiable.

We must vote yes on prop 19 to bring the national pot debate to a boiling point.

again with the bad pun. "America, It's time to shit or get off the pot." and cali whether you like it or not, you are and have been the guinea pigs for this since prop 215 passed.

Please all california residents please vote yes on prop 19. lets get the job done and stick it to the DEA with class.

 

[mullray]

The points that you and vta make are perfect. they sum up the big picture of why we need to vote yes on prop 19.

My view is if you vote no on prop 19 then you are trading your freedom for your relative financial and legal safety. there is nothing safe about it though. as soon as the bible thumpers are back in power prop 215 wont mean shit to them. they have no respect for anything, except a fictional dictator from the sky, and believe it makes anything they do justifiable.

We must vote yes on prop 19 to bring the national pot debate to a boiling point.

again with the bad pun. "America, It's time to shit or get off the pot." and cali whether you like it or not, you are and have been the guinea pigs for this since prop 215 passed.

Please all california residents please vote yes on prop 19. lets get the job done and stick it to the DEA with class.

Amen

 

[gray aera]

never let philip morris be americas new expert on this beautyful plant. prop 19 will take what cali's breeders have accomplished,and destroy it. WE will watch the gov./corp. ruin amazing rare places like the north coast and what it gives us . ALL real growers will not vote yes for this prop.we all want it leagal,just not this way. read this prop well, and see what YOU will be able to produce for your familys/friends needs. lets do this right and make sure when the people are voteing, were voteing for the people.

 

[Burt]

could the warehouse agri business be behind this?
you know the DEA and monsanto have a revolving door employment policy

 

[Japanfreakier]

I just read this today and had to wonder what happened to Obama promising to stop this shit. Time for Americans to wake up and say a big fuck you to the republicans, the democrats and anybody else who lets this continue.

 

[guest456mpy]

Posted by Japanfreakier:

I just read this today and had to wonder what happened to Obama promising to stop this shit. Time for Americans to wake up and say a big fuck you to the republicans, the democrats and anybody else who lets this continue.

Obama is talking shit. He is more interested in re-election that fulfilling promises. What else is new, politicians will always be this way.

BTW VTA, love the quote from Abraham Lincoln!

 

[Tom Hill]

When they asked the DEA if they were for/against prop19 they didn't say "meh, who cares", they said they were against -strongly. -Ahem, thereby admitting to the ultimate power of 19 and all like it.

In the days before the internet etc they may have gotten away with these types of fear tactics as a long-term strategy, but now they're the ones crapping their pants as they know the jig is up. It's only a matter of time now, their days are numbered where cannabis is concerned, they -shit the whole world- knows it. Yes on 19 is another nail in their coffin. They can go and earn a more honest living than messing with peaceful cannabis folk and law abiding 68 year-old ladies. Tsk tsk, shame, fui, no banana, boo. -Tom