[Finepointcanon]

https://www.lansingcitypulse.com/lans...-the-feds.html

Thursday, December 2,2010 Here come the Feds

The federal Drug Enforcement Agency cleans out a medical marijuana growing facility in Okemos

by Andy Balaskovitz Thursday, Dec. 2 — The federal Drug Enforcement Agency has raided a medical marijuana grow facility in Okemos. The man leasing space at the facility says the plant numbers were within the state’s medical marijuana law.

Ryan Basore, owner of Capital City Caregivers at 2208 E. Michigan Ave., also leases the 3,000-square-foot industrial facility that was raided at 2360 Jolly Oak Road in Okemos on Tuesday. Basore said other tri-county police departments participated in the raid but not Ingham County or Meridian Township police.

Basore said the DEA “took everything,” including growing equipment, 40 plants and roughly $20,000 worth of plant nutrients. Six caregivers leasing facility space from Basore owned the plants.

As both a medical marijuana patient and a caregiver, Basore can legally possess up to 72 plants himself, he said. A patient may have 12 plants and a caregiver may have up to 60.

Basore said he believes the raid stemmed from a neighbor’s complaint about the growing operation.

Special Agent Rich Isaacson, a public information officer at the DEA’s Detroit branch, confirmed today that a federal search warrant was executed Tuesday night at the facility near the intersection of Okemos and Jolly roads.

He would not comment further on the raid because the case is under investigation.

However, he said the DEA does not differentiate between “medical marijuana and marijuana” when it comes to “large-scale drug trafficking groups.”

“That being said, people following state law will not be targeted,” Isaacson said. “We are not utilizing our resources on folks that are following state law.”

The DEA recognizes cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, along with the likes of heroin, cocaine and ecstasy, claiming it has no medicinal use.

In 2008, 63 percent of Michigan voters disagreed and passed the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act as a state ballot initiative.

Basore expressed concern about not getting back confiscated plants and equipment. He said the DEA has kept confiscated items in raids that did result in arrests in other states where medical marijuana was also legal.

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, interim Lansing Police Chief Teresa Szymanski and State Reps. George Cushingberry Jr. and Fred Durhal Jr., both Detroit Democrats,' about the matter. He said they are all “upset.”

He said roughly 60 law enforcement vehicles were at the scene Tuesday night. Basore added that a black SUV had been staking out the site for about “three to four months.”

U.S. Federal Judge Joseph Scoville from Michigan’s Western District in Grand Rapids signed a search warrant Nov. 24 to seize a host of cannabis-related materials at Basore’s facility.

This incident is likely to draw the attention from groups who say the federal government is overstepping its boundaries when it comes to medical marijuana, which is allowed in 13 other states besides Michigan.

“We’ll see. It’s going to get interesting,” Basore said.

Basore is in the process of putting together a legal team to fight the case.

[Chiefin]

60 law enforcement vehicles for 40 plants!!?? Sounds like they got too much manpower. CUT THE DEFICET!!! LAY THEM OFF!!!

[Finepointcanon]

I had a friend murdered in Saginaw this weekend, the shooter is still free, but they can sure as fuck throw 60 cars at a garden. Real tough, guys.

This is BS on both fronts. Here is my theory on why I think so. I believe that the MI Law is not strong enough yet to allow proper protections for big operations like a Desp or Co Opp. The police know this & so do the Feds. 12 to 24 count plant growers in the safety of their home are not Prime targets due to the protections in the State Law. I believe any Grey areas in the law they will defiantly target. So The Cops and Feds are dicks for arresting Patients & harassing people for cannabis but I don't think putting up large scale grows in Mi is a very smart decision right now. Amendments need to be made to the Law First in order to make it stronger in favor of Desp & Co Opps. Just my 2 for what its worth.

[SFC]

You are right on point Canna. These guys are falling all over themselves to open dispensaries that are in no way covered under prop1. And after Ryan's interview about the Lansing ordinances last week it is obvious they will gladly throw other patients and caregivers under the bus to protect their operations... Ryan should have known he has been painting a target on his back, along with the rest of the dispensary crowd. They would be very wise to maintain a low profile, but so far they chose the opposite tact..

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

the 20K in nutrients is only because they are all EATING up the advanced nutrient marketing up there!

Sad shit, I hope they come out on top of this one.

[vaped]

warehouse for 40 plants? He was either growing some bushes or he got tipped off about the raid and got some plants out before they could hit him.

[elwaponino]

I have a question, why doesn't the FED's go after pharmacy's and Pharmacists, they're definitely DRUG DEALERS. Heck the way people are dying from pharmaceuticals, doctors should be investigated too, go raid them. This is not right, We The People have Rights, the FED's only have PRIVILEGES, We as a People can REVOKE the FED's Privileges, so start telling them to FUCK OFF or you'll cut their taxes. What you people don't realize is that these guys (elite) are playing for keeps, that's why it's so important to get this plant fully legalized, and not give it to big corporation, it's too important. It ain't bullshit that this plant Will save the world, and I'm sure you are seeing it if you live in a Liberty State. I'm fed up with this shit, every week these guys are busting dispensary's by setting them up even when the paper work is legit. Hell, they'll bust ya w/o a warrant, or at least one w/o a judge signature.

We need to tell the FED's as WE THE PEOPLE that you're fired, you've done a really bad job w/ this supposed War on Drugs, haven't protect our borders, disregarded the Constitution, the CIA is allowing the Drug Cartel/ Mexican Government to smuggle drugs, these drug cartels basically own small border towns bullying sheriffs to stay away from the Rio Grande (https://24ahead.com/blog/archives/004622.html, https://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_3430...e=most_emailed), while the We The People have to go through Border Patrol Checkpoints in the same town where the sheriff makes profit for arresting nonviolent citizens. And finally, you haven't listened to our plea about legalization of at least cannabis, if not all drugs, to eliminate a black market, eliminate violence, and profit can be made from this beautiful plant.

Please research Ron Paul, Alex Jones, Michael Badnarik, and Peter Schiff

Please watch The Secret of Oz

[Yes4Prop215]

wow 60 fucking cop cars for a GROW!! jesus if some body in the hood started firing an ak47 into the air there wouldnt even be 60 cops responding...sounds to me like bored cops needing money so they all teamed up and raided a dispensary.

the money behind this is just plain retarded...the cops seized 20k. i bet it cost 50-100k just for the operation...so the taxpayers are effective losing thousands and thousands of dollars for these steroid popping DEA agents to go around killing PLANTS.

fucking sad the DEA is...they need to be wiped off the face of the earth they are utterly useless...send all those pussies to the mexican border instead of harassing medical marijuana patients!!!

[lingiminu]

There needs to be more coverage of this. Regardless of your stance on the overall marijuana issue one thing is clear, a slap to freedom and democracy has occurred. We're being lied to and our peaceful will as a public by use of ballot is no longer respected by our government. (Obama's pledge not to peruse these cases and a bill passed by the people at a rate of 68% passage.)

Not only that but it's now obvious with the multiple moratoriums and this incident our officials have no interest in an economic recovery in Mid-Michigan. If they did they'd realize that at no time in history has an opportunity presented it's self creating sum 40 entirely new and independent business in this area in under 2yrs time. and during dismal economic times no less when others are closing up. Topping that news, this has been able to occur without a penny in public funds, subsidies, tax breaks, or incentives of any kind, strictly the private sector at work, and we're going to penalize it.