Search Results: haag (42)

Stay classy, San Diego.

Estimates are that the city of San Diego has over 70,000 medical marijuana patients, yet, the city has never passed an ordinance allowing medical marijuana dispensaries, nor has it passed any official ban on the blooming industry.
This no-man’s-land of cannabis legality in America’s Finest City, compounded by the confusion and grey-area in the state medical marijuana laws, led to a rampant rise in the number of storefront weed dispensaries to nearly 300 at the peak in 2010…and then an equally rapid shuttering and/or raiding campaign that saw all but a stubborn few shops close their doors in 2011.

Berkeley Patients Group, the largest medical marijuana dispensary in Berkeley, California, was sued by the federal government on Friday in an attempt to shut down the cornerstone collective and seize the property, according to a press release delivered today by Americans for Safe Access.
The feds accuse Berkeley Patients Group of breaking federal law by selling herb. And in a move that has been used with undeniable effect up and down the state of California, they’ve targeted BPG’s landlord and threatened her with asset and property seizure if she does not immediately evict her tenants.

Marijuana Times

Advocates support county’s motion to quash, argue Obama Administration is attempting to undermine state law, violate patient privacy
Three medical marijuana groups have teamed up to support Mendocino County officials in their effort to fight a sweeping federal subpoena filed in October, seeking “any and all records” for the county’s medical marijuana cultivation program, otherwise known as County Code 9.31.
On December 21, Mendocino County filed a motion in San Francisco federal court to quash the Justice Department’s subpoena, and on Wednesday Americans for Safe Access (ASA) and the Emerald Growers Association (EGA) filed a joint amicus “friend of the court” brief in an attempt to protect the private patient records being sought.

THC Finder

Hearing at 10 a.m. Thursday may decide whether Oakland’s challenge to federal authority can proceed
The Obama Administration will be going toe-to-toe in federal court Thursday at 10 a.m. with the City of Oakland and California’s largest medical marijuana dispensary, Harborside Health Center.
U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag filed forfeiture proceedings in July against Harborside’s landlords to force the dispensary to close its two locations in Oakland and San Jose. Then, in October, the City of Oakland filed its own legal action against Haag and her boss, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Jean Hamamoto/Jean’s Artworks

Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and County Counsel hold closed-door meeting Tuesday after 9 a.m. public comment period
The Mendocino Board of Supervisors and County Counsel Thomas Parker met in a closed-door session Tuesday to discuss a pending federal subpoena for records held by the Sheriff’s now-defunct medical marijuana cultivation program, County Code 9.31, in which registrants were allowed to grow collectively up to 99 plants and were sold zip ties for $25 per plant to show they were being cultivated in compliance with state law.

House of 420

Oakland Lawsuit in U.S. District Court to Stop Seizure of Property of Oakland Dispensary
Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker and San Francisco law firm Morrison & Foerster have announced that the City of Oakland filed a complaint Wednesday in United States District Court to stop the federal government from seizing an Oakland building used by a medical marijuana dispensary.
“This is a great day for medical marijuana patients and for the residents of Oakland,” said Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana patients’ advocacy organization. “City Attorney Parker is ray of sunshine for all patients who have been watching the federal government jeopardize their access to medical marijuana.”

Jeff Malet Photography
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California): “We should be protecting and implementing the will of voters, not undermining our democracy by prosecuting small business owners who pay taxes and comply with the laws of their states in providing medicine to patients in need”

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Seven Initial Co-Sponsors Introduce HR 6335 to Stop Unfair Land Grabs by DOJ
Late on Thursday, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and seven initial co-sponsors introduced HR 6335, the States’ Medical Marijuana Property Rights Protection Act, in an attempt to stop the seizure of property from landlords of state law-compliant medical marijuana businesses. The introduction of HR 6335 comes less than a month after U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag served an asset forfeiture lawsuit against the landlord of Harborside, a medical marijuana dispensary in Rep. Lee’s district of Oakland.

All photos by Jack Rikess


By Jack Rikess
Toke of the Town
Northern California Correspondent

Steve DeAngelo, executive director of Harborside Health Center

Oakland, California: Starting at noon a few hundred cannabis supporters and activists gathered on the steps of Oakland’s City Hall to show support for Harborside Health Center and to protest President Obama’s early evening fundraiser at the picturesque Fox Theater. 
On July 11, Harborside Health Center in Oakland and San Jose was served an official Complaint for Forfeiture of Property. The complaint is signed by U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvan Perteet, and DEA Agent David White, filed on July 6 in the District Court, San Francisco Division and received by the court on Sunday, July 9. The complaint seeks forfeiture of real estate and improvements on the grounds that cannabis is being distributed on the premises, in violation of federal law.
Steve DeAngelo, executive director of Harborside, Libertarian vice-presidential candidate Judge Jim Gray, and others spoke under the hot East Bay sun to the cheers and applause of the cannabis crowd that assembled in the commons of City Hall. 

Redheaded Blackbelt/Celebitchy
Steve DeAngelo, left, and Donald Trump

By Jack Rikess
Toke of the Town
Northern California Correspondent
On Monday, July 9, this office filed civil forfeiture actions against 1840 Embarcadero, Oakland, California, and 2106 Ringwood Avenue, San Jose, where Harborside, a marijuana dispensary claiming over 108,000 customers, operates.

This office has used its limited resources to address those marijuana dispensaries that operate close to schools, parks and playgrounds. As I have said in the past, this is a non-exclusive list of factors relevant to whether we should commence civil forfeiture actions against marijuana properties, and circumstances may require us to address other situations.

I now find the need to consider actions regarding marijuana superstores such as Harborside. The larger the operation, the greater the likelihood that there will be abuse of the state’s medical marijuana laws, and marijuana in the hands of individuals who do not have a demonstrated medical need. 

The filing of the civil forfeiture complaints against the two Harborside properties is part of our measured effort to address the proliferation of illegal marijuana businesses in the Northern District of California.

U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag in San Francisco
America loves Donald Trump. He’s has a big show, property all around the world, and for some, they wished he’d be our next commander-in-combover. Does America listen to what The Donald has to say because he’s sexy, smart, and for the world of ideas he brings to better us all. No. We listen to The Donald because he’s rich.
America loves a winner. And they love losers too. 
In the middle of staggering unemployment, we loved to hear the phrase, “You’re fired!” To see someone leave the boardroom angry and utterly humiliated on national TV keeps the Atlantic City hotels full and the Trump good name fresh in the hearts of many Americans.
Steve DeAngelo is big too. He’s big in the cannabis world. How big? He’s the kind of big that lands you on the Feds’ radar for being too just too damn big.  
Steve Angelo, like Donald Trump, had his own reality show. Some would say that wasn’t the first instance of Steve DeAngelo reaching for fame. That he’s been catering to the limelight since the early 2000’s when he arrived on the California cannabis scene. Prior to that, as an activist and entrepreneur, his resume was pretty solid. 

ASA
ASA welcomes Obama to Oakland: The night before his fundraiser on Monday, July 23, 2012, Americans for Safe Access members put together a projection action and projected this message onto the Obama’a campaign headquarters in downtown Oakland

At Obama Fundraiser in Oakland, Patients Demand End to Federal Attacks
President Obama’s visit to Oakland follows aggressive DOJ actions aimed at shutting down city-permitted dispensaries
Hundreds of medical marijuana patients and advocates are staging a rally on Monday in downtown Oakland at a fundraiser for President Obama’s re-election campaign. The president’s visit to Oakland follows a recent forfeiture action aimed at shutting down Harborside Health Center, a city-permitted dispensary that has operated since 2006 without incident.
Earlier this year, the Obama Justice Department raided and shut down another of Oakland’s permitted dispensaries, Blue Sky, leaving the city with a dwindling number of facilities to serve Oakland’s patient population. Protesters will demand an end to federal interference and call for the firing of Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney for northern California.
What: Rally and press conference to protest federal attacks on the medical marijuana community and on Oakland’s dispensaries in particular
When: Monday, July 23rd Press Conference at 1:45 pm (Rally Noon-5pm)
Where: Press conference at Oaksterdam University, 1600 Broadway, Oakland (Rally at City Hall Plaza)
1 2 3 5