Life In Prison For Running A Medical Marijuana Collective?

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Photo: Operation Green Rx
James Stacy with supporters in front of the San Diego Federal Courthouse

​James Stacy could face life in prison, even though he thought he was following the law.

After the Obama Administration urged federal agents to no longer raid medical marijuana dispensaries and collectives that are following state laws, Stacy opened Movement In Action, a collective of his own, in Vista, California, reports Elex Michaelson of San Diego 6.
“I follow the rules,” Stacy said. “If they say I can’t do it, I won’t do it.”

Unfortunately, among those who joined the patient collective, according to Stacy, was an undercover San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy, working as part of District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’s years-long, misguided war against medical marijuana patients and providers.
“The officer joined the collective, signed a membership agreement, asked if he would work and we said yes,” Stacy said.
But on September 9, 2009, the collective was raided and Stacy was placed under arrest.
He spent 20 days behind bars before bailing out, and is now facing federal charges.
Stacy’s attorney tried to argue that President Obama’s words were enough to drop the charges against his client, but the judge was having none of it.
Stacy was offered a deal: Plead guilty and spend a year in prison. But he refuses to sign it.
“I’m not guilty of breaking the law,” Stacy said. “I didn’t break the law, so why would I say I was?”
Stacy said he is aware of the numbers: Federal prosecutors get convictions in nine out of 10 cases.
Still, though, Stacy said he thinks it is important to fight when his trial begins in August.
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