“What happened to Topanga Caregivers?”

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PAN received many inquiries about “What happened to Topanga Caregivers?”

On April 20, 2012, Topanga Caregivers in Woodland Hills was raided by LAPD with a search warrant signed by an LA Superior Court judge at 10:00 a.m. that morning.  The warrant also included one director’s home and vehicle.  Six people were arrested that day: three collective members on duty including the director and three security guards.  Currently charges include possession with intent for the director and conspiracy charges for his colleagues.   It’s unconfirmed the charges on the security guards.  All are out on bail.   Arraignment is set for May 18, 2012.

The raid was fairly typical: cameras removed; electronics tampered, destroyed, seized; cell phones, car keys seized; safes destroyed; all areas, furniture, shelves, drawers, boxes, containers searched, scattered; all cash seized; all cannabis flowers seized; some edibles and concentrates left behind. 

Patients report it was a terrifying scene and some officers were overly aggressive.  Officers allegedly boasted this was the beginning of a huge crackdown in the west SFV similar to that in north valley.  Specifically, the Topanga Division of the LAPD appears to be initiating an operation similar to that of the Devonshire Division; their “mission” – to shut down every collective in their jurisdiction, which they did.  Just ask the former director of Cannamed of Northridge who is still fighting her charges nearly three years on and maintaining her innocence. 

Topanga Caregivers states they are innocent, too.  They maintain: they have all applicable permits and licenses; they have complied with paying all applicable fees and taxes; they have successfully registered for every LA ‘list;’ they operated in the spirit of our State laws and “The Attorney General Guidelines;” they provided for a large compassion program.   PAN is witness to some of the collective’s open and cooperative relationships with their council member’s office as well as LAPD detectives investigating violent armed robberies.  

Like Cannamed of Northridge, Topanga Caregivers argues they operated within all regulatory schemes set forth by local and state authorities.  To charge any of these people with possession with intent or other related offences is nothing short of entrapment.   To point guns in the faces of peaceful, law-abiding patients is reprehensible.  For LA to continue to let this happen is shameful.

So, the next question is then, “Why?”

Politics.  The failure of LA City Council to properly regulate medical cannabis collectives is ignorant.  SF, Oakland, Berkeley and a few other NorCal cities have had reasonable success implementing Prop. 215 and S.B. 420 activities in their communities.   LA City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and his assistant Jane Usher have wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars, possibly millions, defending the City’s illegal and unworkable ordinance defining their intentions as their “mission.”  

This toxic atmosphere allows the LAPD to abuse their authority and terrorize law-abiding citizens while City Hall turns a blind eye.  It creates a very unsafe situation for patients who learn to fear contacting the local police in an emergency, making patients sitting ducks for violent crimes.  Collectives don’t create crime.  Bad laws create crime.

PAN’s question is, “What is the ‘mission’ of the LA medical cannabis community?”

Those interested in participating in court support can call (323) 334-5282. 

How Can Patients Respond to Further Federal Interference? Part I

The Department of Justice, DEA, IRS and ATF have teamed up to thwart patients’ rights. U.S. Attorneys have issued a new round of threat letters to property owners leasing commercial space to patient collectives. The DEA scoffs at States’ medical cannabis laws, continues to raid collectives, seizes bank accounts and threatens banks that do business with dispensaries. The IRS is going after the largest/oldest collectives for filing false tax returns claiming millions in back taxes are owed. The ATF has announced legally qualified patients under state law have no 2nd Amendment rights.

For your reference, some news links from the last week:
http://www.news10.net/news/article/157615/2/Feds-threaten-marijuana-dispensary-landlords
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x651158529/Feds-stir-the-pot-as-Kern-tries-to-regulate-marijuana
http://www.redwoodtimes.com/garbervillenews/ci_18844525
http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/26958813-41/marijuana-agents-federal-plants-medical.html.csp
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2011/09/dea_raids_medical_marijuana_cl.php
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/01/3951917/feds-seize-bank-accounts-of-2.html
http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=669992
http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/05/8153459-irs-ruling-strikes-fear-in-medical-marijuana-industry
http://www.nssf.org/share/PDF/ATFOpenLetter092111.pdf

The DEA raided two collectives in California’s Southland October 5, 2011, and U.S Attorneys are expected to make a statement this Friday during a press conference in Sacramento about their ‘new policy’ regarding ‘marijuana distributors.’ The Feds appear poised to launch a coordinated attack geared to shut down as many patient collectives and gardens around the country as possible and make patients fear for their personal safety. While collective directors shoulder most of this stress and burden, the most vulnerable patients are also in the crosshairs. Low income, disabled patients rely on the dispensary system for free medicine, sometimes delivered to their homes.

However, Congress obviously does not hear our voices. We are still a fearful and silent majority. When PAN visited Congressional offices, we were quite surprised to hear that most never had a visit from a qualified patient there to discuss medical cannabis. PAN learned that what we brought to the Congressional table was extremely important to patients’ rights. We also learned that no one advocate, no one organization will sway Congress. We must act in great numbers speaking from our own individual, diverse experiences.

The rest of this series will cover the many ways patients can help change federal law and end federal interference.

Posted by Degé Coutee

Patients Must Take Control Of Their Collectives or Free Gram of Cocaine For New Members

On August 4, 2011, the Los Angeles Police Department raided a medical marijuana dispensary in Northridge suspected of being a front for an interstate drug-trafficking operation. In addition to seizing cannabis, reports indicate authorities also seized 20 pounds of cocaine and several weapons, some loaded. The raid netted 6 suspects each being held on $1.5 million bail.

While patient advocates have been pleased that previous raids have revealed no more than cannabis and cash on hand at area collectives, it was only a matter of time before LA’s unregulated industry would be taken advantage of by dangerous criminals, leaving a huge black-eye on what is supposed to be a movement of “compassion.”

The victims are the patients. At fault is the LA City Council whose inability to implement a legal ordinance that has been trapped in a lengthy court battle with no near end in sight. Within LA’s current scheme there is no way for a legitimate patient to ensure they are visiting a legitimate collective putting the community at large at great risk.

The playing field is different now. The adage that collectives are passive places where authorities only find herb and cash is now badly tarnished. Future raids could prove to be more aggressive as cops now expect to find loaded weapons.

I recently met with friends visiting LA from outside the state. They told me about the number of ‘dispensaries’ they were referred to that would not ask any questions about their purchase nor require ID, physician’s recommendation, etc. It is concerning as to what else could be going on within these operations.

If patients truly want to protect their access, patients must become vocal and involved members of their collectives. By definition this is what makes a collective, a collective.