A Matter of Time

As Nick Gillespie noted, now that the ink is dry on the Raich decision, what's a federal government to do but start raiding (still-legal) medical marijuana dispensaries? Good thing that the feds aren't specifically targeting medical marijuana, though:

"It's not the pot clubs per se" that were targets, said one law enforcement official, who asked not to be named because the indictments were still under seal. "It's not an attack on medical marijuana. This is an organized crime group that is using the whole pot club thing as a front."

I have a feeling we'll soon be finding out that a shockingly large number of medical cannabis distributors are actually just fronts for organized crime. (Link via Sploid.)

Comments

Hmmm | June 23, 2005, 7:54pm | #

You're missing the obvious claim: All doctors who prescribe marijuana and those who advocate that they do so are all just fronts for Al Qaeda!

mediageek | June 23, 2005, 8:07pm | #

Yeah, but are they likely to just claim that it's an organized drug-dealing ring, or will they find other various infractions like building code violations, outstanding parking tickets, etc?

joe | June 23, 2005, 8:11pm | #

Organized criminals, and thus subject to RICO.

Assholes.

thoreau | June 23, 2005, 8:20pm | #

Yeah, organized crime is going to get involved in medical pot, the current frontier of the drug legalization movement. Right.

In other news, ADM is opposed to sugar tariffs.

And if you believe that, I've got some prime beach-front property in Arizona for you.

Speaking of Arizona: I'll be driving through there in a few days. I don't know how much I'll be able to post tomorrow, but Saturday will be non-stop packing, and Sunday we leave town in the morning. I'll resume my active participation around July 4 or so.

Sorry if this becomes a thread-jack, but I did want to say good-bye before my hiatus.

Eric Hanneken | June 23, 2005, 9:14pm | #

I don't know what the facts are, but I'm not inclined to take the federal government's word that these clubs were selling marijuana in the black market. After all, the ATF accused the Branch Davidians of concealing a "drug nexus" just because that allegation was necessary to obtain military training and equipment.

Ashish Hanwadikar | June 23, 2005, 9:25pm | #

Eminent Domain Abuse

spur | June 23, 2005, 9:30pm | #

I'm all for legalized drugs, all of'em but as a resident of SF I can say that a lot of the clubs are like totally shady and not dispensing medical marijuana. Anyone can get a card to go to most of them.

killjoy | June 24, 2005, 12:50am | #

There was a drug nexus at Mt Carmel.

It was controlled by N. Texas mafia and the sherrif knew all about it.

Google: Waco Drug Mafia, Konformist has a good bit on it.

Koresh found the remains of Rodan's buddies lab.

Bush and Clinton (the Mena crowd) owned it.

That's why the all had to die.

Mr. Nice Guy | June 24, 2005, 8:01am | #

The government should have all power, even powers that they make up on the fly, to protect us from ourselves. That's their job.

Yuri | June 24, 2005, 8:41am | #

You people are so naive. Don't you know that the so-called "medical" marijuana dispensaries are owned by Al Quaeda and store WMDs? How do I know that? Jenna and Barbara told me when they were drunk. In vino veritas.

Phillip Conti | June 24, 2005, 8:58am | #

I personally believe that it is a good thing the government is allowed to forbid medical marijuana, first of all I dont want doctors involved in the decision to toke, and secondly, a few raids on sick patients will make the drug war look even less credible.

aahpat (Pat Rogers) | June 24, 2005, 10:11am | #

"Federal Government is no longer one of limited and enumerated powers." Clarence Thomas minority opinion, Raich v Gonzales

Get used to it.

bigbigslacker | June 24, 2005, 10:40am | #

The DEA is just a front for an anti-constitutional coup. Traitors, every last one.

aahpat (Pat Rogers) | June 24, 2005, 4:41pm | #

Fight terrorism to win the drug war

I am going to write something controversial. Something that goes against the grain of the cannabis reform community. But something that I believe will advance drug policy reform faster than the medical cannabis issue ever will.

My empathy does go to those who achieve relief from ailments with cannabis. I have lost good friends to deadly diseases and pot kept them in this life longer. I am absolutely sure of that.

Pot law reform will not solve the problems caused by the drug war prohibition economic policy. Reforming the drug war prohibition economic policy will revolve the pot law issues.

The drug policy reform movement will never achieve the national goal of legal medical pot. This is because the people who hold the strings of power don't care about the suffering of people. Any people. They care about power. Getting power. Holding power. Medical pot does nothing to advance that single minded goal.

My long diatribe is at the link at the top of this post.

aahpat (Pat Rogers) | June 24, 2005, 4:43pm | #

TYPO CORRECTION:

Pot law reform will not solve the problems caused by the drug war prohibition economic policy. Reforming the drug war prohibition economic policy will resolve the pot law issues.

Memnon, the defeated | June 26, 2005, 6:18pm | #

Oh come on, it´s not like they´re outlawing dope or anything.