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State Senator Carole Migden has introduced a California Senate Joint Resolution calling on Congress, the President, and federal law enforcement to stop raiding legal medical cannabis collectives and respect California’s law. Senator Migden’s resolution follows an escalation in Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) attacks on medical cannabis providers and threats against property owners who rent to hundreds of collectives all over California. Senator Midgen represents the 3rd District: Marin County and portions of San Francisco and Sonoma Counties.

On January 9th, three San Francisco Medical Cannabis Dispensaries received provisional permits from the City‘s Health Department. Divinity Tree, Compassion and Care Center, and Market Street Cooperative (aka Act-Up) have just a few more steps to go through until they will receive their operating permits. Many dispensaries are attempting to complete the permitting process, as San Francisco law requires permits by March 1st, 2008. On Thursday Jan. 10th a land use hearing for CannaMed Care Center (CMC) will be held at 1:30pm in City Hall.

The DEA has raided over 50 medical cannabis dispensaries in California this year -- more than three times last year's figure. In early December, the San Francisco DEA office "leaked" to the SF Chronicle that they would send forfeiture threat letters to the landlords of all the medical cannabis dispensaries (MCDs) in Northern California. In Southern California, dozens of MCDs closed over the summer after the DEA threatened their landlords with the loss of their property or jail time. Nine San Francisco dispensaries have reported receiving the letters. Local patients and their supporters are asking SF Mayor Gavin Newsom to take a public stand supporting medical cannabis and Representative Conyers's recent statement condemning the landlord letters, and opposing the DEA's intimidation tactics.

On October 30th, the DEA raided Compassionate Collective of Alameda County, a medical cannabis dispensary located on the 21000 block of Mission Boulevard in Hayward. According to California NORML, "CCAC was by far the largest and most conspicuous dispensary in the East Bay, due in large part to the suppression of its competitors by local regulations, raids and bans." CCAC had operated as a legal business in full compliance with Alameda County regulations.

On September 26th, the DEA raided five locations that it claimed were connected to Tainted, Inc., which is a supplier of medical cannabis "edibles" that can be found in dozens of medical marijuana dispensaries in California. Heavily armed federal agents seized cannabis plants and medicinal edibles, arrested three people and killed at least one employee's dog. Edible cannabis products provide an alternative to smoking cannabis and are preferred by many patients. The products made by Tainted, Inc. are available only through medical cannabis dispensaries and carry prominent warning labels.

On Thursday, August 23rd, California's Fourth Appellate District in Santa Ana will hear oral arguments in a contentious case related to the return of medical cannabis patients' medicine following interactions with the police. Garden Grove patient Felix Kha may finally see the return of his wrongfully confiscated 8 grams of medical marijuana; an Orange County Superior Court judge in 2005 ordered the return of Kha's medicine after the case against him was dismissed. Kha's case will be heard alongside the case of Jim Spray, a Huntington Beach patient.

On July 31st, medical marijuana patients and supporters rallied at a Berkeley City Council meeting to urge the City Council to adopt a Sanctuary Resolution to help protect medical cannabis dispensaries within the city. Supporters were mobilized because the LAPD had just seized the bank account of the Berkeley Patients' Group, which is a local dispensary. Local activists spoke about the need to protect patients and providers from federal interference both in Berkeley and across the state. City Council members assured the patients and their supporters that this issue will be taken up when the City Council reconvenes in September.