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UID:Indybay-18668195
SEQUENCE:18744491
CREATED:20110103T214200Z
DESCRIPTION:Medical marijuana advocates plan to protest against what they claim were 
 aggressive and uncalled for raids on local cannabis delivery services at a 
 rally planned for Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 a.m., in front of the San Luis 
 Obispo County Courthouse.\n\nDuring the December 27 arrests, one man 
 suffered a heart attack, guns were held to the heads of children as they 
 were drug from their beds, family pets were kicked, grandparents were 
 handcuffed and forced to lie on the floor and children were removed from 
 their parents’ custody, multiple sources said.\n\n“They busted my door 
 down and cuffed me with a gun to my head,” Steven Gordon said. “I 
 showed them my paperwork and my documentation and asked what I did wrong. 
 They said I sold to a police officer.”\n\nAfter a two month 
 investigation, the San Luis Obispo County Narcotic Task Force said that the 
 delivery services they investigated were violating California’s Marijuana 
 Compassionate Use Act and Medical Marijuana Program by transporting and 
 selling marijuana “illegally” throughout San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara 
 and Monterey Counties. At least six agencies and 50 agents participated in 
 the investigation and arrests of 15 people.\n\nThe raids appear to be based 
 on an interpretation of state law – specifically that everyone in a 
 collective must be actively participating in the cultivation of the 
 plants.\n\n“It’s wasteful to spend taxpayer dollars to aggressively 
 raid state law-compliant collectives,” said Kris Hermes, media 
 spokesperson with Americans for Safe Access. “But, it’s a greater 
 tragedy that local officials would resort to taking people’s children 
 away because they don’t agree with the state’s medical marijuana 
 law.”\n\nRachel Tamagni, 57, of Paso Robles began using medical marijuana 
 to replace medications that caused her severe depression. She started the 
 delivery service after having an attorney help comply to legal 
 requirements.\n\n“I wanted to help others,” Racheal Tamagni said. “We 
 are in the red on this. We only deliver to five people.”\n\nThe 
 Tamagnis’ 8-year-old part Chihuahua died shortly after the raid on their 
 home. They believe the three hour search overly excited the fragile 
 dog.\n\n“She was a rescue dog with a heart condition,” Charles Tamagni 
 said. “We were careful to not excite her, but there was so much tension 
 here that morning.”\n\nThe Tamangis were the last two people placed in a 
 van that deputies drove throughout the county picking up those they 
 arrested.\n\nSome arrestees were left in the task force van for more than 
 three hours while officers made arrests, sources said. Those inside, were 
 not allowed to use the restroom and Peter Miller ended up urinating in the 
 van.\n\n“When he urinated, they were just laughing, they didn’t 
 care,” Steven Gordon said.\n\nGordon, a Pismo Beach single father of a 
 10-year-old, said he keeps his medical marijuana in a safe in his 
 garage.\n\n“They took my daughter and drug tested her,” Gordon said. 
 “My daughter is a straight A student at Shell Beach Elementary. They 
 served people with legitimate paperwork.”\n\nGordon regularly provides 
 medical marijuana to his patients for free. He said he even gave the 
 undercover officer free medicine during his second delivery to her.\n\nAn 
 agent using the name Amy Dobson made an appointment with San Luis Obispo 
 based Dr. Atsuko Rees to obtain a medical marijuana card. Some of Rees’ 
 former colleagues accuse her of abusing laws meant to help patients with 
 chronic problems.\n\nAbout a year ago, some of her former colleagues asked 
 the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s office to investigate Rees.\n\nRees 
 provided Dobson a list of medical marijuana delivery services during her 
 visit. Dobson provided each of the services a copy of Rees’ medical 
 marijuana recommendation and photo identification.\n\nFollowing the 
 arrests, a press release from the task force said that agents seized 
 approximately four grams of cocaine, 57 pounds of marijuana, 162 marijuana 
 plants, 146 grams of hash, 718 grams of hash oil, seven firearms and 
 $492,931 in cash.\n\n“Agents arrested 15 individuals who were charged on 
 several counts of Health and Safety Code Section 11351, Possession of 
 Cocaine for Sales, Health and Safety Code Section 11358, Cultivation of 
 Marijuana, Health and Safety Code Section 11359, Possession of Marijuana 
 for Sales, Health and Safety Code Section 11360, Sales of Marijuana and 
 California Penal Code Section 273a(a), Child Endangerment,” the press 
 release says.\n\nThe task force failed to mention that the seven firearms 
 seized were discovered in a locked gun safe at the Paso Robles home of 
 Peter Miller, an avid hunter. In addition, the cocaine was seized from only 
 one residence.\n\nThe first set of arraignments is scheduled for January 
 11, at 8 a.m. at the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse.\n\n- Article from 
 Cal Coast News.\n https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/01/03/18668195.php
SUMMARY:Protest in SLO against raids on medical marijuana providers
LOCATION:San Luis Obispo County Courthouse
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/01/03/18668195.php
DTSTART:20110111T153000Z
DTEND:20110111T170000Z
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