Tomorrow: Participate in Emergency Response Actions Statewide!

*DEA Raids Medical Marijuana Providers: Take Action to Protect Patient
Access*

The California Healthcare Collective in Modesto was raided yesterday
morning by local and federal agents. Two dispensary operators and two
employees were arrested and will be arraigned on Friday. This raid came
on the heals of a drawn out process from the city to try to shut down
the dispensary. (Please read below for further details on the raid.)

The DEA needs to know that the medical marijuana community of California
will not stand for the continued attack on our sick and dying! Stand up
for your right to safe access! Make a sign and head to your local DEA
office this Friday, September 29th at 12p.m.

Bring with you several copies of the Modesto DEA action flyer
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/modesto_dea_flyers.pdf> to
distribute to people passing by.

WHO: Patients and supporters sick and tired of federal intervention in
California
WHAT: Protest against Federal Raid of California Healthcare Collective
WHEN: Friday, September 29th at 12 Noon
WHERE: DEA offices & federal buildings statewide, including Los Angeles,
Modesto, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco & Santa Ana (see
below for addresses)

Los Angeles - Edward R. Roybal Federal Building & US Courthouse,
255 E Temple Street

Modesto - Modesto Police Department, 1010 10th Street

Oakland - Oakland Federal Building, 1301 Clay Street

Sacramento - Sacramento Federal Courthouse, 501 I Street

San Diego - San Diego Federal Building, 880 Front Street

San Francisco - San Francisco Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate
Avenue

Santa Ana - Ronald Reagan Federal Building & US Courthouse, 411
W Fourth Street

These demonstrations are a vital part of our grassroots opposition to
the federal crackdown. Please make plans to attend and encourage others
to do so. Please contact Rebecca at rebecca [at] safeaccessnow.org
<mailto:rebecca [at] safeaccessnow.org> or 510-251-1856 x 308 for further
details.

*Background on Modesto DEA Raid:*

The Modesto medical cannabis dispensary California Healthcare Collective
(CHC) was raided Wednesday by a task force made up of local and federal
agents. Law enforcement conducting the raid included the Modesto Police
Department (MPD), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Police allegedly seized 60 pounds of
dried marijuana, 30 pounds of edibles, two pounds of hashish, $16,000 in
cash, two vehicles, and multiple firearms, in the raid on the
dispensary. In addition to the dispensary, police raided the homes of
multiple dispensary staff. According to local news, a total of seven
search warrants were issued.

Two of the dispensary's operators were arrested and two if its staff.
All four of them are being charged with conspiracy to manufacture and
distribute marijuana, and face life in prison. Those arrested are
scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

The DEA and the City of Modesto apparently had been cooperating in an
investigation of the dispensary and its operators for more than a year
before the raid. Even though the City of Modesto had adopted a ban on
dispensaries in December 2005, a provision within the ordinance allowed
non-profit operations to exist. The CHC is a non-profit corporation, and
per the ordinance was allowed to continue operating. After the ordinance
went into effect in July 2006, attorneys for CHC negotiated an agreement
with the Modesto City Attorney that indicated no enforcement action
would be taken against the dispensary.

Then, on September 19, a day before the raids, the Modesto City Council
voted to repeal the non-profit provision, thereby prohibiting the
dispensary's operation. This complicit action by both local and federal
governments is arguably entrapment, which can and should be used in the
defense of those raided, arrested, and soon to be prosecuted.

--
Rebecca Saltzman
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
p (510) 251-1856 x 308
f (510) 251-2036
http://www.safeaccessnow.org