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. Contrary to rumors, only CCAC was busted, though a total of seven different raids occurred on sites affiliated with it." One corporate report stated, "Two other sites in Hayward, another two in Oakland, one in Lafayette and another in Berkeley were also raided in connection with the dispensary..." Some patients interpreted this to mean that other dispensaries had been closed by the DEA that day.

CCAC had operated as a legal business in full compliance with Alameda County regulations. The former Sheriff had said that if they did so, he could keep the DEA out, and his successor failed to fulfill the promise. The sheriff's department allowed the DEA make this bust, just weeks after the sheriff had hinted that there were problems with CCAC. No growing plants were found, protecting CCAC from mandatory minimums for cultivation, but the feds still charged them with conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilos (5-year mandatory) et al. Winslow Norton, 26, of Lafayette and his brother, Abraham Norton, 23, of Oakland, who together ran CCAC, were arrested during the raids, and they are being held without bail. The DEA's press announcement made much of the millions of dollars in business done by CCAC, without mentioning the millions of dollars in taxes they likely paid, or the dozens of workers they employed. CCAC's closure could open the door to a new dispensary application in Alameda County - the county's ordinance permits three.

Initial corporate report | Report from California NORML