On the morning of June 15, Santa Rosa police, Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents raided six facilities associated with Care By Design and CBD Guild, a medical cannabis grower and manufacturer that tens of thousands of patients depend on across the state. The enforcement comes just days after the company hosted local and state public officials and regulators for a walk-through of their new facilities and to discuss regulations for the emerging industry resulting from the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act passed by the California legislature last fall.

The multi-agency raid comes at a time when cannabis growers and manufacturers are working to establish regulatory guidelines for an industry that has operated in a legal gray area for nearly 20 years. One of the organization’s founding patient members, Dennis Hunter, was arrested and charged with a felony for manufacturing a controlled substance by chemical extraction. He was, however, released without any charges.

CBD Guild states, “Care By Design and its affiliates have worked tirelessly over the past years to ensure that its facilities, employees, company policies and procedures are in full compliance with city, county and state laws. The company has pursued a policy of full transparency, providing dozens of state and local officials with tours of its cultivation and extraction facilities and administrative offices.”

Read More | June 16: Rally for Patients' Rights | June 15: Meeting on Likely DEA raids in Sonoma | Americans for Safe Access