Prohibition of Riverside County Medical Marijuana Clinics
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On Tuesday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors took part in an election to ban Riverside Medical Marijuana clinics labeling them to be an attraction for felony and federal laws disallowing the drug.
Riverside County became the primary county in Southern California after ten months when the pronouncement was completed in an attempt to conform to the 1996 state law protecting medicinal users from federal trial.
A white paper issued last week by District Attorney Grover Trask affected the supervisors’ vote on Tuesday which called the Riverside Medical Marijuana clinics unlawful stations and would also create effortless targets for burglars.
Supervisor Marion Ashley stated that it’s very difficult to disobey the attorney because he is a very reliable man and he has improved and imparted leadership in the county.
The board also decided to forbid marijuana-growing organizations and go in with San Bernardino and San Diego counties in litigating the state to knock over the state act obliging counties to supply medical marijuana card.
There were 80 witnesses during the hearing on Tuesday. Rough local law enforcement agencies that were not in favor with the Riverside Medical Marijuana dispensaries, tried to stir the impression of medical marijuana consumer as illegal drug users.
Some of the parents also told the supervisors that they are concerned about the possible harmful results Riverside Medical Marijuana dispensaries would have on the community especially on teenagers.
A concerned mother, Nancy Faulstich, 51 years old with three kids who lives in Rancho Mirage said that it’s uncomplicated for kids nowadays to acquire marijuana. Why should they make it easier?
Riverside Medical Marijuana clinics supporters stated that they were devastated by the verdict, saying that the supervisors were cowards and were very angry as they stormed out of the meeting.
A very irate user of marijuana medically for seven years for chronic pain because of a construction accident, Nathan Archer, 38 years old, said that they are trying to shove everyone on the streets. He also said that they were going to be arrested and he was saying for what, for trying not to endure pain?
Riverside Medical Marijuana supporters and medical experts stated that supervised dosages of marijuana can ease the ache of patients with severe sickness. Persons with mood complaints, AIDS and chronic pain are mostly the ones who use marijuana medically.
Adversaries said that those who use marijuana medically should just plant their own and not purchase it in a clinic where it could be an attraction for burglaries and attacks. But a lot of medicinal users said that marijuana is a very choosy plant. It’s not always easy growing your own.
Ryan Michaels, 24 years old started using marijuana for pains after he broke his arm, said he can’t grow his own marijuana; he tried and kept failing always. He said that he needs a secured area where can acquire it.
Supervisor Roy Wilson is the only one who supports Riverside Medical Marijuana clinics. He said that cannabis has been present a long time and that it won’t just disappear by having the clinics eradicated.
Tags: inland empire medical marijuana, riverside medical marijuana, San Bernardino medical marijuana
Recommendation for Riverside County Cannabis ID Cards
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Recommendation for Riverside County Cannabis ID Cards
Riverside Medical Marijuana local users will be issued photo identification cards today. Riverside is the first county in Southern California to meet the terms with a state decree aimed to protect medical patients from apprehension.
Marion Ashley, Riverside County Board of Supervisors chairman stated that Riverside is trying to act in accordance with the ruling supported by the voters and work out a process on that. She thinks that with this, it might take away the uneasiness.
The cards will still be given out when the state and federal decrees differ from the consumption of medical marijuana, allowing riverside medical marijuana users and their providers at risk of dealing with federal allegations.
In 1996, California’s Proposition 215 permitted marijuana for healing intentions and in state legislation supplied for ID Cards. But in June, the U.S. Supreme court pronounced that federal agencies could confiscate and wreck medical marijuana plants and seize the cultivators and the consumers and so as with the ten states that permit medical marijuana use.
Sarah Beers, a spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Agency in Los Angeles stated that federal authorities mainly aim for a big-scale drug trafficking group. Individual Riverside medical marijuana consumers continue to be in danger, whether they possess a state-supplied ID Card.
Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles said that a state-issued ID card signifies completely nothing to the federal government. To them, under the federal decree it is still unlawful to have, to vend or to plant marijuana. But the county health officials believed that ID cards could, nevertheless aid to protect Riverside medical marijuana consumers of the unlawful drug from examination by the local law enforcement.
Spokeswoman Ingrid Wyatt stated that the Riverside County district attorney’s office acknowledges that they need to abide to the law and that there is rightful need. She also said that Riverside medical marijuana consumers, with the ID card, can now be appropriately recognized. And at the same time they will be capable of suing those who attempt to exploit the arrangement. Ingrid Wyatt revealed that the county district attorney’s office checks all Riverside medical marijuana situations separately and has brought to court only a few.
The county public health department program chief, Victoria Jauregui Burns disclosed that the ID cards will include a Riverside medical marijuana customer’s picture and a computer-generated ID number. However, no name and address or any medical information will be added in the ID card.
The state also calculate approximately specify 3,000 to 4,000 probable cardholders in Riverside every year.
John Schunhoff, chief of operations for public health of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services said that Los Angeles County expects that the program will be running early next year.
Lenny Swerdlow, director of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project, a Riverside patients’ right s advocacy unit, said that this novel program will aid the people’s minds who worry that they could be detained for growing or using marijuana on doctor’s instructions.
Tags: inland empire medical marijuana, riverside medical marijuana, San Bernardino medical marijuana
Riverside Sheriffs Assault on Medical Marijuana Group on Local Proposition 215 Supporters
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Martin and Lavonne Victor’s collective garden on September 20, 2008 was assaulted by Riverside Co. sheriffs in Tennecula. Their crops were damaged seizing Martin a $50,000 bail. Martin and Lavonne Victor were members of a 12-person collective as well as the Riverside medical marijuana supporters Lanny Swerdlow and Dave Herrick.
Despite the new Riverside medical marijuana rules founded by Attorney General Jerry Brown, the raid was still accomplished.
Riverside medical marijuana consumers Herrick and Lavonne Victor said that their garden was in compliance with the Attorney General’s guidelines which have 50 to 70 outdoor plants and a good number of small plants. Confiscated by the officials were their state-issued ID cards and a crop protected by a security fence and cameras. The collective is operated for eight years already and is very popular in Riverside. On Friday night, the sheriffs went to the Victor’s place and demanded to check the coop. They showed them books and paperwork to prove that they were in conformity with the Riverside law. The sheriffs dragged Martin to three crime allegations and protested that they did not possess a legal license as a non-profit coop.
The break in was believed to be politically triggered. The coop’s membership comprises of famous Riverside medical marijuana patient supporters.
Director of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project in Palm Springs, Lanny Swerdlow is currently facing trial in a disagreement with a Riverside anti-drug supporter. Herrick and Lavonne Victor were taken into custody in 2001 for growing marijuana; however they were discharged from criminal act charges under Proposition 215. One of the first medical marijuana patients was Herrick and he was detained for helping a patient coop in Southern California just a few moments after the ratification of Proposition 215.
California constituents in 1996 granted an idea that excused particular patients and their primary caregivers from criminal accountability under Riverside medical marijuana law for having and gardening of marijuana. The Legislature in 2003 ratified extra legislation connecting to Riverside medical marijuana.
The Attorney General needs one of the statutes to implement guidelines guarantee the security and no change to the medically used marijuana.
The following guidelines should be given out for the mandate to be fulfilled. One is, to make sure that marijuana that is cultivated for Riverside medical marijuana users stay safe and won’t be given to non-patients or illegitimate buyers. Second is to aid law enforcement to do their responsibilities efficiently and in harmony with California regulation, and third to assist patients and main caregivers to be familiar with how they can grow, carry, hold and practice medical marijuana under California Law.
Tags: inland empire medical marijuana, riverside medical marijuana, San Bernardino medical marijuana
Riverside Medical Marijuana Clinic Offers Doctors’ Recommendations
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California voters had approved Proposition 215, legalizing the use of medical marijuana. The State law permits people to use medical marijuana as long as they are qualified. This means that people suffering from cancer, glaucoma, AIDS-related illnesses, and multiple sclerosis among others should first secure a doctor’s recommendation prior to acquiring or using medical marijuana. Proposition 215 was followed by the Medical Marijuana Program Act, which provides ID cards for qualified patients in order to avoid arrests or other marijuana-related problems with law enforcement officers. The Act also instructs counties to establish their medical marijuana ID card program to aid patients in acquiring and using the drug.
On the other hand, medical marijuana use is still a federal crime. In fact, federal authorities have shut down or raided Palm Desert, Corona, Norco, Perris, and Riverside dispensaries.
Conversely, Palm Springs resident and longtime marijuana activist Lanny Swerdlow plans to open a Riverside medical marijuana clinic in an office building located at 647 N. Main St. in Northern Riverside. This would mean that the County’s residents who want to secure a doctor’s recommendation for medical marijuana could have a much shorter drive instead of traveling all the way to Los Angeles or Orange County. Swerdlow, a registered nurse and head of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project said that his Riverside medical marijuana clinic has a good location of the entire Inland Empire.
A spokeswoman for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, Ingrid Wyatt said that the proposed Riverside medical marijuana clinic would not violate the law as long as no marijuana is distributed or dispensed. In reaction to Wyatt’s statement, Swerdlow said in an interview that, “We do not dispense any cannabis at all. We’re completely legal.”
Consequently, Swerdlow said that the only other physician in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who can provide medical marijuana recommendation is a Rancho Mirage doctor. As such, Riverside medical marijuana patients who want to secure recommendation have to travel to Coachella Valley or Orange County. Swerdlow would operate the Riverside medical marijuana clinic under the supervision of The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that operates medical marijuana clinics in four states including Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Hawaii.
In addition, Swerdlow stated that several Inland Empire medical marijuana doctors have agreed to work at the Riverside medical marijuana clinic. More so, patients must be able to submit their medical records through fax since no diagnostic testing will be conducted at the clinic. After this, patients will undergo physical examinations and the staff and doctors of the Riverside medical marijuana clinic will check the medical histories of the patients.
Tags: inland empire medical marijuana, riverside medical marijuana, San Bernardino medical marijuana
Senior Citizen Cancer Patients Marijuana Charges Dropped
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San Bernardino medical marijuana users Rich McCabe, 74, and his wife Jo Anne Cates were raided by the County Sheriff’s Department, charging the senior citizens of cultivating and selling marijuana despite the existence of Prop 215. The raid went as far as confiscating items that were no longer related to marijuana such as a microwave and cash from a social security check. The Sheriff’s department claimed that the 2 San Bernardino medical marijuana users were large scale drug runners.
However, Judge Rodney Cortez finally dismissed the charges at the County Superior Court. Zenia Gillig and Danny Schultz, attorneys who represented the couple said the willingness of San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney Jamie Adams to hear reason was substantial in having the charges dropped.
The two senior San Bernardino medical marijuana users faced 3 felony drug counts for medical marijuana use in compliance with state law and to relieve the symptoms associated with cancer treatment as well as other painful conditions; putting members of the community up in arms. The Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project in Palm Springs, an affiliate of ASA, had hosted several events in order to raise money aimed in helping for the legal defense of the two senior San Bernardino medical marijuana users. On the other hand, the legal process caused the two San Bernardino medical marijuana patients financial hardships, putting them in debt since the County Sheriff wanted to arrest a sick elderly couple only to drop charges after a year and a half of struggles.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has been spending a great amount of county resources in a long drawn out appeal to the US Supreme Court, fighting the responsibility of their health department to issue ID cards to San Bernardino medical marijuana patients who were legally qualified to use medical marijuana.
Scott Bledsoe had filed a lawsuit against the San Bernardino County in order to compel to begin issuing state-mandated medical marijuana ID cards as well as to stop arresting and prosecuting qualified patients who have valid recommendations from their doctors. It should be recalled that the medical marijuana ID card is part of a 2003 California Medical Marijuana Program Act.
Tags: inland empire medical marijuana, riverside medical marijuana, San Bernardino medical marijuana
Medical Marijuana Patients and ID Cards
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Jim Felten, public health director for San Bernardino County’s Department of Health announced that his office will begin processing applications for cannabis cards.
San Bernardino medical marijuana users who possess cannabis cards issued by the state may be protected from arrests and prosecution; however, not just anybody can apply. According to Felten, several requirements are needed to obtain cannabis cards. San Bernardino medical marijuana ID card applicants should have a written recommendation from a licensed physician encompassing the medical reason for using marijuana. More so, San Bernardino medical marijuana ID card applicants may only apply in the county where they reside.
The health departments of counties are responsible for reviewing the applications, which are sent to the state health department. The state health department will then administer the cannabis cards for qualified applicants. The medical marijuana cards can offer evidence for law enforcement officers to determine if an individual can possess and use marijuana. In addition, the cannabis cards include a picture and a number linked to the medical marijuana user.
Apart from helping law enforcement officers, cannabis cards primarily offer legal protection for those bearing them. Take for instance, if a law enforcement officer encounters an individual possessing or using marijuana but has a cannabis card, the individual can show his/her card to the officer, who can then call a number confirming the individual’s qualifications to use marijuana. On the contrary, just like the rules applied to alcohol and other drugs, a cannabis cardholder may go to jail if, say, he/she drives under the influence of marijuana.
According to Andy Williams, a California Highway Patrol Officer, medical marijuana users with cannabis cards are still liable to arrest if driving under the influence of marijuana. In addition, cannabis cardholders are not allowed to use marijuana in a vehicle whether the user is a passenger or the driver.
Cannabis cardholders are likewise not allowed to smoke in public areas where smoking cigarettes are prohibited or even near schools and any other vulnerable areas. According to state law, medical marijuana users with cannabis cards are only allowed a certain quantity of marijuana to posses as well as certain amount of marijuana plants to cultivate.
Conversely, a medical marijuana user with a cannabis card can possess a maximum of 8 ounces of dried marijuana and cultivate a maximum of 12 immature marijuana plants and 6 mature plants.
Thus, medical marijuana users can be arrested if they exceed the limit of marijuana possession even if they have cannabis cards. If a medical marijuana patient requires a higher amount than the allowed quantity, he/she may request a written recommendation from his/her licensed physician in order to possess more.
On the other hand, Felten said that San Bernardino medical marijuana ID cards are able to protect those obtain them only in the county level since federal law officers do not recognize the cannabis cards. According to a recent superior court ruling, San Bernardino medical marijuana ID cards are not valid; despite this, the office of California’s Attorney General decided to push through with the cannabis card program. In essence, the federal government’s Drug Enforcement Agency officers still have the right to arrest medical marijuana users regardless if they complied with the card requirements or not.
Tags: inland empire medical marijuana, riverside medical marijuana, San Bernardino medical marijuana
Lawsuit against San Bernardino for Not Issuing Medical Marijuana ID Cards
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The Compassion Use Act or Prop 215 was approved by voters in 1996, legalizing the use of medical marijuana as long as a patient has a doctor’s recommendation. However, to this day, the county has continued to refuse the issuance of San Bernardino medical marijuana ID cards. Thus, they are sued.
In the Inland Empire, the battle over the use of marijuana for medical reasons has been intensifying. A lawsuit against San Bernardino County aiming to force the issuance of state-mandated identification cards to medical marijuana patients is filed by San Bernardino medical marijuana advocates. County officials refused to speak on camera as the lawsuit is still pending.
On the other hand, they argue that the federal law does not recognize the medical use of marijuana and that it is still a federal crime. More so, county officials said that federal law prevails over anything the state would approve. San Bernardino medical marijuana advocates said that the courts have already agreed with them although the superior court, the court of appeals, and the state Supreme Court have decided not to hear the case.
Consequently, the San Bernardino medical marijuana advocates have filed suit, giving the county 30 days to appear in court and respond. According to San Bernardino medical marijuana advocates, county officials just did not like marijuana regardless of the purpose of its use. They said that the county officials did not issue San Bernardino medical marijuana ID cards claiming that it violated federal law.
The court did not agree with such argument because issuance of San Bernardino medical marijuana ID cards infringes no federal law and that county officials are responsible for upholding the state law and not the federal law. Thus, the county officials appealed and lost the case. They pursued their appeal to the state Supreme Court but lost once more. San Bernardino County has decided to wait while San Diego County carries out its last effort to petition the U.S. Supreme Court.
As lawsuits here and there are filed, thousands of patients risk arrest and prosecution from not being able to prove to law enforcement officers that they are qualified medical marijuana users since the issuance of ID cards are on hold in the counties.
Tags: inland empire medical marijuana, riverside medical marijuana, San Bernardino medical marijuana
Federal Drug Department Organization on Controversial Marijuana Producers Damage
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As a part of a general law enforcement force, a Riverside medical marijuana producer was attacked, to stop the process of medical marijuana market in Southern California. The Federal Drug Department Organization has jeopardized the attack of the land of around 150 Los Angeles Country landlords, but if they stop their rent of marijuana producers. Establishment owners who rent medical marijuana producers might be the next objective; this was said by the DEA Los Angeles Special Agent Sarah Pullen. He said that the landowners are doing something contrary to the federal law. DEA Los Angeles is in charge of Riverside and San Bernardino medical marijuana issues.
Pullen included that, “Anybody who owns a land where illegal actions are in progress- whether it’s a house or marijuana production- is undergoing is probably subject to investment penalty.
The Riverside medical marijuana producer search and arrest its proprietor before the fold down of other producers in Riverside and Norco. Riverside marijuana supporters and law enforcement negotiator said that after the search, no more than 3 marijuana producers will function in the Inland Empire area.
The Healing Nations Collective, Riverside Medical marijuana producers was marked due to huge amount and value of marijuana it sold. The Healing Nations Collective had deals of over $1.2 million from July 2006 up to March 2007. Pullen also included that, “Just like with other drug pushers, we focus on workers that have the large impact in the community.” Also, Pullen said that the DEA know of no less than 300 marijuana distributors in the Inland Empire and Southern California countries that the organization covers.
Ronald Naulls, Riverside marijuana operator was charge by a federal accusation, with a plan in having and planning to give out marijuana and initiate others to sell marijuana unlawfully. The police department officers said that the Riverside medical marijuana operator was lead to federal supervision from the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.
Former Riverside County District Attorney Grover Trask has subjected a testimony that Riverside medical marijuana distributors are prohibited since they go against federal law. Trask’s descendant Rod Pachero approved with such testimony according to his spokeswoman, Ingrid Wyatt. Also, the local attorney’s office has accused Riverside medical marijuana distributors, which supposedly violate state law.
Testing the medical marijuana law, Riverside Country had attempted to join the complaint by the San Bernardino Country opposing the state; though Riverside Country was too delayed. The spokesman of San Bernardino Country, David Wert said that he was not informed of the procedures of any San Bernardino medical marijuana distributors. The San Bernardino and Riverside Countries are branches of the Inland Empire.
Tags: inland empire medical marijuana, riverside medical marijuana, San Bernardino medical marijuana
Misunderstanding and Obstruction Caused by Inconsistent Laws between State and Federal Government
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Since the supporters of California conceded Prop 215, the use of medical marijuana is allowed for more than 10 years now. Its use is allowed by the law enforcement in some nations. Specialists are authorized to promote their production explicitly too. In contrast, Inland Empire Marijuana users, physicians and cultivators are restricted to such liberty because there are also involved, like the people in authority who are not in favour of medical marijuana.
San Bernardino medical marijuana users are detained by the police because of owning or producing the drug in any case if they have state- authorization ID cards that they are in position to use marijuana as medicine.
District government has charged medical marijuana distributors that have conducted without the awareness or agreement of those in authority that result from prohibiting them from having transactions in that area.
Lots of the misunderstandings and obstructions of Inland Empire Marijuana users and distributors are the cause of inconsistent laws between state and federal governments.
Laws are primarily imposed and put into practice at the area despite of the laws accepted at the area pertaining to medical marijuana. San Bernardino medical marijuana issues have not been discussed properly, said by the liberal people and that the country has the most terrible evidence amongst other local areas when it comes to laws of marijuana.
The federal government, separately from not being aware of the use of medical marijuana does not agree with the state’s program in medical marijuana. Senate Bill 420 was approved, creating a state organization that needs the issue of ID cards by the country health offices to allow medical marijuana users back in 2003. Countries such as in Riverside and Los Angeles have put up their organizations as San Bernardino prolonged to go up against such laws.
To inhibit both Riverside medical marijuana users from being detained by the authorities, the organization founded by the countries was created. Conversely, people who are against San Bernardino Medical marijuana consisting of country representatives do not accept the ID cards given by nearby countries. Also, police authorities are ascertained to detain Los Angeles or Riverside medical marijuana users if they are not detained in their own countries.
The police have not accepted marijuana’s authenticity and that under federal law, producing, putting into business or using marijuana despite of the reason is against the law was said by Cindy Beavers, a spokeswoman of the San Bernardino Country Police Department.
Lanny Swerdlow, the director of the Marijuana Anti- Prohibition Project, who lives in Palm Springs, says he is mostly alongside and concern of both San Bernardino and Riverside medical marijuana issues.
San Bernardino Country was set to release medical marijuana ID cards; but the Board of Supervisors postponed the attempt as the country united a complaint by the San Diego Country opposing the state as Swerdlow asserted that back 2006. The complaint was founded from the truth that the state’s medical marijuana program differs with the federal law.
Tags: inland empire medical marijuana, riverside medical marijuana, San Bernardino medical marijuana
Riverside Medical Marijuana Dispensary Raided by Feds
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According to Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Sarah Pullen, the DEA, Internal Revenue Service agents, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and local police took part in the investigations that led to raids dispensaries and arrests of operators.
Federal agents had arrested a Riverside medical marijuana dispensary operator after raiding his shop. A number of patients and employees had protested outside the shop during the raid. The raid and arrest of the Riverside medical marijuana dispensary operator were part of a more intense effort against medical marijuana in Southern California. The Riverside medical marijuana dispensary was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration agents along with Riverside police officers.
Pullen said that the raid of the Riverside medical marijuana dispensary was part of the agency’s intense efforts and enforcement of federal drug laws. In addition, Pullen said the Riverside medical marijuana dispensary and other dispensaries have been under investigation due to their scale of sales operations. Inland Empire medical marijuana dispensaries have been raided by the DEA including Palm Springs and Riverside.
According to Pullen, the Riverside medical marijuana dispensary had sales over $1.2 million in a 9-month period. She said that the goals of DEA include targeting the most appalling traffickers in California. The Riverside medical marijuana dispensary raid had begun around 6 in the morning. DEA agents also raided the home of the Riverside medical marijuana dispensary’s operator, Ronald Naulls.
Local police had assisted in the investigation by serving the warrant while DEA agents searched a storage unit in the 2,500 block of Hamner Avenue. Pullen said the authorities were able to seize Mercedes-Benz, GMC, and Lexus vehicles along with $75,000 cash in Naull’s home. The Riverside medical marijuana dispensary operator also possessed 15 pounds of marijuana and large quantity of marijuana edibles at the dispensary. Naulls was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to dispense marijuana as well as causing others to sell or distribute marijuana illegally, referring to employees of the Riverside medical marijuana dispensary.
If convicted, Naulls will face up to 40 years in prison. Naulls was held in downtown Los Angeles while waiting for arraignment. According to James Anthony, a civil attorney who represented Naulls, his client “is caught in a war between the state and federal governments over the legality of medical cannabis…Today, he was arrested for standing up for his medical rights under state law.”
An employee of the Riverside medical marijuana dispensary, Marie Vasquera argued that the business was a nonprofit cooperative and complied with all state and local laws. Furthermore, Vasquera said that the dispensary acquire its plants from medical marijuana patients who are legally allowed to cultivate small numbers of marijuana plants and that marijuana was sold only to qualified individuals with valid medical marijuana ID cards.
Tags: inland empire medical marijuana, riverside medical marijuana, San Bernardino medical marijuana
