When Washington voters legalized recreational marijuana last
fall, drug enforcement agencies around the country knew it would be an uphill
battle. After all, marijuana is still illegal under federal law. Yesterday,
federal drug enforcement agencies flexed their muscles once again and raided
several legal medical marijuana dispensaries in the Puget Sound region. Search
warrants were issued and several medical marijuana dispensaries were targeted,
including Seattle Cross, Tacoma Cross, and Bayside Gardens in Lacey.
Casey Lee of Bayside Gardens said that the DEA seized about $2500
worth of marijuana that was meant for medical patients. Bayside Gardens' employee
Addy Norton said that the DEA seized personal cell phones and marijuana. She
was also ordered to appear before a federal grand jury in September. According
to the DEA, these raids were part of a two year investigation.
According to the DEA, "Several search warrants were
executed today involving marijuana storefronts in King, Thurston, and Pierce
Counties."
Drug Enforcement Agency Spokeswoman, Jodie Underwood told
reporters earlier this year that these storefronts are in violation of state
and federal law and that this action was part of an on-going comprehensive
strategy to combat drug trafficking. In 2013, the DEA sent 41 warning letters
to medical marijuana dispensaries in Seattle ordering them to cease and desist.
Even though Washington voters have clearly spoken up for
their right to purchase medical marijuana and recreational marijuana, the Obama
administration has continued to threated and harass the State of Washington and
their medical marijuana dispensaries—even though most of them are completely
compliant with state law. Since he took office in 2008, Barack Obama's
administration has raided over 4x as many marijuana dispensaries as President Bush
in half the time.
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