Oaksterdam University Raid Forces Richard Lee Out of Medical Marijuana Business — But He Remains Defiant

The federal government's war on medical marijuana and dispensaries claimed another victim. A paraplegic advocate of pot who grew cannabis, operated collectives and shared his knowledge with others — Oaksterdam University's Richard Lee.

In addition to Oaksterdam University, his collectives and growing operation, Lee was behind 2010's Proposition 19, an initiative that would have decriminalized pot.

When federal agents raided Lee's businesses and residences, plants, bank accounts, records and computers were seized, effectively halting the businesses' operations. Lee will not be able to cultivate new marijuana crops because the mother plants were taken. His collectives will be taken over by new owners. Oaksterdam University's doors will remain open, though classes will be scaled back.

 Lee noted to the Los Angeles Times that growing over 60,000 plants can bring the death penalty, though he was not growing anywhere near that amount.

 However, he remains defiant in the face of crackdown: "I believe that cannabis prohibition is unjust and counterproductive," he said. "What I've done is ethical, and I tried to use the resources that I had to do everything I could to change the laws."

BREAKING: Feds Raid Medical Marijuana Training Facility Oaksterdam University

Federal agents raided Oaksterdam University today, an institution that educated and trained individuals in the medical marijuana industry, the Los Angeles Times reports. The university is also on the forefront of legalization issues, with owner Richard Lee an outspoken advocate of making recreational pot available in California.

 In addition to Oaksterdam University, Lee also runs a dispensary and is a grower.

Despite the joint raid by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Internal Revenue Service, the city of Oakland is committed to making pot available to patients. Its city council approved four new dispensaries three weeks ago.

 The IRS and DEA declined to comment as to why they were raiding Oaksterdam University, commenting it was part of an ongoing investigation.

'Wal-Mart of Pot' Spreads like Weeds Across the Country to Service the Needs of the Exploding Marijuana Industry

When the California gold rush began in the 1800s, it's said the real money wasn't in panning for gold but selling the picks, axes and pans to the potential prospectors looking to get rich.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Marijuana is the new hot thing in the them thar hills. With the growing public acceptance of the medical and casual use of marijuana, contradictory laws and the federal government trying desperately to plug a gaping hole in drug policy, many feel the time is ripe to get in on the ground floor of the new "green rush."

Despite federal crackdowns and municipalities attempting to ban collectives from their city limits, WeGrow is positioning itself as the WalMart of pot, reports CBS. However, it does not sell the drug, edibles or seeds — what it does sell is everything else the budding (pun intended) entrepreneur looking to get started in the marijuana business.

WeGrow has stores in Sacramento and Phoenix, with additional franchises in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. New locations in San Jose and Flagstaff, Arizona are planned, with expansion into Oregon, Washington state and Michigan.

Its first shop on the East Coast opened up in Washington D.C., in the shadow of many of the federal agencies attempting to put an end to marijuana consumption.

"The more that businesses start to push the envelope by showing that this is a legitimate industry, the further we're going to be able to go in changing people's minds," weGrow founder Dhar Mann told CBS.

San Francisco Moves to Outlaw Medical Pot Dispensaries

Though San Francisco's known for being a tolerant sort of town, recent moves by its district attorney, George Gascón, points to a citywide crackdown on its dispensaries.

 A woman making a delivery for a collective and the buyer were arrested and charged by the DA. Both were patients of the collective and the woman was working on its behalf at the time of the arrest.

 “While California’s medical marijuana laws may be complex, the law is clear that all sales of medical marijuana are illegal,” The San Francisco Examiner quotes Gascón as writing. “The ... shell game that continues to be played with medical marijuana immunities does not change that conclusion.”

Gascón takes the position that all patients of a collective must have an active role in the cultivation of its marijuana. However, the DA's office later stated that its position was originally taken by Kamala Harris, who is now California's Attorney General.

Washington State Expects Windfall in Taxes if Recreational Use is Legalized

One of the compelling arguments for legalization of marijuana is the new revenue of taxes for governments on the local, state and federal level. New projections done by the state of Washington seem to confirm that belief.

If recreational marijuana becomes the law in Washington, the state's government projects revenues two times proponents predicted, The Seattle Post reports. State estimates put the total at more than $500 million the first year, with its total take at three quarters of a billion by 2014.

Marijuana would also bring in $130 million more than alcohol taxes. The study does not take into account taxes on growers and savings on law enforcement and incarceration costs, though a more complete study is on the way.

State lawmakers also point out, however, that the projections are based on guesses and does not take into account the impact the federal government will have if it cracks down on pot if Washington does legalize recreational use.

Bellingham Cops Raid Collectives, Laws Confuse Owners

Police in Bellingham, Wash. launched raids on three of the town's collectives, claiming the businesses had too much marijuana on hand and too many members.

 Washington law allows collectives up to 10 members and to only have an inventory, at most, of 4.5 pounds of marijuana. However, there was confusion about the regulations pertaining to the amount of pot they could stock, with one owner claiming the law was 1.5 pounds per member.

The raids follow an attempt by Bellingham to revoke the business licenses of the medical marijuana co-ops in its city limits. Bellingham police told The Bellingham Herald that the raids have nothing to do with the license revocations. Collective owners said the city has not been clear about the law regarding medical marijuana, leaving them unclear as to their legal status.

Senate Minority Leader Says Pot Kills, OK in Pill Form

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell chimed in as to his reason for not backing medical marijuana — because people die from marijuana. (Luckily, no asked about his thoughts as to masturbation, as it leads to hairy palms and blindness.)

 According to The Huffington Post, McConnell was answering a letter from a constituent who questioned the senator about medical marijuana.

He not only voiced his concern about medical marijuana legislation introduced by Rep. Barney Frank because pot kills but that one of the ingredients of pot, tetrahydrocannabinol, is available in pill form for the treatment of some illnesses.

 "Because of the harm that substances like marijuana and other narcotics pose to our society, I have concerns about this legislation. The detrimental effects of drugs have been well documented: short-term memory loss, loss of core motor functions, heightened risk of lung disease, and even death," he stated.

 So not only does McConnell believe that marijuana could kill, no doubt "Reefer Madness"-style, but that you should also take a pill instead of growing your own. Interesting, to say the least.

A Tale of Two States: While Pro-Pot Initiative to Hit Washington's Ballot, California Legalization Efforts in Disarray

In contrast to Washington state's well-organized initiative to legalize pot, California's efforts are split between four potential proposals.

 Pro-pot groups in the Golden State felt emboldened by the 42 percent of voters who supported legalization the last time it was on the ballot in 2010.

However, their efforts have split into four factions, whose stand on the issue range from codifying and setting up an enforcement agency for existing medical marijuana laws to outright legalization of cannabis for recreational use.

 Less than 10 percent of the medical marijuana industry is contributing to the causes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Speculation for the reasons behind the lack of support include apathy, the fear of more competition with downward pressure on prices and ongoing federal raids against the businesses.

 Monied backers who supported California's legalization efforts are also less likely to back the new efforts. Instead, they're more likely to put their cash behind the initiative in Washington because its already been OK'd to appear on the state's ballot.

Legalize It, Says... Pat Robertson?

Televangelist and Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson has a history of saying a lot of kooky things on TV. Hurricane Katrina was an act of God against America's sins and claimed that Haiti's earthquake was related to the country's supposed pact with the devil, just for starters.

 However, Robertson raised even more eyebrows for saying something sensible for once — marijuana should be legalized and that federal and state anti-drug laws are draining billions of dollars from the nation's coffers.

 "Folks, we've gotta do something about this. We've just got to change the laws. We cannot allow this to continue. It is sapping our vitality. Think of this great land of freedom," he said.

 Predictably, anti-drug advocates were not swayed by Robertson's appeal.

 "Clearly he is ill-informed about the drug war," Calvina Fay, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation, told The Christian Science Monitor.

 However, Robertson's comments have left many agreeing with the "700 Club" host for the first time.

DUI Detail in Proposed Washington State Legalization Initiative Sparks Debate Among Marijuana Supporters

Marijuana legalization proponents are at odds with each other over the issue of driving — driving under the influence, that is.

Washington state's current proposal to legalize marijuana would set the threshold for driving under the influence of pot at five nanograms of THC per millimeter of blood. However, many medical marijuana patients and stoners are finding their blood levels are normally at least twice the legal threshold.

Proponents of the initiative believe the historic nature of the Washington being the first state to legalize marijuana outweighs the details regarding the DUI issue.

 "It's just not reality that officers will start pulling over people randomly, illegally arresting them, and taking them in to get blood draws," Alison Holcomb, campaign director for New Approach Washington, the political action committee behind the initiative, told the Seattle Weekly.

 But marijuana users face the possibility of never getting their THC under the proposed law's threshold, even after staying away from weed for extended periods. Research shows that THC levels go up to over 50 nanograms with one hit of pot, with detectable levels of the chemical lingering in the blood long after that.

Pullman OKs Regulations for Medical Marijuana Cultivation — But Requires DEA OK for Growers

On first glance, Pullman, Wash.'s medical marijuana regulations seem reasonable. The location of where medical marijuana is being grown needs to be be registered with the city, in addition to anyone using the plants.

However, further down the ordinance it's revealed that the registration is contingent on a written letter from the DEA stating that the operation is in compliance with federal law.
The DEA, of course, has no plans to authorize medical marijuana growers in Pullman, or anywhere for that matter.

Why the impossible requirement? A classic case of bureaucratic CYA. Federal officials have threatened to prosecute anyone — including state officials — who sanction medical marijuana.

"Once the federal government and state governments resolve their conflict, now the city has a system in place for licensing and registration," City Attorney Laura McAloon told the Standard-Examiner. "And it still protects the city from any federal issues."

Federal Judge to Medical Marijuana Collectives: Screw You and the Promise Obama Rode in On

A federal judge in Sacramento threw out a lawsuit contesting the recent medical marijuana crackdown by U.S. Attorneys the SFGate reports.

 Advocates claim that President Obama's promise to leave dispensaries and growers alone in a Justice Department memo if they complied with the medical pot laws of their respective states was broken.

However, Judge Garland Burrell said the memo "does not contain a promise not to enforce." He also called the it a "statement of priorities," that federal laws regarding drug production and distribution were still valid and that appeals courts and the Supreme Court do not recognize a constitutional right to marijuana for the terminally ill.

 Though other judges ruled in a similar manner, they have not dismissed the lawsuits in their courts. Another lawsuit filed by Americans for Safe Access argues that the federal government is violating the state of California's constitutional authority to mandate its own health policies.

California Assemblyman Ammiano Proposes State Bill to Regulate Medical Pot

California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (a Democrat representing San Francisco) introduced a law that would regulate medical marijuana dispensaries statewide.

 The bill, A.B. 2312, would allow "collectives, cooperatives, and other business entities to cultivate, acquire, process, possess, transport, test, sell, and distribute marijuana for medical purposes." The bill would also punish doctors who write bad patient recommendations with a misdemeanor offense, set up a government body to oversee the enforcement of the law and limit one collective per city of 50,000, The Huffington Post reports.

 Unfortunately, the bill stands little chance of passing. Gov. Jerry Brown has not signed any pro-pot legalization into law and it's generally accepted that he won't.

 Ammiano is a long time advocate of medical marijuana and access for patients. He's called for U.S. Attorneys to end their campaign to close dispensaries and met with them to personally question the closures.

Marijuana Shop Owner Outraged Over Possible Porn Neighbor

The owner of Studio City, Calif. medical marijuana dispensary Perennial Holistic Wellness Center, Inc., contacted Patch.com with a concern about his neighborhood.

 Perennial Holistic Wellness Center, Inc. is about to have an adult book store as a new neighbor. The owner is concerned that the adult book store will bring an increase in crimes, sex crimes in particular.

He cited an earlier sexual assault in the area and an act of vandalism he claims to have seen as proof that a porn shop in the area is a bad idea.

 You know, like how people who don't like pot say that pot shops lead to more crime and drug dealing.

"Tonight's incident and the first sexual assult [sic] in Studio City in many years, last year near the Shell on Ventura Place is more proof positive that an adult book store is not the right thing for this community," he wrote.

What's interesting is that the so-called "secondary effects" that anti-porn groups cite are in dispute. They're not unlike the arguments anti-legalization groups make about dispensaries, which were dispelled by a RAND Corp. study (much to the dismay of the City of L.A.).

Seattle's Mayor Calls for Marijuana Legalization in State of the City Address

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn dares to utter the truth that marijuana advocates know and that anti-drug crusaders fear: illegal drugs fund criminals, reports NPR affiliate KPLU.

 In his State of the City address, McGinn states:

 “It is time we were honest about the problems we face with the drug trade. Drugs are a source of criminal profit, and that has led to shootings and even murders. Just like we learned in the 1920s with the prohibition of alcohol, prohibition of marijuana is fueling violent activity." 

 McGinn also calls on Washington state to legalize marijuana to end the erosion of civil liberties. He also remarked that though Seattle has taken a progressive stance on marijuana, federal anti-drug laws in place continue to fuel violence.

 Mayor McGinn's example shows that legalization will ultimately be a bottom-up process, rather than coming from Washington.

Obama Reversed Course Because Medical Marijuana Policy Too Successful

Kevin Drum, political blogger for Mother Jones magazine, plays connect the dots with President Obama's about-turn on medical marijuana.

 Citing coverage in The Rolling Stone, Drum points to holdovers from the Bush administration in the Drug Enforcement Administration but is quick to point out the U.S. Attorneys sending seizing property and money in California and Washington don't answer to or take orders from the DEA.

Drum adds that while the current administration maintains its position is "clear and consistent," its actions threatens to alienate the youth vote that voted the president into office.

 In an update, Drum floats a theory by The New Republic's Tim Fernholz that Obama reversed his stance on medical marijuana when state governments requested information on licensing growers and distributers.

Washington State's Legislature Refuses to Clarify Legal Status of Dispensaries

Though storefront medical marijuana operations can be found in Seattle and Tacoma, their existence is cloaked in a legal gray zone.

An attempt to legalize medical dispensaries, such as those found in California, is dead in the state legislature despite the best efforts of outspoken access advocate Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, a Democrat from Seattle.  "The bottom line is, it was very difficult to reach a full consensus. There wasn’t as much momentum and interest as there was last year," Kohl-Welles told The Seattle Times.

The bill would have established the legality of 105 dispensaries in Seattle, as well as establish a patient registry.

The hopes of medical access advocates now rests on the state of Washington's initiative to legalize the recreational use of pot.

The Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance Seeks Tighter Regulation of Medical Pot Industry

Though the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance only lists 13 collectives as members of its organization, it's become one of the leading voices for pot shops in the city.

When the city council meets about anything related to their interests, the GLACA is there. Recently, with U.S. Attorneys threatening action against local landowners and local governments that support medical marijuana, the city council's stance on the issue is to shut all the establishments down. In response, the GLACA has proposed tight regulations on the medical marijuana dispensary community with a government enforcement arm to back it up, the L.A. Weekly reports.

While the GLACA's stance on the issue seems contradictory to their mission, when examined closer it reveals perhaps the only way to save safe and legal access in L.A. The organization is currently seeking signatures to place its proposal on the ballot.

Profitable Collectives do Not Violate the Law, California Medical Marijuana Author Says

U.S. Attorneys shutting down medical marijuana collectives in California more often that not use the talking point of "profitability" as if it was a four letter word.

However according to the author of the state's medical marijuana law, former state Senator John Vasconcellos, a profitable collective doesn't mean it's breaking the law. In fact, according to the law he authored, there's no requirement that the dispensary be non-profit, reports the L.A. Weekly.

In a letter to clarify the issue, he wrote:

Nothing in that section prohibits profit. Nothing in that section explicitly authorizes profit, either. But I must point out that nobody is required to obtain an "authorization" from the Legislature to make a profit in California. 

... the language does not in any respect purport to prohibit profit ~ if that had been the intent, the language would have so stated clearly. It obviously does no such thing.

Washington Punts Legalized Marijuana Question to Voters

The Washington legislature refused to act on a voter-backed initiative to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the state, leaving the decision up to the voters in November.

If passed, the law would be the first in the nation to OK the recreational use of the drug. Similar voter initiatives in other states, such as California and Oregon, are taking place but none have been able to secure the number of signatures to bring the issue to the ballot.

Support for relaxing the use of marijuana comes from unlikely corners, including former law enforcement officials. The Seattle Times reports Charles Mandigo, the former head of Seattle's FBI field office, testified, "It is the money, not the drugs, that drive these criminal organizations and street gangs. Take away the money and you take away the criminal element."

If passed, the law would allow Washington residents 21 and over the right to purchase dried marijuana, marijuana in edibles and marijuana-infused drinks. The state would impose a 25 percent tax on processors, growers and stores.