Another Medical Marijuana Co-Op Raided
June 8th, 2009 by Rick
With a search warrant, deputies from the Kern County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Violator Unit, raided a medical marijuana co-op in Oildale, California last Wednesday.
Despite nobody being arrested, the deputies confiscated four pounds of marijuana that were in a safe. Also found were 299 pill bottles that were labeled individually and contained between a gram to a quarter ounce of marijuana in each (reportedly a total of 14 grams). More than $2000 cash, as well as business records and numerous computers were seized.
Two things about this story:
- If there were 299 pill bottles that contained at least a gram to a quarter ounce of marijuana in each, there would be at least 299 grams… not 14… either someone doesn’t have their facts straight or someone is dipping into the supply.
- How do you serve a search warrant, confiscate a business’s property and then not arrest anyone?.
In early May, the same sheriff’s department raided the Green Cross Co-op in East Bakersfield.
One of the reasons that these co-ops are being raided is the fact that apparently there are new state attorney guidelines that dictate only non-profit medical marijuana co-ops are allowed to conduct business under state law, not the ones that secure profits.
Bakersfield Man Flips Out, Eats Kid’s Eye
May 19th, 2009 by Rick
On April 28th, like something straight of a Rob Zombie flick, a disabled Bakersfield man, Angel Vidal Mendoza Sr., wigged out and is accused of biting out one eye and mutilating the other of his 4-year old son, Angelo Mendoza Jr. The child was rushed to Mercy Hospital after police said that the child claimed, “My daddy ate my eyes.” Doctors are unsure if his vision could be salvaged.
After attacking his son, the demented dad left the apartment in his wheelchair, made his way to a nearby backyard and hacked his legs with an ax, severely injuring himself. Police later said that he was “was displaying symptoms of being under the influence of PCP.”
This wasn’t a first time for Mendoza to apparently be under the influence of PCP. Back in 2006, he and the boy’s mother, Desirae Marie Bermudez, pleaded no contest to child endangerment.
Mendoza remains in jail, his bail set at one million dollars. He is charged with mayhem, torture, child cruelty and inflicting an injury to a child.
Feds Continue to Raid Sanctioned Growers
May 8th, 2009 by Russ
Salem news is reporting that the Bakersfield, CA police have raided a local, state-approved marijuana cooperative with the help of DEA agents. This development runs contrary to promises from the Obama Adminstration that the DEA would cease encroaching upon state laws.
Local sheriff, Donny Youngblood, noted that while he would respect the standing of non-profit weed cooperatives, for-profit weed dispensaries would still be raided in contravention of state law. Proposition 215, which legalized medical marijuana in the state, does prohibit the accrual of ‘excessive profits’ by sanctioned dispensaries.
The federal authorities involved have been somewhat coy about their level of involvement, maintaining that they were simply ‘assisting’ the Bakersfield Sheriff’s Office in the raid.
Regardless of their role, the Feds have got some explaining to do.
