When the medical marijuana law was adopted 13 years ago in California, it was jumping into a brave new world where nobody quite knew how to regulate it, tax it, or even really control it. As a result medical marijuana dispensaries popped up out of the woodwork and set up shop by providing medical marijuana to the registered patients.

Now, with much of the complaints coming from law enforcement, insinuating that dispensaries are being run by some people that may have some connections to the black market and/or may be selling medical marijuana to minors or anyone that may not be a registered medical marijuana patient.

Los Angeles tried to appease the LAPD by creating a moratorium in 2007 that aimed to shut down some medical marijuana dispensaires that were making profit off medical marijuana sales but because of a loophole, some dispensaries were able to file for a “hardship exemption” and remain open. However as a result other dispensaries were able to sneak in under the radar which led to 600+ dispensaries currently in operation in California.

On Friday all the dispansaries were scampering to stay open… only 186 met the requirements. The remainder of the medical marijuana dispensaries that remain open illegally will face a $2500 day fine on top of the owners being threatened with six months of jail time. Other dispensaries are being targeted to shut down by forcing those that are 1,000 feet from each other, from schools, libraries, parks and other places children would likely be.

Like many key players in the marijuana legalization movement, outspoken, Craig X. Rubin, Pastor of the Temple 420 Church, has a target on his back.

Rubin was arrested three years ago for running a medical marijuana dispensary through the church, Temple 420, and sentenced to five years in prison. He hasn’t served any time, with his case on appeal and moving through the courts and possibly headed to the highest court in the nation, the Supreme Court. According to Rubin, the city of Los Angeles has been spending millions in trying to bring him down.

This past weekend, Rubin attended the world’s largest marijuana convention, THC Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center, an event that was funded by Rubin’s family. Rubin has long since claimed that the owner of Apothecary Travel, Bret Bouge and one of the winners of the Cannabis Cup have been working with law enforcement in an effort to entrap him and have him sent to jail.

For the two days of the event, everything was normal, Rubin preached and was there for his supporters and fans of his aspiring acting career. Bouge made an appearance and began harrassing Rubin’s wife, “Mrs. X”.

Rubin commented:

From the stage I saw Bouge acting in a hostile manner with his face less than three inches from my wife’s. I wanted to jump off stage and deal with it, but made a commitment to Oaksterdam to be positive while on their stage. [...] If I have a problem or get in any trouble I go to jail for five years because I am still on probation, so I believe Bouge was there to create a problem, but we just walked away from him.

Lead singer of Los Marijuanos, Rafael “Pony Boy” Ochoa stated:

Todd McCormick, one of the event organizers, was kicking Bouge out of the event until he offered to buy a booth for $1,500 just hours before the event was over.

According to Rubin, Bouge didn’t open his booth nor did he appear to be there to promote his company. Rubin believes that Bouge was only there to cause a scene that might lead to his arrest — right before a hearing scheduled for this month that will look into the seizure of his life savings.

Unfortunately, Judge Leslie Ann Swain will be assigned to the case, the same judge that signed Rubin’s arrest warrant and refused to recognize Rubin being a Pastor. In fact, at Rubin’s trial, the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of Rights could not be mentioned as not to “confuse the jury” — coincidentally the same thing that happened in the Charles Lynch trial.

The irony behind this case is the fact that Rubin has since opened up another medical marijuana dispensary, The Beverly Hills Green Cross, another church that distributes medical marijuana. On May 20th, Rubin showed the judge the minute order that gave him permission to do again exactly what he was convicted for and what caused the seizure of his family’s life savings.

Rubin’s next court date is June 25th. There, his attorney, plans to solicit the court to have the money returned that was seized during Rubin’s first arrest. It seems as if they have plenty of ammunition now to clear Rubin’s name, more so than they did three years ago. The fact that Rubin has opened up another medical marijuana dispensary and has yet to serve any time from being convicted of operating a medical marijuana dispensary three years ago, will only add fuel to the fire.

Charles Lynch, a scapegoat caught in the crossfires of the continuing war on drugs, was sentenced by Federal Judge George H. Wu to one year and one day in a federal prison on Thursday.

He was convicted last summer of five federal counts connected to running a medical marijuana dispensary and selling medical marijuana to patients under 21 years of age. The truth, if anyone investigated the case was that a sheriff had a wild hair up his ass from the start of Lynch’s business. Watch the video above, you learn who the minor was that Lynch helped with his medical marijuana.

Stephen Gutwillig of the Drug Policy Alliance, said:

That Attorney General Holder changed federal policy three months ago only makes this miscarriage of justice all the more disturbing. Charlie is like a forgotten prisoner of war, abandoned after a truce was declared.

Unfortunately, he’s right. Other medical marijuana dispensaries have been raided since Lynch’s arrest and undoubtedly more will be raided if they do not comply with the new CA state guidelines that claims all for-profit dispensaries must shut down or possibly change into a non-profit. This is done to prevent those individuals that operate such dispensaries to break the link from black market ties and market gaming.

It seems medical marijuana is having an identity crisis lately. It’s been legal in various states now for well over a decade and they are just now starting to fill the loopholes and dictate how it’s to be dispersed as well as who disperses it. More and more states are beginning to consider medial marijuana now, with most of the Northeast having legislation moving through their houses and senates.

Lynch’s lawyer, Reuven Cohen, planned to appeal. Meanwhile, somewhere in America, “Free Charlie Lynch” t-shirts are being printed up so that his memory doesn’t fade and the soldiers in the war on drugs know those who were subsequently left behind.

Sentencing for Charles Lynch, who was convicted on five marijuana-related offenses before the new policy change from the Obama Administration took effect, was postponed until June 11th.

Last Wednesday, U.S. District Judge George Wu listened to both sides for more than two hours before rendering his decision. He said he would consider reducing Lynch’s sentence but said he believes he is bound by law to sentence Lynch to at least one year in prison.

Doing a complete about face regarding their shift in policy, DEA agents raided Emmalyn’s California Cannabis Clinic in San Francisco. DEA spokeswoman Casey McEnry said the documents regarding the raid are sealed, so the DEA was not able to give any details.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Anthony D. Williams in a written statement:

Based on our investigation we believe there are not only violations of federal law, but state law as well.

Emmalyn’s has a provisional permit from the city, according to Eileen Shields, spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, which she said is an indication the club is in good standing with city laws.

Brendan Hallanin, the pot club’s attorney, said Emmalyn’s is in compliance with state and local laws. Hallanin said the DEA would not tell him why the club was being busted.

It’s strange that President Barack Obama’s top law enforcement official, Eric Holder Jr., just last week repeatedly said that the raids of medical marijuana dispensaries would be suspended.

Oakland Police Dept. raided a medical marijuana dispensary Friday, and on the premises found 16 guns and $16,000.

The department didn’t announce the raid of Lemon Drop Cafe on Telegraph Ave. until Tuesday, but the owner was arrested for selling marijuana to customers without the proper documentation.

Steven Smyrni, 36, is being held on $250,000 bail.

Following a dispensary raid nearly two years ago, Charles Lynch is about to be sentenced in a federal courthouse in Los Angeles, CA.

Central Coast Compassion Caregivers’ former owner and operator, Lynch was in front of the courthouse yesterday in an orange jumpsuit and a faux-weed crucifix-like crown in protest.

Sentencing has been postponed until March 23rd at which time Lynch finds out where in the guidelines, between five and 100 years, his sentence will fall. In addition to violations of federal drug laws, Lynch is also being sentenced for maintaining a drug-involved premises, and aiding and abetting the sale of drugs to minors.

Lynch’s security guard was also charged with selling marijuana illegally near the store’s premises. Lynch is currently free on a $400,000 bail.

Regulation efforts, which include a new series of hoops a potential dispensary owner would have to jump through, resulted in a slow start for cannabis clubs in San Francisco, CA.

So far this year, 10 clubs have been authorized, while 13 more permits are currently undergoing the application process. Right now the city has 23, but at one time had as many as 40, before regulatory measures were put in place by Senate Bill 420.

Residents have been patient with local officials because the authorities have been supportive of the medical marijuana community, and remain true to their word regarding regulatory/approval policies.

[img via Thomas Hawk]

Charles Lynch, who operated within state guidelines but was recently convicted under federal law for his marijuana dispensary, will not get a new trial. Lynch was convicted on five counts in relation to his operation of the Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers facility, which was raided July 2007.

Lynch was quoted as saying:

These felony convictions are for doing things the state of California and the city of Morro Bay allowed me to do. It doesn’t seem right for me to go through my life as a felon for things I was OK’d to do.

Lynch will be scheduled Feb. 23, but has indicated plans to appeal his sentence as well.

Garden Grove City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night to ban the medical marijuana clinics, which are irritatingly referred to as “pot stores,” in the Mercury News article. The ordinance takes effect in 30 days.

I would like to take a second to commend councilman Mark Rosen for casting the lone dissenting vote. He’s quoted in the article as saying the ban is “mired in mid-20th-century thinking.” Councilman Steve Jones was kind of on board. He’s quoted as saying he didn’t want the city to become exposed to liability for poor-quality pot. Wait, what?!

In response to pressure from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Santa Barbara, CA dispensaries are shutting its doors.

The agency sent out letters to those who owned the property the dispensaries are built on threatening seizure if the clinics did not cease operations.

New Times called five Santa Barbara dispensaries for statements, but none answered. One number had been disconnected. A representative for the Santa Barbara chapter of NORML, the national group that lobbies for the legalization of marijuana—medical or otherwise—confirmed that all of the area’s dispensaries have closed their doors in response to the letters. When asked where patients would get marijuana, he said ‘probably anywhere they can.’

More gestapo tactics from our federal government sending medical marijuana patients to the streets.

This is really bad news.

Some low-life garbage shot and killed a security guard during a botched robbery at the La Brea Collective, a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, CA. One suspect remains at large but hopefully the other two captured assailants are receiving karmatic justice via repeated prison rapes.

A violent crime at a dispensary goes a long way to justifying a lot of the fears that people have about opening their neighborhood and thus is the worst kind of violent crime you can commit. I didn’t however notice any mention of items being stolen in the police report, which is unusual in a robbery.

Could it be that the cops have a hidden agenda and are lying about the motive to make a fight appear like a robbery violence brought on by the presence of marijuana in a neighborhood they patrol? Or maybe I just watch too many cop shows. Either way, I’m keeping an eye out.

A medical marijuana activist group is working on an initiative to create marijuana dispensaries in Oregon similar to those in California.

Oregon has been on board for MMJ a couple years now, but this new law would basically say that you can grow pot (for personal consumption only.) Right now, cardholders must find someone else to grow it for them. Personally, I’m all for self-sufficiency.