SANTA ROSA, CA May 29, 2002 – The Aiko Compassionate Center, a medical marijuana patients’ group in Santa Rosa, was raided by a team of DEA agents today. Two suspects were arrested in what is thought to be the outgrowth of an ongoing DEA investigation of medical marijuana cultivation in Sonoma County.
This is the fourth DEA raid of a medical cannabis club since Sept. 11th. Over a dozen medical marijuana cases are pending in federal court in California.
A nationwide protest against the raids is planned for June 6th at noon at DEA offices around the country. For details, contact Americans for Safe Access (510) 486-8083.
Prop 215 supporters denounced the DEA raids as a malicious intrusion on California’s medical marijuana law. “It’s a sorry commentary on the Justice Department that it’s made more arrests for medical marijuana than terrorism in California,” said California NORML coordinator Dale Gieringer.