Pubdate: Sat, 31 May 2008
Source: Palo Alto Daily News (CA)
Copyright: 2008 Palo Alto Daily News
Contact:  http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/965
Author: Alan Fackler
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)

PENINSULA'S LAST CANNABIS CLUB GETS RAIDED

Federal agents, in conjunction with the San Mateo County Narcotics 
Task Force, have shut down the Peninsula's last remaining cannabis 
club, where they confiscated drugs and paperwork, according to police.

Agents raided Holistic Solutions, located at 216 2nd  St., at 6 a.m. 
on Wednesday. Federal agents shut down  three other local medical 
marijuana dispensaries in  August.

This week's raid has left medical marijuana advocates  in an uproar. 
Some believe the operation was part of a  trio of morning raids in 
San Mateo, Clearlake and  Richmond that specifically targeted Ken 
Estes, who  reportedly owns several medical marijuana 
facilities  throughout California. Estes was not available Friday  for comment.

"The federal government is frustrated by the 
effective  implementation of state law in California, and 
they're  trying to undermine it," said Kris Hermes of Americans  for 
Safe Access, a group that promotes the use of  legalized medical 
marijuana. "I would certainly suspect  that they were targeting Estes 
and his facilities."

San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force Officer Mark Wyss  refused 
comment on whether the raids were linked,  stating only that the case 
is still under  investigation. The raid illustrates the conflicts 
that many cannabis clubs face. California's Compassionate  Use Act, 
passed in 1996, allows the use of marijuana  for medicinal purposes 
with a doctor's approval, but  marijuana is still illegal under federal laws.
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