Pubdate: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 Source: Boulder Weekly (CO) Copyright: 2010 Boulder Weekly Contact: http://www.boulderweekly.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/57 Related: The complaint against Chris Bartkowicz http://mapinc.org/url/SB1XPfZq Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Chris+Bartkowicz Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?253 (Cannabis - Medicinal - U.S.) THE DEA'S DARTBOARD We are a bit perplexed by the Drug Enforcement Administration's recent medical marijuana raids. Wasn't there some sort of federal edict passed down last fall telling the DEA to leave dispensaries and caregivers alone in states with medical marijuana laws, as long as they are not in violation of those laws? So, what criteria is the DEA using to select its targets? In media reports, Jeffrey Sweetin of the DEA keeps referring to the amount of profit involved, which is curious. If a caregiver has a boatload of patients legally, why wouldn't a sizeable profit be expected? Another factor seems to be publicity. Chris Bartkowicz was targeted by the DEA recently after appearing on a TV news program boasting about how much pot he grows. Again, we don't recall any language in Amendment 20 prohibiting that. "Technically, every dispensary in the state is in blatant violation of federal law," Sweetin told The Denver Post. "The time is coming when we go into a dispensary, we find out what their profit is, we seize the building and we arrest everybody." When reached by Boulder Weekly, Mike Turner of the DEA was clearly backpedaling to do damage control after Sweetin's inflammatory comments. "We don't have any plans to start targeting marijuana dispensaries unless there are extenuating circumstances," he says, citing things like money-laundering, violent crime and weapons violations. "We're not focusing on this on a day-to-day basis. It's not like we're patrolling the streets looking for marijuana dispensaries." Turner assures us that they did their homework before raiding Bartkowicz's home, and that it wasn't just because he was bragging on TV. But he adds, "If we turn on the television and see a large-scale marijuana operation, that's cause for concern and may cause us to look into it. . We can't just turn our backs on that." When pressed about the particulars of the state's marijuana laws - which DEA officers should know, if they are going to be targeting those who violate them - Turner floundered. "I'm not that versed," he said. "I'm not an attorney." Well, that's reassuring. He also told Boulder Weekly that the demand probably exceeds the supply in Colorado, and that pot is probably flowing in from other states and countries to supply all of our new dispensaries with product. Turner mentions Mexico, obviously, but also Canada as likely sources of Colorado's weed. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake