FEDS SEIZE SOMA MEDICINAL POT
Assemblyman Mark Leno voices outrage

December 20, 2005, 3:30 p.m.

Federal agents confiscated more than 120 marijuana plants and roughly $20,000 in assets from the home of SoMa medicinal marijuana club owners today in an early morning raid.

No San Francisco police officers took part in the operation, and no arrests were made by early afternoon.

Assemblyman Mark Leno quickly released a statement of outrage against the action.

Agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration entered the Clara Street home of Steve and Catherine Smith at approximately 6:30 a.m. The Smiths own the nearby Hopenet Co-Op which provides medicinal marijuana on a commercial and charity basis.

"I am outraged by the Federal Government's continued crusade against medical cannabis dispensaries that provide thousands of patients with safe access to the medicine they need," reported Assemblyman Leno.

"The voters of California spoke resoundingly in favor of the medical use of cannabis when they adopted Proposition 215 in 1996. The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration is severely misguided in expending its precious resources to harass patients and providers rather than working on other public safety issues that actually pose a threat to the public.

"For them to seize the resources of sick and dying patients is an unconscionable abuse of power. Recent DEA raids both here in San Francisco and in San Diego will have a detrimental impact on the health of patients with life threatening illness.

"Polls indicate that at least 75% of Americans support safe and affordable access to medical marijuana. Congress should take action to reign in the repeated harassment of patients and providers of medical cannabis so that no patient's health is ever put in jeopardy."

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