DEA raids caregivers of America, Walled Lake...

The following article was posted in the freep this morning......

http://www.freep.com/article/20110412/NEWS03/110412028/Feds-raid-medical-marijuana-facility-Walled-Lake-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration this morning raided Caregivers of America, a medicinal marijuana facility in Walled Lake.

Few details were being released but DEA special agent Rich Isaacson said a sealed federal search warrant was executed at the business on Decker Road in Walled Lake.

He would not say why the warrants were issued or how long the investigation has been going on.

A call to Caregivers of America was not returned.

Two DEA agents with black masks covering the lower part of their face were seen entering the building at 1020 Decker Road around 9:15 this morning.

The search warrants were executed around 7 a.m. today, Walled Lake Police Chief Paul Shakinas said.

Walled Lake Police are not involved, but were given a heads up, Shakinas said this morning. He said he could not release how many search warrants are being executed or where.

“It should wrap up today,” he said.

The DEA is the lead working with Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
Come back to freep.com for more details and video

hope for a good outcome I guess??..like they leave the people alone.

Apparently, the brain-dead excuse for a reporter didn't bother to read the law completely, either. His final sentence in the article, "Licensed caregivers are permitted to grow up to 12 plants in controlled situations and sell marijuana to up to five patients", shows his inexcusable ignorance of the law. We're allowed 12 plants PER PATIENT, that is, unless some lunatic judge on a crusade has recently ruled that provision unnecessary and excessive.

Doubt it.. they probably have reasonable cause that they were selling to non-cardholders like probably a lot of places are. If we are not careful stupid people like this will get our rights taken back away. Just my thought.. (oh if they weren't selling illegally or other infractions my apologies .. but doubt they don't do this without cause).

Haven't read it all but here is the start :

he head of at least one medical marijuana facility raided today by federal agents is controversial businessman Romel Casab, who also co-owns the long-closed Packard Motor Car Co. plant. Casab made headlines last fall when he sued a local art gallery that removed a mural at the plant reportedly painted by famed graffiti artist Banksy.
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Casab, a land speculator with varied business interests, is listed on state business records as resident agent of CareGivers of America LLC, which is based in an office on 12 Mile in Novi. He formed the company in November 2009.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was leading coordinated raids today at the Novi location and a second dispensary along Decker Road in Walled Lake.

r1tony said:

Doubt it.. they probably have reasonable cause that they were selling to non-cardholders like probably a lot of places are. If we are not careful stupid people like this will get our rights taken back away. Just my thought.. (oh if they weren't selling illegally or other infractions my apologies .. but doubt they don't do this without cause).

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Can't say that I disagree with you there, Tony. It's hard to argue that the black market isn't tempting, especially since we've been under mj prohibition for so long. Though I have to play devil's advocate here and say it seems to be just business as usual for the DEA, even though our "wonderful" president has made his proclamation that med users are to be left alone, the DEA seems to have simply let it "blow over" and resumed their previous oppressive tactics. I seriously doubt that we'll see any significant changes until MJ is seriously approached and considered at the federal level, as it'll be nothing more than a minor issue of states' rights until then. An issue, I might add, that NO politician in D.C. wants to approach right now, no matter how many votes it might get them in coming elections.

I think the dispensary issue may have already been settled, at least as much as it CAN be settled outside of the Michigan State Supreme Court. There's at least one judgment, I believe, that is on the books now that prohibits despensaries. If this is the case, and as long as small scale caregivers ( those not attempting to tend more than 5 patients including themselves, remember 5 patients plus yourself has not been proven in court yet as far as I know, so you're courting possible disaster there) are left alone, I'd say the DEA is actually cutting a bit of slack. Remember, most of the places that get raided in other states either have HUGE (huge being in excess of the already generous 60 plants that you're allowed to have if you care for 5 patients and aren't a patient yourself) numbers of plants, or large quantities of pot on hand to cover more than just five patients, which isn't allowed for in the law. Remember, the law says 5 patients, 12 plants for each patient, and 2.5oz of USABLE pot per patient. A dispensary is basically a pot cafe where anyone with a card can buy, and this reaches far beyond the legal allotment of patients.

If you are going to put your shit on main street, don't come crying when it attracts the wrong kind of attention.

I've seen people doing photo shoots in local papers when opening new shops.. To me it's like slapping the feds in the face and taunting them. Like it or not, we are still breaking Federal law reguardless of state laws that are in place to protect us.

Kind of line right up with all of our Avitars doesn't it ?
Who post their actual pic on here ?

I sure as hell don't.

Buddy Ganga said:

If you are going to put your shit on main street, don't come crying when it attracts the wrong kind of attention.

I've seen people doing photo shoots in local papers when opening new shops.. To me it's like slapping the feds in the face and taunting them. Like it or not, we are still breaking Federal law reguardless of state laws that are in place to protect us.

Kind of line right up with all of our Avitars doesn't it ?
Who post their actual pic on here ?

I sure as hell don't.

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That's a bit hypocritical of you, isn't it Buddy Ganja? I mean, weren't you just bragging in RikoSuave55's caregiver thread about how you give out free meds to your patients and make tremendous money by selling to dispensaries?

Who do you think they're gonna be investigating after the dispensary has been taken apart and gutted for every last bit of information they can squeeze from it and the employees?

I like this next question the best: Are you not slapping them in the face just as hard with your talk of sales to dispensaries and extravagant profits? I'm sure they read these threads too.

That's why patients should just stick to caregivers.....like me

Agreed, at least until either dispensaries are legal, or pot is.

1) I tranfer my overages to dispeseries if you feel the need to use legal terms.
2) Who ever they think is going to made a worthy case for the head lines, and thats not me.
3) I'm completly honest with my patients. They are able to view the grow any time they come over.
I've got no reason to hide anything from them or lie to them.

Since I met them at a local dispesery, those types of issues are non existing.

Buddy Ganga said:

1) I tranfer my overages to dispeseries if you feel the need to use legal terms.
2) Who ever they think is going to made a worthy case for the head lines, and thats not me.
3) I'm completly honest with my patients. They are able to view the grow any time they come over.
I've got no reason to hide anything from them or lie to them.

Since I met them at a local dispesery, those types of issues are non existing.

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1.) Nothing legal about that until we get an MI supreme court ruling that allows dispensaries, even if they aren't technically illegal because they weren't mentioned in the law.

2.) If you think they're not going to try and track down the producers of the large quantities of pot they find there, you're fooling no-one but yourself.

3.) Good for you. Honestly, I'm not being a smartass here. Honesty with the people you're helping is always a good thing.

The problem is that you're lying to YOURSELF if you think for a second that the DEA won't come after your ass if they find out you're one of the suppliers of a dispensary. In their eyes, you're no different than the mexican or canadian pot smugglers, and no matter what you and I disagree on here... it's what the DEA thinks, that counts.

And what about eric holder, he should be telling these feds to stand down too, permitting they're following the rules.

LordWinter said:

Can't say that I disagree with you there, Tony. It's hard to argue that the black market isn't tempting, especially since we've been under mj prohibition for so long. Though I have to play devil's advocate here and say it seems to be just business as usual for the DEA, even though our "wonderful" president has made his proclamation that med users are to be left alone, the DEA seems to have simply let it "blow over" and resumed their previous oppressive tactics. I seriously doubt that we'll see any significant changes until MJ is seriously approached and considered at the federal level, as it'll be nothing more than a minor issue of states' rights until then. An issue, I might add, that NO politician in D.C. wants to approach right now, no matter how many votes it might get them in coming elections.

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Agreed, Ceph. Agreed 100%. Problem is, the USAG is part of the capitol hill establishment, and we all know the corruption that exists there. Hell, our own state AG is on record as being against our own law, so we can't even really count on his support in the courts when the feds finally try to force the state to give up the patient lists.

this is all terribly disappointing-

michigan needs a boost. to the small guy. not the guy with the lawyer(who already owns a grocery store) selling mid grade meds for 400 an ounce.

michigan also has the unique geographical requirements to produce some truly connoisseur grade marijuana. Lake Grown. with the piney undertones of sand the traverse city area is known for. or the musky darkness of the cedar swamps of alpena.

we need to look to california as an example and band together to keep big brother and big business out of marijuana growing. although it is very tempting to succumb to the initial concept of dumping large quantities of meds to dispensaries, but it will be our downfall.

in my opine, there are not many ounces worth more than 200 dollars. it has been an industry standard for 20 years, allows the "normal guy" to have quality grade and includes enough room for profit for everyone(and HAS).

the last thing we need are high profile types with loads of meds at exorbitant prices bringing vans full of dea agents to the party.

Exactly, Murfy. The small guy needs to be able to make an honest buck too. I'm so sick and tired of all these pharmaceutical companies producing chemicals that have so many side effects that the list ends up looking like the symptoms of it's own disease.

Take Marinol, for example... Drugs.com lists the marinol side effects as follows: Confusion; decreased coordination; dizziness; drowsiness; elevated or relaxed mood; headache; nausea; stomach pain; trouble concentrating; vomiting; and weakness. Marinol is listed on that site as "a man-made form of cannabis", which can not be more incorrect. It's just a synthesized cannabinoid.

That point on being synthesized is important, as medical science has shown that the myriad cannabinoids present in mj produce a synergistic effect that cannot yet be replicated through artificial means. Hell, they don't even understand how many of the cannabinoids work, much less how they combine their effects in such a way that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

The only reason we don't have LEGAL mj, medical or otherwise, in this country, is because it will be impossible to tax. Beer, for example, is not so simple to produce as pot, and requires a lot of equipment, and great care in the form of sterilized equipment. Pot on the other hand, requires only a single seed (providing you're lucky, or using feminized seeds), proper care, and fertilization. Put simply, we can't have it because the asshats in authority cannot control it the way they control alcohol and tobacco.

this place is fuckin awesome too. you guys wouldnt believe some of the things they offered to cg's.

i ran into a guy that said he runs the place (i never checked it out for myself) and he said he offered grow rooms to rent by the harvest cycle. so a small, not equipped room is 500 a month times three month harvest equals 1500. or large 20x20 room equipped with 20 1k lights and everything you need to grow for some crazy amount, i think like 5k a month...

but anyhow they have alot of shit going on there.

also he said to come in for buds that were 9 - 20 a gram.

yea well the word probably got around, thats how the popo get their tips is word of mouth aka informants, not that I am invincible or anything but I generally only work with people I have known for 20+ years and nobody even my patients know the location of my grow and I do not distribute meds to anyone but them, stay safe guys