Feds Shutting Down Harborside....

[PoopyTeaBags]

its fucked the mmj business is the only business thats gets punished if you do well... you can operate 100% legally and safely but dont get to big or youll be busted?? seriously? we bust people for what are country is suppose to be built on? capitalism? wow....

 

[Stoner4Life]

so state regs say that nobody w/o a mmj license (w/the exception of workers) can be in a dispensary correct? how friggin' stupid do you really have to be to invite a film crew into the shop?

they took a ton of money, perhaps their life's ambition, their net worth (property forfeiture from taxes) and every business fixture accumulated and flushed them down the toilet by letting some slick talking producers convince them that this was the next step to take.

way to go, good lookin' out the the down low.......


btw, anyone know what happened to the 2 brothers out in colorado?

 

[Chunkypigs]

fuckin feds are not fuckin around in ca.... if anybody can fight them it's lil stevie tho...

 

[Puffin13]

^^... no.

just means you shouldnt publicly announce that youre selling mass amounts marijuana. medical, or not.

How shameful that they stand up for what they believe in.
Harborside is doing what all medical cannabis dispensaries (and governments) should be doing; educating the masses about the many many medical conditions that cannabis can help with or cure, not hiding in the corner in fear of a government that is totally wrong about the entire cannabis subject and imprisoning those who do not follow them blindly. Peoples lives are at stake here. Would you follow big brother's orders if you or a loved one, was the one who needed this medicine to stay alive or to ease your pain and suffering? "A government for the people and by the people" not a government ruling the people for their own personal gain.

 

[zingablack]

Why does that quote make me think of the federal government...?

"The larger the operation, the greater the likelihood that there will be abuse..." Our gov't is entirely too large therefore greatly increasing the likelihood of abuse, aimed towards us, the citizens. one of my favorite people, Ben Franklin, was quoted saying. "We need a revolution every 200 years, because all governments become stale and corrupt after 200 years.".. were a good 25+ years past the time for a revolution. I'm sure we'd all agree the gov't is corrupt. but it starts with knowledge. the first tidbit.. “Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have. The course of history shows us that as a government grows, liberty decreases.” ― Thomas Jefferson

REVOLUTION IS THE ONLY FEASIBLE ANSWER NOW waiting

 

[guest4092]

I saw a couple of episodes of the show, and I think the fact that the staff are always stoned wouldn't help their cause?
They always say 'medical, medical' while they scoff hash cakes all day.

It's funny, but i am sure most of them aren't using for medical reasons.

I am not saying what they are doing is wrong, but don't all of the shows that are waving the 'medical' flag realise people can see the staff are stoned all day aswell? lol

 

[MadBuddhaAbuser]

obviously going on tv was a bad idea, but how many other hundreds have been shut down who weren't on tv?

this asset forfeiture law bullshit is going to be tough to beat out there.

 

[teemu shalanie]

shitty Deal ,... but I called this season finalE . "Federal Inditement", in a past thread,.. . cant floss in the mans face , and not expect to feel the long dick of the law ,...
TS

 

[vta]

Harborside Served

Harborside Served

The Man is looking to shut down the largest MMJ club in the USA.

This sure has the makings of a high profile court battle.



Popular Oakland Pot Shop Targeted for Closure

By Lisa Leff, The Associated Press
Source: Associated Press

medical San Francisco -- An Oakland medical marijuana dispensary that has been billed as the largest pot shop on the planet has been targeted for closure by federal prosecutors in Northern California, suggesting that a crackdown on the state's medical marijuana industry remains well under way.

U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag has threatened to seize the Oakland property where Harborside Health Center has operated since 2006, as well as its sister shop in San Jose, executive director and co-founder Steve DeAngelo said Tuesday. His employees found court papers announcing asset forfeiture proceedings against Harborside's landlords taped to the doors at the two locations on Monday.

Although medical marijuana is legal in California, a federal court complaint that Haag's office filed Sunday says the dispensaries are violating federal law by selling marijuana. It cites a federal law that "makes it unlawful to rent, lease, profit from or make available for use, with or without compensation, a place for the purpose of unlawfully manufacturing, storing, distributing or using a controlled substance, to wit, marijuana," as justification for going after the landlords.

The court action represents an escalation in a months-long, statewide crackdown on medical marijuana by Haag, who said last year that she would try to shut dispensaries that were within 1,000 feet of schools, which Harborside isn't. Haag's office did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment.

DeAngelo, who was the subject of a Discovery Channel reality TV show called "Weed Wars" last year, vowed to fight the Department of Justice's attempt to put him out of business. Harborside serves about 100,000 medical marijuana users a year and pays $3 million in federal, state and local taxes annually.

"Harborside has nothing to hide or be ashamed of. We will contest the DOJ action openly and in public, and through all legal means at our disposal. We look forward to our day in court, and are confident that justice is on our side" DeAngelo said.

City officials in Oakland, which has reaped about $1 million a year in tax revenue from Harborside, are planning to join DeAngelo on Wednesday at a news conference decrying Haag's action. Earlier this year, federal prosecutors and the Internal Revenue Service raided Oaksterdam University, a medical marijuana trade school in Oakland, and forced its founder to step aside.

 

[still pluggin]

Ya I stopped going to a good club in Colorado the moment they thought it would be cute to go on national television and brag about breaking the law...

This is fucked up but I swear to god, some people are just begging to go to prison for pot. I'm sorry but I just don't believe him when he says he put his face out there for the good of the cause or whatever. He put his face out there because he wanted attention. Well, he got it...

Sad this happened but I'll save my tears for the peaceful gardener joe blow who will lose his kids over 8 plants. Not guys like this.

 

[gingerale]

^ Don't pat yourself on the back too hard while you're so busy cheering for The Man, bro

 

[gingerale]

so state regs say that nobody w/o a mmj license (w/the exception of workers) can be in a dispensary correct? how friggin' stupid do you really have to be to invite a film crew into the shop?

How do you know the film crew didn't have recs? How do you know they werent "hired on" as "workers" during the filming?

they took a ton of money, perhaps their life's ambition, their net worth (property forfeiture from taxes) and every business fixture accumulated and flushed them down the toilet by letting some slick talking producers convince them that this was the next step to take.

Right: it's the owner's fault, and the evil film producer's fault for wanting to expose truth, not the government's fault for being power-hungry tyrannical thugs. Blame the victim, not the aggressor.

 

[VonBudí]

slightly offtopic

but what would happen if california passes the regulate cannabis like wine act in november?do folks think it will pass? or will greed shoot it down like their last one.

 

[silver hawaiian]

For this comment of mine to get negative repped..


I, for one, am shocked.

Ab. so. loo. tely. Appaled.

'nt.

..tells me that someone clearly has their head in the sand.

I think here's the part where someone goes ZOMG BUT HE WAS IN CALIFORNIA OMG IT'S TOTALLY LEGAL HE SHOULD BE MADE A SAINT!

..all the while ignoring the fact that what Harborside (and most of CA) is doing is, in fact, illegal, per the federal gubm'nt.

If you'd prefer to get through life with your head in the sand, that's fantastic. But just because you're choosing to ignore a fact doesn't mean everyone else will ignore that fact too.

I'm not rooting for the feds - it's bogus that they're shutting down any MMJ operation. But for anyone to be SURPRISED?

(And then to be offended by the fact that I'm NOT surprised?)

I dunno. Critical thinking is really important in life. Y'know, the ability to say, "Okay, on one hand, this is a legal operation, per the State of California. However, on the other hand, this is illegal on a federal level."

Those two statements are facts. For anyone to gripe about that or argue it is entirely upside-down.

None of this says I'm glad this happened to these folks. Not at all. You know, it's possible to be simultaneously bummed for Harborside and not surprised.

Lots of folks these days let their ZOMGIT'S JUST WEED CHILL BRAH mentality cloud the fact that we're not out of the woods with prohibition.

Facts are facts. Your emotion doesn't change those facts.

 

[paper thorn]

^^ SH, gingerale was not just talking to you, but mostly, i think, to the tone of this thread that Harborside is getting what they deserve by shoving it in the Man's face with Weed Wars, etc. But without some attempt to get the public and the government to change there will be no change. Someone on that show once said, (it may have been DeAngelo) that we weren't going back in the shadows ever again.
No, I'm not at all surprised that the feds are shutting them down after the way they've been rolling over the med community for a while now. With or without some TV show, they've been in the crosshairs since they opened.
You can bet a lot of cops have med cards and are gathering all the info they can on even the smallest operation to use against them later.

Someone in an earlier post said that they must sleep great knowing they've put these bad guys in jail. They do.
They love, love, love putting people in jail for pot.
They feel smug and good about themselves and think we're evil doers getting just a small portion of what we deserve.
They think no work is involved in growing medical marijuana and no expenses are paid by the 'drug dealers'. Lazy fucking potheads. We're all just making tons of money selling drugs to kids on the schoolground. Immoral and stupid too. Trash needing to be locked away. Anyone who thinks their small op is safe in CA is mistaken too, after all a lot of them have already gone down.
They want us back in the shadows so we more look the part of dope dealer types.

Of course this brings to mind the thought of what are they going to do in Arizona?

About 100 highly regulated dispensaries will be opening, starting in the middle of August. Because of the way the law is written, most of the small grows and collectives will have to stop growing, and buy from dispensaries. Some of them will have to be massive to supply the even a small portion of the over 30,000 registered patients. Every plant will have to be inventoried. No way to hide the plant count from the feds someday. etc, etc. Ugh.
It could get ugly for landlords and disp. owners etc.

that's enough, I should go to bed. off rant.

 

[gingerale]

If you'd prefer to get through life with your head in the sand, that's fantastic. But just because you're choosing to ignore a fact doesn't mean everyone else will ignore that fact too.

It's not about ignoring facts, dipshit. It's about not supporting The Man by apologizing for his actions. Yes, technically, cannabis is illegal per the federal government. Does that make it cool for the Feds to bust people and put them in prison? Get a clue, man.

"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so." – Thomas Jefferson

I dunno. Critical thinking is really important in life. Y'know, the ability to say, "Okay, on one hand, this is a legal operation, per the State of California. However, on the other hand, this is illegal on a federal level."

So then you have to choose whose side you're on.

So who's side are you on?

Who's case are you going to support via your stupid or smart comments on a message board? Who are you going to root for, and who are you going to laugh about getting busted and shut down?

Think about it.

Critical thinking is important.

 

[vonforne]

Who the fuck is MyAssIsGrass and why is he deleting my posts?

MyAssIsGrass is one of the Admin and if he deleted your posts then they were in violation of the TOU.

This thread has turned into a name calling, shit slinging fest..........Thread Closed.

 

[gaiusmarius]

thread cleaned up and re opened, please keep it on topic.

if your posts are gone, they were deemed too insulting or political. read the terms of use. it is not allowed to share private messages, that includes rep messages. they are private.

 

[Hemphrey Bogart]

I was just thinking about going to Harborside to pick up some BOG gear for this winter's indoor grow. Looks like I'd better hurry up AND I'd better bring cash.

Sorry if this posted somewhere on this site already, but it's relevant to this thread, imho.

http://www.sfgate.com/business/bott...arijuana-sales-becoming-cash-only-3700575.php

If you're about ready to refill your supply of medical marijuana, you might want to stop by an ATM first.

In the past few days, a number of Bay Area dispensaries have told their clients that from now on it's cash only, because Visa and MasterCard aren't allowing their cards to be used for marijuana purchases anymore.



"Visa and MasterCard are now refusing to accept your credit card charges for your medicine at many Bay Area dispensaries. We are working diligently to address this issue quickly," Vapor Room, a Haight Street dispensary, told members Sunday.
Harborside Health Center in Oakland sent its patients a similar message, blaming a "continuing federal threat of seizure against financial institutions."



In fact, Harborside, the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the country, is facing a federal seizure threat of its own. On Wednesday, it was served notice from the U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco that its facilities in Oakland and San Jose are subject to forfeiture because they are being used to "distribute and cultivate marijuana."



The decision by the credit card companies is an apparent reaction to the ongoing federal crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries nationwide. Although marijuana for medical use is legal in 17 states plus the District of Columbia, it remains verboten as far as federal law, and the feds continue to take a dim view of commerce surrounding the practice.
"This has been going on for at least two years, with major financial institutions purging medical marijuana dispensaries from their transactions," said Kris Hermes, a spokesman for Americans for Safe Access, a national advocacy group based in Oakland.


For its part, San Francisco's Visa said Wednesday, "Our policy is that Visa cards should only be used in connection with legal transactions. We do not allow the Visa payment system to be used for any illegal activity and have banned illegal transactions on Visa cards. Merchant banks, also known as acquirers, are responsible for ensuring that their merchant customers comply with all applicable laws."



Calls and e-mails to MasterCard were not returned.



Turned away at banks: Hermes said that the dispensaries are also having trouble finding a bank that will take their business. Bank of America, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase are reported to have closed off their teller windows to the businesses, as has San Francisco's Wells Fargo, which up until last year was offering accounts to local dispensaries.


"In view of the complex, inconsistent legal environment relating to medical marijuana dispensaries, Wells Fargo Regional Banking has opted not to bank these businesses," the bank said last year. "The policy extends to all medical marijuana dispensaries, and ... we have advised all such businesses that bank with us that they will need to close their deposit accounts. Additionally, it has been our policy not to provide merchant card processing services to businesses of this type."


That means Wells Fargo debit cards can't be used either, which comes as an additional blow to the dispensaries. Meanwhile, Square, the San Francisco mobile payments platform, is also cracking down on dispensaries that use its service. "Dispensaries are a violation of our terms of service. We have and will continue to shut down any users who do not follow the rules," Square said Wednesday.



Deaf ears: Responding to the concerns raised by the banks, 15 members of Congress, including Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, Pete Stark, D-Fremont, Sam Farr, D-Monterey - oh, and Ron Paul, R-Texas - asked U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in May 2010 to assure financial institutions "whose account holders are involved in a business ostensibly operating in compliance with a state medical marijuana law," that they would not be targeted by the department. Two years on and Geithner has yet to respond.


Earlier, in October 2009, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder issued a memo telling U.S. attorneys around the country they "should not focus federal resources in your states on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana."
The congressional appeals and Obama administration memos appear to have had little effect. Besides the threat of foreclosure, Harborside, for example, is embroiled in a $2.5 million dispute with the IRS over a claim the dispensary illegally deducted business expenses such as payroll taxes, rent, health insurance and workers' compensation, because it was involved in what the IRS labeled "the trafficking of controlled substances."



All this means that legalized medical marijuana businesses are having to conduct transactions in the same way as those who traffic in the substance illegally - in cold, hard cash. Some dispensaries already have ATMs in their offices, but that doesn't lessen the potential criminal hazards.



"Dispensaries are now having to deal with large amounts of cash," said Hermes. "That's not to say security at the facilities aren't adequate, but it does put them at greater risk of being robbed. These are issues everyone is struggling with."

 

[SeaMaiden]

First, this is going to really help the black market. Who in the black market? I'm going to guess groups like Zetas. Way to go, feds!

Second, I seriously doubt they were targeted just because they went on television. If that were the case they would be one of the first targeted, not in the middle of this whole thing. Also, if that were truly the case, then why have all the small dispensaries gone by the wayside first? Do we discount that? Of course not.

Third... is third.