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Medical marijuana activists angry over the yearlong federal
crackdown on state-legal marijuana will make their
presence known starting at 4:30 p.m. outside the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium today. Look for
the puppet.
Hundreds of medical cannabis dispensaries across have shut down since the Justice Department began threatening landlords with property forfeitures and jail terms last September. The state's biggest dispensary, Harborside Health Center, is U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag's latest target, and is due in court this month.
In case you hadn't heard, California's medical marijuana community is feeling burned by the president, who said on the campaign trail in 2008 that he'd leave medical cannabis alone. Similar words from Attorney General Eric Holder gave medical cannabis users a sense of security, which has been steadily shattered over the past year. And addressing the issue hasn't been an Obama priority.
"Over the course of his presidency, California's medical cannabis industry has come under unprecedented attack," according to ASA executive director Steph Sherer. "Countless dispensaries have been closed or threatened by federal pressure. It is of paramount importance that we as a movement do not let this injustice go unanswered."
Activists from Americans for Safe Access and California NORML will gather at the corner of Grove and Larkin streets at 4:30 p.m. to welcome Obama, Waters, and their dinner guests, according to a Friday e-mail alert.
Who knows if this rally will accomplish anything, however, it's worth noting that there's nothing like being shouted at by a bunch of sick people to make a $20,000 dinner taste bitter.
