Global Ganja Report

Federal agents from the DEA and IRS, backed up with Santa Barbara police, served search warrants at a medical marijuana dispensary and a grow house on May 2 and 3. No arrests were made, but search warrants were executed at the Pacific Coast Collective dispensary and, the next morning, at 305 E. Haley St., which was named as a grow house. Agents and detectives also searched the residences of PCC operator Charles Jeff Restivo in Carpinteria, who is already facing local felony charges related to the dispensary; and Steven Kessler in Santa Barbara, who was said to operate the cultivation site.

That same week, federal prosecutors sent letters to all cannabis storefronts in the county that remain in business—threatening enforcement action if they don’t close down. The letters were sent to 10 storefronts, as well as their landlords: three in Goleta, one in Summerland and six in Santa Barbara. Additionally, three asset-forfeiture proceedings were filed in US District Court in Los Angeles against the PCC, Miramar Collective in Summerland, and the indoor marijuana farm connected to Kessler. (Noozhawk, Edhat, KEYT, Santa Barbara, May 3)

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