Global Ganja Report

Medical marijuana patient advocates and other stakeholders staged a protest Oct. 14 as criminal proceedings began at the Terraine Courthouse in San Jose, Calif. The protest came in response to aggressive enforcement actions over the past two weeks by several police departments and the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. The sweep, which resulted in the arrest of nearly two dozen medical marijuana patients and providers in Santa Clara County on Oct. 1 and 7, was dubbed Operation "Up in Smoke."

Nine Santa Barbara area residents were arrested Oct. 13 for alleged involvement in a large-scale cannabis-trafficking organization. The arrests came at the conclusion of a year-long investigation, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department. Search warrants were served at seven locations in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, turning up more than 900 indoor and outdoor cannabis plants, more than 300 pounds of processed cannabis, more than 50 pounds of hashish, and several million dollars in hash oil. Investigators also seized more than $125,000 in cash, a 2010 Porsche and nine motorcycles. Police said primary suspect Erik Bjorklund operated under the guise of growing medical marijuana. "This was just a straight-up drug-trafficking operation—purely to make money," said Drew Sugars of the Sheriff's Department. "Based on the numbers, it's certainly a significant operation." (Santa Maria Times, Oct. 13)

After six years of limiting medicinal cannabis dispensaries to four, Oakland city officials are poised to double that cap. Along with new legislation that would increase the number of licensed clubs to eight, the Oakland Public Safety Committee voted unanimously Oct. 12 to double the annual fees paid by the dispensaries from $30,000 to $60,000. The ordinance was introduced by councilmembers Larry Reid and Rebecca Kaplan. The full City Council will vote Oct. 19.

Conservatives opposed to Arizona's medical cannabis initiative, Proposition 203, are raising the specter of "cannabis caravans" rolling through the state doling our doctor's recommendations and herb in one-stop shopping. But proponents say the measure is too restrictive for that.

Voters in four East Bay cities face measures to expand the medical cannabis industry, tax it at a higher rate, and prepare for the passage of Prop 19 in November. In Berkeley, Measure T would mandate permitting six indoor medical cannabis farms in the manufacturing district. It would also permit residential medical cannabis collectives to cultivate up to 200 square feet. The measure would boost the number of local dispensaries from three to four, and require they be at least 600 feet from schools and other dispensaries.

Five cannabis dispensaries were raided by a multi-agency task force in Southern California Oct. 6, with 11 arrested in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties. Among those targeted was the Alternative Medicine Collective of Covina. "This organization was definitely working outside the law," said Capt. Ralph Ornelas of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Narcotics Bureau said. "Our investigation proved they were charging people and making a profit out of it. You're not supposed to make a profit."

Doc Green's Healing Collective, producers of the cannabis-infused Doc Green's Therapeutic Healing Cream, has received a letter from Wells Fargo sating that the business' account has been closed pending review—citing the "nature of the business." Doc Green's co-founder Ramona Moonflower Rubin told Global Ganja Report business is now paralyzed, and the collective is considering its options. Rubin notes the irony: "We are producers of topical cannabis products that don't have any psychoactive effect. They don't get users high, they just provide pain relief when applied directly to the affected area."

San Diego area medical marijuana dispensary operator Jovan Jackson was convicted by a jury Sept. 28 on all three counts of possession and sales. The conviction came after San Diego Superior Court Judge Howard H. Shore refused to allow Jackson a medical defense at trial. The jury took less than 24 hours to reach a verdict. Jackson is likely to appeal the conviction and his inability to use a medical defense. Leading medical marijuana patients' rights group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) had previously submitted a brief in Jackson's case supporting his right to a medical defense and is considering assisting with an appeal.