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Today at 12pm Pacific, medical marijuana patients, caregivers and supporters will gather outside a fundraiser for President Obama at Oakland’s Fox Theater to protest the administration’s multi-agency war on pot.
Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, one of the nation’s largest medical marijuana dispensaries (serving thousands of patients) is one of the organizations calling for this action. Harborside has been a prime target of the Obama administration’s war on medical marijuana, and just this month, the federal government threatened to seize their property “under federal laws prohibiting the distribution of marijuana.”
If you’re in the Oakland area, please head down and show your support, or you can make a last-minute contribution to help Just Say Now target supporters in the area with Facebook ads, urging them to attend. As Jane wrote, “…we firmly believe that elections are the time when candidates are the most responsive to the needs of the constituents whose votes they hope to woo,” and with only a few months until November, this an excellent opportunity for the marijuana community to express those needs.
From Harborside Health Center’s action alert:
Dear Harborside Supporter,
Our Time is NOW! A Call to Action:
Watch Steve DeAngelo’s Call to Action
Last October CA’s four US Attorney’s announced a crackdown on medical cannabis, saying they would target organizations using medical cannabis as a shield for criminal activity and profiteering. But the list of those actually targeted reads like an honor role of the most legitimate and legally compliant medical cannabis providers in the state.
On July 9th, Harborside Health Center was added to that list, when federal agents taped a notice of property forfeiture to our front doors. This action was a major escalation by US Attorney Melinda Haag, who previously had said she would focus enforcement actions on dispensaries that too close to schools, or out of compliance with state law
Ms. Haag failed to cite even one specific act of wrongdoing on the part of Harborside. The only reason she gave for moving against us is that we are too large. But the reason we have become so large is because we have provided patients with the very highest level of care, and have meticulously obeyed state law and local regulations.
Help stop the Federal attacks on the medical cannabis community!
Join us
MONDAY, JULY 23 at 12:00pm
Oakland City Hall
1 Frank H Ogawa Plaza
Oakland, CA 94612Please tweet using hashtag #SaveHarborside
15 Comments
If Obama had any shame, this would be a reminder of his hypocrisy and broken promises. Since he doesn’t, it’s good to remind folks of same.
If these protests fail to change fed policy, I hope medical marijuana supporters will start making it clear that they will not vote for and/or contribute to Obama. That’s the only thing he will understand. Arguing the merits will not get you anywhere with this administration.
the only way the big O listens to average Americans is if he thinks enough will not vote for him or they have mega $$ ( not the average American) to give. There should be protests at every fund raiser the big O holds AND the big donors to his campaign should be boycotted until this isssue is resolved.
Thank goodness for people like you, Brian, who report this. And, thank goodness for those who put their feet on the ground in this way.
It’s So Cool.
“Medical Marijuana Rally Outside Obama’s Oakland Fundraiser”
“National Poverty Rate Approaching Pre-Great Society Highs”
So much to be indignant about.
Perhaps many would-be protestors are cowed by the fact that the Obama admin and Homeland Sec and local LE have a habit of infiltrating protests, intimidating protestors, taking names and photographing faces – tagging them for future harrassment at best – or – labelling them as terrorists – to destroy their lives and careers.
OTOH, terrorism by lone gun nuts is sanctioned by “2 words – Predator Drones Obama”. There can be no assault weapons ban. Every American must be free to purchase and own machine guns and body armor if they want it. Hallelujah! USA! USA!
Federal Smackdowns are reserved for peaceful protests and MJ facilities.
Keep protesting hard…. Shame these ignorant moralizing hypocritical prohibitionist into the sewer!
Looks like the targets on O’s kill list are about to expand exponentially. Sociopaths don’t experience shame.
I think that Majiuana should be legal. It’s nothing compared to cocaine and even alcohol as to danger to self or others.
However, the California Medical Marjiuana way is terribly flawed. Anyone can get an authorization for usage with such a low standard of inclusion.
…physician who has diagnosed the patient with one or more of the following medical conditions:
1. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
2. Anorexia
3. Arthritis
4. Cachexia
5. Cancer
6…
12. ANY OTHER CHRONIC OR PERSISTENT MEDICAL SYMPTOM THAT EITHER:
A. SUBSTANTIALLY LIMITS THE ABILITY OF THE PERSON TO CONDUCT ONE OR MORE MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES AS DEFINED IN THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990.
B. IF NOT ALLEVIATED, MAY CAUSE SERIOUS HARM TO THE PATIENT’S SAFETY OR PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH
Just go for decriminalization of Marjiuana as a start, not this euphamism of a “Medical” Marjiuana law.
I hope fervently that today is the day that the President takes this group of billions across the land and gives us our civil right to use marijuana, and we will finally have our dignity, something that is integral to good mental and physical health everywhere.
We will not sit at different lunch counters anymore. We are here. We are a force to be reckoned with. We are good. We deserve the sunlight not the shadow.
Rita
Recc’d. Awesome direct action and educational info delivered!
Thank you, Brian.
I echo all of the sentiments and facts made clear by the diary and in the comments above.
Recommended.
I hope that this diary might be front-paged.
DW
Brian, thanks for this report. This protest was the best part of the day, I think; the rest was kind of a downer. I just posted a diary about how there were more Obama supporters than protesters, at least by the time Obama arrived. :(
thank you hotflashcarol i will definitely check it out. wish i could have been there.. wouldn’t surprise me if the campaign saw mention of the protest and planned to drown them out
I suppose the good news is that the MSM did give pretty equal coverage to the protestors – probably because they were hoping for a riot that never materialized. Most, if not all, of their soundtrucks and reporters were hanging out with the protest contingent.