Arizona Medical Marijuana Law

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Arizona Medical-Marijuana Dispensary Applications Trickle In; 15 Submitted on First Day

Phoenix New Times: “The state opened the door for medical-marijuana dispensary applications yesterday, receiving 15 by the end of the day. . . . The first thing you probably noticed is what’s not on the list yet. A dispensary in Ajo before Tempe? Really? . . . That was just one unwelcome sign that spurred local lawyer and blogger Richard Keyt to write a “warning” for people considering investing in or running a dispensary.

Dispensary Application Window Opens

The following text was posted by Will Humble, Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, on his blog on May 14, 2012:

“Today marks the start of the 2-week window for applying for a medical marijuana dispensary Registration Certificate in Arizona. Prospective applicants can check out our Registration Certificate Application Checklist, Instructions, and the official Application on our Medical Marijuana Dispensary webpage. In the first two hours, seven people had dropped off applications.

We’ll start reviewing applications as they come in- and we’ll stop taking applications at the close of business on May 25. We’ll have 30 working days to review the applications- and folks will have 20 working days to submit any documents or information that were missing during our review of the application. We expect to award all of the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Registration Certificates on August 7. If there’s only 1 qualified applicant in a Community Health Analysis Area- that applicant will be awarded a Registration Certificate. We’ll be holding a random drawing on August 7 to award Registration Certificates in the CHAAs with more than 1 qualified applicant.

We’ll refresh our dispensary application page every weekday around the close of business to show how many applications we’ve received by Community Health Analysis Area.”

Applications for Medical-marijuana Sites Open

Arizona Republic: “The Arizona Department of Health Services will accept applications for medical-marijuana dispensaries today through 5 p.m. May 25. Would-be marijuana-dispensary operators must pay a $5,000 fee. If they are not selected, the state will return $1,000, state health officials said. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and cannot be a law-enforcement officer or a physician who is currently writing certifications for patients. Applicants also cannot have certain felony convictions within the last 10 years. Applicants can operate up to five dispensaries.”

Warning to Everybody Considering Becoming Involved with an Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensary

If You Might Become Involved in any Way with an Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensary I Urge You to Read All of This Article

The Arizona Department of Health Services will begin accepting applications for Arizona medical marijuana dispensary registration certificates on May 14, 2012. Applications will not be accepted after 5:00 pm Arizona time on May 25, 2012. Applications must be accompanied by a $5,000 application fee of which $1,000 will be returned to unsuccessful applicants.

Applying for a dispensary registration certificate is the first big step for any person or company that wants to obtain a license to be an Arizona medical marijuana dispensary. Only dispensaries licensed by ADHS can grow marijuana and sell it to Arizona medical marijuana licensed patients and other Arizona licensed dispensaries. ADHS Director Will Humble estimated that the number of dispensary licenses that will ultimately be issued is between 90 and 110.

I have been studying Arizona’s medical marijuana laws and closely watching news stories about medical marijuana since October of 2010, a month before the Arizona voters approved Proposition 203, the ballot initiative that created Arizona’s medical marijuana laws. The primary purpose of this website has been to help people interested in this topic to keep informed and up to date about what is happening in Arizona and in other states that have legalized medical marijuana. If you are new to this website and want to learn you will be able to spend many hours reading and learning from the 500+ posts we have made since January 1, 2011, when this website was created.

Federal Government’s War on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Over the last year and especially the last six months I have watched the federal government make a 180 degree turn from its 2009 position on medical marijuana in states that have legalized it. The Department of Justice no longer looks the other way with respect to medical marijuana dispensaries. The written position statements issued by the DOJ in the last year and its actions in closing dispensaries in states that legalized medical marijuana are sending an obvious message that can been seen by everybody except those that are blind. The DOJ’s message is this:

The federal government will “vigorously enforce” federal laws against those who “operate and facilitate large marijuana production facilities and marijuana production facilities involved in the cultivation, sale and distribution of marijuana, even if purportedly for medical purposes.”

The quoted text above is in a February 16, 2012, letter from acting U.S. Attorney for Arizona Ann Birmingham Scheel to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. Not only has the DOJ made the above statement many times in the last year it is actively raiding and closing dispensaries in states that have legalized medical marijuana. The evidence of the feds war on medical mairjuana dispensaries is everywhere and only the blind cannot see it.

I urge you to read as many of the 78+ articles found in one of our topic areas called Federal Dispensary Attacks. These posts describe actual situations where the federal government has taken actions to close medical marijuana dispensaries.

The Federal Government’s Multi-Prong Attack on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

The feds are using many different weapons to close medical marijuana dispensaries. Here is my list of the primary weapons the federal government is using in its war on state legal medical marijuana dispensaries: Continue reading Warning to Everybody Considering Becoming Involved with an Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Banks are Refusing to Open Accounts for Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Seattle Times: “Conscious Care Cooperative has a solid footing in a growing industry, with three storefronts in Seattle and a loyal customer base. But for much of the last two years, the nonprofit medical-marijuana provider has lacked one business basic: steady access to a bank. The cooperative has bounced among five financial institutions, and four others rejected the cooperative outright, said CCC’s president, Nate Chrysler. In one case, a bank closed the account without notice. . . . Aaron Smith, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Cannabis Industry Association, estimates that half of dispensaries nationwide lack a bank account, which he blames on pressure from federal banking regulators. ‘It is a widespread problem that threatens the entire industry,’ he said. . . . in June, Holder deputy James Cole issued a memo warning that ‘those who engage in transactions involving the proceeds’ of marijuana sales ‘may be in violation of federal money-laundering statutes and other financial laws.”.”

Medical Marijuana Meets Hostility from Obama Administration

Washington Post: “During the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama raised hopes among those who support medical marijuana by pledging to respect state laws on the issue. But his administration has reversed course and massively escalated the federal government’s attacks on medical marijuana businesses, most of which are legal under their states’ laws. This is perplexing because medical marijuana is far more popular than Obama is. A Washington Post-ABC News poll from January 2010 found that 81 percent of Americans supported legalizing medical marijuana. . . . Simply put, Obama has become more hostile to medical marijuana patients than any president in U.S. history.”

In Dreams from His Father the self-admitted former pot head who is now the President of the United States at war with medical marijuana said this about his drug use in his youth:

“I had learned not to care. I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it.”

In a 2007 speech to students then Senator Obama :

“You know, I made some bad decisions …. You know, got into drinking and experimenting with drugs. There was a whole stretch of time where I didn’t apply myself.”

Brietbart.com says:

“The Chicago Tribune reported back in 2007 that Obama thanked the ‘Choom Gang’ in his high school yearbook; ‘chooming’ was Hawaiian slang for smoking pot. The Honolulu Advertiser reported that Obama’s senior portrait ‘prominently displayed . . . A package of ‘Zig-Zag’ rolling papers and a matchbook’.”

U.S. House Democrats Support Ending Federal Interference in Medical Marijuana States

Marijuana Policy Project: “Nearly Three-Quarters of Democrats Break with Administration Policy, Vote to Prevent Federal Agencies from Targeting Individuals in Compliance with State Medical Marijuana Laws. Democrats in the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to approve an amendment to the FY 2013 Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations bill late Tuesday that would effectively end the ability of federal agencies to enforce federal marijuana laws against individuals who are in compliance with state medical marijuana laws. The amendment stated that federal agencies may not use any funds to target individuals in states with medical marijuana laws, as long as those people are following the laws of their respective states. This amendment, which was debated five times last decade, was reintroduced after an increase in federal actions against state-legal medical marijuana providers throughout the country over the last year.”

Arizona Medical-pot Ruling may Reverberate

Arizona Republic: “Two Arizonans lent a medical-marijuana company in Colorado $500,000, but the company didn’t pay them back. So, what did they do? They sued, of course. But instead of forcing the company to pay back the loan, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge told the two Valley business partners they were out of luck as far as he was concerned.”

This story mentions KEYTLaw attorney Richard Keyt, the creator of this website, and says “Keyt wrote that the ruling could mean ‘that people who enter into contracts that relate in any way to Arizona medical marijuana will have to hope the other side to the contract satisfies his/her/its obligations because it may not be possible to sue for breach of contract and get a judgment against the party who defaults’.” Keyt broke this story with his May 7, 2012, article called “Maricopa County Superior Court Ruling May be Last Nail in the Coffin of the Unborn Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensary Industry.”

Owner of Raided Medical Marijuana Dispensary Takes Plea Deal

Noozhawk: “Charles Restivo of the Pacific Coast Collective is expected to get three years of probation and some fines. A Santa Barbara man accused of operating the Pacific Coast Collective medical marijuana dispensary from 2008 to 2010 accepted a plea deal Thursday from the District Attorney’s Office. Charles Jeffrey Restivo, 33, was arrested in February 2010 after the dispensary and his home were searched as part of a four-dispensary raid by local law enforcement. Restivo’s name is on the incorporation documents, and he was the one who acquired a City of Santa Barbara permit for the establishment at 331 N. Milpas St.

At Oregon Medical Pot Restaurant It’s Bring Your Own

Seattle Times: “A new medical marijuana restaurant in Southern Oregon has gotten a city business license by changing to a bring-your-own-weed format. The dream of a place where medical marijuana cardholders could eat a bowl of Mongolian barbecue laced with pot and smoke a bowl of hashish while waiting for their food has crumbled under the weight of a rare city ordinance. The owners of the Earth Dragon Edibles Restaurant & Lounge in Ashland said Wednesday that they have secured a business license from the city of Ashland by getting rid of their free hash bar and switching to a bring-your-own weed format.

Denver Lawyer Loses Liability Insurance over Medical-marijuana Clients

Denver Post: “In what appears to be a first-of-its-kind event nationwide, a Denver lawyer has lost her liability insurance because part of her practice involves representing medical-marijuana businesses. Ann Toney’s insurance company told her last month that it will not renew her malpractice coverage. In its terse notice, the Hanover Insurance Group explained that Toney’s practice “does not meet current underwriting guidelines because of the following risk factors: Area of practice involving medical marijuana.”

25 Colorado Medical-marijuana Dispensaries Close after Warning

Denver Post: “All 25 of the medical-marijuana stores in Colorado that received warning letters for being within 1,000 feet of schools have heeded the threat from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and closed. The letters were sent out on March 23 and gave the businesses 45 days to close down before facing potential civil and criminal action.”

Judge Rules Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Must Have a Medical Director

Arizona Republic: “Medical-marjiuana dispensaries will have to employ a medical director at their operations, as state health officials require, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge has ruled. The non-profits could begin opening this summer. Judge Richard Gama’s May 1 decision is an important one because it could prevent abuse of medical marijuana, said Will Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services.”

The following is what Will Humble said about the court’s decision in this case:

“One of the outstanding legal uncertainties regarding our implementation of AZ Medical Marijuana Act has been the Compassion First v. Brewer lawsuit that challenged our authority to require future dispensaries to have a Medical Director. We’ve always thought dispensary medical direction was a key component to making sure that future dispensaries act in the best interest of patients and prevent recreational diversion. After a judge’s ruling today, it looks like we’ll be OK.

Today a Maricopa Superior Court judge denied the Plaintiffs’ “Motion for Leave” to Amend their previous Complaint (which the court invalidated some of our dispensary selection criteria). The Compassion First were attempting to re-open the case to challenge our requirement that dispensaries have a medical director.

In his opinion (that largely tracks our argument), the judge denied their Motion, finding that the Plaintiffs failed to provide an adequate basis for declining to bring the medical director challenge in their initial complaint and that we (and the public) would be unduly prejudiced if the Court were to grant their Motion. Of course, the Compassion First plaintiffs could always appeal- but (for now) the upshot is that we can require future dispensaries to have medical direction.”

Those with PTSD Seeking Legal Pot Use

Arizona Daily Star: “Arizonans who say they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder are hoping to get the same medical options as those with glaucoma or seizures: the right to use marijuana for medical purposes. Petitions have been filed asking state Health Director Will Humble to add PTSD to the list of medical conditions that voters approved two years ago for medical marijuana. Humble will conduct a hearing later this month and likely issue a ruling in August. PTSD sufferers are not the only ones hoping to join the list of those who can be treated with marijuana. Other petitions are seeking to make the drug an option to treat migraines, depression and general anxiety disorder.”

Maricopa County Superior Court Ruling May be Last Nail in the Coffin of the Unborn Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensary Industry

On April 17, 2012, Maricopa County, Arizona, Superior Court Judge Michael R. McVey signed a Judgment of Dismissal that could be the death blow to Arizona’s fledgling medical marijuana dispensary industry. The case is Michele Rene Hammer v. Today’s Health Care II, a Colorado corporation (“THC”). Although the judge’s decision has not yet been appealed and may not be appealed, the legal significance of the case cannot be ignored by anybody who is considering becoming involved in a prospective or actual Arizona medical marijuana dispensary or anybody who is a party to or may become a party to a contract that involves the growing, transporting, storing, infusing, processing, selling or dealing in any way with marijuana in Arizona.

Hammer v. Today’s Health Care II involves a very common situation. Michele Hammer and Mark Haile each loaned $250,000 to Today’s Health Care II, a Colorado corporation. Each lender and borrower signed a loan agreement that stated:

“Borrower shall use the loan proceeds for a retail medical marijuana sales and grow center.”

THC defaulted on both loans. Although the loan proceeds were to be used only in Colorado, a state where medical marijuana is legal, each lender sued in Maricopa County Superior Court to collect the amounts owed under the promissory notes signed by THC. The two cases (Hammer v. THC and Mark W. Haile v. Todays Health Care II) were consolidated. The plaintiffs and defendant filed motions for summary judgment. On April 17, 2012, the judge signed the Judgment of Dismissal in which he ruled that THC is not obligated to repay all or any part of either loan. Judge McVey stated:

“The explicitly stated purpose of these loan agreements was to finance the sale and distribution of marijuana. This was in clear violation of the laws of the United States. As such, this contract is void and unenforceable. This Court recognizes the harsh result of this ruling. Although Plaintiffs did not plead any equitable right to recovery such as unjust enrichment, or restitution, this Court considered whether such relief may be available to these Plaintiffs. Equitable relief is not available when recovery at law is forbidden because the contract is void as against public policy.”

Result: The borrower can keep the $500,000 and it has no legal obligation to repay the loans. The borrower does not get to keep all of the money, however, because it will be required to report $500,000 as taxable income on its 2012 federal income tax return. Forgiveness of a debt causes “discharge of indebtedness income” that must be reported to the IRS and taxed at the taxpayer’s marginal tax rate.

There is an equitable concept in the law called unjust enrichment. There are many cases where a court has ruled that even though the plaintiff could not prove a legal basis on which the plaintiff should be paid damages, a court of equity looking at all of the facts gave the plaintiff a judgment for money because the actions of the plaintiff caused the defendant to be unjustly enriched and it would not be fair for the defendant to keep the economic benefit bestowed on the defendant. Judge McVey wrote that he considered ruling in favor of the lenders on the basis of unjust enrichment, but that remedy is also denied when the contract involved is void as against public policy.

Judge McVey based his decision on the fact the purpose of the loan was for a purpose that is illegal under federal law. He did not examine whether the loans should be enforced because they were legal under state law. After all, collection of a loan arises from legal obligations and rights created under state law, not federal criminal law. It seems logical and lawful to me that the judge could have ruled in favor of the plaintiffs had he considered the legality of the loans under state law.

This case does not have the legal precedent of a written opinion from the Arizona Court of Appeals or the Arizona Supreme Court. Nevertheless Hammer v. Today’s Health Care II stands for a very important principle that everybody who is contemplating becoming involved with the Arizona medical marijuana industry cannot ignore, i.e.:

Unless and until an Arizona appellate court rules that contracts involving Arizona medical marijuana are enforceable under Arizona law (as opposed to unenforceable under federal law), any contract that has a purpose related to Arizona medical marijuana may be unenforceable and not worth the paper it is written on!

What Does the Case Mean to People Considering Becoming Involved in Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensaries?

Until an Arizona appellate court reverses the result in this case it means that people who enter into contracts that relate in any way to Arizona medical marijuana will have to hope the other side to the contract satisfies his/her/its obligations because it may not be possible to sue for breach of contract and get a judgment against the party who defaults. This case should cause the following people to think twice or three times before getting involved:

Landlords who lease to dispensaries. The lease may not be enforced. If a dispensary tenant defaults on the rent would a court evict the tenant or give the landlord a money judgment for damages for breach of the lease?

Investors in dispensaries. Would the investment be treated the same as a loan with no legal way to force the dispensary to repay the investment or profits?

Lenders who loan to dispensaries. This is the same facts as Hammer v. Today’s Health Care II. Why would any person or entity make a loan to a dispensary when there is a good chance a court would refuse to enforce the loan?

Medical directors of dispensaries. What if the dispensary doesn’t pay for the doctor’s services?

High paid employees or independent contractors. Are you willing to work and have the dispensary refuse to pay and dare you to sue?

The above list is not complete. If you are contemplating entering into any type of contract (oral or written) with a prospective or actual Arizona medical marijuana dispensary you are taking a risk that an Arizona court may rule that the contract is unenforceable.

You might think that the ultimate winner as a result of Hammer v. Today’s Health Care II is the Arizona medical marijuana dispensary. Perhaps, but I submit that dispensaries are actually the ultimate losers because this case stands for the proposition that it will be very difficult if not impossible for Arizona medical marijuana dispensaries to operate because prudent people and businesses will not want to contract with dispensaries until an Arizona appellate court rules that the contracts are enforceable under Arizona law.

Update: Richard Keyt and Judge McVey’s ruling are discussed in the following stories:

ABC News: “$500,000 Medical Marijuana Loan Up In Smoke” quotes “Richard Keyt, a business attorney in Phoenix who runs a medical marijuana law web site.”

Phoenix New Times reporter Ray Stern’s article called “Marijuana Dispensary Loan for $500,000 Doesn’t Need to be Paid Back, Judge Rules, Because Pot is Illegal Under Federal Law” in which he gives me credit for breaking this story.

Arizona Republic story called “Arizona Medical-pot Ruling may Reverberate.”

Fox News Chicago story called “Contracts with medical marijuana companies unenforceable, Arizona court rules.”

Feds Targeting Property, Assets in Fight Against Marijuana Dispensaries

Noozhawk: ”In their stepped-up battle against local marijuana dispensaries and growing operations that supply them, federal authorities are employing a powerful weapon: asset-forfeiture laws. The U.S. Attorney’s Office this week filed legal complaints for forfeiture against the property owners of two South Coast medical marijuana storefront dispensaries and one indoor farm. They allege that the owners should have known what the buildings were used for — growing and/or selling marijuana, which the government considers illegal under both federal and California law, even if the marijuana is considered medicinal.”

The letter from the U.S. attorney to property owners said:

“Accordingly, it is not a defense to either the referenced crime or to the forfeiture of property that the dispensary is providing ‘medical marijuana.’ Even under these circumstances, an owner of real property with knowledge or reason to know of illegal marijuana distribution occurring on real property that he owns or controls may have his interest in the property forfeited to the government without compensation.”

Arizona property owners who are considering leasing to a medical marijuana dispensary take note. The federal government has not only clearly stated its intention to confiscate real property used to grow, store or sell medical marijuana, it is now actively pursing forfeiture against property owners.

Vallejo Police Raid 5th Marijuana Dispensary

Times-Herald: ”The mid-afternoon raid by police, aided by Solano County Narcotics Enforcement, was at Natures Love in the 300 block of Tennessee Street.”

Feds, Santa Barbara Police Serve More Warrants Related to Marijuana Operations

Noozhawk: ”Multi-agency operation targets illegal storefront dispensaries and grow sites, with three asset-forfeiture lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court. Federal authorities and Santa Barbara police served search warrants at a medical marijuana dispensary and a grow house this week, and sent warning letters to all pot storefronts in the county that are still in business, threatening federal enforcement action if they don’t close down, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department. . . . As part of the enforcement effort, three asset-forfeiture lawsuits were filed this week in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles alleging that the owners ‘either knowingly allowed commercial marijuana stores to operate or knowingly allowed a significant indoor marijuana farm to function,’ according to the statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the asset-forfeiture lawsuits were filed against the Miramar Collective in Summerland, Pacific Coast Collective and the indoor marijuana farm connected to Kessler.”

Note to Property Owners Considering Leasing to Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

The story above is a clear warning to landlords and property owners who allow or who are considering allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to operate on their real property. The federal government may seize the real estate and sue in federal court to take the land and its value from the owner.

The legal significance of the federal government now going after property owners extends beyond the loss of the property to the owners. This new government action should also have the very much intended consequence of shutting down medical marijuana dispensaries in every state that has legalized them.

DEA Raids Glendora Marijuana Dispensary

Glendora Patch: ”Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided a medical marijuana dispensary in Glendora Friday morning, arresting two individuals and effectively shutting down the business, according to Glendora Police. The raid occurred at Glendora Healing Clinic“

The raid occurred two weeks after a story about the dispensary in the Glendora Patch entitled “Crackdown on Local Marijuana Affected By Hazy Laws.” This is an example of why I urge dispensaries to keep a low profile and avoid media attention.

Garden Grove, CA Seeks Feds’ Help to Oust Pot Clinics

Orange County Register: ”Police officials have asked federal authorities who raided medical marijuana dispensaries in Costa Mesa earlier this year to do the same in this town. Police Chief Kevin Raney told the City Council Tuesday night his department has been in touch with federal agents and ‘they will be coming to Garden Grove in the future’.”

Feds Closing all Marijuana Dispensaries in Santa Barbara County, California

Reuters: ”‘All known marijuana stores in Santa Barbara County are now the subject of federal enforcement actions,’ a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said. . .. One dispensary was hit with an asset forfeiture notice for operating as a not-for-profit business even though it lacks non-profit status for tax purposes, officials said. A warehouse run as an indoor cultivation center was singled out for using substandard and unpermitted electrical equipment.” The story also says that the feds are seeking forfeitures of assets in three situations where property was used in marijuana operations.

Santa Barbara Pot Dispensary Closed After Federal Raid

Noozhawk: ”Federal agents served a search warrant Wednesday at a marijuana dispensary in Santa Barbara, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. The raid was conducted at the Pacific Coast Collective, 331 N. Milpas Street, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. No arrests were made, Mrozek said.”

California Appeals Court Rules It is Unlawful for Dispensaries to Sell Medical Marijuana

JDSupra: ”The Court of Appeal recently issued an opinion that clarifies the operational parameters of medical marijuana collectives, cooperatives, and dispensaries, confirms that cities may pursue civil injunction relief under Health and Safety Code section 11570 and Civil Code section 3479, and confirms that cities may pursue remedies under the Unfair Competition Law to enjoin unlawfully operating medical marijuana dispensaries. (The People v. Joseph, 2012 WL 1004770, Cal.App. 2 Dist., March 26, 2012). . . . The court explains that Health and Safety Code section 11362.775 ‘protects group activity ‘to cultivate marijuana for medical purposes,’’ but ‘does not cover dispensing or selling marijuana‘.”

The California medical marijuana dispensary in this case is Organica, Inc., owned by Jeffrey K. Joseph.

Into the mind of … Will Humble

The Arizona Republic interviewed Will Humble, the Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Feds under Obama Are Tougher on Medical Marijuana

Fox News: ”President Obama pledged during his 2008 campaign to take a hands-off approach to medical marijuana, but four years later raids and other tactics have forced as many as 200 medical-marijuana growers and distributors to cease operations, resulting in sharp criticism from likely voters and fellow Democrats. . . . Obama said the government was not going to ‘prioritize prosecutions of persons who are using medical marijuana,’ but that he never committed to giving ‘carte blanche to large-scale producers and operators of marijuana’.”

11 Arrested In Pot, Weapons Bust At East Oakland Warehouse

CBS San Francisco: ”Eleven people were arrested and thousands of marijuana plants were seized along with several weapons in a massive drug raid Wednesday night at a warehouse in East Oakland, Oakland Police said. Investigators found some 2,500 pot plants, 50 pounds of dried processed marijuana, cash and a variety of weapons in what Asst. Police Chief Anthony Toribio described as a marijuana factory.”

See “11 arrested in raid on Oakland pot warehouse.”

ADHS Director Humble’s 4/25/12 Interview on KJZZ Radio 91.5 FM About Adding Conditions

In this radio interview on April 25, 2012, with Steve Goldstein of KJZZ 91.5 FM radio in Phoenix, Arizona, the Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services discusses ADHS’ process for adding new conditions for which an Arizona doctor may recommend medical marijuana to licensed patients. The new conditions under consideration are: (1) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; (2) Generalized Anxiety Disorder; (3) Migraines; and (4) Depression. The public may give input on these four conditions at a hearing to be held:

May 25, 2012 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
State Laboratory Conference Room
250 N. 17th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Today April 25, 2012 is Bank Day for Prospective Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

The last day to file an application for a Dispensary Registration Certificate for an Arizona medical marijuana dispensary is May 25, 2012, at 5:00 p.m. Today is what I am calling “Bank Day,” the last day on which the entity applying for the dispensary registration certificate or a principal officer of the entity may deposit $150,000 in a bank or financial institution. The Rules and the Arizona Department of Health Services say:

“The documentation must be dated within 30 days before submitting the application and demonstrate that the entity applying for the dispensary registration certificate or a principal officer of the entity has at least $150,000 under their control and has had control of the monies for at least 30 days before submitting the application.”

Today, April 25, 2012, is 30 days before May 25, 2012.

Expansion of Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Program Debated

Arizona Republic: ”Four new medical conditions could eventually qualify under Arizona’s medical-marijuana program. State health officials are considering whether to add depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and migraines as “debilitating conditions,” which would allow people to legally use medical pot. Arizona would become the only state in the nation to allow medical marijuana for anxiety and depression, said Will Humble, director of the state Department of Health Services”

Vallejo Marijuana Tax Brings in Less than Value of Dispensary Raid Seizure

Times-Herald: ”Vallejo police seized more than $135,000 worth of cannabis products from the Life Enhancement Services (L.E.S.) medical marijuana dispensary on Benicia Road on Friday. That same date, April 20, was the city’s collection deadline for dispensaries citywide to remit March’s payment of a new 10 percent sales tax. Eight dispensaries paid their March taxes by the due date, totaling $44,230

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