Like a wave of terrorist blasts rippling through the Los Angeles area, federal DEA raids hit 11 dispensaries Jan. 17. All the locations were providing medical marijuana that is legal under state law, prompting W. Hollywood protests and leaving over 200 locations still operating in the area.

Drug agents seized medicine, cash and guns. Twenty people were detained, but no charges were filed. A number of the raided facilities had reopened within a few days.   

“The DEA strategy appears to be similar to that used by terrorist cells in Iraq: Disrupt the infrastructure, undermine democracy, and instill fear through force,” said a Republican political consultant, on condition of anonymity. “California is moving in the right direction with controlled cannabis access. The state could do even better if the DEA got out of the way, but these Bush drug warriors seem determined to snatch failure from the jaws of success.”    

Only one day before the raids, LA Police Chief William Bratton had publicly called for a moratorium on new facilities until regulations can be adopted, citing a rapid rise in the number of cannabis dispensaries in the city over the last year.

The very next day, federal warrants were served at five locations in West Hollywood, four in San Fernando Valley, and others in Hollywood and Venice.

Acting Special Agent Ralph Partridge, in charge of the DEA’s LA Field Division, announced that. “as a result of today’s warrants, agents seized several thousand pounds of processed cannabis, cannabis plants, large quantities of cannabis laced edibles, numerous weapons and a significant amount of US currency.”    

Apparently the weapons were used by security guards, who protect the dispensaries like any other business. Both the cannabis and its sales are legal under state laws that authorize medical use.    

Chief Bratton had called for rules to regulate the facilities. In a report to the Police Commission, Bratton cited the opening of 94 medical marijuana dispensaries in LA in a year and said he wants to ban existing dispensaries within 1,000 feet of schools, churches, parks and limiting their hours to 10 am to 6 pm.    

While some cities and counties across the state have developed workable, albeit overly restrictive, regulations, others such as El Cerrito cited the unwillingness of the federal government to agree to respect the voters, state law and local communities as an excuse to deny patients safe access.