California police know how to make friends in Vallejo – They raided various Vallejo marijuana collectives and then returned the medical cannabis including dead plants.

Wow.

Here’s the story from SFGate:

Vallejo, CA. police reportedly returned nearly 60 pounds of medical marijuana and hundreds of dead plants this week to two dispensaries raided last year. The property is worth more than $200,000, and dispensary lawyer Scott Candell said the collectives would seek damages from the bankrupt city for any losses.

Last February, Vallejo Police Department raided at least six medical cannabis dispensaries and charged them with selling pot. The cases against all six clubs fell apart, lawyers say, because Vallejo law enforcement didn’t understand California state law. Two laws, the Compassionate Use Act and the Medical Marijuana Program Act, as well as numerous court verdicts including the People v. Jacksonmake it clear that selling marijuana to qualified patients who are part of a collective is legal in California.

There are more dispensaries open in Vallejo now than there were before the bankrupt city wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars raiding and fruitlessly prosecuting clubs. Meanwhile, Vallejo citizens passed a sales tax on medical marijuana last year and have called for regulations to limit the number of clubs in the North Bay city.

Instead, the City Council has enacted a moratorium this April on new dispensaries, and reportedly called the feds to enforce federal law, instead of state law in Vallejo. A similar situation is playing out in San Diego.

Vallejo resident Paul Armentano said local cops’ backwards approach to legal activity is ludicrous and dangerous. Budget cuts have slashed the Vallejo Police Department from around 150 to around 90, leading to more crime.

Read the rest of the article here:

Police return 60 pounds of medical marijuana to two exonerated Vallejo …
San Francisco Chronicle (blog), on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:15:09 -0700
Vallejo, CA. police reportedly returned nearly 60 pounds of medical marijuana and hundreds of dead plants this week to two dispensaries raided last year. The property is worth more than $200,000, and dispensary lawyer Scott Candell said the collectives …