Feds Prying into Cali's Cannabis Factories

The federal government isn’t happy with Oakland’s planned licensing of four industrial scale, indoor cannabis factories. According to Michael Montgomery’s excellent piece in California Watch,

Officials from the Justice Department’s civil division and the U.S. attorney’s office in San Francisco delivered the blunt message to Oakland City Attorney John Russo…“The warning is clear: These are illegal, large-scale pot growing operations, with Oakland planning to get a cut of the illicit profits,” said one official.

But before Emerald Triangle growers smile in relief that the competition might be facing a rough time, the weight of the US government is about to fall on what the feds perceive as loopholes in California’s medical marijuana enforcement.  According to Montgomery, there was a meeting of DEA and Justice Dept officials with four US attorneys to discuss “state-wide federal enforcement strategy” for California. The officials apparently are focusing on growers who use medical marijuana for money laundering and who ship pounds out of state. US Attorney Benjamin Wagner stated, “We are working hard to send a clear message to law enforcement authorities, federal and state and local, that we are determined to go after this kind of activity and bring more cases.”

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T
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T
13 years ago

what kind of plant count were these oakland factories looking at working with?

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago

Finace here: Just exactly what do y’all think “Southern Sweep” was all about….and the bust with the diesel guy? Anyone up there that is still doing “business as usual” is out of their minds. You all talk about the money you put into the Humboldt economy but the feds know the truth, they know that y’all are either buying you cash or sending it out of the country to hide it. There is probably more money buried in those hills than in the local banks. What this means to them is that y’all are taking large quantities of money out of the country in general.

Then there is the part where you have all been flaunting your violations of federal laws. With this prop. 19 deal more and more of you started raising you hands and saying…look at me, look at me!” Here I am….I grow pot and make tons of money…..come get me.

They have said at every turn and at every major bust that they are “gathering computers, financial records and information.” My niece spoke with someone not too long ago via IM about living up there, he said his family left because it was way to hot for comfort and that was right before “Southern Sweep” went down. According to him the feds were so thick that it wsa “opressive.” During SS the Feds said that they had been investigating for three years…..add the last 2.5 years to that and I promise you they are on their way. I am sure they aim to make an example and they will do it hard and heavy. According to this guy anyone who hasn’t left yet is out of their minds.

Good luck to you all!

Ben Schill
Guest
Ben Schill
13 years ago

Hiumboldtkids is certainly out of touch. Federal busts are now so expensive and personnel heavy that they are not frequent. Someone must have raised expense questions about Southern Sweep. 400 agents for what?

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago
Reply to  Ben Schill

Fiance here: Give them time.

random guy
Guest
random guy
13 years ago
Reply to  Ben Schill

One lone federal agent is all it takes to ruin ANY marijuana grower’s world.

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago
Reply to  random guy

“According to Montgomery, there was a meeting of DEA and Justice Dept officials with four US attorneys to discuss “state-wide federal enforcement strategy” for California.”

Ben keep telling yourself that…..denial and delusion the way of Humboldt County. Ask Al Capone if the feds ever give up. They don’t and they won’t. “Southern Sweep” was just the beginning…..and I personally don’t think its over yet….they’ll let us know when it is and they haven’t.

random guy
Guest
random guy
13 years ago
Reply to  humboldtkids

What I think sucks is, in the wake of proposition 19, a significant portion of internet-world commenters would have us believe marijuana growers somehow like the fact that their whole life could turn upside down on a beurocratic whim. Even worse, diehard prop. 19’ers talk like marijuana is now illegal BECAUSE of people who grow it…prop 19 was a successful propoganda machine.

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago
Reply to  random guy

Fiance here: As much as Kym and others tried to claim that growers voted in favor…there is an article in the TS as we speak that gives a precint by percint tally of who voted how….the main growing areas voted it down……

Staff
Member
13 years ago
Reply to  humboldtkids

Fiance,
I don’t know what I said to give you the impression I thought growers voted pro Prop 19. At one point in about August maybe as late as September, I thought they might but since then, I have been pretty sure that at least half the growers would vote against 19 which I agree with you they probably did.

The article you refer to is excellent and I have it linked in my Little Nuggets post above if anyone else wants to read it.

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago
Reply to  Staff

Fiance here: I may have misunderstood or either my memory is fading…which is highly possible…lol. Sorry about the mix up.

Staff
Member
13 years ago
Reply to  humboldtkids

No prob. I do stuff like that all the time.

Ben Schill
Guest
Ben Schill
13 years ago

Hiumboldtkids is certainly out of touch. Federal busts are now so expensive and personnel heavy that they are not frequent. Someone must have raised expense questions about Southern Sweep. 400 agents for what?

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago
Reply to  Ben Schill

Fiance here: Give them time.

random guy
Guest
random guy
13 years ago
Reply to  Ben Schill

One lone federal agent is all it takes to ruin ANY marijuana grower’s world.

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago
Reply to  random guy

“According to Montgomery, there was a meeting of DEA and Justice Dept officials with four US attorneys to discuss “state-wide federal enforcement strategy” for California.”

Ben keep telling yourself that…..denial and delusion the way of Humboldt County. Ask Al Capone if the feds ever give up. They don’t and they won’t. “Southern Sweep” was just the beginning…..and I personally don’t think its over yet….they’ll let us know when it is and they haven’t.

random guy
Guest
random guy
13 years ago
Reply to  humboldtkids

What I think sucks is, in the wake of proposition 19, a significant portion of internet-world commenters would have us believe marijuana growers somehow like the fact that their whole life could turn upside down on a beurocratic whim. Even worse, diehard prop. 19’ers talk like marijuana is now illegal BECAUSE of people who grow it…prop 19 was a successful propoganda machine.

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago
Reply to  random guy

Fiance here: As much as Kym and others tried to claim that growers voted in favor…there is an article in the TS as we speak that gives a precint by percint tally of who voted how….the main growing areas voted it down……

Staff
Member
13 years ago
Reply to  humboldtkids

Fiance,
I don’t know what I said to give you the impression I thought growers voted pro Prop 19. At one point in about August maybe as late as September, I thought they might but since then, I have been pretty sure that at least half the growers would vote against 19 which I agree with you they probably did.

The article you refer to is excellent and I have it linked in my Little Nuggets post above if anyone else wants to read it.

humboldtkids
Guest
humboldtkids
13 years ago
Reply to  Staff

Fiance here: I may have misunderstood or either my memory is fading…which is highly possible…lol. Sorry about the mix up.

Staff
Member
13 years ago
Reply to  humboldtkids

No prob. I do stuff like that all the time.