Medical Marijuana Dispensary Raids In Fresno County, CA
The420TimesStaff | Jun 02, 2011 | Comments 22
On Wednesday Fresno County, California Sheriff’s deputies raided several medical marijuana dispensaries after receiving numerous complaints from neighbors of the dispensaries. The neighbors say that patients speed down their streets, park and urinate on their lawns, and get into fights in front of the dispensaries. One very observant resident even felt the need to comment on the financial situation of the dispensary patients.
“These people do not have money to pay the rent. They do not have money to make a car payment. They do not have money to do anything else. But they have money to buy drugs,” Carlos Martinez, who lives in the area, said.
Either Mr. Martinez knows entirely too much about “these people” and their business, or he is being very general with his bigotry. Besides, if they don’t pay rent, where do they live? And what are they speeding down the street in if they can’t make their car payment?
Of course no arrests were made during the raids, because all the deputies wanted was the money and the plants.
The problem with this story of course – besides the cops have no interest in what their actual job is, arresting people who have supposedly broken the law – is the descriptions of these patients from neighbors. Speeding, public urination, fighting. Does this describe any cannabis user you have ever met?
I’ve met hundreds of cannabis users, and have never seen this behavior out of anyone who used weed exclusively. However I have seen all these things from just about every alcoholic I’ve ever met – often on a daily basis.
So what gives? It would be interesting to know just how many bars and liquor stores are in the same area as these dispensaries. If what these neighbors claim is true, it’s awful and the situation should be rectified. But shutting down the dispensaries won’t stop this behavior that is clearly coming from another source.
If neighbors were complaining of empty Cheetos bags littering their lawn or finding Phish concert ticket stubs in the street, I would say it was cannabis users. But common sense tells you those under the influence of marijuana don’t act out in the ways neighbors describe.
In fact, this just sounds like a bad neighborhood. I’ve been in many of those too, and there wasn’t a medical marijuana dispensary within 500 miles.
Filed Under: Best Of The Best • Exclusive Web Content • Medical Marijuana News • The War On Drugs
This is ridiculous. I am a patient at one of these dispensaries and can say from experience they were raided because they are too prominent on a busy street full of ignorant passerby who demonize cannabis. There are too many uneducated, hate filled people in this city which is very clear in the responses from local citizens’ sensationalism trying to stir up a reaction by accusing medical patients of things like speeding and public urination….. What a bunch of retards. Seriously. That stuff may happen but there are speeding, public urinating idiots no matter where you go, welcome to reality. Also what is it with this “you can’t mak a profit” BS? So you’re telling me that all the employees at nonprofits like American Red Cross work for free. They aren’t allowed to receive any cash for their work? Obviously they do, and the dispensaries, collectives, whatever the hell you want to call them work on the same SIMPLE idea. Who elected a sheriff who doesn’t understand basic business principles?
The neighborhood is a dumpy cul-de-sac bordering a Gap distribution center. The first house on the street was a meth spot that the collective was helping clean out, and the rest of the houses on the street look like investment properties from the pre-ARM days. The collective was the only place in that area where I felt safe. The white trash who live there, and thus the ones who got on the news, are very much in the minority.
Tarpey Village is a decent neighborhood that has been seeing a downturn in recent years. I won’t say it’s all because of the presence of these dispensaries, but I don’t think it’s helped any. Sorry, I’m happy for the crackdown.
Now our government is waging WAR ON PROFITS. In addition to: War on health. War on liberty. War on truth. War on America.
Prohibition is fraud. Prohibition causes crime. Prohibition causes corruption. Prohibition causes death.
These raids have nothing to do with protecting anyone. It is about stealing cash and assets from businesses.
How can American’s be so naive as to believe fascist government propaganda? Oh ya, good old fear, hate and bigotry.
End prohibition to restore free enterprise and sanity to America.
Nice insight on this situation. I am familiar with two of the dispensaries that were raided. There is indeed a liquor store next door, as well as a gun store, a tattoo parlor…This isn’t a great neighborhood to start with. The patients I have met at both dispensaries have always been kind and respectful. I am in my 50′s with a spinal cord injury. I would not conduct business in a place that people were behaving as the way Mr. Martinez describes which is why I don’t frequent bars. I saw the news interview with Mr. Martinez and I agree it really puts those who are seriously in need of medication in a bad light. I don’t appreciate him categorizing us as such. Thank you for the insightful article.
After losing my job to Federal raids I can certainly sympathize, my condolences go out to the suffering patients and employees of these businesses.
TARPEY VILLAGE is a Pecker Wood/Skin Head meth trap…
TO DIANNA1961;
TAKE DOWN MIMMS AND HER ENTOURAGE………….IF SHE ONLY KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS…I CANT BE THE MOM I NEED TO BE BECAUSE I CANT MOVE..MY BCK IS SO STIFF WHEN I DONT HAVE MYMEDS..I CANT EVEN TAKE THE KIDS TO SCHOOL……………….Y WOULD SHE INTENTIONALLY SCREW US LIKE THAT? MY KIDS DONT UNDERSTAND Y MOMMY CAN MOVE ONE DAY AND NOT THE NXT. MY KIDS SEE WHAT THE PILLS DO TO ME AND I HATE NOT BEING ABLE TO INTERACT BECAUSE I CANT STAY AWAKE. THE SURGERY THAT THEY WANT ME TO DO WILL PUT ME BED RIDDEN FOR 6 MONTHS. AND AFTER THAT I WILL HAVET O LEARN HOW TO WALK AGAIN!!! I AM 30 YRS OLD AND WOULD RATHER B 6 FT UNDER THAN GO THRU LIFE THIS WAY …BEING STUCK IN BED WHEN U HAVE KIDS IS THE WORST FEELING =(
_________________
I FEEL BAD FOR U DIANNA1961…METH USERS ARE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR WORLD, BUT POT SMOKERS ARE THE ENEMY HERE?….PLZ GATHER KNOWLEDGE ON THIS LAW…WHAT IF UR DAUGHTER HAD MY DISEASES? DIG DISCS, FIBROMYALGIA & ARTHRITIS…IM 30 FOR CHRIST SAKE
MAMA D…UR THE ISH!!!!!!!!
This is ridiculous. Not even the raid itself but this idiot martinez trying to say that we are a bunch of losers buying drugs and partying at buds4life. That place is the cleanist and best ran dispensary i have been to yet in the valley. I would make a 45 min drive every week because they are doing things right. And no im not some tweaker trying to get high like the tarpey village fools tend to think.. I have a separation in my hip that causes me pain daily and pinches nerves which cause more problems. Im not about to take pain pills for the rest of my life just so i can end up with liver failure by the time im 40. Reopen B4L and DONT VOTE FOR MIMS AGAIN
So I go to get my medication today & low & behold B4L in Clovis was closed. I had heard of the raids just yesterday but was unaware that it had caused the club to close. My heart dropped; what am I to do now? I am completely out & in pain. “these people” (Mr Martinez) have no idea the service this co op provides for patients like me. I suffer from extreame migrains & abdominal pain. I am a clean cut 38yo caucasion male, have a full time job where I show up in a suit & tie & lead a normal life. Because of STUPID people like Mr. Martinez, I now have to break the law to get my medication. What happened to true honesty, Justice, & alowing people to live their life without being judged. God is my only judge & I refuse to be categorized.
I was a patient at some of these collectives and although i am not glad that they are gone I can sympathize with the neighbors in that neighborhood.it was a bad location,at the end of a residential street with hundreds maybe up to 1000 cars a day comin in and out making uturns and blocking traffic. it just goes to show that everything cannabis supporters have fought for wont mean anything unless we demonstrate that just because you use and grow cannabis it doesnt mean you cant be a considerate law abiding citizen
i have been using this club scince i moved here due to a cancer problem..and there r bad spots people ect…in this world…i go to b4l and its like a second home to me and its hard to not have ur meds …thanks mimms hope ur happy that were all sic an going to be back on oc again but she would rater have people take oxycontin than med mj come on now never heard of someone oding off a hit of pot…phillip g
I will be on every thread/ poll/protest anyone puts together on this issue… we needa show the police we wont back down and its a waste of time money and resources.. maybe we needa cuase more crime in clovis so they will leave the “evil” weed alone… all they are really doing is putting streeet dealers back in business… i swear i have lost just about all hopes for the country.. buds was such a nice place… and of course all the guys treated me nice which i appreciate rather then goin to a faceless chain store where everyone is rude as f**k and not helpfull… im pullin for yall best o luck guys!!
Too bad there were so many “patients” who were abusing the medical rec and being disrespectful to the neighborhood. I’d be angery if I lived next to a so called “collective” that did not have adequate parking measures in place.
They wanted to donate money to PALS but didn’t do anything to releive some of the traffic and stress it put on that little neigborhood dead end street.
There were cars full of teenagers pulling up and waiting for people to go inside and purchase on a daily basis.
I too was and hope to continue to be a B4L patient. It was an amazing collective that truly cared for it’s patients. It is simply ridiculous that the news would portray the entire B4L community as losers that urinate in yards and cause issues. The misconception is that many medical marijuana patients are not normal, girl next door kind of people. I am a graduate student who has chosen cannabis over prescriptions for pain and anxiety. Our community needs to allow us to make our own personal decision on what is best for our minds and our bodies…
support buds4life
Man, I have been at this B4L place and I tell you, that was full of teenagers man. I do need my meds, but honestly, could not believe the number of teens at this place. They promoted the sale too much and it was easy to obtain your card. My two nephews who are college students went there and there is nothing wrong with them, they just like it for recreation. It was so easy for them to get a referral from this buds4life place and get their cards. Jst saying, if better control was kept.
On the contrary, b4l was in the process of making better parking arrangements before the raid happened. They ran out the methheads in the house next door, bought the house and planned to flatten it to create more parking. You don’t complain about the parking at the local mall, or even the local WinCo (which is PACKED all the time) do you? YOU WOULDN’T CALL THE POLICE ON A WINCO OR A SHOPPING MALL WOULD YOU? The real issue here is MONEY. Fresno doesn’t have any so they are going to take it where they can get it, even if it means taking from people who actually worked HARD to make a profitable business. I frequent B4L collective on a weekly basis. NEVER ONCE DID I SEE ANY FIGHTS, PUBLIC URINATION or anything that was described on the news. I’d rather go to B4L than any bar here in town!!! It is a clean, respectable, professionally ran business. Makes me wonder where all that money the “confiscated” went. I think Margaret Mimms will be getting an extra bonus this year. Regardless of how hard fresno tries to rid itself of the dispensaries marijuana ISNT GOING TO DISSAPEAR! Get over it and start busting some real criminals.
first off iv been smoking for 13 years.i suffer for multiple medical conditions,some of my meds are $400 dollers for 9 pills.i have a currant card and go to all the clubs in that area.first off im sick of all these kids crying about b4l clossing,there are other shops in this town. i do agree that some the claims that was said in the media is BS.but some i can find true. for those who said b4l was legit,guess wrong, thats why they are not open.when the they dropped the price they stopped keeping track of what any one purchased so they can report lower numbers for taxes and and make a huge profit.all the clubs who are still open has always kept records of all who purchased any meds.thats why they were able to reopen.some of you need to understand that you are screwing it up for all of us who really need it,{. maybe we needa cuase more crime in clovis so they will leave the “evil” weed alone… all they are really doing is putting streeet dealers back in business…}
as for drug dealers they will always be around,i bet most of the people who are complaining have bought and sold something to a friend who dont have a card. i guess that makes you a drug dealer. im not trying to attack b4l,i support all clubs in town but, im sick of how everyone is complaining and they probley paid dr deigo 65 bucks and told them they cant sleep or eat or have migrains.and walked out with a rec,
[i know people who did that]try suffering from real insomnia;try not sleeping for days and still having to work in a 105 degree kitchen.i think what mims and the county needs to is crack down on the quack doctors that are just making a profit and all the fake patients who really dont need it.maybe they should start checking power spikes and start raiding those who are growing more than what they are supposed to,most of you are growing way more than your rec permits, and than selling it for a profit.drug dealers right?do the math for quack dr{$65×100 people a day=$6500}.
All of us who obtain a dr rec is still committing a federal crime.so remember if a club gets shut down dont complain and watch how you conduct your self and what you say cuz you can f it up for those who are in need.and if all the clubs did close all us patients need to stick together and help each other out not cry about it.if you dont like what i said i dont care.you got to admit its pretty bad when you can walk into a wall mart and buy a 24″ Fluorescent Grow Light for 10 bucks.http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lights-of-America-24-Fluorescent-Grow-Light-Fixture/16879945. now thats when i think we have a problem.
just remember your actions reflect the rest of the medical cannabis patients.it only takes a small hand full to screw it up for the rest of us.
Dag nabbit good stuff you wihppresnpaeprs!