CA MMJ Collectives have 45 Days to Close... Back to the Bad Old Day's

The feds have begun a crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries in California, telling the collectives and the medical marijuana patients they serve that they must close within 45 days - even though medicinal cannabis is legal in the state.

The move was seen as the Obama administration's pushback against the medical marijuana industry, The Associated Press reported. Sixteen states have legalized pot for those who have a prescription from a doctor.

Federal prosecutors in California sent strongly worded letters to 16 medical marijuana collectives or their landlords. The Associated Press got copies of letters sent to a dozen dispensaries in the San Diego area.

The letters argue that federal law trumps state law.

"Under United States law, a dispensary's operations involving sales and distribution of marijuana are illegal and subject to criminal prosecution and civil enforcement actions," read the letters signed by U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy in San Diego.

If the stores do not close within the specified period, they face criminal prosecution and confiscation of property. The prosecutors did not confirm the existence of the letters Thursday, The Associated Press reported, but the four federal prosecutors in California are expected to hold a press conference Friday to outline the crackdown.

"This really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. The administration is simply making good on multiple threats issued since President Obama took office," said Kevin Sabet, a former adviser to the President's drug czar.

The closure orders show that the Obama administration is taking a hardline approach on the issue of legalizing medicinal marijuana. For the last two years, according to The Associated Press, the feds have not react aggressively against dispensaries in the 16 states where medicinal reefer is legal.

A lawyer who represents the dispensary Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana, said its landlord got slapped with one of the letters Wednesday, and it said harsh federal penalties could be in play for selling drugs within 1,000 feet of schools, parks and playgrounds, The Associated Press reported.

Greg Anton told the wire service that the landlord has to evict the dispensary or risk getting tossed in jail. The landlord would also have to forfeit property and all rent collected in the 14 years the business has operated.

The lawyer slammed Obama and said the dispensary has always paid state and federal taxes.

"All I hear from Obama is whining about his budget, but he has money to do this, which will actually reduce revenues?" he told The Associated Press.

(Source)

Chamba and The Emerald Cup ...

It appears that the original Chamba story is (at least geographically) that it is a region wide term used to describe herb grown throughout the Malawi / Tanzania region of south central Africa.

Most references tie it to Malawi gold which appears to be a sativa strain which is a primary parent for most of the hybrids created for export since the early to mid 90's. It's akin to saying mexican is the parent of most of the herb grown in Mexico, not very specific as to genetics. Most reference to Chamba are as the herb pressed and wrapped in banana leaves grown and processed in the hill country in Tanzania north of the large lake that seperates the two countries (this fits with the tale I was told back in 81).

There is some documentation of various tribes growing and using Cannibis back to 1870 or so. All my research thus far is pretty random. I mention this as a reference to biological isolation of strain causing adaptive evolution very different from our "America's" Sativa varietal.

In any event look for Chamba @ "The Emerald Cup"... Educate, Smoke, Vote