JURIST - Paper Chase: Medical marijuana indictment unsealed

[JURIST] Federal law enforcment authorities in San Francisco have unsealed an indictment charging 19 people with drug trafficking and using three San Francisco medical marijuana dispensaries as fronts for organized crime. In marijuana raids conducted earlier this week [JURIST report] federal agents seized 9,309 marijuana plants, ecstasy, 3 firearms, and pot laced sweets including candy, cookies and brownies, in a raid of 26 different locations, including homes and businesses. The criminal complaint in the case alleges a large scale drug trafficking organization grew, imported, distributed and sold large quantities of marijuna and engaged in money laundering. US Attorney Kevin Ryan [official biography] would not say whether the raids were a result of the recent Supreme Court ruling in Gonzales v. Raich [PDF] making medical marijuana illegal, noting that the investigation had spanned the last 2 years, but San Francisco drug enforcement agents say they are empowered by the decision and vow to enforce it. The San Francisco Chronicle has more.

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