Medical Marijuana Raids in L.A.

Yesterday local and federal law enforcement agencies raided two medical marijuana dispensaries in the Los Angeles area, Organica Collective in Culver City and Overland Gardens Collective in West L.A., and arrested their owner, Jeffrey Joseph, at his home in Topanga Canyon. The Los Angeles Times reports that "the DEA, FBI, Internal Revenue Service, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Torrance Police Department and Culver City Police Department took part in the raids." But local police were serving state warrants, so ostensibly the feds were assisting them, rather than the other way around. In other words, this looks like the sort of case Attorney General Eric Holder had in mind when he said the Justice Department would get involved in medical marijuana cases only if they involved violations of state as well as federal law. The details of the case against Joseph, once they emerge, may show whether this distinction means anything in practice or is merely a ruse for continued federal interference with California's medical marijuana policy.