Crackdown Threatens CA Marijuana Industry

Officials use every opportunity to chase away entrepreneurs

California's medical marijuana industry has enjoyed several years of fast growth, but legal crackdowns now threaten to wipe it out.

Since 1996, the state has allowed marijuana growers and distributors to operate legally with little oversight. All it takes is a doctor's note or a claim that one is a "caregiver," a loosely interpreted term. More than 1,000 dispensaries are in business, employing thousands more and providing state and local governments as much as $105 million in taxes each year.