Editing Drug Enforcement Administration (section)

== Raids on medical marijuana dispensaries ==
[[File:DEA Raid protest.jpg|thumb|right|People protesting [[medical marijuana]] raids]]<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[File:Stop arresting patients.jpg|thumb|right|People protesting DEA arrests on medical marijuana users]] -->

The DEA has taken a particularly strong stance on enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act on persons and organizations acting within state laws that allow [[medical cannabis]] cultivation and distribution.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/18/national/main2369758.shtml |title=Feds Raid 11 Medical Marijuana Clinics, DEA Does Not Recognize California Law legalizing the medical use of pot |work=CBS News |access-date=August 31, 2011 |archive-date=May 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518013651/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/18/national/main2369758.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> DEA chief [[Chuck Rosenberg]] has made negative comments on patients who use medical marijuana, saying he considers medical marijuana to be a "joke".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reid |first=Paula |last2=Condon |first2=Stephanie |date=2015-11-04 |title=DEA chief says smoking marijuana as medicine "is a joke" |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dea-chief-says-smoking-marijuana-as-medicine-is-a-joke/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref>  As a reaction against the negative statements made by Rosenberg towards medical marijuana, an international online petition has been formed. More than 159,737 signatures have been gathered globally with the intention that Rosenberg be fired or forced to resign as head of DEA.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rough|first1=Lisa|title=Petition to Fire DEA Chief Gains Traction|url=https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/petition-to-fire-dea-chief-gains-traction|access-date=June 12, 2017|work=Leafly|date=November 18, 2015|archive-date=April 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416102520/https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/petition-to-fire-dea-chief-gains-traction|url-status=live}}</ref>

"The people of California and the County of Santa Cruz have overwhelmingly supported the provision of [[medical marijuana]] for people who have serious illnesses," county Supervisor [[Mardi Wormhoudt]] told the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]''. "These people (blocking the road) are people with AIDS and cancer and other grave illnesses. To attack these people, who work collectively and have never taken money for their work, is outrageous."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/441/hincheyvote.shtml |title=Feature: Move to Block DEA Medical Marijuana Raids Heads for House Floor Vote Next Week |publisher=Stopthedrugwar.org |access-date=August 31, 2011 |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629185358/http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/441/hincheyvote.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/09/06/MN212302.DTL&type=printable |title=Santa Cruz officials fume over medical pot club bust / DEA arrests founders, confiscates plants |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=September 6, 2002 |access-date=August 31, 2011 |archive-date=January 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103180029/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2002%2F09%2F06%2FMN212302.DTL&type=printable |url-status=live }}</ref>

As a result, the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana, with the City and County of Santa Cruz, had sued the DEA, Attorney General [[Michael Mukasey]], and the [[ONDCP]]. The most recent court decision rejected the government's motion to dismiss, which allowed discovery to move forward. The [[American Civil Liberties Union]] hailed the decision as "a first-of-its-kind ruling."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aclu.org/drugpolicy/medmarijuana/36496prs20080820.html |title=Federal Court Rules U.S. Government May Not Deliberately Subvert California's Medical Marijuana Laws |publisher=American Civil Liberties Union |date=August 20, 2008 |access-date=August 31, 2011 |archive-date=October 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025121629/http://www.aclu.org/drugpolicy/medmarijuana/36496prs20080820.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

More recently, the DEA has escalated its enforcement efforts on the recently proliferated Los Angeles area medical cannabis collectives. On July 25, 2007, the DEA raided the California Patients Group, Hollywood Compassionate Collective, and Natural Hybrid (NHI Caregivers) in Hollywood, California.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=Martin |title=An Industry Emerges: The Rise of Medical Marijuana |url=http://realitysandwich.com/161557/industry_emerges/ |website=Reality Sandwich |access-date=1 October 2014 |date=2012 |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006145608/http://realitysandwich.com/161557/industry_emerges/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Earlier that day, the operators of those collectives participated in a press conference with LA City Council members announcing the city's intention to regulate the collectives and asking the DEA to halt raids on collectives while the City drafted regulations.{{citation needed|date=October 2010}} The dispensary operator of Natural Hybrid (NHI Caregivers) was forced to close down the collective due to the tremendous loss caused by the DEA conducted joint task force raid against them.{{citation needed|date=October 2010}}