by Shawn E Hamilton

Created on: April 15, 2009   Last Updated: September 01, 2011

San Francisco Assembly member Tom Ammiano today reacted to a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) raid on a San Francisco marijuana dispensary only a week after the Obama administration signaled it would cease the federal government's practice of harassing cannabis clubs in states that have legalized the plant for medical use. Ammiano, who in February announced he would present legislation to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana in California, said that the move may have been a warning to him and the Obama administration by what he called the "paramilitary" and "institutionalized" mentality of the DEA.

DEA agents raided Emmalyn's California Cannabis Clinic on Wednesday, emptying the dispensary of marijuana, cannabis plants, grow lights, and other equipment along with patients. The agency would not cite a specific reason for the raid, saying the warrant is under court seal, but suggested that the dispensary violated state and federal law. Emmalyn's, which had been operating with a temporary permit issued by the Department of Public Health, had been providing free marijuana to the poor on Wednesdays.

When Examiner.com asked if he thought the raid was a warning because of his legalization bill, Ammiano said he thought it was but not just to him. He thinks the DEA was also challenging the Obama administration because of Attorney General Eric Holder's pledge last week to leave cannabis clubs alone.

"They're going to be very obstinate and very stubborn and do a lot of power tripping around this issue, so even though Eric Holder, the AG, said no more raids of marijuana dispensaries, they're just going to take that on and see how serious everybody is," Ammiano said. "It's infuriating, and it's also very dehumanizing for the patients who were there, and they just like to rub our nose in it because it's San Francisco. I find it childish, but I also find it very dangerous."

No-one was arrested in the raid, but Ammiano still thinks damage was done. He thinks Obama can counter what may be out-of-control agencies like the DEA if he chooses too, but in any case, Ammiano intends to fight. "We're dug in if they're dug in; they're the ones who are going to lose, but in the meantime there's a lot of suffering and anxiety that goes around about this, and that's what I find criminal," he said.

Quintin Mecke, Communications Director for Assembly member Ammiano, said in an interview coincidentally only a few hours before the raid, he said he didn't think the feds would interfere unless

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