This plant was removed but the sticker was left behind, along with a ransacked house, courtesy of your tax dollars spent by a South Bay Task Force. (Photo credit: MedicalMarijuana411.com)
Within days of helping put together one of the most historic cannabis conferences, Susan Soares had her home raided, her plants removed, and her house destroyed in the process, just as kids were walking home from school.
Susan Soares, a medical marijuana patient and advocate who has been a lynchpin in the legalization effort for medical cannabis, was arrested last year for and posted bail after officers from a South Bay Task Force paid her a visit.
According to Soares, “when the officers that came the first time, one of them, Carlborg [Detective Robert Carlborg, badge #1259], was rather upset that he didn’t get to take my plants away from me. He’s the one that has called my lawyer and asked me to surrender myself this time.”
No charges have been filed on Susan yet, but her roommate, who was home at the time of the raid, was arrested and is still sitting in jail.
“I have an outpouring of support from the medical marijuana community, but my roommate was only renting a room and is tangled up in all this mess… he’s the one who really needs the support.”
“…the Department does not focus its limited resources on seriously ill individuals who use marijuana as part of a medically recommended treatment regimen in compliance with state law as stated in the October 2009 Ogden Memorandum…” ~ Melinda Haag, United States Attorney, Northern District of California
When the police found her plants, they also found all of the appropriate patient documentation, and Medical Marijuana 411 has learned the Task Force even called her doctor and he verified every plant she was growing was within her needs as a patient.
According to the California Highway Patrol, their policy is to leave the medicine with the patient when everything checks out, thanks to Americans for Safe Access.
Even a recent memo from the Department of Justice signed by Melinda Haag of the North District of California explains that although “Congress has determined that marijuana is a controlled substance… placed (it) in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act… growing, distributing, and possessing marijuana in any capacity, other than as part of a federally authorized research program, is a violation of federal law… the Department does not focus its limited resources on seriously ill individuals who use marijuana as part of a medically recommended treatment regimen in compliance with state law as stated in the October 2009 Ogden Memorandum…”
For the South Bay Task Force however, they have plenty of resources to waste, and are indeed pursuing patients who are seriously ill and use marijuana as part of a recommended regimen if those patients are doing their civic duties by expressing their rights in a participatory democracy.
An outpouring of support for Susan is expected whenever her trial begins, but for now she just hopes she can help to free her roommate, who has an arraignment hearing Thursday, March 24 at 8:30 am at the Torrance Courthouse. Anyone wanting to show their support is encourage to grab their solidarity ribbon and show up for court support.
