DEA agents swept through Costa Mesa early on 17 January 2012, raiding several medical marijuana dispensaries as well as the homes of collective members.[1] Three of the raided collectives operated at 440 Fair Drive, the former home of the now-closed Herban Elements shop, and agents also hit a dispensary on Cabrillo Street.[1] In connection with the raids, agents arrested grower Jeff Byrne, whose cannabis was sold under the “Simple Farmer” label, and seized more than 500 plants at two separate locations.[1] They also raided Otherside Farms, whose owner Chadd McKeen had told a city inspector he hoped to earn enough to donate $500,000 a year to the city.[1]

The US Attorney’s office said the raids were part of a wider effort against storefront dispensaries, with letters going out the same day to the owners and landlords of nearly three dozen Costa Mesa shops and one shuttered Newport Beach store.[1] Federal officials also filed lawsuits against the landlords of the raided properties.[2] A defence-law blog account of the raids says no arrests were made and operators were only detained during the searches, which conflicts with the reported arrest of Byrne.[2][1] One collective member said he and two employees were detained at gunpoint at a delivery warehouse, handcuffed and released without charge.[1] The Drug War Chronicle names the three raided businesses as American Collective, Otherside Farms and Simple Farmer.[3]