The federal Drug Enforcement Administration with Las Vegas police raided at least five medical marijuana dispensaries across the Las Vegas valley on 8 September 2010.[1][2] The dispensaries were Happiness Consultant, Salvation Haven, Nature’s Way, Organic Releaf and Holistic Solutions, and agents seized patient and financial records without making arrests.[1][2] U.S. Attorney’s office spokeswoman Natalie Collins said the search warrants and supporting affidavits were sealed by federal court order as part of an ongoing law enforcement operation.[1][2]
A policy dispute
The raids came nearly a year after an October 2009 Justice Department directive deprioritising enforcement against medical marijuana patients and providers, and less than two months after federal raids on state-compliant patients in California and Michigan.[1][2] Americans for Safe Access said the federal government should never enforce local or state medical marijuana laws and called on the DEA to follow the Justice Department policy.[1][2] Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman had said publicly that allowing dispensaries was a legitimate goal, while Nevada law made no provision for distribution beyond stringent designated-caregiver rules.[1][2] The DEA was then led by Bush appointee Michele Leonhart, whose re-nomination drew objections from medical marijuana advocates after more than 200 federal raids during the Bush years.[1][2]
