On 4 October 2006, agents of the Palm Springs Narcotics Task Force, an arm of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, served a search warrant on the Palm Springs Caregivers dispensary and seized what the DEA called a substantial quantity of marijuana and marijuana products along with an amount of cash.[1] Palm Springs police took part in the search, and no arrests had been made by that afternoon, though the investigation continued.[1]
The October search was triggered by an incident the month before, when Joshua Aleck of Valencia, described as having a working relationship with the dispensary and possibly an employee or the owner’s brother, allegedly left edible items containing marijuana as a tip for an employee of the Spa Resort Casino.[1] The raid closed the dispensary and left patients temporarily without a regular source; one patient said he might use another Coachella Valley dispensary or return to street dealers.[1] A national drug-policy chronicle listed the Palm Springs raid among a week of federal medical-marijuana raids that drew coordinated protests, including one at DEA headquarters in Los Angeles.[2]
On 2 November, DEA agents and Palm Springs police served a second search warrant on the dispensary, at 2100 North Palm Canyon Drive, and seized what the DEA spokeswoman called a large quantity of marijuana and marijuana edibles.[3] Again no arrests were made.[3] The agency said the dispensary appeared to be selling for profit, which California’s medical marijuana law does not allow, and said edibles and advertising material taken in the October raid had contributed to the return visit.[3] The two reports give the dispensary’s address as 2001 and 2100 North Palm Canyon Drive respectively.[1][3]
