In order to make herself more politically palatable to conservative voters for an upcoming election the lesbian District Attorney of San Diego County, Bonnie Dumanis, is once again persecuting medical marijuana users with a vengeance. In an outrage provoking article the Drug War Chronicle is reporting that in early September, contrary to state law, fourteen medical marijuana dispensaries were raided and closed. The event resulted in thirty three arrests and the spectacle of a man being dragged out his wheelchair by law enforcement. Despite President Obama’s assurances that such federal actions were a thing of the past the DEA took part in some of the incursions.

Trying to have it both ways, Dumanis claims to be a friend of medical marijuana, however, no clinic, despite great effort to do so, ever seems to be able to live up to her exacting legal standard. Dion Markgraff, San Diego coordinator for Americans for Safe Access, argues that “she can't follow the plain language of the law, but instead she holds some impossible standard that no one else knows about. We're on the front lines of the most terrorist county in the whole state. The DA is sending in cops who lied to doctors to get valid recommendations, and then busting dispensaries that are operating according to the law. At worst, maybe somebody didn't file this or that piece of paper or had a zoning issue, but there was certainly nothing criminal."

The Drug Policy Alliance is petitioning California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown asking them to help put a halt to Dumannis’ unjust harassment. You can sign it here. With all of the discrimination and maltreatment that gay women have had to endure over the years you would think that someone with the DA’s background would be little more hesitant to inflict such treatment on other people, especially the sick.

Cross posted on The Trebach Report