Medical Marijuana Caregiver Convicted of Drug Dealing (tags)
Until May 28, 2008 John Ottombrino was just another yoga and massage teacher, giving lessons and alternative health information from his home in Kearny Mesa. Then police broke in his door and arrested him for cultivation of marijuana and possession with intent to sell. Though he was growing it for three medical marijuana patients and had letters from their doctors proving it, the cops ignored that evidence — and so did the judge at his trial, who wouldn't let him introduce evidence that he was providing caregiving services for his clients.
S.D. Cracks Down on Medical Pot as Feds Loosen Up (tags)
Don Duncan, California statewide director of the national medical-marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA), came to San Diego February 10 to tell local members that the outlook for medical marijuana is good. He pointed to a policy statement from a spokesperson for President Obama that said the federal government will stop using its police power to interfere with state medical marijuana laws. But that was cold comfort to many of the people in the room, especially those targeted by a flurry of raids in San Diego in the first week of February.