I found out about this from the mpp blog. Apparently a federally-funded drug task force called “West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team (WestNet)” raided a medical-marijuanna club seized about 200 signatures, for a ballot initiative for marijuanna legalization.

The same group apparently raided another provider’s home. In the process of which, they handcuffed the family’s 14 year old son for two hours, and put a gun to his head”. They even confiscated $80 dollars form the 9-year-old daughter’s wallet in an attempt to prove that the dispensary was illegally profiting from pot sales.

lt’s hard not to get incensed over this kind of bullshit. What happened to the poor family makes a good story, and is easy to get riled up about, but the seizing of ballot initiative signatures is even worse. Drug laws would have changed 30 years ago, if it weren’t for the successful chilling-effect laid down by the destructive drug-laws and prohibition culture. This kind of thing is designed to frighten people, which in turn chills the efforts to obtain honest information about drugs and drug policies, and to have a real democracy, in which policy is informed by public knowledge, and public action.

The actions of WestNet violate Obama’s instructions to leave medical marijuanna providers be. Their actions represent the most despicable consequences and actions of the prohibition complex. In addition to legislative reform, we need culpability for bad cops. At the very least, WestNet should lose its federal funding as a result of these actions. I hope that you’ll join me in asking the ONDCP to take action against WestNet, to make an example of them, and let the rest of the overzealous, badly behaved, so-called “law-enforcement” officers.

Here is the text of the email I have sent them.  Please feel free to copy and paste:

I recently read about a federally-funded task force called “West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team (WestNet)”.

Apparently WestNet hasn’t gotten the memo that medical marijuanna providers are to be allowed to function within the domains of state laws. Worse, they have taken it on themselves to influence policy decisions by hampering legitimate political activism. I refer here to their seizing of petitition signatures as “evidence” (see http://blog.mpp.org/prohibition/reports-task-force-seizes-marijuana-petition-signatures-handcuffs-14-year-old/05242010/)

This same group, in another raid of another medical marijuanna provider, ransacked a licensed provider’s home, handcuffed their 14 year old son and PUT A GUN TO HIS HEAD. The further seized “as evidence” the contents of the 9 year old daughters mickey-mouse wallet.

Is this despicable behavior the intended use of federal funding being provided to this task force? I (and I am not alone) am sick and tired of hearing about this kind of brain-dead Gestapo tactics being used. Let alone being used against people who are trying to provide medicine to sick people.

It’s time that Police who show such bad judgement start facing some repercussions for their actions. I ask that you rescind the federal funding for WestNet. They are not using the money well.