Posted on September 27 at 5:21 p.m.

I simply stated the facts about the years of criminal activity in my residential neighborhood, which is nowhere near a commercial zone. My family has lived in this neighborhood for forty years and this problem did not exist until the current medical marijuana laws provided a shield for criminals like my neighbor who took advantage of the situation. There is no reason to attack me personally. I have a right to an opinion about the DEA, just as the rest of you do.

On Feds Target S.B. Medical Marijuana Shops

Posted on September 27 at 4:15 p.m.

I never said that all medical marijuana providers are violent criminals, but our current laws make it difficult for local law enforcement to stop the kind of situation I described. Don't be so sure that it's just a few isolated instances either. We wouldn't be seeing the busts of large illegal marijuana farms in the rural areas of the county if this wasn't a huge law enforcement problem. I would prefer to see marijuana dispensed at pharmacies like other drugs with legal drug companies as the providers.

On Feds Target S.B. Medical Marijuana Shops

Posted on September 27 at 2:53 p.m.

For two years, I observed assault, attempted assault and lots of noise and traffic resulting from an illegal marijuana growing operation in a residential neighborhood. The illegal marijuana grower had hundreds of plants in a windowless room, but didn't have a license to be a provider, only a card for personal medical use. This is illegal. A few times a week, several men from Ventura County would arrive in a truck around midnight. Boxes, bags, and gas tanks were carried between the house and truck, causing lots of noise and preventing the neighbors from sleeping. Because he is a violent person, the grower assaulted a visitor who threatened to call the police about what he saw inside the house. He also attempted to assault a neighbor who complained that the late night traffic kept him awake. When local law enforcement was contacted, they claimed it was that it was difficult for them to enforce the law if the person had a medical marijuana card for personal use, even if someone was illegally growing hundreds of plants on the premises. They said they had to see money changing hands in order to investigate. I welcome the DEA to rid my neighborhood of criminals using medical marijuana laws as a shield. Maybe the idea that the DEA was taking an interest in Santa Barbara was the reason that the grower finally shut down his operation. He said that he didn't know that a friend of his was running an illegal drug operation out of a room in his house, and that he was always asleep at midnight when the men came and didn't hear a thing! He hired a couple of people to haul away the evidence, which included a couple of truckloads of hydroponic equipment. He still grows a few plants for personal use, which nobody minds. A small number medical marijuana dispensaries should be plenty to accomodate the needs of the patients in Santa Barbara.

On Feds Target S.B. Medical Marijuana Shops

Posted on September 27 at 10:09 a.m.

This is great news for those of us who have been threatened by criminals running illegal marijuana grow houses in residential neighborhoods. The late night visits by people from outside the area, the odd smells and violent behavior by con artists claiming to be medical marijuana advocates has to stop. The DEA is coming to the rescue of law-abiding citizens who want to live in peace.

On Feds Target S.B. Medical Marijuana Shops

Posted on August 10 at 5:42 p.m.

What if the winds change after they start this inferno? If they can't stop this fire at its current size, they certainly won't be able to control it after they increase it by a couple of hundred thousand acres.

On Fire Command Considers Burning Out Backcountry