General Discussion

bemildred

(90,061 posts) Sat Mar 30, 2013, 10:09 AM Mar 2013

Man secretly owned chain of pot stores

The desperate rear-guard action to save the drug war continues ...

The marijuana shops evoked health and homeopathic care, with names like Dana Point Safe Harbor Collective, Belmont Shore Natural Care, Alternative Herbal Care and Costa Mesa Patients Assn.

Nine dispensaries in all, they appeared to be run by different owners around Orange and Los Angeles counties, little different than any of the hundreds of dispensaries that have popped up in the last five years.

But they were secretly owned and operated by a 56-year-old convicted drug dealer from San Clemente, who used the stores to make millions.

Federal drug agents say John Melvin Walker, who was arrested in October, was one of the biggest players they have prosecuted in Southern California's medical marijuana trade. They could recall only one similar case, a man who used the proceeds of his seven dispensaries to buy land in Costa Rica.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0330-marijuana-plea-20130330,0,2688080.story

11 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Man secretly owned chain of pot stores (Original Post) bemildred Mar 2013 OP

Very interesting! In_The_Wind Mar 2013 #1

Save the drug war or clear the field of competition for big pharma's entry? Gidney N Cloyd Mar 2013 #2

What's the difference what you call it? bemildred Mar 2013 #3

They left one word out of the third pragraph and it makes all the difference lunatica Mar 2013 #4

Yeah, I will never understand why they don't appreciate this guys enterpreneurial spirit. bemildred Mar 2013 #5

Actually, America was built by killing people and selling their land to the white people. Coyotl Mar 2013 #7

Dang, I forgot the sarcasm smiley again! NT bemildred Mar 2013 #8

I don't understand exactly... FarPoint Mar 2013 #6

It was a federal bust. nt bemildred Mar 2013 #9

It's a federal prosecution. Heidi Mar 2013 #10

The conflict appears between California and the Feds. FarPoint Mar 2013 #11

In_The_Wind

(72,300 posts)

1. Very interesting!

Reply to bemildred (Original post)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 10:14 AM

Mar 2013

Gidney N Cloyd

(19,838 posts)

2. Save the drug war or clear the field of competition for big pharma's entry?

Reply to bemildred (Original post)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 10:24 AM

Mar 2013

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

3. What's the difference what you call it?

Reply to Gidney N Cloyd (Reply #2)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 10:32 AM

Mar 2013

It's a weed, Big Pharma cannot control it or exploit it (much) without prohibition.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)

4. They left one word out of the third pragraph and it makes all the difference

Reply to bemildred (Original post)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 10:35 AM

Mar 2013

The paragraph:
"But they were secretly owned and operated by a 56-year-old convicted drug dealer from San Clemente, who used the stores to make millions."

Insert word: happy.

edited paragraph:
"But they were secretly owned and operated by a 56-year-old convicted drug dealer from San Clemente, who used the stores to make millions happy."

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

5. Yeah, I will never understand why they don't appreciate this guys enterpreneurial spirit.

Reply to lunatica (Reply #4)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 10:38 AM

Mar 2013

People like him built America by selling what people wanted to buy.

Coyotl

(15,262 posts)

7. Actually, America was built by killing people and selling their land to the white people.

Reply to bemildred (Reply #5)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 11:24 AM

Mar 2013

Time to dump the Mythology of America and face the truth.

Ohio (the former NW Territory) land sales saved the USA from complete and utter failure and bankruptcy.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

8. Dang, I forgot the sarcasm smiley again! NT

Reply to Coyotl (Reply #7)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 11:27 AM

Mar 2013

FarPoint

(12,408 posts)

6. I don't understand exactly...

Reply to bemildred (Original post)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 11:14 AM

Mar 2013

If it is legal in California and the proprietor is following the dispense rules....how is this a drug bust? Profit is not a crime.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

9. It was a federal bust. nt

Reply to FarPoint (Reply #6)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 11:28 AM

Mar 2013

Heidi

(58,237 posts)

10. It's a federal prosecution.

Reply to FarPoint (Reply #6)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 11:29 AM

Mar 2013

They took the case to the U.S. attorney because federal penalties are more severe and federal law is clear — all marijuana possession is illegal — avoiding the ambiguity of California's medical cannabis laws, which do not directly address whether commercial sales of pot are legal.

FarPoint

(12,408 posts)

11. The conflict appears between California and the Feds.

Reply to Heidi (Reply #10)

Sat Mar 30, 2013, 11:51 AM

Mar 2013

We the people are now the victims of this dispute.

What a huge waste of time and money.

Too bad the Feds don't defend women's right to choose as aggressively.

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