On Ground and In Sky: Protesters Implore Holder to Stop War on Medical Marijuana


BERKELEY, MAY 11th. Cal NORML and ASA protesters sent a message to A.G. Holder as he addressed UC Berkeley Hastings Law School graduates at the Hearst Greek Theater on Saturday.

“Holder: End RX Cannabis War #Peace4Patients,” read an airplane banner that circled the stadium for two hours.

Just days earlier, Holder’s DOJ had delivered a forfeiture letter aimed at closing Berkeley’s longest-established medical cannabis dispensary, the Berkeley Patients Group, in defiance of city officials who called the BPG a “model citizen.” DOJ also filed a forfeiture suit against the Shambhala dispensary in San Francisco, allegedly for operating too close to a park. Not only is the park closed, but Shambhala is located over 1,000 feet from it door-to-door, while a liquor store is located much closer.

Protesters flashed a banner “Fight Crime, Not Cannabis” in front of Holder’s limousine as he arrived at the event. One of them called out to him in person as he walked into the venue, evidently annoying the A.G. “The Attorney General saw our message loud and clear,” says Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer, “There’s no way he can come to the Bay Area and not be reminded of his bad faith with regards to medical marijuana.”

Also see: HuffPo: Eric Holder Marijuana Protest In Berkeley: Attorney General Greeted By Unfriendly Crowd

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