James Slatic, of Med-West Distributors, legally manufactures a beneficial medicine from the cannabis plant which helps thousands of people across the state of California. However, thanks to a tyrannical system and its army of thieving enforcers, Slatic is no longer able to help people and has had everything he owns stolen from him. In America, this thieving mafia tactic of robbing and shutting down legitimate businesses is called ‘justice.’
This November, California residents will vote on, and undoubtedly pass Proposition 64 (2016) The California Marijuana Legalization Initiative (#15-0103) also known as the “Adult Use of Marijuana Act.” The fear from police who stand to lose their cash cow from smash-and-grab raids on marijuana dispensaries and extraction companies has sent them into a fury.
Over the last year, California cops have ramped up asset seizures of cannabis companies in an apparent response to Prop 64.
A detailed report by Inc.com has explained how one of these companies is being affected by these raids.
At 7:37 a.m. on January 28, 2016, nearly 30 officers from the San Diego Joint Narcotics Task Force conducted a raid on Med-West Distributors, a licensed medical cannabis extraction company. The officers, decked out in helmets, tactical gear and clutching assault rifles and handguns, used a sledge hammer to open the door and burst into the lobby. Once inside, the task force arrested two employees present, cracked open the company’s safe and collected its inventory–over 30,000 cartridges of cannabis oil and a couple pounds of concentrate.
The Narcotics Task Force seized $1.4 million in cash, product, and money from various bank accounts belonging to owner James Slatic ($325,570 in cash was found in the safe). Med-West had been providing hundreds of licensed dispensaries around California with medical CO2-extracted cannabis oil and products under the state’s medical marijuana laws since 2010. The company was licensed by the city of San Diego and operating openly. Slatic says his company was raided a second time in late June and is now officially closed.
Not only did law enforcement officials rob Slatic’s business blind and effectively bankrupt him, they hit his innocent family, too. Using federal asset forfeiture laws, San Diego law enforcement has seized all the company’s accounts and the money in Slatic’s personal account. They have also seized the bank account of Slatic’s wife, who is a federal employee at the Veteran Affairs. But it gets worse.
After seizing his and his wife’s personal assets, this thieving group of public servants then went after his kids’ college savings accounts. His children can no longer pay for college.
Slatic, who’s had his life ruined by these people has yet to be charged with a crime.
Unfortunately, Slatic’s case is hardly isolated. In Sonoma county alone, on one day, cops raided five properties. They seized equipment, products, and funds from all of them.
“Over the last year, we have seen more investigations, more raids and systematic asset seizures of medical marijuana companies using CO2 to make concentrates than ever before,” Jessica McElfresh, one of Slatic’s attorneys said in an interview with Inc.com. “According to California state law, medical marijuana is legal. The laws are complicated and ambiguous, but the state has decided this is something they want to allow and regulate.”
As recreational legalization looms on the horizon, the ramping up of raids on legal companies has business owners crying foul as police are seemingly targeting them in a last stitch effort to steal everything they can.
“They are just trying to get as much money from us while they still can. That’s why it’s called smash-and-grab,” explains Slatic. “The prosecutors do not give us their prosecutorial strategy but many people think Drug Task Forces have become addicted to the assets. Law enforcement knows we have trouble getting banking so during my raid they found $325,570 in cash in the safe and the cops were high-fiving each other.”
If anyone still believes these cops are acting for the benefit of public interest after witnessing these atrocious acts of theft, they’d do well to reconsider their position. Not only are they stealing money from good people who provide individuals, including epileptic children, with life-saving medicine, but they are denying said children their medicine.
There is absolutely no justification other than thievery for the actions of law enforcement in these raids. It’s time Americans stand up and demand an end to the war on cannabis.
Since Slatic is completely bankrupt due to the police, he’s had to start fundraising online. He’s since created an Indiegogo campaign to raise money to pay for his legal fees.
Below is a powerful video in which Slatic explains his victimization by the state.
TABU; Towards A Better Understanding 