Aug 22nd: Stanislaus Patients Rally for Oakdale Dispensary!

Patients in Stanislaus County will rally on Wednesday August 22nd to protest the recent DEA raid on the Oakdale Natural Choice Collective. Please show up to rally outside of the Stanislaus County Courthouse, followed by court support for Addison DeMoura, operator of the ONCC.

When: Aug 22nd, at noon.
Where: Stanislaus County Courthouse, 11th and H St., Modesto, CA.
More info: shirley@compassionatecoalition.org

Thanks for your support!

Nathan Sands
Sacramento Chapter Representative, National Communications Director
The Compassionate Coalition

Posted on Wed, Aug. 15, 2007
By EVE HIGHTOWER - ehightower@modbee.com
Source: http://www.modbee.com/local/story/43107.html

OAKDALE — A.J. Hajjar figures that if lawmakers and police could feel the pain of three herniated disks, other lower back problems and osteoarthritis, they'd leave places like Oakdale Natural Choice Collective alone.

"I felt very safe here," the 61-year-old Tracy man said while seated in the now-empty medical marijuana dispensary that the Stanislaus County Drug Enforcement Agency and Oakdale police shut down July 31. It had been open since May 7, owner Addison DeMoura said.

July 31st, 11 am PDT:

The Stanislaus Co. DEA is raiding the Natural Choice dispensary in Oakdale

(1275 E. F St.). The owner, Addison DeMoura, and some employees are in custody. Natural Choice had been open since May 7th. They hadn't received any complaints from the locals, but the Central Valley is notorious for its hostility to MMJ.
--
California NORML, 2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114 -
www.canorml.org

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Central Valley Patients Coalition Meeting: May 5th

Please join central valley patients and supporters to help plan and strategize for the defense of patients rights in Stanislaus County, Merced County, and beyond!

The CVPC meets on the first Saturday of each month, at 11:00 AM. New Location: These meetings will now be held at: 1733 Yosemite Ave., Modesto, CA. Thank-You and have a wonderful day. For additional information, contact: (209)-652-5069 or Michael O'Leary at mikesoleary@sbcglobal.net

Dear Stanislaus County medical marijuana supporter-

On Thursday, the Modesto Bee ran an article on
Tuolumne County's approval of the medical marijuana ID
card program (see below).

Within the next 60 days, Merced and Tuolumne Counties
will have the card program in place.

Now it's time for Stanislaus County patients and
advocates to send letters to the editor, urging the
county to approve the program. Our medical marijuana
laws need to be applied uniformly, throughout the
state.

The Stanislaus County Public Health Department has
already developed the program, however in October

message from F.Aaron Smith....

Dear Medical Marijuana Supporter,

Next Tuesday, October 24, the Stanislaus County Board
of Supervisors will be conducting a hearing on the
implementation of the medical marijuana ID card
program. The Board will be deciding whether or not to
implement this important program designed to protect
patients from detainment, arrest or seizure of their
medicine by state and local law enforcement.

The ID cards would be voluntary for patients and
caregivers to obtain through the county and are
accepted throughout the state.

Approval of this program would be a major step in the

Council hurt us by closing shop
Last Updated: October 8, 2006, 05:45:31 AM PDT
Source: http://www.modbee.com/opinion/letters/story/12852932p-13536114c.html

It seems we have a rogue City Council in Modesto. Instead of representing the people, they are governing us. We the people spoke by voting to allow medical marijuana, and our City Council has decided to ignore us.

I certainly do not feel comfortable with Councilman Brad Hawn making medical decisions for me. What are the council members' qualifications to be making these decisions? I certainly hope that illness does not touch our council members. Have they thought about what it would be like to be in agonizing pain, to beg for mercy and to suffer at the hands of those you put in office to represent you?

As the sick seek pot alternatives, questions swirl
Police, governments and courts struggle to enforce clashing laws

By ADAM ASHTON
BEE STAFF WRITER

Last Updated: October 8, 2006, 05:23:44 AM PDT

Source: http://www.modbee.com/local/story/12852912p-13536098c.html

Kathy Belluomini is on pain pills again, the same medicine she swallowed for more than a decade even though it made her so sick she couldn't get up some days.
She went back to Vicodin after federal agents shut down the California Healthcare Collective, a medical marijuana clinic on McHenry Avenue in Modesto. Belluomini bought cannabis there for the past seven months.

BAIL SET IN MARIJUANA CASE
Modesto Bee
10/5/06

Four Modesto medical marijuana suppliers arrested last week on suspicion of federal drug trafficking offenses can post bail and leave jail while they await a trial, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. Two of them, Luke Scarmazzo and Ricardo Montes, both 26, ran a McHenry Avenue medical marijuana clinic as its directors. The others, brothers Jose Malagon, 33, and Antonio Malagon, 28, worked for the clinic. Montes can be released from Fresno County Jail if he posts a $250,000 property bond. Scarmazzo's bond is $200,000. The Malagons each must post a property bond of $100,000. Robert Forkner, a Modesto lawyer representing Scarmazzo and Montes, said they should be out of jail by the end of the week. They have a hearing Oct. 13 in Fresno's federal court before Judge Dennis Beck.

Written for the web by Elizabeth Bishop, Senior Internet News Producer
Created: 9/27/2006 10:40:11 AM
Source: http://www.kxtv10.com/storyfull2.aspx?storyid=20305

Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the Modesto Police Department have raided what they say is one of the biggest medical marijuana dispensaries in Northern California.

This morning, officers went to the California Healthcare Collective at Fairmont Avenue and McHenry Avenue in Modesto to serve seven search warrants. The search comes in the wake of a number of federal indictments against the owners of the collective.