OAKLAND, CA—One of California's most well-known, and well-regulated, medical marijuana dispensaries, Harborside Health Center, was served with a civil complaint for "forfeiture of property" this week for both of their locations in Oakland and San Jose. Harborside has been regulated and permitted by the City of Oakland for many years.

Tamar Todd, senior staff attorney for the Drug Policy Alliance, issued the following statement:

“This action represents an escalation by U.S Attorney Melinda Haag against some of the most well-regulated industry leaders in the medical marijuana field in Northern California and is a significant departure from the policy set forth by the Obama Administration to deprioritize enforcement against medical marijuana providers in full compliance with state law.

“U.S. Attorney Haag’s aggressive action will understandably be interpreted as the first step in a larger campaign to overturn the will of California voters and force medical marijuana back into the unregulated, untaxed illicit market. This represents a significant escalation and a complete repudiation of the promise President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder made. The Obama Administration should be promoting regulation in states that have adopted medical marijuana laws not undermining it.”