Breaking News: Federal Law Enforcement Raids Companies Nationwide That Sell So-Called ‘Detoxification’ Kits; Also Confiscated From One Business Were The Unreleased DVD ‘A/K/A Tommy Chong’
May 8th, 2008 By: Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive DirectorA number of phone calls and emails to NORML this afternoon strongly indicated that federal law enforcement raided a number of companies yesterday and today that manufacture and/or market what are commonly known as ‘detoxification’ products. The target of SWAT-like teams was records and computer equipment.
That is story #1 as there are no federal laws that ban ‘detoxification’ products.
However, more oddly in my view is the reported confiscation of the unreleased DVD ‘A/K/A Tommy Chong’. How is that possible? Even if Tommy (a member of NORML’s Advisory Board) agreed in his 2005 plea bargain on federal paraphernalia charges to ‘not profit from his past criminal activities’ it seems unlikely to me federal confiscation of otherwise First Amendment-protected speech and expression could possibly be legal. Especially, on the heels of Tommy already publishing a best-selling book detailing his nine month incarceration in federal prison, the humorous and insightful ‘The I Chong: Meditations From The Joint’.
So, if I understand correctly, the federal attorney who first prosecuted Tommy in 2005, Mary Beth Buchanan, authorized some of these raids and the confiscation of the Chong DVDs, which are about…well, her prosecution of Tommy and his resulting incarceration.
OK…
The news stories are starting to roll in, confirming the raids:
WKRC Cincinnati (video)
http://www.local12.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=27876@video.wkrc.comWKRC Cincinnati (article)
http://www.local12.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=06471fa4-66f2-4ffe-8
ddf-8c7630326badCincinnati Enquirer
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/NEWS0103/805080
348Cincinnati BizJournal
http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2003/05/12/story5.htmlWCPO Cincinnati (ABC)
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=21a0f8d7-8f48-46e0-9c9b
-998532376f59Marijuana.com
http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/99213-oh-actor-tommy-chong-c
laims-link-fbi-raids.htmlDrugpolicycentral.com
http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/article/local127830.htm420ideas.com
http://420ideas.com/oh-actor-tommy-chong-claims-link-to-fbi-raids/
Tags: cannabis, drug testing, marijuana, NORML, Tommy Chong
May 8th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
What the hell is wrong with our government?
To big, to powerful and just plan stupid!
The DEA needs to go! They are more corrupt then half the people in jail.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
[…] mindspill wrote an interesting post today on Breaking News: Federal Law Enforcement Raids Companies Nationwide…Here’s a quick excerptA number of phone calls and emails to NORML this afternoon strongly indicated that federal law enforcement raided a number of companies yesterday and… […]
May 8th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
I hope Tommy takes this to the Supreme court……
May 8th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
[…] Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director wrote an interesting post today on Breaking News: Federal Law Enforcement Raids Companies Nationwide …Here’s a quick excerptA number of phone calls and emails to NORML this afternoon strongly indicated that federal law enforcement raided a number of companies yesterday and today that manufacture and/or market what are commonly known as ‘detoxification’ … […]
May 8th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
[…] skeetâ??s stuff wrote an interesting post today on Breaking News: Federal Law Enforcement Raids Companies NationwideHere’s a quick excerptA number of phone calls and emails to NORML this afternoon strongly indicated that federal law enforcement raided a number of companies yesterday and… […]
May 9th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Representative Mike Pence tried to make me believe
marijuana lowers my quality of life. I say back to
to the poser your time is coming and the far right hook
will remove you from office then replace you with democratic candidate Barry Welsh!
Ron Paul for President 2012!
May 9th, 2008 at 9:03 am
wtf man the government let alone a portin of the government aka dea cant be confiscateing dvds that goes against the 1st amendment freedom of speech and be sides your right there are no laws prohibiting the fabrication and the selling of detox kits so wtf is all this BS about damnd dea needs to stop holding grudges the public is informed we know what is right and wrong leave it to us to prosicute
May 11th, 2008 at 12:32 am
This is a likely repeat of the 1989 Operation Green Merchant against grow room equipment suppliers, with numerous parallels.
I suspect they will correlate customer lists with persons required to undergo drug-urine testing.
May 11th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
i voted in the primary for obama just to spite the rightwing naxi christian devil-worshipers as mr chong so lovingly labels them.the drugwar has only recently became quite lucrative in fact the third largest growth industry in america.the marijuana movement passed up the chance to campaign full out for ron paul.bad enough that he was blackballed by the jewish-american press.a real opportunity lost..