The city of Oakland took the unusual step Wednesday of filing a suit in an attempt to stop the federal government from seizing and closing down one of the largest medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.
Attorneys for Harborside Health Center said the suit against the federal government appears to be the first such action by a municipality on behalf of a marijuana dispensary.
The city states that federal attempts to seize the property, which began in July, contradicted promises by officials with the Obama administration who have said that dispensaries complying with state laws would not be targeted by federal agencies.
Oakland leaders say the city, like many other jurisdictions, built an entire regulatory scheme based on the federal government's promise, only to find dispensaries under attack.
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The city says protecting a private property housing a dispensary is a matter of patients' rights, public safety and city revenues. "If the federal government is successful with shutting down these businesses we have licensed and are complying with regulations and taxes, we will shift people into the black market," said City Attorney Barbara Parker, who announced the filing of the suit Wednesday.
