The Justice Departments under the Clinton Administration and the Bush
Administration have taken drastically different approaches to medical cannabis in
California. Not wanting to appear too heavy handed against sick and dying cancer
and AIDS patients, the Department of Justice under Bill Clinton limited their
enforcement to civil measures, such as seeking to revoke the Federal Prescription
licenses of doctors who recommended cannabis or filing for Civil Injunctions against
the major providers under Proposition 215. The Bush Administration however has
taken a much stronger stance in California. One month after the September 11, 2001
attacks, DEA officials served search and arrest warrants on the Los Angeles Cannabis
Resource Center and its directors Scott Imler, Jeff Yablan, and Jeff Farrington.
The three
plead guilty to charges in Federal Court, but US District Judge Howard A Matz would eventually sentence the defendants to no jail time and 1 year probation and a $100 fee,
the absolute most lenient sentence allowable under the law.
During sentencing Judge Matz called the prosecution "badly misguided" and said he
was "baffled and disturbed" that the Department of Justice would use their [un]limited resources to prosecute the men.
In an appeal which would follow along later, over half
of the original jury which convicted the three, would turn up at the Appeals Court, to sit
with the defendants in a show of solidarity.
