East Bay Supplier of Edible Products for Cannabis Patients Targeted by DEA

MEDIA RELEASE
Americans for Safe Access
For Immediate Release:
Thursday, September 27, 2007

Oakland, CA -- The federal interference with California’s medical
marijuana program escalated yesterday with raids in Oakland on a supplier
of edible medicinal products.

Wednesday’s
paramilitary-style raids by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
involved five locations the DEA says are connected to Tainted, Inc., a
well-known supplier of edible medical cannabis products available in
dozens of medical marijuana dispensaries across the state. Heavily armed
federal agents seized cannabis plants and medicinal edibles, arrested
three people and killed an employee’s dog.

“Raids
on people who help patients are increasing across California because the
DEA realizes they are at the end of a losing battle,” said Steph
Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, a national
medical cannabis advocacy organization based in Oakland. “Medical
marijuana has been accepted by doctors, the American public, and an
increasing number of state and local officials. The DEA won’t be
able to kick down the doors of the sick and the compassionate much
longer.”

Tainted, Inc. provides clearly labeled baked
goods and other marijuana edibles to medical cannabis patients and
collectives all over California. Edible cannabis products provide an
alternative to smoking cannabis and are preferred by many patients. The
products made by Tainted, Inc. are available only through medical cannabis
dispensaries and carry prominent warning labels.

“Using
edible cannabis helps me sleep better at night,” said 54-year-old
Cancer patient Lenny Fisher who uses Tainted, Inc.’s products to
combat the painful symptoms of his condition. “Since I cannot smoke
cannabis, I rely on edibles to control my pain and to allow me to sleep
through the night.”

The development of delivery methods
that do not involve smoking was one of the recommendations of the White
House commissioned 1999 Institute of Medicine Report on medical marijuana.
While long term studies of chronic marijuana users have shown that there
is no associated risk of lung cancer or other diseases, many patients
remain concerned about smoking cannabis or find oral ingestion to be
easier or more effective.

A UC Berkeley researcher, Amanda
Reiman, found in a study of patient care at medical marijuana collectives
that a significant service many offer their patients is a range of options
for their medicine. Tainted, Inc. is one of the manufacturers of edible
products that have been meeting that patient demand. More than one hundred
of California’s medical cannabis dispensaries provide edibles to
their patients.

Tainted owner Michael Martin was out of town
when the raids occurred and is expected to turn himself in to federal
agents next week. Martin could face twenty years or more in federal prison
for his role in supplying medical cannabis. Because federal law does not
recognize medical uses for marijuana, if he goes to trial, Martin will not
be allowed to tell jurors that his company supplied medical cannabis
products through licensed dispensaries to qualified patients. Defense
attorneys are prevented from raising state law, local regulations or the
vast amount of medical cannabis science in federal marijuana trials.

Photos of Tainted edibles:
http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/img/original/Compassion1.jpg
http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/img/original/Compassion2.jpg
http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/img/original/Compassion3.jpg
http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/img/original/Compassion4.jpg
http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/img/original/Compassion5.jpg
http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/img/original/Compassion6.jpg
http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/img/original/Compassion7.jpg
http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/img/original/Compassion8.jpg
http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/img/original/Compassion9.jpg

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With over 30,000 active members in more than 40 states,
Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national member-based
organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned
citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use
and research. ASA works to overcome political and legal barriers by
creating policies that improve access to medical cannabis for patients and
researchers through legislation, education, litigation, grassroots
actions, advocacy and services for patients and the caregivers.