Property Owners Leasing to Pot Centers Could Face 'Forfeiture Proceedings'
U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha sent a warning letter this week to property owners planning to lease space to medical marijuana centers, including one in Portsmouth.
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U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha took another step this week to prevent medical marijuana centers (or compassion centers) from opening.
Neronha sent a warning letter to property owners who are expected to lease space to medical marijuana centers, reports the Associated Press. The U.S. attorney says these property owners could face "forfeiture proceedings," according to the article.
The Associated Press spoke with Middletown doctor Seth Bock about the letter. You can read his reaction in the article here.
In spring 2011, Bock's proposal for the Greenleaf Compassionate Center in Portsmouth was one of three medical marijuana centers, or compassion centers, in Rhode Island approved for licenses by the Department of Health.
But the process got put on hold by Gov. Chafee in May after U.S. Attorney Neronha issued a letter saying he did not support the centers.
Bock plans to open a medical marijuana center at the Portsmouth Business Park, located at 200 Highpoint Ave.
The owner of the building is Gateway Ltd. Partnership. The building is also home to a number of other businesses, including Peak Fitness, High Point Salon and Spa and R.B. Queern & Co., a utility service company.
Bock and a consortium of partners, including the owner of Rhode Island Nurseries, were expected to lease space from this company at the industrial park.
What do you think about this latest step? Should the owners of these properties face "forfeiture proceedings?"
In This article
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Peak Fitness
200 Highpoint Ave, Portsmouth, RI -
High Point Salon & Spa
200 Highpoint Ave, Portsmouth, RI
Portsmouth Citizen
12:29 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
Peter Neronha says he doesn't "intend to prosecute ill patients using medicinal marijuana." Gee, how kind he seems to be to sick people.
Yet, by preventing ill patients from getting their medicine in safe state-controlled centers, Neronha is forcing ill patients to get it from ... who exactly? On the street? From illegal dealers? What is a sick elderly person with cancer or multiple sclerosis supposed to do?
This is not how the greatest nation on earth should be treating people with serious illness.
Peter Neronha, you are an awful human being.
The Shill
7:49 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
You ask where he expects patients to get their "medicine" he doesn't expect them to get their "medicine" anywhere it is illegal under federal law. The law need to be changed on the federal leval all these state laws about medicinal marijuana mean nothing the Constitution prevents the states from passing laws in violation of federal law. As far as Peter Neronha, being an awful human being he is just doing his job. He took an oath to uphold federal law and that is what he is doing. The people you need to blame are the members of congress that refuse to change these laws to help the people that really need this "medicine.
Portsmouth Citizen
3:07 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
@Shill:
I recognize my choice of words may seem harsh. I will say that I am emotional on this topic because I saw a family friend die from stomach cancer and I saw up close how this medicine relieved her pain and helped make her last days tolerable. Yes, it is medicine for those who need it.
I know it is illegal under Federal law. But, every time one kid passes a joint to another a Federal crime is committed, yet I don't see Neronha rounding up kids by the hundreds and putting them in the Federal jails. Why? Because he CHOOSES to allocate his finite resources to things of a higher priority. Prosecutors have a lot of discretion in deciding what things to focus on. But Neronha CHOOSES to focus on the medical marijuana dispensaries. I am unimpressed with the "only following orders" defense.
I'll stand by my words. Anyone like Neronha who stands in the way of getting relief to people who are desperately sick is an awful human being.
The Shill
4:00 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
I am not against the medicinal marijuana program but feel your anger is directed at the wrong person. The people responsable for this mess are the members of congress who refuse to change federal law to allow programs like this to exist. The hide in their offices pretending to be working for their constituents but in all actuality are working for the big pharmaceutical companies. The U.S. Attorney has looked the other way when the state first passed the medicinal marijuana program but this is just too in your face for him to look the other way. We all need to get on our Congressional Delegation until the start seeing that we want this and will not re elect them if they continue to ignor the will of the people.
Senator Jack Reed (D- RI) 202-224-4642 202-224-4680 http://www.reed.senate.gov/contact/
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D- RI) 202-224-2921 202-228-6362 http://whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/
Representative David Cicilline (D - 01) 202-225-4911 202-225-3290 https://cicilline.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Representative Jim Langevin (D - 02) 202-225-2735 202-225-5976 https://langevin.house.gov/contact/email-me.shtml
Contact them and let them know we want this.
Portsmouth Citizen
5:08 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
@Shill:
OK. Point taken. I'll leave Neronha alone for now.
I don't know about all our RI delegation "working for the big pharmaceutical companies", but I do think the problem is that too many politicians are afraid their potential opponents will call them "weak on crime."
The Shill
5:24 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
I personaly don't see how in this day and age anyone can call being pro medicinal marijuana being soft on crime. I do know that big pharmaceutical companies dump a ton of money into political campaigns and cancer/pain relief brings in big bucks for the pharmaceutical industry and they don't want to loose that.
John Vit
8:24 am on Saturday, April 28, 2012
Call Sen Reed office 401 943-3100, Call Sen. Whitehouse 453-5294 Call Rep Langevin 732-9400 & Rep Cicillne 729-5600.
They are all available to email as well.
They are our RI Congressional Delegation. They are in Washinton DC to be our voice to the Federal Government. They have a responibility to all Rhode Islanders.
They have not respected the voice & vote of our RI Legislature, which legalized Medical Marijuana years ago. They need to intervene or as Rep. Cicilline's emails to me They need to FIGHT for our rights. If State Law permits it, and Federal Law does not, where are the efforts of these 4 Federal Legislators to get this resolved.
I signed a petiton a few weeks ago, on line for the Drug Alliance Policy, about Medical Marijuana. Each of them received a letter through this petition.
You should read the replies I received from our two Senators.
Until we stand up for our State's Rights, which should trump the Feds, this debate will go unresolved and the patients will either have to go without, or get their medicine from a street person.
November is 6 months away. Make every vote count. Term Limits must be enacted.
Two years for eveyone with a max of 2 terms. It use to be an Honor to serve, now it's a career, with a lot of benefits.