Oakland, CA – Oakland City Attorney Barbara J. Parker, a former Assistant US Attorney for the Northern District of California, issued the following statement today regarding federal actions against permitted medical cannabis businesses in Oakland.

“Fifteen years ago, Californians voted to decriminalize medical cannabis in California. Oakland’s regulations and permitting requirements make it possible for patients to access safe, affordable medical cannabis to alleviate their pain and suffering.

I am deeply dismayed that the federal government would seek to deprive Californians of this vital medicine. These actions will force patients into the underground market of street corners and back alleys, undermining public safety and endangering their health and lives.

As Oakland’s City Attorney and a former Assistant US Attorney, I strongly oppose federal actions against members of Oakland’s business community who are complying with California and Oakland laws and regulations and paying their fair share of taxes.

I call on the US Attorney to allow California and municipalities like Oakland to continue to protect the health and welfare of patients who qualify for medical cannabis under Proposition 215. Instead I ask that the federal government focus its scarce resources on the real crisis in Oakland – violent crime and illegal guns that are snuffing out the lives of so many. In the midst of this crisis, it is tragic waste for the federal government to spend its time and money cracking down on legitimate health care providers.”