Raids shut down marijuana dispensaries

District Attorney's Office leads multiagency effort

By Kristina Davis
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. September 10, 2009
Update

The San Diego County District Attorney's Office has scheduled a 10 a.m. press conference to discuss the results of Wednesday's raids. Law enforcement officers raided an unknown number of medical-marijuana dispensaries around the San Diego region yesterday, authorities said.

The District Attorney's Office, which is leading the multiagency operation, declined to give further details, saying more information would be released today.

Word of the raids began spreading about noon with reports of armed officers from the San Diego Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies bursting into dispensaries or collectives.

Raids were reported at a handful of dispensaries, including Pacific Beach Collective on Turquoise Street, Green Kross Collective on Mission Boulevard and Hillcrest Compassion Care on University Avenue. Late yesterday, a red sign in front of Pacific Beach Collective read: “This location has been involved in the trafficking of illegal narcotics. Criminal prosecution is pending.â€