A raid Oct. 12 on a Phoenix cannabis club is raising hackles on both sides of the medical marijuana fence and has sparked a media-borne spat between state Attorney General Tom Horne and Allan Sobol, the operator of the busted for-profit 2811 Club.
In dueling news releases, Horne and Sobol flung a few phrases at each other, seemingly in the heat of the moment.
“The Phoenix Police Department, under orders from the Arizona Attorney General, conducted a raid of the 2811 Club today,” the club said in a news release Wednesday, adding that the club is operating within the guidelines of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act.
“2811 Club lied,” reads the link to a Horne news release claiming no involvement in the raid. Then the attorney general – a consistent foe of medical marijuana in Arizona – reminds the media that he holds no sway with the Phoenix police and is merely awaiting a judges decision on legality of the clubs.
Phoenix police burst into the medical marijuana club on Wednesday, trashing the place to some degree according to a 2811 Club news release, and confiscating electronics and a small amount of marijuana. The club reopened Thursday, despite the raid.
Sobol did not respond to an email and telephone call seeking comment. He had planned to open cannabis clubs in Tucson before Christmas. I have my doubts.
This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2011.
Don’t have any, one of us will 😉
As a follow up to your article, When the Phoenix Police raided the 2811 Club we asked them why they were doing it. They replied: “You will have to ask the Attorney General”. When further questioned by the club staff, the police stated: “We are going to close you down one way or the other”.
Any one who does not believe that this raid was politically motivated is in denial.
In so far as our plans to open other 2811 clubs, we have no intention of caving into this type of government harassment. The 2811 Clubs will be opening soon in Tucson and across Arizona. We are adament in our position that the Clubs are legal and we will present our arguments to the Courts.
Allan Sobol,
Marketing Director
2811 Clubs
I’m fairly sure Tucson can open its own compassion clubs without any interf- , er, help from Phoenix, thankyouverymuch … homegrown is best, doncha’ know.
Elections always bring out the shenanigans that sourround the political world. Although that is enevitable, it is tragic that it hurts the 14,000+ patients registered to date. For the state to take away what appeared to be fairly safe access to registered cardholders is absolutely ridiculous. Especially with the current pending case. I hope nothing happens to any other ones while the court decision is still pending. As a patient, the only other place that I can visit is the arizona compassion club. Anyone know of others?
I wish someone had bothered to read and post the info on the warrant! That would have spoken as to who initiated this raid. I hope Sobol keeps EVERYTHING he does legal, as he could destroy this for all patients like me.