Coordinated Raids Hit Northern California Hash-Oil Producers
Law enforcement agencies raided multiple hash oil producers in Sonoma County on Wednesday, according to media and eyewitness reports.
From the local Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
At least nine people were detained on a curb outside at a rural Irwin Lane property in west Santa Rosa while police from several jurisdictions searched a warehouse and several large greenhouses.
Santa Rosa Police Lt. Mike Lazzarini said it was just one of several sites where investigators suspect large scale production of concentrated cannabis was taking place.
Fire personnel were also on hand because of the potentially hazardous materials involved in hash production, such as butane gas.
Santa Rosa detectives led the raids, the paper reports, with the help of agents from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Raids were reported at Care By Design and AbsoluteXtracts, both based in Santa Rosa. The location of a third raid has not yet been confirmed.
As word of the enforcement actions spread, a network of activists and patient advocates sprang into action:
RAID ALERT!
Raid underway on Care By Design/AbsoluteXtracts in Sonoma county (right now) need help from communty… https://t.co/et3ljMUMaH— San Diego ASA (@ASASanDiego) June 15, 2016
Raid underway in Sonoma County. Care By Design and @absolute extracts. Impromptu meeting today at 4pm to discuss… https://t.co/3HZrixb4Bj
— Heidi Grossman (@HeidiStylist) June 15, 2016
The Sonoma County Cultivators Alliance will hold an impromptu meeting today to discuss the raids. It begins at 4 p.m. at 2255 Challenger Way, Suite 106, Santa Rosa, CA 95407.
A spokesman for the Santa Rosa Police Department said he could not confirm details of the raids because the department had not yet issued a press release. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department could not immediately be reached for comment.
