Feds drop bid to shut down Harborside in big win for pot industry
In a major victory for the cannabis industry, the federal government dropped its four-year bid to shut down Oaklands Harborside Health Center, the biggest medical marijuana dispensary in the country with more than 100,000 patients, according to city officials.
Federal officials did not immediately respond Tuesday to requests for comment.
Harborside, on the Oakland Estuary, has faced potential closure since 2012, when the U.S. Attorneys Office cracked down on the industry across California and attempted to seize the buildings that housed the businesses. Federal officials called centers like Harborside marijuana superstores.
While Harborside stood its ground against the federal civil case, dozens if not hundreds of other dispensaries across California, facing similar federal threats, shut down operations.
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http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Feds-drop-bid-to-shut-down-Harborside-in-big-win-7390365.php