A building at 2150 North State Street in Ukiah, California, was one of two locations on the Pinoleville Pomo Nation that was raided by the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office. Image from Google Maps
The Pinoleville Pomo Nation is firing back after authorities in Mendocino County, California, raided the tribe's marijuana operation last week. Vice Chair Angela James accused Sheriff Tom Allman of violating the tribe's sovereignty. She promised to pursue "legal remedies" against the county for seizing marijuana and other items from two locations on the reservation. "We will not allow the Sheriff to subvert our sovereign rights," James said in a press release posted by The Lost Coast Outpost. "We have the right to produce and provide regulated, safe and standardized cannabis medicine to collective members." According to the sheriff's press release, 382 marijuana plants were "eradicated" from an open field at 650 Pinoleville Road in Ukiah. A second raid at 2150 North State Street, also in Ukiah, uncovered over 100 pounds of processed marijuana and a "sophisticated honey oil chemical extraction laboratory," Allman's office said. The county claims jurisdiction over the reservation through Public Law 280. But the tribe contends its marijuana operation is not criminal because the drug is regulated by the state for medicinal purposes. The distinction is important. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians could provide an opening for tribes because the state hasn't outright barred marijuana cultivation. The issue, though, has never been tested because marijuana is a new industry. And while the Department of Justice issued a policy last year that opens the door to legal marijuana in Indian Country, far three tribal marijuana operations in California have been raided so far. Get the Story:
Pinoleville issues response to marijuana raid (The Ukiah Daily Journal 9/27)
Raid on tribal marijuana farms underscores uncertainty over pot laws (The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat 9/25) An Opinion:
Editorial: Sheriff did the right thing (The Ukiah Daily Journal 9/27) Relevant Documents:
Department of Justice Policy Statement Regarding Marijuana Issues in Indian Country (October 2014)
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