Oaksterdam University Raided By Feds

Bay City News -- Federal agents have raided Oaksterdam University and several other  sites in Oakland this morning in an operation that appears to target the university's president, Richard Lee (pictured above).

Oaksterdam University opened in November 2007. It bills itself as "America's first cannabis college" and is located at 1600 Broadway in downtown Oakland.

California became the first state to approve the use of medical marijuana with the passage of Proposition 215 in 1996.

But federal authorities have ignored state laws and instituted a crackdown that has targeted cities like San Francisco, which enacted rules for dispensaries in 2005. Now Oakland has been targeted as well.

Agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Marshals  Service and the Internal Revenue Service arrived at Oaksterdam early Monday morning. IRS spokeswoman Arlette Lee confirmed that other locations were being raided as well but declined to say where. 

But it appears that two of the locations are on 15th Street between Franklin Street and Broadway.

As of about 10:30 a.m., DEA agents could be seen entering two businesses on that block -- a gift shop associated with Oaksterdam University and the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative.

Steph Scherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, which promotes the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, said there was  also a raid at Lee's home on Lakeshore Drive this morning.

Dale Sky Jones, executive chancellor of Oaksterdam University,  confirmed that federal agents had shown up at Lee's apartment this morning. Jones said Lee was awakened by armed agents, who arrived at his  home sometime before 8 a.m.

She said Lee had been detained and questioned but not arrested. She said Lee is associated with both businesses on 15th Street  that were raided.

Meanwhile, dozens of protesters had gathered outside Oaksterdam University and, at around 11 a.m., it appeared that Oakland police had arrested one protester.

Last September the San Leandro City Council on allowing cannabis clinics to get more time to see how other cities dealt with the issue. At the time the federal crackdown had barely begun.

What do you think about the federal crackdown? Do you want them to back off or continue? Leave a comment and vote in our poll.

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