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Aaron Sandusky discusses the legal battle, and extortion experienced by the Upland, California medical marijuana collective "G3 Holistic, Inc."  Six men have been charged with violating federal drug laws, operating and supply G3 Holistic.

The collective was opened in November 2009, when 9 months later in August of 2010, G3 closed after receiving a court ordered injunction. 

The city of Upland did have a zoning ordinance banning medical marijuana dispensaries.  The following month, in September of 2011 G3 appealed the decision.  

In Febuary of 2011 G3 filed a claim with the city, accusing Mayor John Pomierski of extortion.  Pomiersky allegedly attempted to extort money from Sandusky to allow G3 to open.  In March, one month after filing the claim on the Mayor for extortion, Mayor John Pomierski was indicted on Federal extortion charges  He was accused of extorting money from two Upland businesses, Chronic Cantina and G3 Holistic.

In June of 2011, approximately eleven months after being closed, G3 received a stay on the injunction from the courts and reopened shortly thereafter, pending the court case.

In November of 2011, just 4 months after re-opening, G3 Holistic is raided by the DEA.  The payroll and medical marijuana is confiscated.  The next day, G3 has it's day in court before the court of appeals regarding the local zoning ban on dispensaries. 

For approximately the next 6 weeks, G3 goes back and forth with Upland officials in a game of local court filings to determine if the "stay" is in effect since G3 had filed to have their case heard by the California Supreme Court.  Finally, on January, 19 2012,  Judge Barry Plotkin rules in favor of G3 because the case was taken by the state Supreme Court.

On March 12, 2012, Drug Enforcement Administration agents raid G3 in Upland and seized medical marijuana.

Although the city of Upland contends that marijuana is banned according to proposition 215 from retail sales, G3 contends that it operated as a collective and not as a dispensary. 

The indictment charges all six defendants with conspiracy to manufacture and to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and also with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The two charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

Each defendant is also named in at least one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, which carries a mandatory sentence of 20 years, if convicted.

Update: We are sad to report that Aaron was sentenced to 10 years in prison for trying to run a legitimate medical marijuana business in California.  

R E G I S T E R   T O   V O T E !