Sonya Abrams,, Assistant Editor

On February 12, 2002, just hours before Drug Enforcement Agency chief Asa Hutchinson spoke to The Commonwealth Club, federal agents raided a number of Bay Area homes and offices, including San Francisco's Harm Reduction Center, a medical marijuana club. Several people were arrested in the raids, including medical marijuana cultivator Ed Rosenthal.

The arrests touched off a wave of protests that drew the support of local politicians, including San Francisco Attorney General Terrence Hallinan and several city supervisors.

The raids and ensuing public outcry highlighted the controversy surrounding Proposition 215, which allows patients to receive marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. Since California voters passed the law in 1996, proponents of Prop 215 have had to contend with aggressive federal action, as the measure stands in direct violation of federal laws prohibiting marijuana cultivation and possession. On January 31, 2003, Ed Rosenthal was convicted in a federal court of cultivating marijuana, despite his having been "deputized" by the city of Oakland as part of its medical marijuana program, information that was withheld from the jury. In a move that angered prosecutors, on June 4 Justice Charles Breyer - brother of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer - sentenced Rosenthal to just one day in jail. The federal government has signaled its intentions to appeal, however, in order to increase Rosenthal's sentence to meet the mandatory five-year minimum.

Despite the federal crackdown on medical marijuana, local distribution centers are flourishing. Downtown Oakland is currently home to as many as eight medical marijuana clubs, and supporters have affectionately dubbed the area "Oaksterdam." And while federal law condemns such establishments, many local officials, including Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, have expressed their support for a well-regulated medical marijuana program.