Healing Nations is a medical marijuana dispensaries or cooperatives within the City of Corona. Earlier this afternoon it was raided by federal agents. News at this time is sketchy.
Last August during a hearing of the City Council/Corona Redevelopment Agency/Corona Public Financing Authority/Corona Public Improvement Corporation/Corona Utility
Authority the following testimony concerning the dispensary was heard from local residents and was recorded in the minutes:
Marijuana's use remains illegal under federal law.
Last December the Superior Court of Riverside County issued an injunction closing Healing Nations Collective (HNC), and then immediately prevented its enforcement and allowed the Collective to remain open pending appeal.
The following is from the Press Enterprise (California)
Raid on Corona dispensary
About 25 people held signs and screamed in protest outside a Corona marijuana dispensary raided by federal agents and Corona police this morning.
The mostly young protesters gathered outside the Healing Nations facility on West Grand Avenue. They watched as agents form the Drug Enforcement Agency loaded boxes into a van and left around 9:30 a.m.
Marie Vasquera, a 21-year-old Riverside resident who works at the dispensary, said agents served owner Ronald Naulls a federal warrant around 6:30 a.m. Another employee, 35-year-old Shaun Bonner, said Naulls was being questioned at his Corona home.
DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen said she could not comment on the raid because the operation was still ongoing. She said federal agents were raiding several dispensaries in Southern California this morning.
A press conference is planned for 2 p.m. today in Los Angeles concerning the raids.
Last August during a hearing of the City Council/Corona Redevelopment Agency/Corona Public Financing Authority/Corona Public Improvement Corporation/Corona Utility
Authority the following testimony concerning the dispensary was heard from local residents and was recorded in the minutes:
DOROTHY CARLSON spoke in support of the Healing Nations Collective indicating that medical marijuana was used commonly dating back to Queen Victoria. She stated she relies on medical marijuana to control her health problems. It offers her pain control that she cannot find with the strongest medications. She asked the Council to keep the collective open.
GEORGE BIANCHI indicated he was a pharmacist. He discussed the availability of marijuana pills that are very expensive and not effective for people who have problems that are not relieved by medical pharmacy prescriptions. He spoke in support of the Healing Nations Collective and urged Council to keep the dispensary open.
SUMMER GLENNEY Co-coordinator of Inland Empire Patient Advocates spoke in support of
including patients and advocates in the decision making process and allow a task force to help write the regulations. She stated the Healing Nations Collective is run in a professional manner. She asked the Council to allow them to remain open during the moratorium.
DANIEL BRISON, JR. encouraged Council to allow the Healing Nations Collective to remain open during the moratorium as an example. He stated the Healing Nations Collective is “not a corner liquor store where booze and cigarettes accompany candy and cookies.” He encouraged the Council to move forward and use “common sense and compassion.”
CODY DONNELLY voiced her concern that she has become reliant on the Healing Nations
Collective for her medicine. She stated she did not want “another man-made substance going into her and killing her liver when she doesn’t even drink.” She pleaded with Council to “leave her alone and allow her to obtain her meds.”
JOHN BECKMAN stated he relies on medical marijuana for the pain he suffers from a previous hand injury. He stated medical marijuana dispensaries are allowed by law. He encouraged the Council to keep the Healing Nations Collective open during the moratorium as it is a great help to a lot of people.
RYAN SPINUZZI urged Council to extend the moratorium as he suffers from various chronic conditions and is reliant on medical marijuana to ease his pain. He pointed out that medical marijuana patients are “not potheads.” He encouraged Council to set up a task force to study this issue.
GEORGE AGATOP presented his view that this is an election year and the Council may be afraid to make an unpopular decision. He encouraged Council to hire a pollster to determine what Corona residents really feel about medical marijuana. He stated Martin Luther King, Jr. had to fight against Federal and State law. He was “not popular but he had the guts to fight on and history is judging him favorably.” Mr. Agatop stated if the Council vote against the medical marijuana collectives, ten or twenty years from now history may judge them unfavorably.
KEN ANDERSEN stated the previous speakers have made a lot of good points. He stated a
medical marijuana collective will not bring the City down. It will be good for the City and will bring tax revenues. He encouraged Council to form a task force with citizens and patient advocates to further study this issue.
Marijuana's use remains illegal under federal law.
Last December the Superior Court of Riverside County issued an injunction closing Healing Nations Collective (HNC), and then immediately prevented its enforcement and allowed the Collective to remain open pending appeal.
The following is from the Press Enterprise (California)
Raid on Corona dispensary
About 25 people held signs and screamed in protest outside a Corona marijuana dispensary raided by federal agents and Corona police this morning.
The mostly young protesters gathered outside the Healing Nations facility on West Grand Avenue. They watched as agents form the Drug Enforcement Agency loaded boxes into a van and left around 9:30 a.m.
Marie Vasquera, a 21-year-old Riverside resident who works at the dispensary, said agents served owner Ronald Naulls a federal warrant around 6:30 a.m. Another employee, 35-year-old Shaun Bonner, said Naulls was being questioned at his Corona home.
DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen said she could not comment on the raid because the operation was still ongoing. She said federal agents were raiding several dispensaries in Southern California this morning.
A press conference is planned for 2 p.m. today in Los Angeles concerning the raids.
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