Portland, OR: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Oregon recently filed a complaint with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over the agency’s effort to shut down the second annual Oregon Medical Cannabis Awards Banquet, sponsored by Oregon NORML. Though the Banquet went on as scheduled at the Doubletree Hotel, DEA officials approached the venue’s management prior to the event and warned them that they could be federally fined and prosecuted under the “RAVE Act” if it took place.
Under the provisions of the “RAVE Act,” formally known as the Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act of 2003, federal law enforcement may prosecute business owners if they make their property available for “the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, or using any controlled substance.”
ACLU of Oregon spokesperson David Fidanque said that the DEA is misusing the Act to try to silence opponents of the government’s drug policies. “The only two instances the DEA has used this law have been against NORML, where NORML was publicizing medical marijuana laws and their opposition to federal law and federal policies,” he said. “We think it’s clear that the DEA did this for political reasons because of their political opposition to NORML’s politics.”
Findanque also noted that uniformed Portland police officers were posted outside the banquet room doors, and that their presence may have violated Oregon laws and city policies prohibiting police from spying on the political activities of individuals and organizations.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of The NORML Foundation, at (202) 483-5500.