Feds raid Calif. marijuana dispensary

CULVER CITY, Calif., Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Federal authorities raided a medical marijuana dispensary in California the same day an appeals court ruled U.S. law does not pre-empt state law on medical pot.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrived at about noon Thursday at Organica Collective in Culver City, Calif., the Los Angeles Times reported.

"Marijuana remains a controlled substance, and it is illegal under federal law to possess, dispense or cultivate marijuana in any form," DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen said.

The U.S. appeals court in San Diego ruled Thursday federal law does not pre-empt California's law allowing the use of medical marijuana, the newspaper reported.

Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl was called to the scene by the owner of the dispensary and arrived hours after the raid began. He said he was frustrated he could not intervene.

The dispensary straddles the boundary between Culver City and the city of Los Angeles, Rosendahl said. Culver City police assisted federal agents at the scene.

"This is an action with the federal government, which is sad," Rosendahl said, "because these laws need to be revisited in Washington, especially the medical marijuana law. We're incarcerating people by the tens of thousands, we're destroying peoples' lives, and people who have a medical marijuana legitimacy are caught in the middle."