Editors Note: Please find the original email from BigMike below, printed in its entirety.
Hey Guys, BigMike here. I’m very frustrated to have to tell you this, but my Super Bowl Party tomorrow has been canceled under the threat of arrest by the LAPD. I don’t care about getting arrested, but they warned us that you would not be allowed in if we continued as planned, so I’ve been forced to cancel the event.
While the LAPD and City Council won this battle, the war is far from over. We will be back, we will prosper, and I look forward to partying with you soon.
I just held a press conference and have pasted in my statement below for you to read.
First and foremost, thank you for attending this press conference. We appreciate your time and attention to this most concerning matter
My name is Michael “BigMike” Straumietis. I am the CEO of Advanced Nutrients, a member of this community, and the resident of the home you see behind me.
I, like you, watched the news reports last night about my Super Bowl Party preparations and how upset a small minority of my neighbors were.
As a member of this community, I am very concerned about my neighbors’ comfort and safety.
I have made my team and myself available to them to discuss their concerns.
But make no mistake…
This has nothing to do with trash or traffic.
Clearly, my neighbors are being used as scapegoats by high-ranking officials in the city of Los Angeles, as a continuing pattern of bullying and intimidation, solely because we are in the Cannabis industry.
This is not our first private party within Los Angeles and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who organizes such a professional and polished experience as ours.
It has become clear in the last several hours, given the pressures applied by the Building Inspector, the City Attorney, Los Angeles Fire Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department by L.A. City Councilmember for District 4, David Ryu, I’ve been forced to call this press conference.
Authorities have issued a “stop work order” and have threatened to arrest one of my executives, should we not comply with the order.
These threats are nothing new.
I have evidence that we have been intimidated and bullied, solely because we are in the Cannabis business, which will come out at the appropriate time and in the appropriate venue. I assure you there is strong merit to my statement and I look forward to presenting them in an open court of law.
As for my Super Bowl Party, the last thing I want to happen is for the LAPD and other city officials to storm the party and put any of my guests, the officers themselves, my staff, and in fact, any of the neighbors — some of whom attended my last party and really enjoyed themselves, in a compromising situation.
As the leader in the Cannabis industry, I wouldn’t want the stain of a raid on a lawful party to be inflicted on our community, therefore, it is with great frustration and, I’ll be honest…disappointment, that I am cancelling my party.
But this will not be…
Cannot be…
The end of the story.
While I set out to give my guests the greatest Super Bowl Party experience of their lives, the city of Los Angeles – a great city built on entertainment and private parties at homes such as mine – has simply made it impossible.
Therefore, I have been forced to turn the Super Bowl Party into The Super Bowl Party Lawsuit.
The Super Bowl Party I was forced to cancel cost over $1-million dollars to produce.
My legal action against the city, various departments, and the city councilman, David Ryu, will be filed as soon as my lawyers, CFO and other interested parties have reviewed the facts of the case and are preparing the lawsuits.
I will not be bullied, by uninformed outsiders, or by authorities with political agendas…
And certainly not by antiquated, entrenched politicians holding onto societal norms that are contrary to the will of the voters in California through Prop 64 and 28 other states that have legalized responsible use of Cannabis products.
Yes, I have built a very successful company, in an industry I love, that has become the #1 brand in Cannabis. But I’ve always been the underdog, never hiding behind a tomato, or embarrassed about the community I serve.
Consistently, we have carried our philanthropic activities on a Global scale. From the poorest sections of Bulgaria, to skid row in the city of Los Angeles, we have been there. Feeding and clothing the homeless, the hungry and the forgotten.
I remain the underdog and will continue to lead the fight against anyone who… no matter how large, threatens our community.
I have always believed that one must speak truth to power and that time is now.
The abuse of authority, prejudice and display of judgement I’ve witnessed and experienced over the last two years in relation to these parties has made it clear that this is not an even playing field.
Obviously, change is now essential… not just in the voting booth, but among elected officials at all levels and their perceived attitudes towards our Industry.
With that in mind, I am therefore announcing the creating of a new non-profit.
I have personally instructed my attorneys and Executive team to begin work on formation of the Cannabis Freedom Fund.
The Cannabis Freedom Fund’s mission will be to find, develop, and install Pro Cannabis candidates at all levels of government.
So we can unseat those ideologies that have come and gone while respecting the peoples voice.
Reasonable people can disagree about Cannabis. That’s fine.
But the lawful will of the people cannot be denied.
I simply won’t stand for it.
I will make an immediate contribution to the Cannabis Freedom Fund in the amount of $100,000
I also promise that all and any proceeds recovered through our legal action will be donated to this new cause, so the Cannabis Freedom Fund can support and protect our Industry.
I now call on fellow industry leaders and members of the public to hold these elected officials accountable to the will of the people.
To learn more about the Cannabis Freedom Fund, I invite you to go to…
Thank you for your time.
I will now take a few questions.
See you soon and thank you for your support,
BigMike
from
http://hightimes.com/culture/cannabusiness-super-bowl-party-cancelled-over-lapd-threats/
No comments:
Post a Comment