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SAN DIEGO – Two people at a hash oil lab in Kearny Mesa were arrested by drug enforcement officers Thursday morning.

Forty-six-year old Patrick McDonald and 48-year old Daniel Gregg were charged with processing and selling THC oil or cannabis oil.

San Diego police narcotics detectives issued search warrants at 8210 Engineer Road, Lt. Matt Novak said. The hash oil laboratory is operated by Med West Distribution, described on their website as a wholesale distributor that extracts cannabis concentrates.

Med West Distribution posted a notice on their website Thursday:

“Due to implications involving local law enforcement, MedWest is halting operations until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and will provide an update once available.”

“They’ve been here for years now and have had no complaints from neighbors,” said Lance Rogers, Cannabis Attorney for Med West. “It’s a state-compliant commercial cannabis business.”

Rogers called the raid surprising, saying his clients have always followed the law.

“City personnel with code enforcement and the city attorney’s office toured this facility in April last year and we’ve had an ongoing dialogue,” he said. “We thought the case was closed.”

The City Attorney’s office told FOX 5 that when city staff toured Med West in April, there was no hash oil found.  Acting on a tip, the narcotics unit served the search warrant. Detectives then found the oil was being produced and sold.
“My voice is shaking so this, to me, is a horrible horrible act of cruelty,” said Terrie Best, a medical marijuana activist.
Best, a member of the San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access, was picketing outside Med West offices Thursday during the raid.  She called the bust a waste of  resources and a detriment to medical marijuana patients.