Operation Chronic Problem- You are the Problem! The story of Katree Saunders, a Nevadan Impacted by The War on Drugs for $100; Federal Prison, Loss of Marriage, Sexual Assault During Incarceration, and a Record that Follows By: Veronica Castillo worked at a test site, and a mother who was a stay-at-home mom, and raised by her older sisters Coree and Keira (thank you both for your service). She describes the topic of cannabis in her childhood home as:
In 1970, cannabis was outlawed with the Controlled Substance Act- also referred to as CSA. That year, the United States government decided that they would further control the ways we treat our medical conditions, and the plants that we are allowed to grow and consume. And then, in dictator form, president at the time (Nixon) in a move that further oppressed humanity, created the foolery agency known as the DEA. It’s all foolery. All of the shows and stories can’t be false right? I mean:
• Narcos- the story of Pablo Escobar, from the DEA’s perspective- told and showed us. • The story of Griselda Blanco (La Madrina), a woman that operated in the Miami-based drug trade- told and showed us. • The story of Barry Seal, a pilot who became a drug-runner for the CIA- told and showed us.
And really, the list can go on and on. We can print a full issue on all of the examples and probably need a follow up issue. The DEA is a joke and ruins lives. It was definitely the case for Katree Saunders. About Katree Saunders- Before Operation Chronic Problem “I was made in Nevada (1980), born in Nebraska, and raised in Nevada”. Raised in Summerlin, Nevada, Katree says that her childhood was surrounded by love and support. She was born to a father who
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“I was raised in a spiritual household that did not include cannabis education. My mom didn’t accept my cannabis use until I was older. When I was younger, she would always warn me about it being potentially laced. Safety was always a concern. It wasn’t until I was older that I began to educate her about the benefits of cannabis use as medicine. That’s when she saw the light”. Katree Saunders- Career Before Cannabis Prior to helping people heal through cannabis, Katree worked in health and wellness and the travel and tourism industries. “I planned itineraries for customers including hotel, air and ground travel, and entertainment. I also worked in the health and wellness industry by educating people on the benefits of Kangen Alkaline Water”. She mentioned that as a kid, she was really interested in general law, archaeology, and photography. Katree Saunders- Nevada’s Compassionate Care (NCC) and the DEA Katree started working with/for the NCC where she helped patients obtain medical cannabis cards from the Nevada medicinal cannabis program. Cannabis helped Katree heal from a list of medical conditions and physical injuries. Because of that, she wanted to help others in need get safe access to cannabis. She even met President Obama at Green Valley High School 2010 while volunteering for Organizing America. Not scared, she shook President Obama’s hand and told him that they needed to talk about patient rights as related to medical cannabis. It was during her time at the NCC, that
Katree helped an undercover DEA agent posing as a person in need, that Katree’s life changed. “I remember my mom calling me and telling me the DEA, FBI, and ATF were at her house looking for me and raiding it”. The undercover DEA agents were conducting what was known as Operation Chronic Problem, an investigation of Nevada based dispensaries involving raids conducted by metro police and federal agents. On the day the NCC was raided, Katree was arrested for and charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and hashish, distribution of marijuana- $150 value. In return, the cost to put Katree through the system over a plant was $20,000 including the $5,000 it took to book and process paperwork. “I remember being in shock, but not afraid because I knew I did not do anything wrong, worrying about my kids’ well-being, making sure that the patients’ information was kept safe, and praying that God would make a way, because I couldn’t see one”. Katree Saunders- Time Served in Federal Prison and Probation Katree was in prison for 4 months. During that time, her husband divorced her, took their children and moved away, and she was sexually harassed and assaulted by a U.S Marshal. Protect and serve….right? $150 was the cost of freedom, family, love, dignity, and more. “Prison was like ‘Club Fed’”. The holding facility was terrible, but while I was in holding, I took acting classes; our acting instructor was on the TV Show “Leave it to Beaver”, and I would pray a lot. I eventually prayed for someone to pray with as I was praying alone, and miraculously a prayer circle bumped into me while I was resting and I felt my prayers were answered. The
