DEA ATTACKS MEDICAL CANNABIS IN CALIFORNIAThe raids, which were orchestrated without knowledge of local authorities, relied heavily on information from confidential informants. One DEA agent made use of a recommendation from Dr. Stephen Ellis, a well-known San Francisco cannabis specialist, to penetrate the club scene. Two key sources were paid DEA informants with long criminal records. Also figuring as an informant was the formerly trusted patron of a local medical marijuana club, "Father Nazarin" (a.k.a. Bashir Ahmed). A purported priest of an obscure Eastern Catholic sect from Baghdad, Nazarin styled himself as the "abbot" of the St. Martin de Porres Chapel dispensary on Divisadero St. Nazarin wrote a letter to the DEA charging that rival clubs had been taken over by "greedy professional drug dealers," and seeking an agreement whereby DEA might let him continue operations. The managers of the Divisadero St. club expressed shock at Nazarin's action and indignantly severed relations with him, re-organizing as the San Francisco Patients' Cooperative.From Potshot above...Nazarin, who says his given name is Bashir Ahmed, was himself arrested in November by San Francisco police who were skeptical of his claim that the 250 marijuana plants at his house were being grown for a medical marijuana patient.