Veteran activist Michael “Mickey” Martin has a broad base of experience in the medical marijuana industry, including work as the director of T-Comp Consulting and the associate editor of West Coast Cannabis magazine. However, Mickey is most widely known for his work in manufacturing food-based medicines through a company called Tainted Inc., later renamed Compassion Medicinal Edibles. This company, which produced cannabis-infused food products for medical marijuana patients, operated for many years and pioneered safety standards for the entire industry. Unfortunately, a law enforcement raid shut the company down in September 2007, leaving Mickey and three other Tainted Inc. employees facing federal charges.

Since California’s medical marijuana laws don’t provide a defense in federal court, Mickey ended up pleading guilty to a single count of “conspiracy to manufacture a mixture or substance containing marijuana.” In September 2008, in a courtroom packed with medical marijuana activists and community leaders, a federal judge gave Mickey a 24-month sentence. He served the first half of this term on home detention but was required to spend the remainder in a halfway house. Following a large public protest on January 4th, 2010, Mickey checked into a community corrections facility in San Francisco. Although he avoided hard prison time, he and his family have endured significant hardships as a result of his sentence. He has chronicled these struggles at www.freetainted.com.

Martin's assistant Jessica Sanders was sentenced to 3 years' probation with 6 months home detention. Michael Anderson, 42 of Oakland, and Diallo McLinn, 35 of Oakland were sentenced to 2 years misdemeanor probation.

Last updated January 15, 2010 by Vanessa Nelson for www.medicalmarijuanaofamerica.com (now defunct).