The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is being accused of selective enforcement of federal drug laws for conducting targeted raids on large medical-marijuana dispensaries in California while ignoring smaller operations, the Los Angeles Times reported Jan. 1.

California has more than 170 marijuana dispensaries, which are legal under the state's medical-marijuana law but still subject to prosecution under federal drug laws. The DEA contends that the amount of money involved in the big dispensary operations -- a recent raid on a Hayward program netted $1.5 million in bank accounts and $200,000 in cash -- proves that the centers are nothing more than a front for illicit marijuana sales.

"These people will tell you they are just interested in the terminally ill, but what they are really interested in is lining their pockets with illegal drug money. When you pull the mask off, you see that they are nothing more than common dope dealers," said DEA agent Gordon Taylor.

Some medical-marijuana advocates say that it has become unwritten DEA policy to raid dispensaries that have lost local government support, such as the Hayward operation. Larger and more high-profile operations also seem to get the bulk of the agency's attention.