The US government has indicted an outspoken advocate of legalizing marijuana for growing hundreds of plants to distribute to medical marijuana dispensaries in California.

He's also accused of money laundering and filing false tax returns in connection with the marijuana operation. The government says he laundered $1,850 obtained from selling plants to medical dispensaries, and that he failed to file income from sales of the plants on his federal tax returns.

Arraignment is scheduled for Monday.

Rosenthal was convicted in 2003 of growing marijuana plants, but that ruling was subsequently overturned. After the verdict was issued, five jurors issued a public apology to Rosenthal, stating that they did not know Oakland's local medical marijuana law had officially sanctioned his activities. They said that had they known, they would not have found him guilty. The jurors demanded that the judge grant him a new trial..

The federal government is waging a campaign against organizations providing medical marijuana to patients who need it, says Rosenthal, who refers to himself as the "Guru of Ganja."

Last week, federal authorities raided and closed five Bay Area medical marijuana operations and arrested 15 people. California has been at odds with the federal government on the issue of legalizing medical marijuana for the past decade. Other states have passed legislation permitting the use of marijuana for medical purposes, but it remains illegal under US federal law.