Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
A 60-year-old county man with a medical marijuana card is facing charges of illegal marijuana sales, illegal production of marijuana, and operating a butane hash oil lab without a license.
Thomas Schuster was hit with those charges Sept. 6 when Navajo County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Apprehension Team detectives went to his home in Heber, where they allegedly found nearly 30 pounds of marijuana in mason jars, about 34 plants growing on the property, more plants being dried, a BHO lab, and marijuana wax and oil derived via the illegal lab.
Schuster's medical marijuana card allows him to be in possession of 2.5 ounces of marijuana at any given time and to grow 12 plants at a time.
"Mr. Schuster has made a legitimate claim to his needs for medical marijuana," NCSO Chief Deputy Jim Molesa said. "He was clearly outside the law with what he had in his possession. But it is up to the state health department or state government whether he could lose his card over this. This was significantly more than one person would have for personal use."
Molesa said the big mistake Schuster made was broadcasting his activities on social media, which, in part led police to his arrest.
"You should be careful about what you post to social media," Molesa said. "Mr Schuster had a different interpretation of the law than the state has. We believe the county attorney will have a different interpretation than Mr. Schuster."
Molesa did not downplay the danger involved in operating a BHO lab that uses liquid gas under pressure to heat and extract concentrated forms of marijuana that is made into wax or used as oils.
Molesa said people who are not trained in the safe use of butane under pressure risk a catastrophic explosion and/or fire that not only risks their own life and property, but their neighbors as well.
"This is as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than a meth lab," Molesa said.
He also noted that smoking oils and waxes that have super high concentrations of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis that gets users "high," has unknown health risks because they are 100 times as potent or more than smoking a marijuana cigarette.
His advice to people who might want to follow in Schuster's footsteps?
"Don't broadcast what you are doing on social media if you don't want to get caught," Molesa said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Heber man busted with 30 mason jars of marijuana | Heber/Overgaard | wmicentral.com
Author: Mike Leiby
Contact: Contact Us | Site | wmicentral.com
Photo Credit: FREDERIC J BROWN
Website: wmicentral.com | The White Mountain Independent's Online Edition
Thomas Schuster was hit with those charges Sept. 6 when Navajo County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Apprehension Team detectives went to his home in Heber, where they allegedly found nearly 30 pounds of marijuana in mason jars, about 34 plants growing on the property, more plants being dried, a BHO lab, and marijuana wax and oil derived via the illegal lab.
Schuster's medical marijuana card allows him to be in possession of 2.5 ounces of marijuana at any given time and to grow 12 plants at a time.
"Mr. Schuster has made a legitimate claim to his needs for medical marijuana," NCSO Chief Deputy Jim Molesa said. "He was clearly outside the law with what he had in his possession. But it is up to the state health department or state government whether he could lose his card over this. This was significantly more than one person would have for personal use."
Molesa said the big mistake Schuster made was broadcasting his activities on social media, which, in part led police to his arrest.
"You should be careful about what you post to social media," Molesa said. "Mr Schuster had a different interpretation of the law than the state has. We believe the county attorney will have a different interpretation than Mr. Schuster."
Molesa did not downplay the danger involved in operating a BHO lab that uses liquid gas under pressure to heat and extract concentrated forms of marijuana that is made into wax or used as oils.
Molesa said people who are not trained in the safe use of butane under pressure risk a catastrophic explosion and/or fire that not only risks their own life and property, but their neighbors as well.
"This is as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than a meth lab," Molesa said.
He also noted that smoking oils and waxes that have super high concentrations of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis that gets users "high," has unknown health risks because they are 100 times as potent or more than smoking a marijuana cigarette.
His advice to people who might want to follow in Schuster's footsteps?
"Don't broadcast what you are doing on social media if you don't want to get caught," Molesa said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Heber man busted with 30 mason jars of marijuana | Heber/Overgaard | wmicentral.com
Author: Mike Leiby
Contact: Contact Us | Site | wmicentral.com
Photo Credit: FREDERIC J BROWN
Website: wmicentral.com | The White Mountain Independent's Online Edition
