James Stacy could face life behind bars even though he thought he was following the law.
After the Obama Administration suggested they would no longer continue raiding medical marijuana dispensaries and collectives, Stacy opened a collective of his own in Vista.
"I follow the rules, if they say I can't do it, I won't do it" Stacy said.
Among those who joined the group--according to Stacy--was an undercover San Diego County Sheriff's deputy.
"The officer joined the collective, signed a membership agreement, asked if he could work and we said yes."
But on September 9, 2009, the collective was raided and Stacy placed under arrest.
He spent 20 days behind bars and is now facing federal prosecutors.
His attorney tried to argue the President's words should be enough to drop the charges, but the judge did not buy it.
Stacy was offered a plea deal--spend one year in prison. But, he won't sign. "I'm not guilty of breaking the law, I didn't break the law so why would I say I was?"
He knows the odds are not good--that federal prosecutors are successful 9 out of 10 times. Still, he thinks it important to fight when his trial begins in August.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: San Diego 6
Author: Elex Michaelson
Contact: San Diego 6
Copyright: 2010 Bay City
Website: Life Behind Bars for Running a Marijuana Collective?
After the Obama Administration suggested they would no longer continue raiding medical marijuana dispensaries and collectives, Stacy opened a collective of his own in Vista.
"I follow the rules, if they say I can't do it, I won't do it" Stacy said.
Among those who joined the group--according to Stacy--was an undercover San Diego County Sheriff's deputy.
"The officer joined the collective, signed a membership agreement, asked if he could work and we said yes."
But on September 9, 2009, the collective was raided and Stacy placed under arrest.
He spent 20 days behind bars and is now facing federal prosecutors.
His attorney tried to argue the President's words should be enough to drop the charges, but the judge did not buy it.
Stacy was offered a plea deal--spend one year in prison. But, he won't sign. "I'm not guilty of breaking the law, I didn't break the law so why would I say I was?"
He knows the odds are not good--that federal prosecutors are successful 9 out of 10 times. Still, he thinks it important to fight when his trial begins in August.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: San Diego 6
Author: Elex Michaelson
Contact: San Diego 6
Copyright: 2010 Bay City
Website: Life Behind Bars for Running a Marijuana Collective?
