MedicalNeed
New Member
SPOKANE VALLEY -- John Ellis, the owner of Med Mar Dis in Spokane Valley, could face criminal charges after the Spokane County Sheriff's Officer raided his licensed medical marijuana dispensary.
During the raids on both his business and home hundreds of marijuana plants were seized; while medical marijuana is legal, but the law - for a lot of people - isn't clear.
Law enforcement, county prosecutors, and medical marijuana dispensaries still can't agree on how much pot can be dispensed under the state law and this latest case in Spokane Valley is a good example of all the confusion.
Right now a Closed for Business sign sits in the window at Med Mar Dis in Spokane Valley.
"Our detectives in the course of their business noticed he had a lot of marijuana plants and customers," Spokane County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sergeant Dave Reagan said.
On September 2 the sheriff's office raided both Med Mar Dis as well as owner John Ellis' home. Court documents show that 243 marijuana plants were taken in the raid, along with cash, a digital scale and customer receipts.
Court documents say Ellis cooperated with detectives, gave them a tour and informed them he supplied 200 customers and averaged $200 to $500 a day in sales.
"That's how law enforcement is looking at it, they're saying that the people engaged in this type of business, not all of them but certainly some of them are using the law to sell marijuana," SGT. Reagan said.
Detectives say state law allows a person holding a medical marijuana prescription to grow 15 plants for their own use or a designated caregiver can grow 15 plants for that patient. But, not everyone interprets the law this way.
"On the other hand there are people who say you can have as many people, patients as you want and 15 plants per person," Reagan said.
Chris Campbrell injured his back in his 20s and still struggles with back pain in his 40s.
"I've actually been injured since my early 20s, I fell on concrete when I was 22 and had a severe nerve injury," he said.
Campbell was issued a medical marijuana card and was investigated in connection with Spokane's first dispensary but case was later thrown out. He believes patients like him should have a legitimate place to go.
"The voters of this state decided cannabis was medicine that's the reason they wrote a law," Campbell said.
Detectives have forwarded Ellis' case to the Spokane County Prosecutor for review; depending on the outcome of that review Ellis could face criminal charges.
Law enforcement agencies are hoping, meanwhile, that the courts will eventually sort out this law.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Source:KXLY.com: Homepage
Author: Tania Dall
Contact: KXLY.com: Contact Us
Copyright: 2010 KXLY.com
Website:Marijuana dispensary owner may face charges - News Story - KXLY Spokane
During the raids on both his business and home hundreds of marijuana plants were seized; while medical marijuana is legal, but the law - for a lot of people - isn't clear.
Law enforcement, county prosecutors, and medical marijuana dispensaries still can't agree on how much pot can be dispensed under the state law and this latest case in Spokane Valley is a good example of all the confusion.
Right now a Closed for Business sign sits in the window at Med Mar Dis in Spokane Valley.
"Our detectives in the course of their business noticed he had a lot of marijuana plants and customers," Spokane County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sergeant Dave Reagan said.
On September 2 the sheriff's office raided both Med Mar Dis as well as owner John Ellis' home. Court documents show that 243 marijuana plants were taken in the raid, along with cash, a digital scale and customer receipts.
Court documents say Ellis cooperated with detectives, gave them a tour and informed them he supplied 200 customers and averaged $200 to $500 a day in sales.
"That's how law enforcement is looking at it, they're saying that the people engaged in this type of business, not all of them but certainly some of them are using the law to sell marijuana," SGT. Reagan said.
Detectives say state law allows a person holding a medical marijuana prescription to grow 15 plants for their own use or a designated caregiver can grow 15 plants for that patient. But, not everyone interprets the law this way.
"On the other hand there are people who say you can have as many people, patients as you want and 15 plants per person," Reagan said.
Chris Campbrell injured his back in his 20s and still struggles with back pain in his 40s.
"I've actually been injured since my early 20s, I fell on concrete when I was 22 and had a severe nerve injury," he said.
Campbell was issued a medical marijuana card and was investigated in connection with Spokane's first dispensary but case was later thrown out. He believes patients like him should have a legitimate place to go.
"The voters of this state decided cannabis was medicine that's the reason they wrote a law," Campbell said.
Detectives have forwarded Ellis' case to the Spokane County Prosecutor for review; depending on the outcome of that review Ellis could face criminal charges.
Law enforcement agencies are hoping, meanwhile, that the courts will eventually sort out this law.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Source:KXLY.com: Homepage
Author: Tania Dall
Contact: KXLY.com: Contact Us
Copyright: 2010 KXLY.com
Website:Marijuana dispensary owner may face charges - News Story - KXLY Spokane
