Authorities raided a Westside medical marijuana dispensary yesterday for the second time and re-arrested its owner, a 32-year-old man who had posted bail and allegedly reopened the shop.
Sgt. Dan McGrew said Juan Carlos Solis was arrested on suspicion of cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale, the same charges he is facing in connection with a prior raid in February at the Healing Center, 1437 San Andres St.
Officers served search warrants at the dispensary and an apartment in the 700 block of W. Carrillo Street that Solis reportedly shared with Rudy Aragon Lopez, 28, an alleged dispensary employee who was arrested yesterday on similar drug-related charges.
Authorities offered few details about what led to yesterday's raid, other than to note that an ongoing investigation, as well as evidence seized at the dispensary and residence, revealed that Solis was illegally operating the pot shop.
Following the previous raid in February, police officials said the dispensary was obtaining its marijuana illegally and was not operating within the guidelines of the Compassionate Use Act, the state law that regulates medical marijuana use.
Despite the earlier raid, the dispensary apparently reopened the following day, as evidenced by an employee who answered the phone and denied any law enforcement action had taken place at the Westside location.
Solis and another alleged dispensary employee, Sinthia Alba Martinez, 24, were scheduled to appear in court on July 16 to set a date for a preliminary hearing in connection with the February raid.
City officials have been struggling to quell community unrest on the issue of medical marijuana dispensaries for years. Earlier this week, city leaders introduced a set of stricter regulations on marijuana shops that, among other restrictions, will allow only three dispensaries to operate in Santa Barbara.
While the city has approved permits for several dispensaries in recent years, the Healing Center has been subject to repeated enforcement efforts, City Attorney Steve Wiley said in a previous interview in February.
"It's not even close to being nonconforming," he said during the interview. "It's always been an illegal operation – illegal from a zoning standpoint – and we've been enforcing on it."
McGrew noted that a superior court judge issued civil penalties of $55,000 earlier this month against Jose and Patricia Solis, the parents of Juan Solis and owners of the property at 1437 San Andres St.
The city attorney had reportedly requested the fines after the defendants allegedly violated a court order prohibiting the operation of a dispensary on their property.
"Additionally, Jose and Patricia Solis are facing arraignment on charges of contempt for violating the court order prohibiting them from operating a marijuana dispensary on their property," McGrew said in an email.
Authorities had yet to release any details about evidence or drugs seized yesterday. In February, police seized 12,000 marijuana plants, 45 pounds of processed marijuana and $8,000 in cash from the Healing Center and another local dispensary, Pacific Coast Collective at 331 N. Milpas St.
While serving the search warrant at the Westside dispensary yesterday, police also detained a 41-year-old woman who entered the pot shop. The woman, identified as Sandra Hall, allegedly provided false information about her identity in an apparent attempt to avoid being arrested on an outstanding warrant.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Daily Sound
Author: ERIC LINDBERG
Copyright: 2010 NODROG Publications, LLC and The Daily Sound
Sgt. Dan McGrew said Juan Carlos Solis was arrested on suspicion of cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale, the same charges he is facing in connection with a prior raid in February at the Healing Center, 1437 San Andres St.
Officers served search warrants at the dispensary and an apartment in the 700 block of W. Carrillo Street that Solis reportedly shared with Rudy Aragon Lopez, 28, an alleged dispensary employee who was arrested yesterday on similar drug-related charges.
Authorities offered few details about what led to yesterday's raid, other than to note that an ongoing investigation, as well as evidence seized at the dispensary and residence, revealed that Solis was illegally operating the pot shop.
Following the previous raid in February, police officials said the dispensary was obtaining its marijuana illegally and was not operating within the guidelines of the Compassionate Use Act, the state law that regulates medical marijuana use.
Despite the earlier raid, the dispensary apparently reopened the following day, as evidenced by an employee who answered the phone and denied any law enforcement action had taken place at the Westside location.
Solis and another alleged dispensary employee, Sinthia Alba Martinez, 24, were scheduled to appear in court on July 16 to set a date for a preliminary hearing in connection with the February raid.
City officials have been struggling to quell community unrest on the issue of medical marijuana dispensaries for years. Earlier this week, city leaders introduced a set of stricter regulations on marijuana shops that, among other restrictions, will allow only three dispensaries to operate in Santa Barbara.
While the city has approved permits for several dispensaries in recent years, the Healing Center has been subject to repeated enforcement efforts, City Attorney Steve Wiley said in a previous interview in February.
"It's not even close to being nonconforming," he said during the interview. "It's always been an illegal operation – illegal from a zoning standpoint – and we've been enforcing on it."
McGrew noted that a superior court judge issued civil penalties of $55,000 earlier this month against Jose and Patricia Solis, the parents of Juan Solis and owners of the property at 1437 San Andres St.
The city attorney had reportedly requested the fines after the defendants allegedly violated a court order prohibiting the operation of a dispensary on their property.
"Additionally, Jose and Patricia Solis are facing arraignment on charges of contempt for violating the court order prohibiting them from operating a marijuana dispensary on their property," McGrew said in an email.
Authorities had yet to release any details about evidence or drugs seized yesterday. In February, police seized 12,000 marijuana plants, 45 pounds of processed marijuana and $8,000 in cash from the Healing Center and another local dispensary, Pacific Coast Collective at 331 N. Milpas St.
While serving the search warrant at the Westside dispensary yesterday, police also detained a 41-year-old woman who entered the pot shop. The woman, identified as Sandra Hall, allegedly provided false information about her identity in an apparent attempt to avoid being arrested on an outstanding warrant.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Daily Sound
Author: ERIC LINDBERG
Copyright: 2010 NODROG Publications, LLC and The Daily Sound
