Herb Fellow
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A San Luis Obispo County man says he has won a battle against the Sheriff's Department. Craig Steffens is a medical marijuana patient. Last October, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's deputies seized a small amount of marijuana and a glass pipe from him. Wednesday, he got his property back.
Craig Steffens says this is the first time the Sheriff's Department has complied with state law by returning medical marijuana to a patient. Steffens says the department knew he had the pot legally, but still made him spend time and money to get it back. He says he had to go to court and even after that, the Sheriff's Department did not want to return his property. But while Steffens says the Sheriff returned the property only after being threatened with contempt of court, the department says it held on to the property while it waited for an appeals case.
"This isn't fair, this isn't right. Finally, the Sheriff does know that we have the right to our property and we have the right to have our medicine," said medical marijuana patient Craig Steffens.
"There was a pending case down in Southern California that clouded the issue, and we didn't want to be the test case and pay the taxpayers a lot of money for being wrong," said San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department spokesman Rob Bryn. Steffens says it feels good to know that he fought hard to get his property back. The Sheriff's Department says when it comes to this issue, there may be a blurry line between state and federal law.
Proposition 215 allows people who use marijuana for medicinal purposes to carry up to a half-pound on their person.
Source: KSBY 6 Action News
Copyright: 2008, KSBY 6 Action News
Contact: Kory Raftery
Website: KSBY 6 Action News, Weather, Sports: Covering California's Central Coast | San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department returns seized medical marijuana to patient
Craig Steffens says this is the first time the Sheriff's Department has complied with state law by returning medical marijuana to a patient. Steffens says the department knew he had the pot legally, but still made him spend time and money to get it back. He says he had to go to court and even after that, the Sheriff's Department did not want to return his property. But while Steffens says the Sheriff returned the property only after being threatened with contempt of court, the department says it held on to the property while it waited for an appeals case.
"This isn't fair, this isn't right. Finally, the Sheriff does know that we have the right to our property and we have the right to have our medicine," said medical marijuana patient Craig Steffens.
"There was a pending case down in Southern California that clouded the issue, and we didn't want to be the test case and pay the taxpayers a lot of money for being wrong," said San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department spokesman Rob Bryn. Steffens says it feels good to know that he fought hard to get his property back. The Sheriff's Department says when it comes to this issue, there may be a blurry line between state and federal law.
Proposition 215 allows people who use marijuana for medicinal purposes to carry up to a half-pound on their person.
Source: KSBY 6 Action News
Copyright: 2008, KSBY 6 Action News
Contact: Kory Raftery
Website: KSBY 6 Action News, Weather, Sports: Covering California's Central Coast | San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department returns seized medical marijuana to patient
