cannabisnews.com: Pot Find Is The Legal Kind





Pot Find Is The Legal Kind
Posted by CN Staff on August 18, 2007 at 10:44:46 PT
By Anita Burke, Mail Tribune
Source: Mail Tribune
Oregon -- The officers serving a search warrant on what they thought was a massive marijuana-growing operation had swarmed a greenhouse filled with plants and were poised to kick in the door of a house on the property when the word came.This was a registered medical marijuana site and it complied with Oregon law.
"This is a frustration for us," said Sgt. Rick Valentine, supervisor of the Jackson County Narcotics Enforcement Team, who coordinated the seven Jackson County Sheriff's Department employees making this search earlier this month. "When we spend time on what turns out to be legal activity, it takes away from what we could do on illegal activities."But if the misguided raid was a frustration for investigators, it was a shock to the grower, who arrived home to find a fleet of law enforcement sport-utility vehicles parked in his driveway and officers everywhere."I felt pretty violated," said the grower, who didn't want to be named in the newspaper. "I'm not a criminal."They turned out to be nice-enough guys, but I wish they had talked to me."He said he wished his neighbors who complained about his 65-foot-long greenhouse filled with bushy marijuana plants had come to him before contacting police.He could have explained that he is the registered grower for four medical-marijuana patients — a 22-year-old woman who was in a car crash and suffers from back pain, her mother who has multiple sclerosis, a woman with ovarian cancer, and an elderly man who has battled excruciating migraine headaches for years.But as marijuana — whether in registered medical-marijuana gardens or vast cartel-operated plots in the forest — matures in the Southern Oregon summer, most people, wisely, don't stop to ask questions. They call police."Once the plants extend beyond a fence, we get calls on a pretty regular basis," Medford police Lt. Tim Doney said.Valentine said his agency gets at least one call every day this time of year from someone who has spotted pot plants. He estimates that nearly 90 percent of easily visible gardens are medical marijuana, but investigators must follow up every call."It used to be real clear-cut," Doney said. "If you saw marijuana, it was illegal. Now we have to do more homework."Investigators start by checking the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program database of medical marijuana patients, caregivers and growing sites. The program, operated by the Department of Human Services, shows that as of July 1, the state had issued 14,868 medical marijuana cards statewide, including 1,295 in Jackson County. The number of registered growing sites isn't publicly available.Under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, each cardholder can have six mature plants, 18 seedlings, and 24 ounces of usable marijuana. A registered grower can grow for up to four cardholders.But investigators say the law is sometimes abused, and if they have suspicions backed up by observation or witness statements, they will seek a search warrant. They've done that twice this summer, only to find compliant growers, Valentine said.He said that in his initial survey of the site searched earlier this month, he estimated the greenhouse contained about 300 plants. But when the officers serving the search warrant counted stems, there were only 24 — the number authorized by the four cards the grower displayed at the site."The law doesn't say what 'too big of a plant' is," Valentine said.The grower said the family friends and acquaintances who chose him to produce their medical marijuana selected him because they knew he could nurture plants."I have a good horticultural resume," he said, touting his experience on two organic farms in Washington. He has grown medical marijuana in the Rogue Valley for two years.He creates organic compost teas to feed the plants and for his efforts over a six-month growing season to produce a year's worth of medicine, he is reimbursed $15,000 to $25,000, he said. State law allows cardholders to reimburse growers for supplies and utilities.He said he grows a marijuana strain that produces a high volume with a low amount of active chemicals. He described it as "fluffy," but still noted that each mature plant produces between one and a half and two pounds of usable marijuana. The grower said advocacy groups around the state help facilitate transfers of excess marijuana. State law allows a cardholder to give marijuana to another cardholder if no money is exchanged, but authorities said there is no clear provision for clubs to swap or share marijuana."For voters, the intent was good," Valentine said of the medical marijuana law Oregon voters approved in 1998. "They wanted to help people who were suffering, but this has gone beyond what people envisioned."He said permitting smaller amounts and requiring growers to submit to compliance checks would make enforcement easier for police.He estimates that JACNET currently spends nearly 50 percent of its time investigating complaints about marijuana ultimately found to be compliant, medical growing operations."It takes a lot of time out of our schedule that could be spent on methamphetamine or heroin, which is increasing here," Valentine said.The grower searched this month said he understands how people can have fears about drugs and drug-related violence in their neighborhoods when they see marijuana growing."If I saw something that looked dangerous next to my home, I would want it checked out, too," he said.However, he said people shouldn't feel threatened just because they don't understand the medical marijuana program and assume all growers are criminal."I run a clean operation," he said. "I have my own family to keep safe."He said the greenhouse shields neighbors from the scent and view of his controversial crop. He reiterates, though, that a majority of voters has authorized operations like his."Like it or not, it's the law," he said.Note: Cops realize medical marijuana garden is within the law; grower wishes neighbors had called him first.Picture from Article: http://tinyurl.com/2eyzxjCaption: Police estimated there were about 300 plants during their initial survey of the site earlier this month, but when the officers serving the search warrant counted stems, there were only 24 the legal amount a grower can produce for four card-carrying patients. Source: Mail Tribune, The (Medford, OR)Author: Anita Burke, Mail TribunePublished: August 18, 2007Copyright: 2007 The Mail TribuneContact:  letters mailtribune.comWebsite: http://www.mailtribune.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on August 21, 2007 at 06:48:41 PT
afterburner
I'm sure that Canadians sense what is going on about the Arctic and who owns it. I hope that the USA isn't going to help Canada build the military bases up there. If we help Canada that will be that. They'll say Welcome to America. You have so much oil up there I'd be so scared. Maybe if we get a Democrat in power in 08 Canada might be respected as a sovereign nation. I hope so.
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Comment #18 posted by afterburner on August 20, 2007 at 22:05:08 PT
mayan
Good SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership) article. Here's another (even some big businessmen are starting to question the "lack of transparency."):Big business slams summit secrecy.
Aug 20, 2007 07:18 PM. 
Joan Bryden. 
Canadian press.
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/248116
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Comment #17 posted by afterburner on August 20, 2007 at 21:56:17 PT
Hope #16
"Prohibition is destroying the country." Prohibition is a mindset. It seems to be the knee-jerk reaction of many citizens to anything they do not like. We need tolerance of diversity, not punishment for non-conformity to some imagined normalcy.
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on August 20, 2007 at 10:00:38 PT
You're so right, IKaptinemo.
If they would just say it. I know that many of them know it...they are just too afraid to say it.They're afraid to do the right thing. Where are the heroes, the real heroes, the real men and women, the real patriots and wise men and women among them?Surely there are a few in every department in the country ,that could stand together and proclaim the truth of it all. Surely, surely together they could find the courage to do the right thing and just say it. Prohibition is destroying the country.
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Comment #15 posted by greenfox on August 20, 2007 at 09:35:27 PT
YAY!
I like good news- this definately qualifies. :)
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Comment #14 posted by kaptinemo on August 20, 2007 at 06:55:59 PT:
Oh, the irony of it
They can't possibly be more bang-on target, yet they refuse to complete their own chain of thought:""This is a frustration for us," said Sgt. Rick Valentine, supervisor of the Jackson County Narcotics Enforcement Team, who coordinated the seven Jackson County Sheriff's Department employees making this search earlier this month. "When we spend time on what turns out to be legal activity, it takes away from what we could do on illegal activities."Yup. And just think what you could do with your limited time and resources if you didn't have to chase any cannabists, Mr. Valentine. But you can't say that, because your boss would be upset...forgetting, as usual, that the Boss of Bosses is none other than your neighbors, meaning the taxpayers. It's always just on the tip of their tongues, the "Two plus two equallllllllls..." moment followed by painfully deafening silence, where they teeter on the very edge, swaying in the wind, to take the next logical step to name drug prohibition itself as the cause of the problem...and never do. That's what's so 'frustrating'.
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Comment #13 posted by mayan on August 20, 2007 at 04:18:37 PT
afterburner
It's definitely something to keep an eye on.Yes, Virginia (Dare), There Is An SPP. And It Means (Big) Business: 
http://www.vdare.com/awall/070815_memo.htmPerry's push for super highway raises conspiracy buzz:
http://infowars.com/articles/nwo/trans_texas_corridor_perry_push_superhighway_raises_conspiracy_buzz.htmURGENT NOTICE...Portland to Host Terrorism Drill “NOBLE RESOLVE 07-2” Aug. 20 to 24 - Citizens Warn of Established Pattern for Such Drills to go “live”:
http://www.oregontruthalliance.org/node/3I get the feeling we have barely begun to see things change...Arctic summer sea ice hits record low:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20316390/from/RSS
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Comment #12 posted by afterburner on August 20, 2007 at 00:31:01 PT
mayan
Stop The SPP http://www.viewmag.com/viewstory.php?storyid=5459
Excerpt: 
{
If you follow alternative media you have by now read dozens of 
articles detailing the evils of the Security and Prosperity 
Partnership (SPP), a shrewd piece of stealth capitalism on the 
private agenda of our publicly elected leaders this August 20 and 
21 in Montebello, Quebec. Like other forms of stealth capitalism, 
this little brouhaha of the Three Banditos: Bush, Harper, and 
Calderon, is just one more little step in a very long journey. 
Globalization has been successful, at least in part because of 
gradualism: the expansive quality of globalization proceeds one 
“legal” land grab at a time, with visible massive military 
interventions maybe once per decade (accompanied, of course, by 
many covert operations and other forms of strong-arm 
subterfuge).
}Watch for protests today in Montebello.A LOONIE FOR YOUR SOVEREIGNTY http://www.viewmag.com/viewstory.php?storyid=5468
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Comment #11 posted by mayan on August 20, 2007 at 00:17:04 PT
Rigged
If Fred Thompson enters he will give Hillary a rigged run for the money. The establishment elite will likely not enter Gore up as the polls would be too lop-sided and difficult to fix. They want it to be close to prevent folks from voting for anything other than the lesser evil. Manipulation. How many times?JESSE???  
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on August 19, 2007 at 09:05:20 PT
The Debate
It was so good but I was disappointed that we only got the first hour and it went back to our local news. I won't be able to watch it online because of the bandwidth issues. I am glad I saw the first hour though.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on August 19, 2007 at 07:04:00 PT
Wayne
I gave up on Lou Dobbs a while ago. I don't want a Republican no matter what and I have said why I am not interested in Ron Paul because of what he is against and I just want to see a Democrat as president. If Obama doesn't rise in the polls I can only hope that Gore enters the race and blows Clintons doors off. I am not that political so I don't look at the issues other then what is important to me. I want the Dems to win no matter what because they are more sensitive to medical marijuana. I don't worry about the hard drug war since it will be that way for many years to come and I'm too old to be concerned about something that far away in time.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on August 19, 2007 at 06:56:24 PT
RevRayGreen 
It says the debate is 90 minutes but it only shows an hour when I look on ABC. I don't want to watch these religious shows but I don't want to miss the debate and I don't have a pdf file reader. Does it start at 10:30?
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Comment #7 posted by RevRayGreen on August 19, 2007 at 06:49:34 PT
Comment #5 posted by mayan 
I just got back from the rally held outside the debates.I am a supporter of the Richardson Campaign, I am not
able to commit much time with work/family so I didn't know
how the Richardson Camp would rally ?Biggest camps were in this order, Hillary,Obama,Edwards.No Richardson group, but watching him live on the debate,he is doing a great job, as are Gravel and DK.
Des Moines Register
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Comment #6 posted by Wayne on August 19, 2007 at 06:27:30 PT
Lou Dobbs
I used to have a lot of respect for Lou, and used to watch him somewhat regularly. He spoke with a lot of common sense and said what needed to be said; he was polite, and was an excellent debater. Then came his "War Within" series, and he just started spewing the same old worn out propaganda. That day I stopped watching him, and haven't tuned in since. I was actually a little angry that I could have been duped that easily.Won't happen again, I assure you. The War on Drugs is the only societal issue that I care about these days (with the exception of maybe education), and I won't give anyone in the media or political arena the time of day until I know EXACTLY how they stand on the issue. Ron Paul, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, and Bill Richardson would be my picks for Prez because I know exactly how they stand. I watch Tucker Carlson because he thinks the war on pot-smokers is an evil joke, and he took Mark Souder to the mat (surprising for a 'Conservative'). It really can be that simple.
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Comment #5 posted by mayan on August 18, 2007 at 15:50:03 PT
WASTE
"When we spend time on what turns out to be legal activity, it takes away from what we could do on illegal activities."The whole war on cannabis detracts from effective enforcement of neccessary laws. This registered grower had better beware as the fascist feds may be on his doorstep (or busting through his door!) very soon.THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...9/11 Truth at Nancy Pelosi's front door:
http://911blogger.com/node/10724Zelikow's Parallel Universe (video):
http://prisonplanet.com/articles/august2007/180807Zelikow.htmThe First Fifteen Minutes of September 11th - Former Air Traffic Controller Robin Hordon speaks out:
http://911blogger.com/node/107119/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB - OUR NATION IS IN PERIL:
http://www.911sharethetruth.com/
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Comment #4 posted by Dankhank on August 18, 2007 at 15:26:50 PT
lou dobbs
fixin' to run a stupid, venal story about the drug war ...
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Comment #3 posted by user123 on August 18, 2007 at 13:43:18 PT:
Boo Freakin Hoo
"For voters, the intent was good," Valentine said of the medical marijuana law Oregon voters approved in 1998. "They wanted to help people who were suffering, but this has gone beyond what people envisioned."And just what did they envision? That cannabis would just magically show up when you needed it? When I voted for it in California, that's what I envisioned - cops wasting their time. 
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on August 18, 2007 at 13:21:46 PT
Legal Pot Farmers Eat Police Time
Ore. Police Say Many Pot Finds Legal Kind August 18, 2007PORTLAND, Ore. -- The war on drugs can lead to some false alarms.Police in southern Oregon say they get at least one call a day this time of year from someone who has spotted marijuana plants. Sometimes the calls the lead to arrests. Often, however, police find medical marijuana sites that comply with Oregon law."Once the plants extend beyond a fence, we get calls on a pretty regular basis," Medford police Lt. Tim Doney said. 
 "It used to be real clear-cut," Doney said. "If you saw marijuana, it was illegal. Now we have to do more homework."Sgt. Rick Valentine, supervisor of the Jackson County Narcotics Enforcement Team, estimates that nearly 90 percent of easily visible gardens are medical marijuana, but said investigators must respond to every call.Just this month, Valentine coordinated seven officers who served a search warrant on what they thought was a massive marijuana-growing operation.They were poised to kick in the door of a greenhouse filled with plants when they learned it was actually a registered medical marijuana site."This is a frustration for us," Valentine said. "When we spend time on what turns out to be legal activity, it takes away from what we could do on illegal activities."The fizzled raid upset the grower, who was granted anonymity in a recent interview with the Mail Tribune newspaper."I felt pretty violated," the grower said. "I'm not a criminal. "They turned out to be nice-enough guys, but I wish they had talked to me."He said he wished his neighbors had come to him before calling the cops. The grower said he would have explained that he is the registered grower for four medical-marijuana patients -- a 22-year-old woman who was in a car crash and suffers from back pain, her mother who has multiple sclerosis, a woman with ovarian cancer, and an elderly man who gets frequent migraine headaches.Investigators try to avoid such errors by checking the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program database of medical marijuana patients, caregivers and growing sites. The program, operated by the Department of Human Services, shows that as of July 1, the state had issued 14,868 medical marijuana cards statewide.Under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, each cardholder can have six mature plants, 18 seedlings, and 24 ounces of usable marijuana. A registered grower can grow for up to four cardholders.But investigators say the law is sometimes abused, and if they have suspicions backed up by observation or witness statements, they will seek a search warrant.In his initial survey of the greenhouse searched earlier this month, Valentine said he estimated about 300 plants. But when the officers serving the search warrant counted stems, there were only 24 -- six for each of the cardholders."The law doesn't say what 'too big of a plant' is," Valentine said. Copyright 2007 by The Associated Presshttp://www.kptv.com/news/13923182/detail.html
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Comment #1 posted by Agog on August 18, 2007 at 13:19:37 PT:
what a waste
I'm glad they found him in compliance and left him alone. A real shame however that his "neighbors" would turn him in that way. The Stazi would be proud. What an unfortunate consequence of the propaganda we've been force fed for so long. Think of the waste of law enforcement resources on this case, maybe the prevalence of these cases in the future will force the LEO establishment to modify their investigations in a more fiscally responsible manner... a whole fleet of SUV's for this?  UH OH! watch out, he has a plant!No wonder I'm ....
Agog
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