cannabisnews.com: Police Return Dead Marijuana Plants To Couple Police Return Dead Marijuana Plants To Couple Posted by CN Staff on December 03, 2007 at 13:05:32 PT By Howard Pankratz, The Denver Post Source: Denver Post Colorado -- More than three dozen marijuana plants seized by authorities from a Fort Collins couple were returned to them dead today by police. The couple, James and Lisa Masters, along with their attorneys, said they will take legal action against the Fort Collins police and Larimer County District Attorney's office who they said by law had to return the plants undamaged. "The Fort Collins police department absolutely did not obey the state law," said Brian Vicente, one of the couple's two lawyers. "By law, the plants should not be damaged in any form. The police have destroyed the plants, they are dead, and we will take legal action to receive compensation." Rita Davis, spokesperson for the Fort Collins Police Department, said that police were under no obligation to preserve the marijuana. "At the time of the arrest, (James and Lisa Masters) were not on the medical registry list and did not have certification for possessing the marijuana," Davis said. "The normal process of confiscating contraband does not require jurisdiction to keep it alive. It became a medical marijuana case after it was confiscated." The couple claimed that at the time police came to their home, they were medical marijuana patients using the plant to help their medical conditions, and to assist other medical marijuana patients. Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_7624445Source: Denver Post (CO)Author: Howard Pankratz, The Denver PostPublished: December 3, 2007 Copyright: 2007 The Denver Post CorpWebsite: http://www.denverpost.com/Contact: openforum denverpost.com Related Articles:Judge Rules Police Must Return 39 MJ Plantshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23510.shtmlDrug Case Against Pair Droppedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23027.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #16 posted by RevRayGreen on December 04, 2007 at 18:56:13 PT Comment #15 posted by fight_4_freedom It was at a comic book store here on the South Side of Des Moines(my side of town) called Cup'o'Kryptonite where CD was making a campaign stop. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by fight_4_freedom on December 04, 2007 at 14:58:26 PT: Awesome Pic Rev Talk about being active in reform....Rev's goin' directly to the main source, the politicians. If you don't mind me asking, where were you at when you met him?And I hope those two patients in Colorado get every penny they deserve after the cops ruined those amazing plants full of love and medicine. I mean it's not exactly a quick and simple process to grow successful plants. And for all the effort and hard work they put into growing it, they deserve every cent they can get.Let justice be served. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Hope on December 04, 2007 at 06:41:53 PT Way to go Bro. Ray Green! That's getting out there and getting in amongst 'em! [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by FoM on December 04, 2007 at 06:11:16 PT Heads Up: So Goes The Nation On the IFC we saw the end of this movie last night and it will be on again today. We will be watching the whole movie at 12:35 PM ET on DirecTV and maybe others might want to check it out if you get the Independent Film Channel.http://www.sogoesthenationmovie.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on December 04, 2007 at 05:49:03 PT RevRayGreen Thank you for sharing your picture with Senator Dodd. That was a great way for me to start the day. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by RevRayGreen on December 04, 2007 at 04:18:30 PT Also a picture of Chris Dodd and me taken last night. He said he had hoped for more of a debate of the issue of relegalization/decriminalization when he came out in support at the last debate......http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/RevGreen/cdodd.jpg Pot Returned Video [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by The GCW on December 03, 2007 at 20:19:08 PT Examinating the issue is interesting. Citizens exclaim the God-given plant cannabis benefits their health; cannabis has never killed a human,,, & cops kill them.Have We ever heard of cops killing tobacco plants? Cigarettes murder over 1,000 Americans daily; but cops can be called upon to protect them...-0-"cigarettes murder over 1,000 Americans daily"Webpage: http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/article/2007/12/03/feedback-letters-from-our-readers/(coming soon to MAP)Pubdate: 3 Dec. 2007Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1385/a02.html?102297 [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on December 03, 2007 at 15:44:47 PT mykeyb420 I believe that San Francisco is the one city that has always said we won't conform to what 'they' want. Power to the People! [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by mykeyb420 on December 03, 2007 at 15:39:25 PT SFPD here in san francisco,,usually when there is a discovery of marijuana by law enforcement,,,they take pictures,,take a report,,and take a SAMPLE of the crop,,,but they leave 99% of it there,,, but most of the time they just look the other way and leave it alone,,,nice utopia huh?? [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on December 03, 2007 at 15:20:00 PT RMN: Medicinal Pot is Kaput Associated Press December 3, 2007 FORT COLLINS — A couple who once faced drug charges after police seized their medical marijuana plants say they may sue authorities because the plants were returned to them dead.Attorney Brian Vicente says police seized 39 live plants in August 2006 from his clients, Jim and Lisa Masters.Drug charges against the Masters were dropped in June. The couple say they are medical marijuana patients and were also providing marijuana to several patients who were licensed to get it.Their plants were returned today.Police spokeswoman Rita Davis says the department had no responsibility to care for the plants because the couple did not have documentation to show the plants were legal.Copyright: 2007 The E.W. Scripps Co.http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/03/medicinal-pot-kaput/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on December 03, 2007 at 14:57:52 PT mykeyb420 I didn't know it was up to $4,000! $7,000 retail Wow! Thanks. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by mykeyb420 on December 03, 2007 at 14:55:40 PT post 39 plants = 39 pounds = $156000 [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by mykeyb420 on December 03, 2007 at 14:50:44 PT plant value FOM The way to dertimine the value of a plant is to use the governments own standards, ( like when they BOAST of the value of a DEA raid,,,i.e street value ) 1 plant = 1 pound of pot = $4000 - wholesale $7000 retail( 1 plant really produces 1/2 oz to 2 oz,,if you are lucky ) [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 03, 2007 at 14:35:26 PT A Question How are they going to determine the worth of the plants? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by dongenero on December 03, 2007 at 14:10:51 PT denver post comments judging from the comment section for this article at the denver post, I would say the law enforcement side has weighed in with their disparaging rhetoric. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on December 03, 2007 at 13:32:38 PT Related Article from The Coloradoan Fort Collins Couple Gets Marijuana Plants Back, But They’re Dead***December 3, 2007After a prolonged legal battle, a Fort Collins couple today finally retrieved the medical marijuana seized from their home in August 2006, but the plants were dead.The cultivation and possession charges against James and Lisa Masters, medical marijuana patients and caregivers for other patients, were dropped in June but it wasn’t until late last month that a judge ruled that police had to return the property. James Masters said he was “very, very happy to see this come to fruition,” but that he was sad to see the plants had not been maintained. “This is a resounding, decisive victory for Colorado voters, compassion and medical marijuana,” said Brian Vicente, one of the attorneys who represented the couple throughout the case.The charges were dropped after the judge ruled that the search warrant used to seize the plants, growing equipment and paraphernalia resulted from an illegal search.But none of the plants seized, including about 15 that were nearly ready for harvest, survived. The Masters’ attorneys plan to go back to the judge later this month and request financial compensation for the destroyed plants, which could be valued at more than $100,000. Copyright: 2007 The Fort Collins Coloradoan http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071203/UPDATES01/71203026 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment