Now this is what I am talking about
"Peters said detectives are trying to give the man the benefit of the doubt, and if he is found to be a legitimate medical marijuana grower, he will not be charged."
too bad he is fucked for being over the numbers....
http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_14427391
and for those of you that dont like links:
152 pot plants found in Broomfield home
No one charged as medical marijuana claim investigated
Julie Baxter
Posted: 02/18/2010 03:02:03 PM MST
Police last week discovered 152 marijuana plants in a Broomfield home, but no arrests were made in connection with the crop and the North Metro Task Force is investigating whether the plants are part of a medical marijuana growing operation.
When serving a warrant in the 2500 block of 133rd Circle on Saturday, officers smelled marijuana and became suspicious the home might also house a growing operation. In addition to the 152 plants, police found 26.2 grams of dried marijuana during their search. A resident of the house told officers he is part of a medical marijuana growing operation.
The information was turned over to the North Metro Task Force, which is looking into whether the man growing the plants was acting within the limits of Amendment 20. The amendment, approved by Colorado voters in 2000, created legal protections for users, doctors and caregivers of medical marijuana.
“It's such a confusing area for us right now,” North Metro Cmdr. Jerry Peters said of the complications medical marijuana creates for law enforcement. “... We're trying to ensure people are acting within the spirit and the guidelines of Amendment 20.”
Clouding the issue is how many patients a medical marijuana caregiver claims to serve, Peters said. In this instance, the man said he had two patients, but the number of plants police found exceeds the limit outlined in the amendment, Peters said.
“That's where it becomes fuzzy. He is caregiving for two patients but has 152 plants,” Peters said. “(Caregivers are) allowed six plants — three flowering, three seedlings — per patient.
“... We're looking into the overage.”
Peters said detectives are trying to give the man the benefit of the doubt, and if he is found to be a legitimate medical marijuana grower, he will not be charged.
In the meantime, the investigation continues and the worries grow about whether all marijuana grown for medical purposes is used only for those purposes.
“A common yield is three to six ounces per plant every three months,” Peters said.
In this case, 152 plants would yield close to 20 to 30 pounds of pot every three months, Peters said. Street value of an ounce is $300, making the crop discovered in Broomfield worth $160,000 in that time frame, he said.
“It becomes a little more about capitalism than compassion,” Peters said. “That's where we struggle. ... Patients can't smoke that many joints. It has to go out the backdoor. It's become very problematic for communities and law enforcement.”
Peters said the task force, which is multi-jurisdictional and encompasses communities across the north-metro area including Broomfield and Westminster, is handling about three marijuana warrants a week, taking up a majority of detectives' time.
Law enforcement agencies turn over their discoveries of marijuana and other drugs to the task force, so cases are investigated by “detectives used to dealing with this kind of thing,” Peters said.
Detectives are trying to turn this investigation around as quickly as possible, he said.
Broomfield police on Saturday did arrest Erick Schmuckal for a warrant issued in Denver.
"Peters said detectives are trying to give the man the benefit of the doubt, and if he is found to be a legitimate medical marijuana grower, he will not be charged."
too bad he is fucked for being over the numbers....
http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_14427391
and for those of you that dont like links:
152 pot plants found in Broomfield home
No one charged as medical marijuana claim investigated
Julie Baxter
Posted: 02/18/2010 03:02:03 PM MST
Police last week discovered 152 marijuana plants in a Broomfield home, but no arrests were made in connection with the crop and the North Metro Task Force is investigating whether the plants are part of a medical marijuana growing operation.
When serving a warrant in the 2500 block of 133rd Circle on Saturday, officers smelled marijuana and became suspicious the home might also house a growing operation. In addition to the 152 plants, police found 26.2 grams of dried marijuana during their search. A resident of the house told officers he is part of a medical marijuana growing operation.
The information was turned over to the North Metro Task Force, which is looking into whether the man growing the plants was acting within the limits of Amendment 20. The amendment, approved by Colorado voters in 2000, created legal protections for users, doctors and caregivers of medical marijuana.
“It's such a confusing area for us right now,” North Metro Cmdr. Jerry Peters said of the complications medical marijuana creates for law enforcement. “... We're trying to ensure people are acting within the spirit and the guidelines of Amendment 20.”
Clouding the issue is how many patients a medical marijuana caregiver claims to serve, Peters said. In this instance, the man said he had two patients, but the number of plants police found exceeds the limit outlined in the amendment, Peters said.
“That's where it becomes fuzzy. He is caregiving for two patients but has 152 plants,” Peters said. “(Caregivers are) allowed six plants — three flowering, three seedlings — per patient.
“... We're looking into the overage.”
Peters said detectives are trying to give the man the benefit of the doubt, and if he is found to be a legitimate medical marijuana grower, he will not be charged.
In the meantime, the investigation continues and the worries grow about whether all marijuana grown for medical purposes is used only for those purposes.
“A common yield is three to six ounces per plant every three months,” Peters said.
In this case, 152 plants would yield close to 20 to 30 pounds of pot every three months, Peters said. Street value of an ounce is $300, making the crop discovered in Broomfield worth $160,000 in that time frame, he said.
“It becomes a little more about capitalism than compassion,” Peters said. “That's where we struggle. ... Patients can't smoke that many joints. It has to go out the backdoor. It's become very problematic for communities and law enforcement.”
Peters said the task force, which is multi-jurisdictional and encompasses communities across the north-metro area including Broomfield and Westminster, is handling about three marijuana warrants a week, taking up a majority of detectives' time.
Law enforcement agencies turn over their discoveries of marijuana and other drugs to the task force, so cases are investigated by “detectives used to dealing with this kind of thing,” Peters said.
Detectives are trying to turn this investigation around as quickly as possible, he said.
Broomfield police on Saturday did arrest Erick Schmuckal for a warrant issued in Denver.
