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Medical marijuana advocates rallied outside the courthouse today to protest the Spokane police’s warning that dispensaries shut down.
The protesters went to City Hall later and expect to be along Broadway Avenue in front of the courthouse all week.
The group is hoping to bring attention to what they say is a need to clarify how medical marijuana users can legally obtain the drug.
Protesters made use of several bullhorns, including Jacey Hoag, who brought up a Spokesman-Review article published Sunday that details a slush fund kept by the Spokane Police Department’s drug unit. (Read the story by Jody Lawrence-Turner here.)
“If you get to raid my dispensary today, you get to drive my car tomorrow?” asked dispensary owner Rhonda Duncan.
Police raided Hoag’s home on Joseph Avenue in May after an investigation that began when undercover detectives spotted him leaving River City Hydroponics, according to a search warrant filed May 13 in Spokane County District Court.
The detectives had been staking out the store because “marijuana growers often purchase their equipment at these various garden stores,” according to the warrant.
Detectives then smelled growing marijuana during stake outs of Hoag’s home, then found power bill information that indicated a marijuana grow.
Police seized fresh marijuana and growing plants during the raid, but no charges have been filed:
Hoag has a medical marijuana card that allows him to have 15 plants and a pound and a half of marijuana at a time.
Reporter Meghann Cuniff writes about public safety news from the Inland Northwest and beyond.
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lewis8457 on September 14 at 11:31 p.m.
The SPD is the biggest racket going in Spokane, they can bust you take all your stuff sell it and keep the money. Boy that sounds sweet.
I know a few people that have been busted having grow rooms that were card carrying guys and all had jobs that paid for their stuff. But if the cops bust you for growing they can assume the new truck and boat you have been making payments on for 10 years was bought by drug money and they can take it just like that. Sounds like communism to me.
The devils in blue, makes me sick
lewis8457 on September 15 at 11:21 a.m.
Just heard from a reliable source the way the cops get all a drug dealer’s stuff is through trickery. They send the accused a letter informing them to attend hearing once the accused appears at the meeting all his stuff is instantly forfeited. But the accused can refuse to go to the hearing get a lawyer and wait until he appears in front of a judge; at that time the judge will determine what items the accused can keep.
Just another form of stealing and the cops are damn good at it.
Rifleman_Dodd on September 15 at 4:10 p.m.
I think perhaps a raid on the SPD might reveal much more than us civilians can handle.