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Medical pot delivery bust denounced

January 10, 2013

sherrifBy DANIEL BLACKBURN

A driver for a patients’ medical marijuana collective was arrested last week in Oceano after his vehicle was stopped by San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies, reportedly for having a cracked windshield.

Following a search of his vehicle, Chance Simmons was taken into custody at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and booked into County Jail on charges of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of concentrated cannabis.

Simmons works for Ethnobotanica Patients Collective, which has been around since 2007, longer than any other medical cannabis collective in San Luis Obispo County, according to Ryan Booker, its executive.

Booker said Simmons was engaged in lawful activity at the time of his arrest, delivering physician-recommended cannabis to some of the collective’s 1,000 patients.

Commander Aaron Nix of the sheriff’s department said the case remains under investigation and declined further comment.

“This arrest comes almost exactly two years since the now-defunct narcotics task force executed ‘Operation Green Sweep,’” Booker said. “That resulted in 12 arrests related to medical cannabis collectives, and wasted millions in taxpayer dollars. All twelve cases were later dismissed.”

The Ethnobotanica collective operates as a not-for-profit per state law, has all necessary licensing and documentation including incorporation with the state, and pays all applicable local, state, and federal taxes, Booker said.

“The passage of the Medical Marijuana Program Act in 2003 exempted medical cannabis collectives and collective members from criminal sanctions under California Health and Safety Code 11357 and 11359,” Booker said. “I hope that in the future, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department, as well as all other local law enforcement agencies, will respect the will of California voters and rights of San Luis Obispo County residents to collectively use medical cannabis in accordance with state law.”


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What a waste of our tax dollars. I am pretty sure they pulled him over knowing what he was up to. I have passed literally dozens of sheriffs with my broken windshield and never been pulled over. Wake up Parkinson! You have a heroin problem that is epidemic in these parts and you along with agents Larry, Curly and Moe have not done squat about it yet you know where the dealers live. Kids are overdosing on this and you are worried about Ethnobotanica who is non profit, pays taxes that help pay YOUR worthless salaries and yet you continue this bs. What is wrong with you people? It is time to force a recall on your ass and get someone in here who respects the voters of this state. What was the one saying from the last delivery raids? “What the attorney general says doesn’t mean shit. The attorney general is not the law, we are the law”. Spoken so professionally by one of your two bit agents as they threw parents, grandparents, and children onto the floor with automatic weapons pointing at their heads. Rodney John guaranteed convictions and what happened. Your department wasted well over a million dollars on that for what? Just to screw up honest citizens lives? You guys are sad.


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What’s wrong with them?


They are running a gd police state, that’s what’s wrong! That does not leave any room for the sort of city, county, state, or country that you would expect to be living in.


We are in the hands of gangsters, and they obviously do not want any competition. The police are in on this, you may be sure.


MJ is a medicinal herb which has, unfortunately, run afoul of the elite gangsters who use it and other “illegal/controlled substances” as a substitute currency to finance “black-ops,” and criminal banking.


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Settle down boys, you’ll get your recreational drugs soon enough.


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Recreational drugs? I already have them: liquor & nicotine.


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Ai-yai-yai! We should make the Sheriff’s who made the arrest pay restitution for wasted tax payers monies…………….


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Yes and I would like to know how a cracked windshield (fix it ticket-stop) lead to a search of his vehicle? We need to do something about putting a stop to the violation of the American peoples rights by over reaching LEO. This is getting old and way too frequent. Why hasn’t anyone from the Doobie dozen sued yet?


What’s up Doobie Dozen?


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“A driver for SLO County, De Palo & Sons liquor distribution, was arrested last week in Oceano after his vehicle was stopped by San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies, reportedly for having a cracked windshield.


Following a search of his delivery truck, the driver was taken into custody at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and booked into County Jail on charges of possession of hard liquor, beer and wine, with the intent to distribute.


The driver works for De Palo & Sons, which is respected and has been around for a long time. The driver was engaged in lawful activity at the time of his arrest, delivering Jim Beam, Hennessy, Maker’s Mark, beer and wine, etc., to some of the local liquor stores and restaurants in the area.


In part, these deliveries were for the use of getting these establishment’s customers sh*tfaced drunk, driving while intoxicated with the possibility of killing another, for drunken and disorderly conduct, bar fights, and for the possible use of using these spirits to hide the pain and sorrow that many may have.


De Palo & Sons operates as a “for-profit” business per state law, has all necessary licensing and documentation including incorporation with the state, and pays all applicable local, state, and federal taxes, Booker said.”


God forbid that medical Mary-Jane has been proven scientifically to help certain maladies of the sick. To withhold this natural medication goes against all human reasoning. But, the distribution of alcohol, which inherently is more damaging to society in general, is perfectly okay.


Replace cigarettes instead of liquor in the narrative above to see how outright comical the logic of the initial story is relative to Mary-Jane. Pathetic.


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Oh my lord (no pun intended), Ted actually said something that made sense.


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Showing your real cards Ted? “sh*tfaced”


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You haven’t seen the half of his real cards. Oh if I could only tell you all the truth about naughty Ted. Yes I “literally” know who he is.


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Cindy, your giving your identity away as a pill dispenser at ASH.


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Cindy,

As you know, that’s one the oldest lines in the book…”I know something you don’t know.”

George Carlin was once quoted as saying: “By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth.”

I believe we’d all appreciate the truth.


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Pelican1,


Sorry Pelican1, but Cindy is smart enough not to expose anyone here at CCN, and I am smarter to know this fact because of the possible ramifications that could occur, and of which, in part, would hold CCN liable.


This is because Cindy and I have both read the Cal Coast News “privacy policy”, and certain protocols within the “Terms of Service” that have been set forth for a reason relative to the privacy of it’s posters.


Conversely, I know all about Cindy as well by the means that we both know. I know her real name, her work, where she lives, and I have seen her out in public when she didn’t know it. For me to expose this information here at CCN in any way is in direct violation of the Terms of Service agreement that we are to follow. Therefore, your request is made from ignorance.


No, Cindy doesn’t want any act of lawyering up because of exposing one and the possible ramifications thereof that she would be responsible for, therefore, it becomes a moot issue. Sorry to disappoint you. :(


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Ted, Ted, Ted, …

You went around in circles here.


You need to spend more time in the RECTORY !


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The RECTORY ! Did you miss the adjective that proceeded his name in my post? “Naughty”…… that was a clue that I was attempting to communicate without breaking the rules.


In 1 Corinthians 6:18 – I believe that Paul was talking to Ted Slanders.


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Why did they search the vehicle if the only reason they stopped him was to cite him for a cracked windshield? He probably and unwittingly gave them permission to search his vehicle without a warrant.


Don’t make it “convenient” for the police to violate your civil rights!


Remember, if they request to search your vehicle, tell them:


“I don’t consent to searches.”


Quickly follow up this statement by saying, “Are you detaining me, or am I free to go”?


If they detain you, tell them, “Then I’m going to remain silent.”


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NO, wait… If you’re detained, say absolutely nothing. I believe the only thing you’re legally obligated to tell a LEO is your name and address. Please, someone correct me if I’m wrong on this.


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Wrong, if they detain you, you need to TELL them that you are going to remain silent.


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Hopefully he has already called Lou Koory who will take care of it for him!!! This county is amazing!!


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What’s wrong with “I hope”?


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This is a complete waste of resources for San Luis county. We want the Sheriffs department to catch criminals that are a threat to the public safety. This is the type of arrest that makes regular folk dislike the law enforcement personal. I wish Ian would look at the big picture and start doing what is right by the people. Who gives a rat’s azz if a handful of people get stoned!


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Clear vision, mkaney. Good post.


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Our current sheriff and our last sheriff have done this REPEATEDLY despite public outcry. They have ZERO interest in what the voters of the state or county want because as is being proven time and time again police are a separate class of people who serve themselves and pretty much only themselves. They may serve you, but only if it does not conflict with their personal or department’s interests. The problem here is that long before someone sees a court, they can inflict punishment and damage which clearly violates the idea of innocent until proven guilty.


At one time a cracked windshield was not a cause for stopping a vehicle and you could only receive a ticket for it if you were pulled over for a “primary” offense. It seems that this law has changed, part of the incremental creep of tyranny that most people seem to be ignoring.


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And they wonder why we want to keep our guns.


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You definitely read between the lines on that one :) amen


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What does guns got to do with cannabis ?


Are you a violent drug lord ? Those are the only ones that use deadly weapons in the illicit trade.

Stoners don’t use guns or act violent, they just chill.


You must be of a criminal mind to even suggest such a thing .


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I wonder if the feds are bribing them to do this: “If you bust these medical marijuana operations, we’ll give you shiny new toys to play with like cutting-edge, high-tech vehicles and weapons.” That still doesn’t justify their refusal to stand by California law but it might be a factor in their decision.


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