We continue to see more stories like this where collective operators are being shut down and charged with crimes for providing medicine to patients. We can be sure to see more situations like this if there are not added protections given for cannais users. This is another reason to establish Prop. 19 and add another layer to the onion.
Novato woman charged with multiple marijuana felonies, conspiracy
Solano County prosecutors have charged a 42-year-old Novato woman who runs two medical pot clubs with multiple marijuana felonies and conspiracy.
The Solano County Sheriff’s Office arrested Cindy Elizabeth Harris last Thursday and raided her Tree of Life medical marijuana dispensaries in Santa Venetia and Fairfield with help from other agencies.
Prosecutors have since charged her with five counts of transporting or distributing marijuana, one count of possessing marijuana for sale and one count of conspiracy, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday. Bail was set at $68,332.
Authorities also arrested Harris’ son, 24-year-old Chad Grimm, at his Sebastopol home and charged him with possession of marijuana for sale and conspiracy, prosecutors said. Grimm’s girlfriend, 26-year-old Jennifer Ryan, was also arrested at the home.
It wasn’t clear whether authorities believed Harris and Grimm were selling pot to people other than medical marijuana patients, and the sheriff’s office and the deputy district attorney handling the case could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Harris’ defense attorney, Omar Figueroa, also could not be reached for comment.
But Kim Pelham, who managed the Going Green dispensary in Corte Madera and is a close personal friend of Harris, said both Harris and Grimm were released after posting bail Tuesday.
She said detectives also raided Harris’ parents’ home in Mendocino County last week, as well as her Novato apartment and a warehouse. At the time of her arrest, Harris was waiting for the Fairfield Planning Department to approve a permit for her dispensary and had paid the city about $17,000, Pelham said.
Meanwhile, it remained unclear whether Tree of Life’s Santa Venetia shop would reopen.
“The understanding was under the bail agreement, she is not allowed to sell medical marijuana in Solano County but Marin was not included in it,” Pelham said.
Source: http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_16147435