Deputies: Dispensary sold pot-laced beer to teen
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TACOMA, Wash. -- Pierce County detectives say they have uncovered a frightening first: pot-laced beer allegedly sold to a minor at a local dispensary.
Authorities say they confiscated cases of cannabis-enriched beer from the Hashford Compassion Club following an undercover operation Friday.
A tip received by the Liquor Control Board led investigators to stage the covert operation, which involved having a teen purchase three bottles of pot-enriched honey beer.
"That's a dangerous thing right there, because teens drink beer and, all of a sudden, (they are) drinking beer with THC already in it," said Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer. "It's a double whammy."
No medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington state have liquor licenses.
A member of the Hashford Compassion Club said the place isn't a dispensary, but rather a nonprofit collective garden comprising of members. The group's president is a home brewer who brews everything from cider to pot-infused beer, members said.
Investigators said this is the first case involving pot-laced beer they've seen.
"We've seen everything else with the THC and the cannabis in medical marijuana stores, from lollipops to frostings, but nothing that already has an alcohol-based product where they've infused the THC into the alcohol," said Troyer.
The co-op members, who did not wish to be identified, said they thought their products were protected by dispensary regulations. Investigators seized their entire stash on Friday.
"We confiscate everything," said Troyer. "You don't get to open the store and if you get caught selling illegal items, we just take the illegal items and you get to stay in business -- that's not how it works. We'll shut you down."
An attorney who has been asked to represent the collective garden said he strongly advises against brewing beer with THC.
Authorities say they confiscated cases of cannabis-enriched beer from the Hashford Compassion Club following an undercover operation Friday.
A tip received by the Liquor Control Board led investigators to stage the covert operation, which involved having a teen purchase three bottles of pot-enriched honey beer.
"That's a dangerous thing right there, because teens drink beer and, all of a sudden, (they are) drinking beer with THC already in it," said Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer. "It's a double whammy."
No medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington state have liquor licenses.
A member of the Hashford Compassion Club said the place isn't a dispensary, but rather a nonprofit collective garden comprising of members. The group's president is a home brewer who brews everything from cider to pot-infused beer, members said.
Investigators said this is the first case involving pot-laced beer they've seen.
"We've seen everything else with the THC and the cannabis in medical marijuana stores, from lollipops to frostings, but nothing that already has an alcohol-based product where they've infused the THC into the alcohol," said Troyer.
The co-op members, who did not wish to be identified, said they thought their products were protected by dispensary regulations. Investigators seized their entire stash on Friday.
"We confiscate everything," said Troyer. "You don't get to open the store and if you get caught selling illegal items, we just take the illegal items and you get to stay in business -- that's not how it works. We'll shut you down."
An attorney who has been asked to represent the collective garden said he strongly advises against brewing beer with THC.
beer infused with pot is not anymore trouble then drinking regular beer...it would actually get you the desired effect from one or 2 bottles. how is that more dangerous then teens binge drinking a 6 pack, then throwing up all over the place??
This is no different then the old hippie down the street who used to sell his "brownies" back when I was in high school.
A teenage attempted to purchase a product that is illegal for them to purchase....has been going on forever. Â And the store owner was busted...why the big story? Â
Stop spending our money catching and prosecuting these people, go after the real criminals for once
 @Damian So selling a pot laced beer to a minor should not be considered a crime?
Story reminds me of a picture on the cover Life magazine many years ago showing the Boy Scouts of America standing next to a large pile of burning and smoking pot that was being destroyed, the smiles and looks on their faces was classic...
OMG! Not that! NO...........
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I'm not saying I support giving beer and pot to minors, but the article and the ensuing comments make it sound like the guy murdered a teenager. I'm sure half the people here survived beer and pot as teenagers, without growing up to be murderers, crack heads or psychos. Seriously, put it in perspective and get a grip!
Now that is some skunky beer.
When stuff like this happens, it shoots holes through the legalization movement. Â If you're gonna make it legal...abide by the letter of the law - no exceptions. Â It's not that radical of a concept, is it? Â Doesn't matter if it was beer or pot, or potbeer, it's still illegal to sell to someone underage. Â Doesn't it seem illegal, in a sense, for law enforcement to use underage "covers" to purchase alcohol anyways? Â By the letter of the law, isn't that illegal? Â Aren't law enforcement agencies breaking the law in order to enforce the law? Â Â Yes, I know that there is probably some sort of regulation or exception to the rule in these cases....But as a store owner, wouldn't YOU want to verify someone's legal age? Â Are you telling me that the underage person, acting on behalf of a law enforcement agency, is using a fake ID to make the purchase? Â That seems like the wrong way to go about a "sting"....
 @Michael Merry Yeah i would like to know if they provided fake ids or not.... it sounds like they did which doesn't seem very...legel...Â
@Pilotclan9404 @Michael Merry Usually, IDs are not used in sting operations. I didn't see anything in the article that would lead me to believe that they did show IDs.
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Teens - beer - pot -such an irresistible combination for some - oh my!
I have met the owner of this establishment on a few occasions and he didn't seem like a freaking idiot who would make such a stupid error in judgement. He broke the law so shut him down. Period. His actions however should not cast a shadow of negativity on the whole medical marijuana community because he is a dumbarse. If a bar is caught selling to a minor, it doesn't mean that a bar down the street does the same.
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On a different note, beer laced with pot... What a concept. Don't know if I'd want to try it or not considering the one time I drank and smoked pot at the same time I got the spins like a mo-fo.
 @Tattooed_Angel He must have been high.Â
 @Tattooed_Angel I cannot believe the stupidity of the one who sold the beer laced with pot right down to the sting that was set up.... Interesting timing. I like your post and erased mine. I am extremely mad and only have curse words to say to Ed Troyer and the idiot who sold the pot laced beer. Pot infused beer has been around forever.
I can just picture the undercover operation...cops all kicking back with a cold Corona light...
Straight into the "evidence" room, I'm sure.
The cannabis is a non issue but the selling of alcohol to a minor is certainly an issue. Send the guy to jail for selling to a minor. Fines just don't cut it when it comes to criminal business practices. They will just pay the fine and chalk it up to a business expense. Would way rather see cannabis sold to underage kids versus alcohol. Cannabis doesn't have any where near the detrimental effects alcohol does.
 @Blindman yep - this is no different than any other place that sells beer selling plain old beer to a minor. Kids are going to get their hands on both one way or another, but adults should never provide them.
"We've seen everything else with the THC and the cannabis in medical marijuana stores, from lollipops to frostings, but nothing that already has an alcohol-based product where they've infused the THC into the alcohol," said Troyer.
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Um, the cannabis tincture sold by most dispensaries is made by infusing cannabis into either food-grade glycerin or high-proof grain alcohol (generally Everclear-type stuff). So yeah, you have seen items that infuse cannabis into the alcohol.
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And no, beer infused with cannabis is not a good idea, nor is selling a bottle of any kind of alcohol to someone under 21. What they heck is wrong with that dispensary that they think that because it's a cannabis infused product that makes it exempt from liquor laws? Just because it was someone with a permit? (I'm assuming the teen had a permit because otherwise it's a REALLY bad dispensary)
It's hard to type with one eye, isn't it. They need to let the smoke clear first.
It's just wasting good pot to mix it with alcohol.
I think I got high just reading this.
Wtf pot can now be laced with pot lmfao!!!!
 @alildifferent ....love those story editors....
(p.s.-I have had pot laced with hashish oil....good #!*#)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=491141657583220
 @Agent43 LOL, what happened after the end of the video??
pot laced with pot? well that's a new one.
I wanted to say something, but didn't want everyone yelling at me for picking on the editor.
maybe the editor tried some of this beer...
 @Magic 8 Ball Here's what I've been able to determine - When it's about pot, it's OK to mock the editors. When it's about some poor person getting murdered, no grammatical observations are welcome.
 @Magic 8 Ball We all wanted to say something on this one. It's a new low. Or maybe not so new.
Today I saw a teen aged girl in front of McDonalds rolling joints. If this is what legalizing marijuana is leading us to, then I say we keep it illegal.
 @Magic 8 Ball How do you know it was pot?  Perhaps it was tobacco.  If she was over 18 it was perfectly legal...and deadly : )
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 @Magic 8 Ball How is keeping it  illegal  preventing that anyway?Â
 @Pilotclan9404  @Magic 8 Ball It obviously isn't. Do you see teenagers sitting in front of McDonalds drinking beer. I don't.
 @Magic 8 Ball call the cops and don't be a p*ssy. if you woulda done that they woulda been there before she got a chance to finish her doobie and thrown her in jail. just pay attention before you post stupid things like this because you're only swaying the already ignorant.
 @Magic 8 BallÂ
Yet, It is illegal and the teen was still doing it, so it isn't gonna change that is it??
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Giving a confused girl the thumbs up to do something that's bad for her, bad for society, and bad to be doing in front of a bunch of 7 year olds at McDonalds is what this "Legalizing Marijuana" law does in her mind.
 @Magic 8 BallÂ
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No one is proposing legalizing marijuana for teens anyway (unless they are 18 or up).
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The question is whether or not you feel that THE BIG NANNY-STATE GOVERNMENT should have the power to deprive people of their liberty or property if people choose to use marijuana.
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Think carefully - in order to say "yes, the government should have that power," you are assigning A LOT of faith to the competence, efficiency, and goodwill of the government.Â
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Are you honestly willing to do that? This is an issue of freedom vs. tyranny, my friend. Choose wisely.
@Magic 8 Ball Do you know for a fact that it was a joint or are you just assuming? People do still roll their own cigarettes.