Large pot bust put on hold after I-502
COSMOPOLIS, Wash. (AP) - Cosmopolis Police Chief Casey Stratton says his department has been working for more than a month on what would have been considered a large marijuana bust, prior to the passage of Initiative 502.
Now the investigation is on hold.
Stratton told KBKW he's asking the Grays Harbor County prosecutor for guidance and waiting for more federal response to the law decriminalizing the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana.
The Justice Department says federal controlled substances laws are unchanged by the state.
The initiative takes effect Dec. 6, although it will take a year to draft regulations for the sale of recreational marijuana.
Now the investigation is on hold.
Stratton told KBKW he's asking the Grays Harbor County prosecutor for guidance and waiting for more federal response to the law decriminalizing the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana.
The Justice Department says federal controlled substances laws are unchanged by the state.
The initiative takes effect Dec. 6, although it will take a year to draft regulations for the sale of recreational marijuana.
502 says it will be "legalized"......this article says it will be "decriminalized".......can we actually get this straight ?......or can the state keep missrepresenting the facts about (502) because the avaerage person doesnt have access to every sordid detail of this initiative....
 @fourwalles your on the internet . you have access to everything
 @fourwalles Glad you woke up to this.  It is decriminalization because it is still a crime both on the state and federal level.  People over 21 have an "exemption" to the crime for possession of an ounce or less.  And they are getting people to openly participate in this racket.
weather your for or  against .....what the hell kind of dumbass decision is that?......im thinking  dot, dot , dot... ( a large ) bust?.....502 is "legalizes" an ounce.....with no concession to grow or a way to purchase it { until the state figures out how to get 300 people to grow it for thier predicted 3 dollars a gram}.....is this story real?
Corrupt California DEA impersonate legitimate law enforcement. Many of them steal, commit insurance fraud, skim evidence, extort perjury, threaten witnesses etc...
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Corrupt California DEA where stealing drugs from evidence vaults and reselling them to cover extensive credit card debt.
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They also are creating suspects by planting evidence just so that they can steal from them.
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Given the choice of suspension or dealing with their debt most DEA are thinking outside the box.
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Several DEA in the S.F. bay area fled to Mexico when word was leaked about possible arrests after a several year investigation regarding a DEA employee theft ring.
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Bust them anyways. Federal law says it's illegal. They've got to go ahead.
 @MB seattle pd was the first to speak up on how they will handle the law, the article is on their web page, also Rachel Maddow on MSNBC did a story about it. Seattle has announce that they will not assist DEA in any marijuana enforcement efforts. So, they've set the precedent, we have to watch to see if other cities pick up the same policy. I would imagine that the west side will probably mirror Seattle, the East side is more conservative, so I'd imagine Spokane or Yakima will have guidelines as far as that goes. It is odd that they are holding out on a grow op tho, that is still illegal.
 @MB Why put good people in jail for growing a plant?  "bust them anyways" huh?  Fuc* you and the feds.
@TheDude @MB since it's still the law the law must be followed. Don't like the Federal law? Change it. Dude, if you want to talk tough maybe you should say it face to face. Big talk online is easy.
 @MB The laws are the problem.  Not the growers.
Since the Feds stance on marijuana has not changed, I say if it bothers the Feds, then let them take care of it if they so choose.
 @JAP506 Yes, and let them PROVE that the material is in INTERSTATE commerce when and if they do so choose. If in INTRAstate commerce, the Tenth Amendment should apply.
The law wouldn't effect the "bust" chief. It allows people to purchase Marijuana from state licensed stores and only up to an ounce. Growing it is still illegal.Â
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My guess is you don't have the evidence you need and your using this as an example.Â
 @seattleemt I find it very odd that they would post this info... Nothing like giving up what you've got... I bet that operation is POOF! Cosi is a tiny place...
 @seattleemt Nah.... They just want to cover all their bases before making a bust.... Hence the request to meet with the local D.A. bungholio! :D) Boy people are such blood thirsty wannabe jr. cops. Some who even enjoy smoking marijuana are acting holier than now... with bust the Outlaw! It's friggin' hypocrisy from those who more than likely still by their friggin' weed from an OUTLAW!
an ounce of marijuana... if they are calling that a major bust sheesh... its called it is not legal yet so pursue as normal!
 @Freespeech Because busting people has worked so well in the past. Â
Less then 1 ounce is legal. So this HUGE bust is put on hold because it meets the criteria of a legal possession less then 1 ounce?
 @fumblefacedolt Why bust them next week when in a month or so they will be growing pot for the state to sell?
 @fumblefacedolt It is called the handwriting on the wall...
 @fumblefacedolt no it puts on hold the bust because the grower could, under the new law, apply for a license and become legal (under state law) which would invalidate the bust.
 @fumblefacedolt Is there a different article somewhere that mentions the amount of cannabis in this bust?  It definitely doesn't mention it here.
 @Sovereign  @fumblefacedolt it would be crazy for them to post an article like that... it's crazy that they posted this one.
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 @fumblefacedolt That's what I was wondering!
Going to be an interesting year.
 @Blindman I think it will be full of the usual BS surrounding marijuana.... Civil disobedience and jury nullification is the only way forward! (my belief)
Raid and confiscate regardless of legality and keep the proceeds, standard procedure.
 @Reality Control Nope, spend more to catch a few renegades and seize nothing compared to the cost of going after the renegades... (just a thought)
Isn't political theater supposed to happen after the election?
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Serious question:Â What (if anything) will happen to those who have been convicted of or are currently incarcarated for a marijuana related offense that will no longer be a crime after December 6th?
 @floggingnotblogging it's my understanding that many will be released, as they should be. i'm not a user, but i know that back in my younger years, i was far less likely to get into any trouble stoned as opposed to drunk. i have a teen who is pretty darn clean and i'd rather see her stoned than drunk.... always have felt that way even though it's been 10 or 15 years since i've "not inhaled" lol.
 @floggingnotblogging They will still be held accountable sadly.... they were convicted before. It may be possible to reduce their sentences etc., but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Perhaps this is the local LEOs way of sending local growers/sellers into a state of paranoia. If so then it is a bit of Psychological warfare and an interesting tactic. Local growers/dealers can now start wondering if they are the ones targeted and sink further underground or move to another theater of operation and become another chiefs headache. Saves Grays Harbor county money and sends them to another county. All for a short press release.
 @CSR/Omache Informants will be making big money!
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 @CSR/Omache Nope, local authorities are like locusts.... They're already many steps ahead in the whose who of local growers. They pluck them off like apples on a tree. One of the disadvantages of living in a mutant hillbilly town. Oh yes, we can't forget the warrant-less information collected from digital communications either...
What a beautiful picture Komo..... much better! :D)
One last Christmas wish....... FREE MARC EMERY a CANADIAN being held against his will here in the United States!
It's easy. Â Stop using department resources on this, and start using them on something else. Â If the Feds want to bust it they can bust it using their resources, and their budgets. Â
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 @MPS I like the way you think.... :D)
Me too.
If they aren't following the new state law and aren't licensed growers selling directly to the state, bust them. Just because the new law is passed doesn't mean ALLÂ marijuana crimes are now legal. We still need to move forward against illegal grow operations. I don't get what the issue is here...
 @Ethan Allen i hear what you are saying, but its a waste of money to bust in my opinion. they could spend that money elsewhere... Grays Harbor uses less than 1/2% of its budget in mental health care, that is where the money should be spent. How many people with mental health issues self medicate? A whole lot... all you have to do is drive through town and it's like entering the only dropoff that western state has or something... amazing the number of folks talking to themselves, homeless, high and sitting in doorways of the abandoned businesses on the main drag. so sad. there's no work and very few services for these folks, and they've taken over the downtown core. not pretty... these people need mental health evals and rehab... that will clean up the drug problem, not busting pot growers... it certainly isn't marijuana causing the problems here...
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 @Ethan Allen This is not anything remotely resembling legalization. Â
 @Ethan Allen Why, exactly, do we need to move forward against legal grow operations? By virtue of it being illegal? African Americans sitting in the front of the bus was illegal, too. Was that law justifiable for the same reason?Â
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Get off the self-righteous high horse. It's a waste of resources.
 @Ethan Allen *illegal grow operations
 @chandler Voters voted for legalization.... It was poorly written and many knew it hoping this would end the terror from local authorities and allow the Federal Government to spend their money fighting it instead of local authorities.... You know the law(s) surrounding marijuana are a complete joke! MMC holders vs. legalization giving one group over the other rights differently and clearly not legal was disgraceful.
 @jowsuf  @Ethan Allen saying we "shouldn't" move against "illegal" grow operations is like saying we shouldn't bust illegal aliens working in the US. Just because it's being done, doesn't make it right. If you want legal marijuana, then marijuana growers, buyers and users need to abide by THE LAW, just like they said they were going to "if" marijuana was "legal".
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You can't have it both ways.
 @Ethan Allen They're waiting on the local D.A. to hold their little hands to make the bust.... It always comes down to making sure everything is in place first..... The real question is how much do these wiener officers expect to make on this bust.....
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Throw bricks in a glass house much? If you admittedly smoke marijuana then why hate an old school OUTLAW grower? Remember at some point you purchased weed most likely from an OUTLAW!
Let the Feds bust them and burn it all.
 @DDG You should spend less time demonizing things you don't  understand because of some misguided set of moral standards and more time learning which nouns you're supposed to capitalize.
 @DDG You're entitled to your ignorance pertaining to marijuana.... I will remind you Washington State voters approved legalization so if you don't like it move to another like minded state. (just a thought)
@Funky-Munky We approved certain aspects of marijuana use and possesion. We did not approve illegal grow operations and sales. One of the main reasons it was approved is because the public wanted the tax revenue for the state. That means that all of you who are dancing in the streets still need to follow the rules.
 @Surveyor1 The rules are the problem
 @Freespeech P.S. My wife thinks it smells the same... I must blow the smoke out a widow.....
 @Freespeech I am 100% referring to a castle type law involving the privacy of your own home etc.! I don't like to force anyone to feel uncomfortable when I smoke.. I am 100% private....Â
 @Funky-Munky Jury nullification ok I get that but civil disobedience... what do you mean by that? you suggesting pot smokers start smoking indoors ignoring the 25ft rule? ... elaborate please ... I am of the mind that the state should and did lay the groundwork to legalize it with the past initiative, however I don't smoke it and don't like being around people who do ... they better ensure the smoking rules apply to people with the pot because to me the stuff smells like horse dung.... if you want to smoke it do it at home away from the rest of us who don't I don't want to be exposed to it...as again I think it smells like crap...
 @Surveyor1 Dancing in the streets have you read any of my posts? Here's what I think plain and simple "I think it will be full of the usual BS surrounding marijuana.... Civil disobedience and jury nullification is the only way forward!" (my belief) Nothing absolutely nothing has changed involving marijuana laws you tom turkey! :D) It's a complete cluster flub involving I-502 BS!
 @Funky-Munky  @DDG exactly, i have been smoking it for over 40 years and never got in trouble. never robbed anyone or have an accident. I love smoking and relaxing. Grandpa of 11 and no I never smoke in front of any kids.
 @Bryan Hanson You rebel you.... Ha! Crazy country we live in pertaining to the ignored by many marijuana laws.