Men plead guilty in state pot dispensary raids
SEATTLE (AP) - Two people charged as part of the biggest crackdown on marijuana dispensaries in Washington state pleaded guilty to federal charges Monday, acknowledging their business was a front for an illicit drug distribution and money-laundering scheme.
Seattle residents Craig Dieffenbach and Jingjing Mo entered the pleas in U.S. District Court in Seattle. They face potential five-year mandatory minimum sentences but could receive significantly less time if they cooperate with investigators.
The pair ran two dispensaries under the name Seattle Cannabis Cooperative, which were among about 20 dispensaries raided by state and federal authorities last November. Authorities said the shops purported to be serving medical marijuana patients but were fronts for illicit drug sales.
At one point, Mo, with Dieffenbach's knowledge, sold a pound of marijuana to a customer who turned out to be a DEA informant, they admitted in court. Mo also offered to sell 25 pounds for distribution in the Midwest - and suggested the informant buy lousy weed, under the theory that drug users there wouldn't know the difference.
Dieffenbach had previously run into legal trouble of a different sort. He filed for bankruptcy protection after being sued for marketing vodka under the name of legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix and agreeing to settle the case for $3.2 million. He declined to comment after the hearing Monday but asked a reporter not to write a story about the plea agreements because, he said, he could lose his job working for a Realtor.
Prosecutors are seeking to have about $25,000, a pistol and two rifles seized in the case forfeited to the federal government.
A defendant in another of the raids, Brionne Keith Corbray, pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to a count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Corbray, who ran a three-dispensary outfit called The GAME Collective, admitted selling marijuana for a profit.
"These cases are proof that the defendants had very little to do with helping sick people and a lot to do with helping themselves," U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan said. "We're not going to prosecute sick people or their actual caregivers, but we're not going to let common drug dealers charade as something they're not."
The raids came at a time when several prominent residents of the state - including two former Seattle U.S. attorneys, John McKay and Kate Pflaumer, and the former head of the FBI's Seattle office, Charlie Mandigo - had endorsed a ballot measure that would allow adults 21 and over to buy marijuana for recreational use at state-sanctioned stores.
Washington voters approved a medical marijuana law in 1998, and dispensaries have proliferated across the state in recent years. Last year, Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed legislation that would have created a state system for licensing medical marijuana dispensaries over concern that it would require state workers to violate the federal Controlled Substances Act by inspecting marijuana grow operations, among other things.
Seattle residents Craig Dieffenbach and Jingjing Mo entered the pleas in U.S. District Court in Seattle. They face potential five-year mandatory minimum sentences but could receive significantly less time if they cooperate with investigators.
The pair ran two dispensaries under the name Seattle Cannabis Cooperative, which were among about 20 dispensaries raided by state and federal authorities last November. Authorities said the shops purported to be serving medical marijuana patients but were fronts for illicit drug sales.
At one point, Mo, with Dieffenbach's knowledge, sold a pound of marijuana to a customer who turned out to be a DEA informant, they admitted in court. Mo also offered to sell 25 pounds for distribution in the Midwest - and suggested the informant buy lousy weed, under the theory that drug users there wouldn't know the difference.
Dieffenbach had previously run into legal trouble of a different sort. He filed for bankruptcy protection after being sued for marketing vodka under the name of legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix and agreeing to settle the case for $3.2 million. He declined to comment after the hearing Monday but asked a reporter not to write a story about the plea agreements because, he said, he could lose his job working for a Realtor.
Prosecutors are seeking to have about $25,000, a pistol and two rifles seized in the case forfeited to the federal government.
A defendant in another of the raids, Brionne Keith Corbray, pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to a count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Corbray, who ran a three-dispensary outfit called The GAME Collective, admitted selling marijuana for a profit.
"These cases are proof that the defendants had very little to do with helping sick people and a lot to do with helping themselves," U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan said. "We're not going to prosecute sick people or their actual caregivers, but we're not going to let common drug dealers charade as something they're not."
The raids came at a time when several prominent residents of the state - including two former Seattle U.S. attorneys, John McKay and Kate Pflaumer, and the former head of the FBI's Seattle office, Charlie Mandigo - had endorsed a ballot measure that would allow adults 21 and over to buy marijuana for recreational use at state-sanctioned stores.
Washington voters approved a medical marijuana law in 1998, and dispensaries have proliferated across the state in recent years. Last year, Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed legislation that would have created a state system for licensing medical marijuana dispensaries over concern that it would require state workers to violate the federal Controlled Substances Act by inspecting marijuana grow operations, among other things.
I502 is just going to trade one criminal act for another one. If you are a legal cannabis patient and you drive at all you are immediately a criminal. A 5ng cutoff level for dui has no basis in science. Employment drug tests are set at 50ng cutoffs. We can do better than this people. Lets quit making criminals out of people who are ding nothing wrong.
 @Blindman At 50 ng some people take 3 or 4 weeks to clear their system.
 @Blindman Nothing Wrong? Breaking Federal Law is Wrong, regardless of where you stand on the issue.  Nothing wrong, would be not smoking, buying weed or illegal drugs.
 @Matt Covington  @Blindman The people who founded this country also violated the then-equivalent of Federal Law in order to create the country.  Bad Federal laws are changed by violating them at the state level.
The DUI thing is no reason to vote no. Just drink a masking agent. Cops are not going to test people hovering around the 5ng level. They are going to test obviously stoned drivers who have done something else wrong and have probably been drinking, also.Â
Are you freakin' kidding me? It's the MAIN reason to vote no. If you're going under the assumption that those DUI arrests will only happen to somebody else, then good luck with that. I'll be the one in the back of the courtroom laughing at your sentencing.
To me, the MAIN reason to vote yes is so people like me can anonymously walk into a store and purchase a product that may kill cancer cells. Then take those findings to the brightest cancer doctors in the U.S. who are not allowed to study the healing effects of cannibas in this country because of the Federal classification of cannibas. I know, this is a selfless act that you may not understand. You may be the type that only thinks of themselves. But, I'm thinking of the bigger picture, here. The more data available, the greater chance of hopefully finding a cure for cancer.
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There are many other reasons to vote yes, but if legalizing it leads to findings that cannibas has some medical value beyond being a pain killer, then that is enough for me.
 @Kriegspire "The DUI thing is no reason to vote no. Just drink a masking agent. Cops are not going to test people hovering around the 5ng level."
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You're certain of that, huh?  The 5ng level is actually not an accurate measurement of impairment. This idea was flirted with in Colorado, but it failed because it doesn't accurately measure impairment.  The DUI thing, as you call it, is a very good reason to vote no.The whole idea is to do the right thing for legalizing cannabis, not carelessly rush into it as you're suggesting. There are still a lot of people in this country who haven't quite caught up with reality and still, sadly, believe in the old, failed "marijuana is bad" idealism.  Many of them are set in their incorrect ways and will never change their minds -- no matter how ridiculous their idealism is. The kind of change necessary to undo all of the damage done by the prohibition of cannabis will take a long time, so have some patience.
I have done my research. "Plasma THC concentrations generally fall below 5 ng/mL less than 3 hours after smoking." http://www.nhtsa.gov/People/injury/research/job185drugs/cannabis.htm
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Or how about the test I did on myself that had me under 5ng in 2 and half hours. (And I was smoking everyday for 2 years when I tested myself)
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I can keep going, but I work for a living and don't have time to paste all of them.
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So, please show me your research of it taking days to get below 5ng. And don't count the flyer the no on I-502 gave you at Hempfest.
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What do you think the police are going to do? Test everyone they pull over? No. They are going to see if your are impaired by judging your driving and how you answer their questions. If you are not stoned, you have nothing to worry about. Even if you are stoned, they can't always tell. If it was that simple to test everyone, wouldn't you think the police would be supporting I-502? They are not, because they know it is going to be next impossible to issue DUI's unless you are obviously stoned. And you shouldn't be driving stoned in that case.
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You remind me of those young 18, 19, 20 year old kids that know everything and is worried they will lose their right to drive stoned because they hold a cannabis card for some lame illness like night-blindness. Those type of people are only thinking of themselves and their false sense of entitlement.Â
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Driving is a privilage, not a God given right. You should not be driving stoned. And you are that "sick" that you need to have cannabis every three hours, (or any other precription drug) you should not be driving! Take a bus, call a friend, or call a cab!
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And if trying to get cannibas legal so I can purchase hemp oil for my wife, and the money goes to schools, roads, and other projects so us tax payers can get a break for having to pay so much in taxes is retarded, then I guess I'm retarded.
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@Kriegspire
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That logic is retarded. Oh yeah, lets accept an f'd up law that will result in DUI's being given to people that arent' impaired, and lawsuits against the State. Yeah, we can afford those. Are you kidding me? Plus, you won't be able to drive for DAYS afterwards, maybe even weeks, not hours. Do your research!
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Not to mention, an ounce is not going to be enough for a medical marijuana pt, and you won't be able to grow your own any longer.Â
 @Kriegspire Fair enough response and very good points.  I still disagree with rushing forward, but I do definitely appreciate your viewpoint.
I can't afford patience. I am tired of the prohibition on cannabis. If the states vote to legalize, the feds have to take notice. I think voting no would set the movement backwards to the point it may make it worse for the medical patients. What's to stop the law makers to just pass a law that says 5ng is a DUI, even if you do have a cannabis card?
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By voting in I-502, I would be able to purchase hemp oil (not hemp seed oil) for my wife to see if it helps in killing her cancer cells. I can't purchase hemp oil otherwise. You can't get it in the U.S. and I don't have the means or the nerve to make it myself.
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Now, if it means I can't smoke it because I cannot drive for several hours afterwards, then so be it. Maybe it will get more of these bad drivers off the roads. I, for one, however think pot smokers are much better drivers than drunk drivers and aggressive drivers.
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I would gladly trade my privilege to drive for cure for cancer. Even if it meant my wife lived one more day due to using it.
Not ALL of the dispensaries are illegal fronts. Of course there is going to be the ones that make everyone else look bad but NOT ALL are running things illegally. As a patient I am highly supportive of police efforts to get the criminals shut down. The problem is that the medical marijuana community is in a sort of limbo right now. The state hasn't yet figured out how to regulate the dispensaries so you get these fronts that pop up with greedy idiots who think they can get away with it. Truth is, they're dumbasses for trying. Of course the police see you, of course they're gonna investigate you and of course they are going to shut you down, buddy!
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It wasn't long ago that where I lived there was a dispensary on every block. They were popping up left and right. Some were raided and shut down which left a few good legit dispensaries in the area. That's how it should be. If pot isn't legalized then someone in our government needs to start looking into how to regulate the dispensaries so that we don't have the same issue that California is going through right now.
 @Tattooed_Angel It NEEDS to be legalized. Too many good people are being destroyed because they disagree with the law for good reasons. The cost of incarcerating them is too high for everybody.
 @Tattooed_Angel Well-said. I completely agree.
@Sovereign Then maybe you could hit the like button.?
Are you really that concerned with ratings? rofl
@Sovereign LOL, very much... thank you.
 @This_again?  @Sovereign There. I did it again.  Does this satisfy you?
 @This_again?  @Sovereign I did. But I must have accidentally clicked it again.  So now I'll do it again.
Federal U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan says "These cases are proof that the defendants had very little to do with helping sick people..." What do you mean, Jenny? Are you saying a Schedule 1 drug which states has NO MEDICAL VALUE actually does help sick people? How is that possible? By definition, a Schedule 1 drug couldn't possible be helping at all. Are you saying the Federal Government has incorrectly listed marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug? What's it going to take to get the Feds to remove marijuana from being a Schedule 1 drug? Maybe it takes the states to legalize it.
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Vote yes on I-502. Let's give everyone the right to releave stress and enjoy themselves in the comfort of their own home without having to lie and say they have something wrong with them in order to get a marijuana card and give up their 2nd amendment rights to bear arms.Â
Legalize it and get the tax revenue from it... just make people smoke it in their home and not in public areas because personally I think the stuff smells terrible burning or not. Same goes for smoking it while driving it should be handled in the same form as driving under the influence of alcohol based solely on how people these days seems to take perscription drugs that say 'dont' drive or operate machinery' and then do and use the meds as an excuse!
These things are a big scam. I live in Shoreline and they located a pot store right by my hairdresser. They don't open until 4 and they start lining up before the doors open. I have never seen anyone in line that wasn't a twenty something and look to be a street person. They get off the bus right by Aurora Village and hoof it up the hill to 99 to score. Thanks, Seattle. This was your brainchild.
@lin Jealous?Â
 @lin What exactly does a "street person" look like?  Other than being in your field of vision, what are those people doing to you that is causing you problems? When do you suppose those people began using cannabis -- when the dispensaries came into existence, or before they came into existence?  What were those people doing that was causing you problems before the dispensaries existed or even before you knew those people existed?
 @Sovereign Well Sovereign..I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but Taxpayers like me are the backing behind the programs that make Seattle and Portland such an awesome haven for individuals who like to live off the system "street person".  State's can legalize it all they want, see California and Colorado, but Fed Laws take precedent.  If Legalizing it was the answer CA would be profitable as it is, they go month to month on the verge of bankruptcy.  Sure you can change it from schedule 1 to 2 or 3.  Let's not kid ourselves the kids who get introduced to drugs early on, were not the ones worried about their SAT scores or life goals. Â
@Sovereign @Matt Covington I think he's trying to point out how uneducated he is on the issue.
 @Matt Covington What's your point?
@lin So, are all cops horrible people that break the law? By your rational, they are. So lets get rid of the police, right?
 @lin Didn't anyone ever teach you as a child that you can't judge every one of any particular thing by what you see from just one of that particular thing? That should be basic stuff you get taught growing up. Give it a rest already. It's one thing to have a perception that may be somewhat valid in some aspects, it's another to just shallowly and blindly make blanket statements like that.
On another note.
KOMO continues to support under age Marijuana smoker by showing Hempfest photos for the last 3 days.Way to go KOMO you are just contributing to the deterioration of todays youth.Â
@Tacobender 49 This might come as a surpirse, but KOMO is a news site dedicated to reporting the news. Shocking, I know. Perhaps you should point your finger at the parents of those kids. The problem isn't with the youth, it's with the idiots who raised them in most cases.
@Tacobender 49 This just in... TV promotes under age drinking. I mean, have you seen all those adds? Look at all those people having fun drinking... our poor youth! (sarcasm)
 @Tacobender 49 Go back 100 years. Wait, you already have! It's Reefer madness all over again.
Dude, I bet this bummed the Hempfesters out totally
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 @Sovereign  @Jawas Revenge "dangerous drug distribution" would imply that the drug was dangerous. But nobody has proved any danger with pot. The biggest danger with pot is still getting arrested. Nobody at Hempfest cares because they know it's not dangerous, and the war on drugs isn't about controlling a dangerous substance, it's about government control.
Did these dispensaries have any connection to the cartels? To any gang? I am not certain they were not but I doubt it. If not then they ARE still a better alternative to who we had selling pot here even though they broke the law.
I am curious how many arrests, accidents, or incidents were attributable to Hempfest? I hadn't heard of any. Has anyone? There was going to be about 80,000 people showing up there, so there MUST have been some kind of incident?...anybody?
@Elvis 80,000? I think it's more like 250-300,000 over the course of the 3 days, and I haven't read a thing about any incidents. Go figure!
 @Shelly  @Elvis I was using a number I heard on the news. I was not sure if it was one day or all three. I was there and there didn't seem to be ANY unhappy people. It's such a dangerous drug....you might break your face smiling too much.
I was there on Sunday myself. Good times!
Is Seattle wearing two faces? It's okay to walk naked and smoke weed at the hempfest in front of police officers but now you get arrested?
Well, I guess it's back to slim shady on the corner again.
 @F4I Why?
None
I feel the same way about religious people.
They're far more damaging to society than drugs are.
 @Blindman So are bad drivers.
Well will you look at that....a pot dispensary that turned out to be a front for illegal drug distribution. That is certainly a shocker to me! I'm sure all the Seattle pro-marijuana movement are certainly in disbelief as well. After all, they were just out to help sick people and weren't hurting anyone.
 @todaysnews I personally would like to help sick people stay off things like any drug that starts with the letters OXY, and give every sick person a chance to see if pot helped them or not. I'd also like to smoke the living hell out of it and will do so til the day I die. You should probably try some.
@todaysnews That's just about the most idiotic post I've read all month. Congratulations!
 @Shelly  @todaysnews The world is in great need of a sarcasm font.
 @al_wa Absolutely BRILLIANT idea.