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[Safermich] TC Collective Raids: No arrests, but police seize money and records - TC Record Eagle
From: safermich@googlegroups.com on behalf of Eric VanDussen (ericlvandussen@gmail.com) Sent: Thu 12/15/11 1:22 PM To:

15 Dec 2011 Traverse City Record-Eagle (Traverse City, MI) BY ART BUKOWSKI abukowski@record-eagle.com

Police: Collective owners, operators were cooperative

TRAVERSE CITY Police seized marijuana, transaction records, money and computers from three medical marijuana collectives during a search, but made no arrests. Officers from multiple agencies searched Collective Inc. locations on State Street in Traverse City and on U.S. 31 in Acme Township, along with the M-22 Collective in Elmwood Township. Investigators allege illegal marijuana transactions had occurred at those sites, and obtained search warrants to look for evidence of illegal activity. Michigan State Police Detective Lt. Patrick Boyd, whos leading the investigation, said police took processed marijuana and a few thousand dollars. He couldnt say how much marijuana was taken, but said it was seized because police couldnt connect the drugs to a patient-caregiver relationship. We were not able to determine a connection to the people on-site, he said. Owners and operators were cooperative, Boyd said, and none were arrested. Police didnt order the shops closed, since they also sell legal items. Were only looking at illegal activity, Boyd said. There are legitimate sales that are occurring. Michigan voters in 2008 approved a measure that legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and numerous medical marijuana dispensaries subsequently popped up. The state Court of Appeals in August barred the sale of medical marijuana from patient-to-patient. Many collectives and medical marijuana outlets, which profited from such transactions, voluntarily closed after the decision. Jesse Williams is a Traverse City attorney who specializes in medical marijuana law. He also represents Kevin Plamondon, owner of the M-22 Collective. Williams couldnt say if illegal transactions occurred at that location. I have no knowledge of it, he said. I have been advising everyone since the (Court of Appeals ruling) came down that you can no longer receive compensation. It will be several weeks before decisions are made on any possible criminal charges, Boyd said. It will take officers time to search records and tabulate what they seized from the shops, he said.

Owners and operators of the collectives either couldnt be reached or didnt return calls for comment.

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12/15/2011 8:59 AM