cannabisnews.com: Kona Police Return Confiscated Pakalolo





Kona Police Return Confiscated Pakalolo
Posted by CN Staff on July 17, 2002 at 19:46:16 PT
By Rod Thompson
Source: Star-Bulletin 
Kona police have returned 1.5 ounces of marijuana to three state-approved medical marijuana users after confiscating the substance from them last week. In a room at the main Kealakehe station yesterday, a police officer returned the marijuana belonging to John and Rhonda Robison and their house guest, Kea Wells.But police say an investigation is continuing and charges are still possible. Honolulu attorney Jack Schweigert, who represents the three, said this is the first instance in Hawaii of police returning marijuana to people.
"I'm happy for them," Schweigert said. "They were really sick."The Rev. Dennis Shields, who is pastor for the three and whose ministry includes the use of marijuana, said he believes this is the first instance in the nation of police returning marijuana to people.Wells is under treatment for leukemia and recently received radiation and chemotherapy. Schweigert said she was vomiting repeatedly over the weekend because she lacked marijuana, which helps people tolerate chemotherapy.John Robison was diagnosed with leukemia 10 years ago and attributes his long-term survival to anti-cancer properties of substances in marijuana. Rhonda Robison uses marijuana to treat pain from a form of muscular dystrophy.All three have state medical marijuana certificates that allow them to have up to three mature and four immature marijuana plants each, plus one ounce of dried marijuana each.Police searched their home July 8, seized their marijuana, arrested and held them for eight hours before releasing them without charges.Vice Lt. Robert Hickcox said the dried marijuana was returned yesterday because the total seized by police, 1.5 ounces, was less than the total of 3 ounces that the three were allowed to have.Hickcox said the decision to return the marijuana was made after police consulted with the Narcotics Enforcement Division of the state Department of Public Safety and the Hawaii County Prosecutor's Office.Police also seized 20 plants, one fewer than the total of 21 the three were allowed to have, he said. The plants were not returned because 11 were mature, but the three medical marijuana users are allowed to have no more than a total of nine mature plants, according to Hickcox.Shields said he was at the Robison home the night before the police search and only one of the 20 plants was mature, as evidenced by the presence of flowers or buds on the plants.Note: It had been taken from 3 approved users of medical marijuana. Newshawk: Rev. Dennis Shields -- http://www.hialoha.com/konagold/church/index.htmlSource: Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI)Author: Rod ThompsonPublished: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Honolulu Star-BulletinContact: letters starbulletin.comWebsite: http://www.starbulletin.com/Related Article:Medical Marijuana Users Say Police Harassing Them http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13381.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by konagold on July 18, 2002 at 01:53:05 PT:
plant labels
Aloha CorvallisEricthe claim that the plants were not legally labeled was refuted by the Director of the Department of Public Safetyit is interesting however tho 11 plants were claimed to be mature it would have taken twelve for all three arrested to be in violation as if one of them had only three mature plants and the other two 4 mature plants then only two should have been arrested but which two?? I think the prosecution has some unsolvable problems with this case and they should give up now and pray that the Jury doesn't hit them too bad for damagesas the plants i saw at the Robison's 12 hours prior to the raid only one was mature and the rest in vegetative premature growthlets face it mature means ripewhen a baby presents itself to the world and we can determine what sex it is we don't then give it a drivers licenseAloha
Rev. Dennis [truth sets us free] Shields
http://www.thereligionofjesuschurch.org
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Comment #2 posted by CorvallisEric on July 17, 2002 at 23:12:43 PT
Gee whiz
Police also seized 20 plants, one fewer than the total of 21 the three were allowed to have, he said.
The plants were not returned because 11 were mature, but the three medical marijuana users are allowed to have no more than a total of nine mature plants, according to Hickcox.
Doesn't this strike you as just plain incredibly petty? If I recall correctly, the original fuss was due to each plant not being labeled as belonging to a specific owner.
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Comment #1 posted by Rev Jonathan Adler on July 17, 2002 at 23:02:36 PT:
Three Good Folks- Bad Police Work!
Aloha and Congratulations to John, Rhonda and Kealoha.
They were put through an unnecessary and illegal seizure from Kona Police. Their neighbor should be arrested for a false report for turning them in and the Police should be charged with willful disregard for the law. The Judge should be reprimanded for approving a baseless warrant that nobody took the time to check out! This is another instance like recently, when my wife was arrested for bringing me my medication in the cellblock, on the Police's request and detaining her when she showed up with my legal marijuana. I am filing a motion to have it returned(it was seized) which will be heard on Aug. 6th. It is my legal oz. of medicine and they must return it too. I thought marijuana was useful to treat seizures, but the Police don't even know how sick they are. I am still not quitting and won't. Good Luck to all the crusaders out there, including these three brave folks who stood up for our rights and are respected for it by us, even if the Police don't.
Hawaii Medical Marijuana Institute
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