cannabisnews.com: Girlfriend's Tip Leads to Arrest of MMJ Advocate Girlfriend's Tip Leads to Arrest of MMJ Advocate Posted by FoM on September 02, 2000 at 08:33:12 PT By Michael Pena, Chronicle Staff Writer Source: San Francisco Chronicle An East Bay medicinal marijuana activist was arrested Thursday by authorities who seized more than 650 cannabis plants from his Lafayette home after being tipped off by his live-in girlfriend. Narcotics officers from the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department arrested Kenneth Estes, 36, after his 27-year-old girlfriend asked sheriff's deputies to serve a restraining order against Estes after a domestic dispute -- and told them Estes was growing marijuana in their home. The girlfriend gave the deputies permission to search the house, where they found the plants under fluorescent growing lights in one room and several sheds. Estes was arrested on suspicion of possession and cultivation of marijuana for sale. Lafayette Police Chief Hank Davis said Estes sold the pot at a dispensary on University Avenue in Berkeley called Medicinal Herbs. Davis said Estes told officers he sold marijuana there for medicinal use and specified his occupation on the booking form as ``herbal distributor.'' ``He claims that he's doing a service to society,'' Davis said. ``He's very forthcoming about what it's for.'' Thursday's arrest came days after the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency order at the urgent request of President Clinton to prevent an Oakland medical marijuana club from dispensing its goods. Meanwhile, the U.S. Court of Appeals is reviewing a decision made in July by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco that allowed the Oakland club to dispense marijuana. Jeff Jones, executive director of the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, said Estes was a volunteer who fancied himself an outspoken advocate for medicinal marijuana. Estes -- paralyzed from the waist down with limited use of his arms because of a past motorcycle accident -- legitimately needs marijuana to ease his pain, Jones said. ``In Contra Costa, it's more like Placer or Sacramento County. You stand up and tell people who you are, and you get arrested,'' Jones said. ``He'll have to take all those issues to a jury box.'' In July, Estes turned himself in to authorities amid a small group of supporters to answer possession and cultivation charges stemming from a January raid on his former Concord home when police confiscated 1,500 plants. The narcotics unit worked through the night getting the plants to the sheriff's crime lab then obtained a warrant to search Medicinal Herbs. Officers confiscated an unspecified amount of marijuana, materials to distill cannabis into hashish and 30 pounds of marijuana brownies, Davis said. Estes is being held at the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez on $45,000 bail. Randy Moses, 41, of Union City, another man living in the Lafayette home at the time, was arrested and booked on the same charges but released yesterday pending further investigation. By Michael Pena, Chronicle Staff WriterE-mail Michael Pena at: mpena sfchronicle.comPublished: Saturday, September 2, 2000 Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Contact: chronletters sfgate.com Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/Forum: http://www.sfgate.com/conferences/©2000 San Francisco Chronicle Page A24 Related Articles & Web Site:Oakland Cannabis Buyer's Cooperativehttp://www.rxcbc.org/ Supreme Court on Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6906.shtmlOfficial Reefer Madnesshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6894.shtmlFeds' Needless Pot War http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6889.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by FoM on September 02, 2000 at 10:01:03 PT What a shame I agree with what you both said. Silence is golden. I know that all too well since I got online. I hope this works out ok because it sure isn't good. Peace, FoM! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Rainbow on September 02, 2000 at 09:32:26 PT Hick cops and hick girlfriends Man this lady had too many DARE classes. I sure hope she doesn't go around ratting on other people too.I wonder if she was really a plant by the government. They have been known to do some pretty dastardly things in these counties.Notice her name never came up. Watch out folks there is a live one out there possibly pimping herself to help the cops, but then I am paranoid and no I don't smoke because it is illegal.I agree with Dr. Ganj - how can a man with limited hand movement and no leg movement be a threat? Anyone could crawl fast enough to avoid a domestic dispute. But then maybe Ken was laying it on the line and she did not like the words he was using.Something really stinks here and he ought to find out.Rainbow [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dr. Ganj on September 02, 2000 at 09:17:51 PT Ken's 2nd Bust I know Ken, and having his girlfriend having the cops come over to;"serve a restraining order" on him is absurd! He's in a WHEELCHAIR! What was this dumb broad thinking? She even gave the cops permission to search the place! Oh my God what a hag! Ken was already dealing with a previous bust, and by having the cops come over where Ken was growing 650 plants is unthinkable! Especially in Contra Costa county, where the fuzz there are not cool at all. He'll have to really fight now, and by that I mean all the way to trial- twice. Although he'll probably win both cases, due to all the evidence he can present at trial to confirm it was all for medical purposes. I can even testify, as I know clear well Ken is only involved to help sick people with this herbal medicine.The lesson here folks, is be very careful to whom you tell/show your medical marijuana garden, and try not to live in a backwards county like Sonoma, Placer, Orange, or Contra Costa. Dealing with hick cops is no fun, trust me, I know.Dr. Ganj http://www.champsf.org [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: