Police arrest an owner of two compassion clubs at his home and seized over 120 medical marijuana plants after serving several warrants. Tempe police say the businesses were operating illegally.
39-year-old James Earl Chaney was arrested at his residence after police bust two valley compassion clubs and a grow house seizing over 120 marijuana plants intended for card holding patients. Chaney is the owner and operator of Top Shelf Hydro College where a series of several warrants were served for illegal drug sale among other drug related charges.
According to The Associated Press, undercover detectives were able to purchase large amounts of marijuana at one of the Tempe locations, which is in violation of state law.
"They were saying it was for donations, but when our undercovers would go in, there was a price they had to pay, for quantity and for quality. There was a different price for each one," says Tempe Police Sgt. Mike Pooley.
There has been no word yet on whether or not the undercover police presented medical marijuana cards, which would be valuable to know when deciding as society the legality of the situation.
But most mainstream media sources and police have left out this detail. Local ABC 15 even reported on continued violence at the business siting a recent robbery at the location, which isn't much different then the thousands of gas station, bank and liquor store robberies that happen nationwide every year.
The only "so called" violence reported by local businesses about the operation were about the presents of the police during the bust.
"One of my patients said she was afraid to get out of her car," said Dr. Alejandro Mioni of Arizona Chiropractic Group, a near by business "There was a man wearing a gun and a bullet-proof vest, and she was just afraid of him."
The police used force damaging property and kicked in doors causing a scene of violence that was only associated with the business during a past robbery.
Now some local patients have found one less place to get their much needed medication. The situation shadows those much like the days of alcohol prohibition when only patients with a prescription were legally able to purchase and possess it. However individuals still smuggled and brewed it for recreation causing crime, violence and overcrowding of jails.
Hopefully one day we will learn from our past and stop wasting the time of our system and both legalize and regulate marijuana. With more then half the country wanting this safe substance for all purposes it's time for the change our President has promised and never gave. With the state of our economy can we afford not to? And will it hurt? We cannot know until the first step is taken.
David Joseph
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