MAN WINS SUIT OVER MARIJUANA RAID

[Champ]

A Lane County jury on Wednesday awarded $70,000 to a Blachly man with a medical marijuana card whose rural property was raided by sheriff's deputies after a helicopter patrol detected two small marijuana plots.

Michael Wood, 43, a general contractor who operates an Internet-based weatherization company and 18-acre farm, filed the lawsuit alleging property damage and emotional distress from invasion of his privacy.

<snip>

The raid happened Sept. 21, 2002, after deputies in a helicopter working under federal and state anti-drug grants spotted plants growing in two clearings enclosed by towering blackberry vines, according to Wood's lawyer, Brian Michaels of Eugene. The officers on the sheriff's drug-eradication team thought the land was BLM-owned, but crossed fences marking Wood's property, Michaels said. The land was posted for no trespassing.

After cutting through the vines and an irrigation line, they discovered a copy of Wood's medical marijuana card in the growing area. They left without taking the plants, Michaels said.

(read the entire article)
http://www.mapinc.org/newsnorml/v04/n420/a10.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Good for Wood!

And good for the jury to realize that this is just an example of Big Brotherism. The whole war on drugs, especially on marijuana, is simply an excuse to interfere with the rights of citizens. Glad to see juries are aware of this. Hope this isn't overturned on appeal.

[KissMyAsscroft]

2. People should only be arressted for pot...

if they are doing something dangerous and stupid while high on it.

It's not like crack cocaine, and it's a relatively benign drug.

When will they just decriminailze the crap? Make it the lowest priority and not give a dime to the police to harrass sick people who take it for medicinal reasons.

I understand meth being illegal and I understand crack cocaine being illegal (I support total legalization but dont think that will ever happen) but I mean pot? Come on, it's nuts.