Can you link the article? Scan it? lolQuote:
Originally Posted by luge469
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Can you link the article? Scan it? lolQuote:
Originally Posted by luge469
I wish people didn't re-post fanatical stories without any evidence.Quote:
Originally Posted by luge469
Spending ten seconds on google doesn't have any results for marijuana related stories in their 7-22 edition.
Spending ten more seconds searching the sentinel's site doesn't have any results for that date either in the archives.
I call bullshit on this one until I see otherwise.
Aurora Sentinel > Search
Medical marijuana deluge: Number of Colorado MMJ patients passes 100,000 mark - Denver News - The Latest Word
100,000 patients, that's pretty cool.
Sorry folks It's NOt bullshit and I would link it If I could but I don't see it on the web site either. I am looking at the article right now and think it should be brought to everyone's attention. Any suggestions besides retyping the whole thing. Tell me how( I am a chef not a bot geek) and I will get this info out!
Thank You!
Don't kill the messenger!
I found this article, but did not see a map to go along with it.
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Aurora Sentinel > Archives > News > Aurora police detail dozens of pot operations across city
Aurora police detail dozens of pot operations across city
Municipal officials begin contemplating how to regulate medical marijuana growth, sales
By SARA CASTELLANOS
The Aurora Sentinel
Published: Friday, July 23, 2010 10:15 AM MD
AURORA | Residential medical marijuana grows have been cropping up around Aurora recently, causing city officials to contemplate the safety hazards associated with them and propose potential regulations.
City officials tackled the prospects of regulating the residential growing of medical marijuana at an Aurora City Council Neighborhood Services Policy Committee July 15, the first of a series of monthly meetings on the issue that will run through November.
A presentation on home grows in Aurora was made by Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates at the meeting. Committee members then discussed whether the city would be able to legally defend itself if they proposed their own rules governing home grows. They ultimately concluded that a more extensive look into the potential safety hazards of medical marijuana home-grows should be conducted before regulations were proposed.
Newly enacted Colorado legislation allows medical marijuana caregivers to have five patients and grow six plants per patient, but the law does not specify how many square feet is required for a home grow operation, or what safety precautions must be adopted.
As of July 1, the city??s police officers have identified 63 locations where medical marijuana was being grown in a residential home in Aurora, Oates said at the meeting.
That??s up from the 54 grows that were reported by the police department in early June.
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Residents in about 30 locations showed some sort of documentation that justified the existence of the marijuana plants, Oates said. The number of home grows increased by 217 percent in the past six months, he said.
Since home grows of medical marijuana have proliferated, Oates said his narcotics unit has devoted 40 percent of its time to identifying the home grows and determining whether they are legitimate.
He presented photographs of the dozens of electrical wires and heat lamps that police officials have encountered at residential marijuana growing operations, which cause serious health risks.
??The challenge we??re seeing is when there??s a volume of plants, these places feel inherently unsafe to us,? Oates said.
Weapons such as handguns are also found at many of the residential growing locations, he said, and are mainly used as a defense against potential thieves.
The city??s building inspectors now accompany police officials in all cases of residential grow investigations. In a recent venture to a Saddle Rock residence where a medical marijuana grow operation was being conducted, building inspectors noted there were more than 100 electrical code violations, including wires that could result in electrocution and death if they were touched.
??It wasn??t a matter of if the house was going to burn down, it was a matter of when,? said Scott Berg, the city??s chief building official. ??None of this is legal or even close to being legal.?
Chemicals from the grow operation in the Saddle Rock community were also being disposed of in the drainage system, causing concern over whether the water was contaminated, Berg said. Water officials found no contamination in the water in that instance, he said.
Tom Nicholas, chairman of the city??s newly created Medical Marijuana Task Force, suggested the committee members decide how extensive the regulations on home grows should be.
Aurora City Council members decided in mid-July that they will ask voters whether they want to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, but regulations on medical marijuana home grows will be at the sole discretion of the city.
??We have to decide just how aggressive we want to become, and whether we??re pushing the risk factor of litigation,? said Nicholas, who is also deputy city manager.
Oates said that city officials should consider whether 30 marijuana plants in a home grow operation, as the state legislation stipulates, is an appropriate number.
??I think there??s still room for this city to address what we think is the proper number of plants to be grown in a home,? he said. ??I think we??d be conceding too much this early to say that someone can grow 30 plants in a home.?
One of the most disconcerting issues is speculation that home grow operations are being carried out by people who are using houses specifically for that purpose and not actually living in the homes, said Councilwoman Melissa Miller.
She asked Neighborhood Services officials to look into the legality of using a house solely for medical marijuana grows.
??I??m concerned about the safety and welfare of the people in that area,? Miller said.
City officials said at the committee meeting that any regulations that will be instituted would be for the sake of safety.
Councilwoman Barb Cleland said that if the city decreased the number of plants that would be allowed in a home, the city would definitely face lawsuits.
Lawsuits could still ensue no matter what kinds of regulations the city implements concerning home grow operations, said Councilwoman Molly Markert.
??I have a lot of constitutional questions and I hope we have a very big legal budget,? Markert said. ??The state law gives us some guidelines, and every step we take beyond that puts us at risk of a lawsuit. I am hoping the legal department has access to resources to defend the decisions we make.?
Miller asked the Medical Marijuana Task Force to come back to the committee next month with a report about what kinds of chemical waste products are being flushed down the city??s water system as a result of the home grow operations.
The task force is comprised of several city officials including Oates, Neighborhood Services Liaison Nancy Sheffield, and Jim Sayre, manager of zoning and development review.
You said you saw the article and a map, and now it seems apparent that there never was a map.Quote:
Originally Posted by luge469
Did you get your original info second hand? Why would you post that there was an article with a map if there was only an article?
I stand corrected on the article, but I still call bullshit on you saying they published a map of home grows. Good times.
The article raises interesting points. How much pot is "too much" to be grown in a residential setting? Who should make that determination? Should multi-unit dwellings have different rules than single family homes? Should caregivers who grow at home be required to pursue a zoning variance?
All good questions that need sorting. It will be interesting to see what answers different communities come up with.
I think it's interesting that cook made the rules so that he can still claim he's for patient advocacy, while ensuring the maximum amount of tax dollars for the state, which is his job. So in his capacity to create revenue for his agency and to create the authority to enforce making rules, he's doing a great job.Quote:
Originally Posted by HighPopalorum
Not exactly what I would like, but I am still a small scale patient, so this legislation doesn't really do anything for me personally. This legislation affects larger scale for profit grows, ones that might not have been paying taxes on their revenue. That's why we got 1284 and 109, because the state saw how much revenue it was losing out on.
edit: If I were a compliant patient or caregiver (6plants per patient, 5 cap) in Aurora, I wouldn't be concerned. If I were a single patient with 99 plants or a non compliant caregiver, I would be very concerned at the cops showing up to verify plant counts.
If the cops show up, do I have to let them in my grow or handle my plants? I would be very concerned with some random asshat coming into my room and pulling plants to check roots, etc.
This is a good question... If they dont have a warrant, technically you don't have to let them in. I would probably let them check if you are compliant to avoud the warrant, battering ram scenario that would be coming next.Quote:
Originally Posted by cologrower420
I would also worry about them bringing bugs from other grows they have visited. Hmmm I wonder if you could supply them with and make them wear tyvek suits. LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by SprngsCaregiver
Terrible advice. Do not give consent for police to search your home, your car or your person. Under no circumstances should you waive any of your rights unless your attorney instructs you to do so. I believe I have posted this information several times before, but there is so much horrible information out there, it bears repeating:
Your rights:
- You have the right to remain silent. If you wish to exercise that right, say so out loud.
- You have the right to refuse to consent to a search of yourself, your car or your home.
- If you are not under arrest, you have the right to calmly leave.
- You have the right to a lawyer if you are arrested. Ask for one immediately.
- Regardless of your immigration or citizenship status, you have constitutional rights.
Your responsibilities:
- Do stay calm and be polite.
- Do not interfere with or obstruct the police.
- Do not lie or give false documents.
- Do prepare yourself and your family in case you are arrested.
- Do remember the details of the encounter.
- Do file a written complaint or call your local ACLU if you feel your rights have been violated.
If the police or immigration agents come to your home, you do not have to let them in unless they have certain kinds of warrants.
Ask the officer to slip the warrant under the door or hold it up to the window so you can inspect it. A search warrant allows police to enter the address listed on the warrant, but officers can only search the areas and for the items listed. An arrest warrant allows police to enter the home of the person listed on the warrant if they believe the person is inside. A warrant of removal/deportation (ICE warrant) does not allow officers to enter a home without consent.
Even if officers have a warrant, you have the right to remain silent. If you choose to speak to the officers, step outside and close the door.
-via the ACLU
There is absolutely no way you will benefit from allowing the cops to search your home without a warrant. There is no way you will benefit by giving them information about your patients and yourself. There is no way you will benefit from talking to the police.... period. Any criminal attorney will tell you the same thing.