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[cologrower420]

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.

Good advice, but let's take this example, of some regulator or auditor coming to your house. Since I am a compliant patient growing for myself, I don't think anyone would ever know, or care, what's being grown in my basement.

I was at a friends house in Sheridan the other day, and looking out the back window over the fence, the grey haired hippy had 6 pot plants, 5 feet tall, in his back yard. Obviously no one had a problem with it, but if a neighbor complained, a police visit could easily be the result. Your advice applies then too, but many many people are intimidated by cops or people in positions of authority.

If there are reports of a marijuana grow, it's likely and safe to assume that grow is larger than one patient or whatever. I guess my point is, if the cops come knocking to check plant counts, there is probably some indication that whoever they are visiting is operating outside the law.

Or something.

[Zedleppelin]

NEVER NEVER NEVER talk to the police.

YouTube - Dont Talk to Police

[cologrower420]

NEVER NEVER NEVER talk to the police.

YouTube - Dont Talk to Police

If a cop comes to your door to ask questions about your grow, the last thing you should do is not speak to them.

Do you think they'd just go away if we follow your advice? Seriously? What do you think would happen if a cop asks to check a grow and they get a door shut on them?

edit: If it wasn't clear, I am using a specific example including a potential grow, not some random confrontation with an asshole cop. I feel there is a difference.

[Zedleppelin]

If a cop comes to your door to ask questions about your grow, the last thing you should do is not speak to them.

Thats exactly what you should do, or better yet don't open the door in the first place.

Do you think they'd just go away if we follow your advice? Seriously? What do you think would happen if a cop asks to check a grow and they get a door shut on them?

Let them get a warrant. Let them in and you just waived your constitutional rights. Their job is to find a reason to arrest you, why in the world would you help them do that? ANYTHING you say can and will be twisted against you. Who do you think juries believe? You or a cop? Cops only knock and talk when they dont have enough cause for a warrant, if they did they wouldnt be knocking.

[SprngsCaregiver]

You guys are absolutly right. I was responding emotionally I guess you could say after seeing this. I have dogs. I would gladly give up my rights if it meant saving my dogs life. Call me stupid.

http://boards.cannabis.com/current-e...marijuana.html

[cologrower420]

I guess I would assume they have a case if they are knocking.

I agree with you that opening the door would be a bad idea, but if you are at the point in a grow operation where the cops are there, and you are willing to not let them in, then I think that speaks to the legality of your operation, which was my point in stating that 'letting them in' would be the best course of action.

But if you are about to get busted with a illegal grow, then hell no don't let them in. I guess I am assuming everyone in this example is compliant with state law. Why would an auditor or inspector or whatever care to 'inspect' or show compliance? Aren't the feds busting MMC's and large scale private grows like barkowitz? I guess I am thinking, I don't have anything to hide, so I don't have a problem letting a cop come into my home if one shows up to check my plants. My that's me personally. If I had an illegal grow in the basement, I would probably answer differently.

Right now, I am state compliant, so if pressured, I would absolutely prove my compliance.

[Zedleppelin]

Has zero to do with being in compliance or not. A neighbor could report a smell, ex girlfriend causing trouble, whatever. So you just got done trimming one plant and someone reports the smell. Cops come and you let them in because you only have 2 plants and you're compliant. They weigh what you just harvested (including the trim you were going to throw away) and it weighs 10 ounces because its still wet. While they're doing this one cop (the nice one) asks you what your favorite dispensary is and you say 'The Wellness Center has some really good prices'. Next thing you know the cops are putting your 10 oz wet shit in a airtight bag and arrest you for felony possession with intent to distribute.

So you say screw this, I didnt do anything wrong so you hire an attorney to fight it. He tell you that he will either plea bargain it or you can take it to trial but he wants $15,000. At your trial the cop gets on the stand and testifies that you admitted The Wellness Center gives you really good prices. Now a jury has to decide who to believe, you - a guy growing weed, or a law enforcement officer, all because you let them in and talked.

[cologrower420]

Has zero to do with being in compliance or not. A neighbor could report a smell, ex girlfriend causing trouble, whatever. So you just got done trimming one plant and someone reports the smell. Cops come and you let them in because you only have 2 plants and you're compliant. They weigh what you just harvested (including the trim you were going to throw away) and it weighs 10 ounces because its still wet. While they're doing this one cop (the nice one) asks you what your favorite dispensary is and you say 'The Wellness Center has some really good prices'. Next thing you know the cops are putting your 10 oz wet shit in a airtight bag and arrest you for felony possession with intent to distribute.

So you say screw this, I didnt do anything wrong so you hire an attorney to fight it. He tell you that he will either plea bargain it or you can take it to trial but he wants $15,000. At your trial the cop gets on the stand and testifies that you admitted The Wellness Center gives you really good prices. Now a jury has to decide who to believe, you - a guy growing weed, or a law enforcement officer, all because you let them in and talked.

That's a pretty extreme example. I'm small scale, but if a cop came knocking saying there were reports of marijuana being grown, I would probably present my ID and red card, and politely decline to answer that question.

I'm not sure if they'd come back with a warrant or what. I imagine they wouldn't waste their time with someone super small scale like me, but someone approaching 36 plants or an apartment grow or someone noticing plants outside or something.

Although, matt cook has said something along the lines using root weight, dirt weight and water weight as going towards my 2 ounce limit. So basically, if I were busted harvesting even one plant, it's likely that I'm going over my 2 ounce posession limit. I guess I might be able to hedge my bets if I were a caregiver or something so I could increase my weight limit.

I think we agree.

[Zedleppelin]

Not an extreme example at all, plenty of innocent people in prison.

How do you think gun owners would react if the police started knocking on doors of registered gun owners asking if they could come in to make sure they didnt have to many guns? Think that would fly?

[cologrower420]

Not an extreme example at all, plenty of innocent people in prison.

How do you think gun owners would react if the police started knocking on doors of registered gun owners asking if they could come in to make sure they didnt have to many guns? Think that would fly?

Absolutely not, but pot is unique. Guns aren't illegal at the federal level.

Plus, the NRA is a little bigger than norml, so the 'complainers' would be much much louder than the small group of largescale growers who might be now illegal.