Police Seen on Camera Eating Edibles after Busting Cannabis Dispensary

According to a recent news feature from RT, Santa Ana Police Department officers were conducting a raid of a medical cannabis dispensary in Orange County, and the security camera footage of the incident allegedly showed them eating medical cannabis edibles. Authorities say the officers will be charged in connection with this alleged misconduct.

The officers are being charged with vandalism and theft, as they are accused of entering the store after breaking in the door. They are then accused of having used crowbars to destroy all of the security cameras; however, as is now obvious, they missed at least one camera. While the officers can be seen eating what appears to be candy that was in the dispensary, defense attorneys claim that there was no cannabis in that candy, and it was simply ordinary candy for the dispensary staff to eat.

Prosecutors say there were other officers that ate the food items, but they cannot be sure these officers knew where the items came from, as they were not in the the store when the officers allegedly stole them, so these officers will not be charged with any crime in connection with this matter.

To make matters worse, while most security cameras are video only, these particular cameras recorded audio as well. There was conversation recorded where officers discussed a former prosecutor who is now a judge. In the conversation they discussed how the prosecutor and the officers drank beer out of Styrofoam cups in pubic and while driving. The officers were also recorded as saying they were feeling light headed as they joked about eating the candy. However, since there was no chemical analysis, they cannot be charged with any Orange County marijuana offenses; however, since they are charged with destroying thousands of dollars in security equipment and the petty larceny of the candy, a criminal charge for simple possession of marijuana would not likely have that much effect on the outcome of the case.

It should be noted that no officers involved in this incident have been convicted of any crimes and are presumed innocent unless and until they are found guilty in a court of law by a judge or jury beyond a reasonable doubt.

Another portion of conversation caught on tape was a female police officer discussing a well known marijuana advocate who is also disabled due to an amputation. She was in the store, and this officer is allegedly heard saying that she wants to kick the advocate in her “nub.” The advocate was interviewed and insisted she has always been professional when dealing with officers, including that one, and has no idea why the officer wants to “kick [her] stump.” She said that she had even complimented the officer on her hair prior to being insulted.

As for the reason for the raid of the medical cannabis dispensary in the first place, authorities have said it was operating without a license. However, the dispensary has been issued a license and is back up and running and appears to be doing well.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Cops caught on camera eating sweets after raiding medical marijuana dispensary will be charged, March 15, 2015, RT
More Blogs:
Medical Marijuana Laws in CA More Liberal than in NY, Jan. 27, 2016, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog