POLICE ARREST FOUR IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA INQUIRY

Provider Is Accused of Supplying Teens, Ineligible Adults

A South Salem medical marijuana provider has been arrested on
accusations of selling and providing marijuana to teens and
noncardholding adults, police said Wednesday.

Police were investigating a complaint that a homeowner in the
[redacted] was dealing marijuana to minors, said Salem Police
spokesman Lt. Dave Okada.

"In this particular case, because it involved children, it was very
high on the priority," Okada said.

Police served a search warrant at the home and found a man, a woman
and two teen girls, Okada said. One girl is a daughter of one of the
adults and another girl was a friend staying at the home, Okada said.

In one of the teen's bedrooms, a small amount of methamphetamine was
found, Okada said.

Police also seized more than a pound of dried marijuana, 10 mature,
recently harvested marijuana plants, 13 budding plants and other
marijuana that was being dried, Okada said. Two semi-automatic
pistols, about $400, growing equipment and packaging material also was found.

The medical marijuana provider, [redacted] , was arrested at his
Albany workplace, Okada said.

[redacted] was out of compliance with the Oregon Medical Marijuana
Act by allegedly selling and providing marijuana to noncardholders
and juveniles, Okada said.

Also arrested were [redacted].

The three adults are set to be arraigned in Marion County Circuit
court annex today.

Both girls were taken into foster care, said Patricia Feeny, a
spokeswoman with the Department of Human Services.

One of them, a 15-year-old, is being charged with two counts of
unlawful delivery of marijuana to a minor and unlawful possession of
methamphetamine, Okada said. She was taken to the Marion County
juvenile detention center.

This year, Salem police have investigated 30 to 50 cases involving
medical marijuana providers, Okada said. Most providers were found to
be in compliance, he said.

In Oregon, there are 14,831 medical marijuana cardholders, state
program officials said. A grower's license may be suspended for five
years if they are convicted of a marijuana-related charge, said
program manager Tawana Nichols.

In South Salem, neighbor Mike Lacy said [redacted] had lived in the
home for about a year, but he has never seen any problems from
Freeman's residence, except for noisy vehicles driving by.

"They seemed like decent people," Lacy said.