ITEMS SEIZED IN FERNDALE POT BUST MUST BE RETURNED

Ferndale - A judge ordered Oakland County prosecutors to provide
copies of seized patient files and ID cards and to return computer
hard drives and other items to two defendants charged in Oakland
County's largest raid on medical marijuana facilities.

Attorneys for Nicholas Agro, 38, of Lake Orion and Ryan Richmond, 33,
of Royal Oak, both investors with Clinical Relief, a Ferndale medical
marijuana dispensary, argued Thursday for the return of the items
taken by narcotics officers with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

Officers raided the business, another dispensary in Waterford
Township and multiple homes Aug. 25.

Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor Beth Hand and attorneys Amy
Bowen-Krane and Neil Rockind worked out an agreement Thursday to make
photocopies of some of the items and to return others.

Agro is also a medical marijuana patient and caregiver licensed by
the state of Colorado.

Bowen-Krane said police seized records for four patients Agro was
treating. The records are protected by state privacy laws, she said.

Neil Rockind said police seized items from Richmond's home that had
nothing to do with operations at Clinical Relief. Richmond is in
commercial real estate, he said.

"The Sheriff's Department seized a laptop computer, carrying cases,
some paperwork and rental property keys that my client wants back
entirely," Rockind said. "He has other business and personal
interests. His laptop computer contains information he needs to live
his life while this case is going on."

Prosecutors and attorneys will be back Nov. 3 for a preliminary
examination in the case, which involves nine defendants, most of whom
are charged with illegally growing and selling marijuana or
conspiring to do so.

The raids resulted in 16 arrests and the seizure of marijuana,
medical records and cash. In both cases, police allege employees
illegally grew and sold marijuana in the facility, including drug
sales outside the clinic.

Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper and Sheriff Michael Bouchard
claim dispensaries are illegal operations and are not protected under
the state's medical marijuana law.

Bouchard likened the businesses to "organized crime" rather than
compassionate care for the chronically ill. NET officers said they
were able to buy the herb without proper identification and also
witnessed open sales and exchanges between unlicensed people.

Attorneys for the defendants claim their clients are protected by the
state's Medical Marijuana Act.