FEDS SEARCH SLEEPING GIANT CAREGIVERS, REMOVE ITEMS

Federal agents Friday afternoon searched Sleeping Giant Caregivers, a
provider of medical marijuana, as a federal magistrate authorized the
seizure of more than $1.2 million in a bank account.

The only sign of the raid was a white, unmarked truck backed up to
the rear entrance of the provider on Nicole Street, just north of
Highway 12 east of Interstate 15, as agents removed items and
eventually erected barriers to block the view of media.

A search warrant application filed by a Drug Enforcement
Administration agent in federal court in Butte said agents were
looking for controlled substances including marijuana and hashish;
packing materials; drug paraphernalia including scales; firearms and
ammunition (used in the commission of drug offenses); and records,
including the identification and location of customers.

The search was related to violations of federal laws against
manufacture, distribution and possession with intent to distribute
marijuana, according to the warrant application.

The warrant application did not seek any arrests.

Jessica Fehr of the U.S. Attorney's office would not elaborate on
potential charges. She said the investigation was the work of the
DEA, Missouri River Drug Task Force and the IRS Criminal
Investigations Division.

She said no other similar warrants were being served elsewhere in the
state Friday.

Sleeping Giant owner Paul Schmidt did not immediately return a
telephone message at the business seeking comment. The business
occupies half of an aluminum-sided building, with a sign on the front
noting that it's open only by appointment.

On March 14, federal agents executed 26 search warrants and raided 10
medical marijuana providers around the state, including Montana
Cannabis, which had a high-visibility greenhouse on Highway 12 just
west of Helena. No criminal charges have been filed in those raids,
and two of the businesses involved have sued the federal government.

Kimberly Davis, also a medical marijuana caregiver, was outside
Sleeping Giant with her husband, Archie, while agents searched inside.

"We just came down to support Paul," she said. "We heard about what's
going on and it's ridiculous."

She was critical of the Montana Legislature's recent passage of
SB423, which strongly restricts medical marijuana use and distribution.

"What the Legislature did to the patients - they're forcing them to
go to the black market," she said.

She said she was not concerned about legal trouble for her own
caregiver business, describing it as small, legal under state law and
distributing only through home delivery.

"Our patients can't get out of bed," she said.