ACTIVIST BUSTED WITH $750,000 WORTH OF POT

Medical Marijuana User Faces Drug Charges

Pierre Werner has said he grows marijuana to help the sick.

Authorities believe the medical marijuana activist is more concerned
about helping his pocketbook, especially after raiding two houses and
seizing $750,000 worth of the drug.

"This is not an operation and an amount (of marijuana) you produce for
some sick people," said Capt. Stavros Anthony, who heads the Las Vegas
police Vice & Narcotics Bureau. "This is a money-making operation."

Detectives arrested Werner, 33, on Wednesday on three counts of
possessing a controlled substance with intent to sell and one count of
maintaining a residence with intent to distribute narcotics, police
said.

Police searched Werner's house on the 5000 block of Calvary Court in
Southern Highlands and his uncle's house on the 2100 block of Mountain
Echo Avenue in Henderson.

The searches turned up a large, sophisticated marijuana-growing
operation where police discovered 121 marijuana plants and 10 pounds
of marijuana stored in glass jars, Anthony said.

They also found an expired medical marijuana license, he
said.

"As far as we're concerned, this is a drug-trafficking offense," he
said.

The investigation was prompted by calls from neighbors reporting
suspicious activity, he said.

Werner was booked into Clark County Detention Center.

His lawyer, Ryan Mortier, said his client just wanted to help others
like him who depend on marijuana to treat a number of ailments.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Nevada since 2000. Since then,
more than 500 state residents have been licensed to smoke it for
medical purposes with a doctor's approval.

Werner operates Primary Caregivers and Consultants, which helps people
fill out paperwork, find a doctor and grow marijuana plants for
personal use.

Mortier said authorities had targeted Werner because of his highly
visible stance in support of medical marijuana, including appearances
in a number of news articles in the past two years.

"He really does believe in what he's doing," the lawyer said. "It's
for the greater good, but I don't want to see him in jail for
something like this."

In March, Werner tried to open a coffee shop where medical marijuana
smokers could meet and light up, but the Clark County Commission
rejected his business license application.

He is also involved in what could be a precedent-setting criminal case
involving limits on medical marijuana possession. State regulations
limit possession to 1 ounce of marijuana and up to seven plants, of
which three can be mature.

Werner, who smokes marijuana to ease his severe nausea and help with
his bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, would need to grow 50 plants
to keep up with his needs, Mortier said.

The case stems from Werner's arrest in January 2004, when authorities
found 45 marijuana plants and more than 2 ounces of marijuana at his
house.

Mortier plans to argue in District Court that the medical marijuana
law includes what's called an affirmative defense, which allows
patients to have more than the limits if their doctors approve.

A decision on the issue is expected next month by District Judge John
McGroarty.