BLUNT REALITY: PIERRE WERNER'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA OPERATION BUSTED BY POLICE

The High Priest Of Pot Has Some Praying To Do After Police Confiscated His
Medical Marijuana Plants Jan. 17.

Looking in from the outside of Pierre Werner's home, you can tell something
went terribly wrong.

Two sheetless mattresses rested in the front bedroom near a gaping hole in
the wall. Particleboard sheltered the dining room windows and glass
scattered the lawn. Framed pictures and mini-blinds were destroyed.
Clothes, furniture and loose change were spread in unorthodox fashion
throughout the house. And a huge dent, clearly from a vehicular impact,
decorated the garage door.

The high priest of pot, who is intent on establishing Nevada's first
cannabis club, certainly has some smoke to clear.

On Jan. 17, Werner's house was raided. Since then, he's been under
psychiatric evaluation and lockdown twice.

According to Metro, several neighbors called police to Werner's residence
at 1836 Niblick Circle, after he stood outside waving around a marijuana
plant at 7 a.m. One neighbor phoned police, saying Werner, 42, hit his
parked car and then fled the scene -- only to eventually park in his own
driveway a couple houses away.

"Our units show up, see the marijuana plant and feel there was possibility
that [Werner] was harvesting marijuana," said Jose Montoya, spokesman for
Metro.

Once narcotics detectives arrived on the scene, Montoya said they requested
that Werner -- who is bipolar -- receive medical evaluation because "he was
acting funny."

"Police put him in custody and he was inside the patrol car kicking the
windows and interior of the car," Montoya continued.

Narcotics detectives took over the investigation and received a warrant to
go inside the residence, Montoya said. Detectives compiled a property
report of seized items, which included marijuana, paraphernalia used to
grow marijuana, plastic baggies and miscellaneous paperwork.

Under state law, a patient can have up to seven marijuana plants.

"A patient can have four immature plants, three mature plants and an ounce
of smokeable marijuana under Nevada law," explained Jennifer Bartlett,
program manager of Nevada's Medical Marijuana Program. A mature plant by
the state's definition is one with buds that can be seen with the naked
eye, Bartlett added.

Due to the investigation's ongoing status, Sgt. Dave Schvaneveldt of
Metro's narcotics unit would not comment on how much marijuana was
confiscated or disclose what charges Werner faces. Montoya, however,
indicated that Werner would likely be charged with trafficking or illegal
manufacturing of marijuana. As of deadline, he had not been formally charged.

Werner was released from UMC Jan. 22, but was committed to Southern Nevada
Adult Mental Health Services the following day, after a family disturbance
at a relative's home. Montoya said a family member was concerned when
Werner kept referencing Adolf Hitler and former druglord Pablo Escobar.

During a phone interview Jan. 26, Werner admitted he was growing too much
medical marijuana. He estimated that police confiscated 20 to 30 plants. He
then detailed his adventures since Jan. 17. A registered patient in the
Department of Agriculture's medical marijuana program, Werner said his
neighbors knew of his status and had no right to call the police.

"I can flash seven plants of marijuana in front of my neighbors and police,
and they're not supposed to do a thing about it; I only flashed one,"
Werner said. "It's legal for me and I want to make sure everyone respects
it. I got nothing to hide."

As for hitting his neighbor's car, Werner suspected his neighbors had
tampered with his car in the past. According to Werner, he "just gently
touched her car. I didn't bang it up hardcore or anything, because I didn't
want to fuck up my car either."

While in psychiatric isolation at the Clark County Detention Center, Werner
said he rammed his head against the wall in order to be transported to UMC.
It was there Werner talked to doctors and "was found sane then released,"
he said, adding that would not have been the case at jail.

Werner walked from UMC to his home on Jan. 22, where a relative picked him
up for breakfast the following morning. When the relative dropped him off
at a cousin's house, the relative phoned police in order to have him
recommitted, Werner said.

"[The relative] doesn't believe in medical marijuana, and thinks I'm a
nutcase for doing what I do," Werner said.

Werner consults and provides for medical marijuana patients. Ever since
voters approved medical marijuana use in 2000, Werner has sought to follow
the lead of California's cannabis clubs. He started Primary Caregivers and
Consultants in 2001, as a way for Nevada patients to safely access a legal
medicine that the state doesn't provide.

Werner's referral service is the only one in Nevada that offers
physician-approved recommendations for medical marijuana use. The
Department of Agriculture issues licenses to use medical marijuana,
allowing patients to possess up to one ounce and grow their own.

Werner believed regulation of the program is easy to manipulate because it
is confidential and oversight is limited. This might lead patients to forge
a doctor's signature to gain entry into the program, Werner said. To
counter this, his business referred qualified patients to doctors --
unofficially regulating the program.

Werner said that anticipated narcotic-related charges and a possible
lockdown in a psychiatric center are not enough to stop his business.

"It's all part of the master plan," Werner said. "If they can't stop me
through this, I can open up a compassion club and the law can't do a thing
about it."