Voter Power

Drug Enforcement Agency executing federal search warrant at Central Point farm

Ashland Daily Tidings

Oct. 5, 2011

http://www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111005/NEWS/110050308/-1/newsmap

Drug Enforcement Administration agents have hauled away at least four large dumptruck loads of marijuana from a property on East Gregory Road just north of Central Point.
The property belongs to Brian Simmons, who is a medical marijuana provider. In addition, Simmons grows vegetables and hops on the property, said Lori Duckworth, the executive director of Southern Oregon NORML, a medical marijuana resource center located in Medford.

The farm, which is in the 300 block of East Gregory Road, is the second Rogue Valley farm to receive a federal search warrant in a week. DEA agents also raided a large medical marijuana farm last Tuesday on Old Stage Road in Gold Hill where over 400 plants were seized.

Duckworth said she toured the property three weeks ago and said the marijuana garden was within state guidelines for plants allowed per patient.
She said 22 patients who receive medical marijuana from the East Gregory Road garden are members of SONORML.

“Counting the previous raid, we now have 30 patients who will be without their medicine,” she said.

Gerri Badden, a spokewoman with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, would only confirm that there was a federal search warrant issued in Central Point. She did say that the warrant has been sealed by a district judge and that the search warrant from last week’s raid remains sealed as well.

— Chris Conrad