DEA Raids First Medical Pot Co-op Applicant

By TIFFANY REVELLE/The Ukiah Daily Journal

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration last week raided the Covelo home of the county's first applicant for a 99-plant exemption under the county's newly revised medical marijuana cultivation code.

"I don't know why this came up on the DEA's radar," Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said, adding that none of the other approximately 10 applicants had been raided by the DEA.

"I'm sure when the case is unsealed by the judge we'll know a whole lot more," Allman said.

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors finalized changes in the county's ordinance governing the cultivation of medical marijuana earlier this year - codified as section 9.31 of the county code. Among the changes is an exemption to the county's 25-plants-per-parcel rule for cooperatives that apply for a permit with the Sheriff's Office.

The changes were effective in May, and the county adopted permit and garden inspection fees June 22. The permit requires applicants to buy a zip tie for each of their plants from the Sheriff's Office, which are intended to signify that the plants were inspected for compliance with state and local law.

The woman, identified as Joy Greenfield of the Chicken Ridge area, had purchased 25 zip ties from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office and was in the process of buying 74 more, according to Allman, for a total of 99 plants. Her marijuana garden had passed an initial inspection, he said, but she hadn't yet received her permit.

Greenfield posted a notice in her driveway stating she was in the process of getting the permit, about 200 yards from her garden. An MCSO officer who accompanied DEA agents said Greenfield was asked to move her sign closer to her garden.

The MCSO officer who accompanied DEA agents on the raid knew they were going to the property of a woman who had applied for the exemption, Allman said.

"The DEA knows the Board of Supervisors passed the 9.31 exemption," Allman said, adding, "That doesn't mean you're exempt if you're in violation of federal law."

The investigation is ongoing, Allman said, adding that he couldn't comment further because he didn't know much about it.

"Her application wasn't shown to anybody from the federal government," he said, noting the raid didn't have as negative an effect on the numbers of people applying for the exemption as he had thought it would.

Since the fees were adopted in late June, Allman noted, about 10 co-ops have applied for the permits. The Sheriff's Office has sold $30,000 worth of zip ties since January.