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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Medical Pot Grower Smoking Hot at Cops

PORTLAND, Ore. (CN) - A member of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program says police targeted him for repeated arrests, falsely accused him of possessing explosives and forced him to move from home to home after he called to report the theft of his crop.

In his federal complaint, Anthony Beasley accuses the City of Keizer and 12 police officers of refusing to investigate a break-in in which two former roommates stole his pot plants. Rather than look for the thieves, Beasley says, police seized what was left of his stash.

Five days later, Beasley says, the same people broke in again, and this time called police to report two supposed pipe bombs in his house. Police searched the house and found no explosives, but did find the pipes Beasley says he uses to make hashish.

The cops arrested him, though they should have known his medical marijuana permit made it legal for him to make hashish, according to the complaint. Beasley says one officer told him that the hash pipes had finally given police a way to make "some serious charges stick." He says the police refused again to arrest the people who had broken into his house.

Beasley, who says he is authorized to grow marijuana for himself and three other patients, says he was evicted because of the false pipe bomb charges. He says the media circus surrounding his legal troubles has made it impossible for him to find housing and has forced him to live on friends' couches.

Beasley demands damages for constitutional violations, intentional targeting of a medical marijuana card holder, intentional infliction of emotional distress, privacy invasion and interference with contract.

He is represented by Brian Michaels of Eugene.

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