the
Sopris Carbondale’s
weekly, non-profit newspaper
Armed invasion of home reported
Volume 2, Number 37 | November 4, 2010
e buck stopped here
By Lynn Burton The Sopris Sun While police search for suspects in the armed invasion of a medical-marijuana caregiver’s home, town trustees are turning up the heat on themselves to draft medical marijuana regulations. “This (armed invasion) is very disturbing,” said Carbondale Mayor Stacey Bernot. “We need to do something to take action. … Three people with guns entered a home 20 feet from where kids were sleeping.” Carbondale Police Chief Gene Schilling reports that on Oct. 28 at about 11 p.m., three males brandishing guns entered a home on Cowen Drive in which at least one and possibly two medical marijuana caregivers live. They entered through unlocked front and back doors. The men kicked one of the home’s occupants in the face, and stole a large amount of cash and a small amount of medical marijuana. The men tried to make off with at least one medical marijuana plant,“But they dropped it in the driveway,”Schilling said. Two of the suspects are described as Latino males, ages 1825, both about 5-foot-7, one about 150 pounds and the other about 200 pounds. The third suspect is described as a “young looking”white male.All were wearing black beanies at the time of the incident. They left the scene in a dark-colored vehicle, possibly a Toyota Camry or similar type of vehicle. Schilling asked for anyone with information about the invasion to call the Carbondale Police Department at 963-2675. Carbondale has been a hotbed of medical marijuana action ever since state laws allowed dispensaries and related activities in the summer of 2009. There are 11 medical marijuana dispensaries — operating mostly in retail and office-type locations — in Carbondale where cardholders can legally buy small amounts of marijuana for a variety of medical conditions. Caregivers, some of whom operate in residential neighborhoods, can also provide medical marijuana to buyers. Bernot said the caregiver angle is a particular concern for trustees because so far, the town has no regulations that say where or how they can operate. Some caregivers reportedly grow marijuana in the homes where they operate.“Is this a home occupation?” she said. Bernot speculated that without town regulations, a caregiver operating in a residential neighborhood could have dozens of clients and grow dozens of plants in the house. “I don’t think this is what (town) people envisioned,” Bernot said. Since the summer of 2009, most Roaring Fork Valley towns have put limits on medical marijuana dispensaries or imposed moratoriums on them. Not Carbondale. After the first dispensary opened in Roaring Fork Village, the trustees appointed a citizen committee to make recommendation on regulating the trade.Trustees received the report several months ago and have discussed regulations but have taken no action. Bernot said the town has taken a “softer approach” than other towns in regulating the medical marijuana industry within ts borders and had taken somewhat of a “live and let live” attitude. “But when people with guns show up … this is a pivotal moment.” Schilling said he can’t remember the last time such a home invasion occurred in Carbondale.
Sun
This young buck stopped to graze in a field off Prince Creek Road just south of Carbondale late last week. His presence is a reminder that it’s the time of year when deer and elk migrate to the valley floor to find food, so please slow down when driving. Photo by Jane Bachrach
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