On August 9th, 2012, armed federal agents stormed onto a peaceful Seattle farm — automatic weapons drawn — in a SWAT-team style raid.
They trashed the house, confiscated crops, took a hunting rifle and $700 in cash. They even seized a 4-wheeler the older farmers used to get around their property.
So what horrible crime did these simple farmers commit to bring such force upon them?
They were growing medical marijuana, which was completely legal according to Washington State law.
Known as the “Kettle Falls Five”, these farmers were acting within their legal rights, yet have now been sentenced to years behind bars.
This type of federal strong-arming has always had a chilling effect on legal medical marijuana producers. Even though 40 of the 50 states have allowed some form of legal medical marijuana, it was still classified as a Schedule I controlled substance.
That is the same classification given to heroin, LSD, and Ecstasy.
But thanks to a provision hidden in last week’s 2,000-page federal spending bill, these kinds of raids should never happen again.
And more importantly for investors like us, it will also open the floodgates for the biggest investment opportunity for the next 10 years…
Let’s have a quick look at why the Kettle Falls Five began using medical marijuana in the first place.
Rolland Gregg broke his back in a snowboarding accident when he was 17.
Doctors prescribed him opiates like Oxycontin for years, which he says left him feeling “like a zombie.” It also had other negative effects on his stomach and liver. But once he discovered the healing power of cannabis, it completely changed his life. Freed from the effects of heavy opiate use, marijuana alleviated his muscle pain and he was finally able to function at work and live comfortably.
Gregg’s wife was also struggling with her own health problems. She suffered from anxiety and eating issues. After she started using medical marijuana, it brought back her appetite and helped quell her anxiety.
Gregg’s stepfather had pancreatic cancer and was on a large amount of prescription drugs. After legally obtaining a medical marijuana prescription, he was able to manage the pain and effects of his cancer treatments without the nasty side-effects of his prescription drug regimen.
Since the entire family was now medicating with cannabis they did what any reasonable, resourceful person would do: they started to grow their own. It was far cheaper and more convenient than having to visit marijuana dispensaries constantly. The family did their homework and found that they were legally allowed under Washington State law to grow 15 plants a piece for medical use.
So that’s exactly what they did.
In a collective garden near Kettle Falls the group planted marijuana for their medical use. They weren’t hiding it — the garden was out in the open and even identified with a huge 4×8 plywood sign marked with a huge green cross.
They even had their prescriptions laminated and nailed to the sign.
They thought they were well within their legal rights.
The Feds thought otherwise…
When the Feds came to raid their property, they were scared and confused.
“The whole time it’s kind of been like a twilight zone because of all these people were growing recreationally and medically and selling, and we just grew these plants for our own consumption. And the evidence throughout the case proves it,” Gregg said.
“We have no idea. Why us?”
When the case went to trial, things got even more confusing.
The judge would not even allow the lawyers to mention medical marijuana, noting that there is no such thing under federal law. He even ordered supporters to remove green ribbons they were wearing to support the defendants.
In the end, Rolland Gregg was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. His wife Michelle and his mother Rhonda both got a year a piece.
His stepfather Larry lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, and was not charged.
While it seems too late for the Kettle Falls Five, the new provision in the federal spending bill spells out very clearly that this type of raid should never happen again. Hidden in the 2,000-page spending bill was the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment.
It reads as:
Sec. 538. None of the funds made available in this Act to the Department of Justice may be used, with respect to the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, to prevent such States from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana. Sec. 539. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used in contravention of section 7606 (“Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research”) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79) by the Department of Justice or the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The provision was sponsored by Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R) and Sam Farr (D) of California.
“This is a victory for so many. The first time in decades that the federal government has curtailed its oppressive prohibition of marijuana,” Rohrabacher said.
Farr said “The federal government will finally respect the decisions made by the majority of states that passed medical marijuana laws. This is a great day for common sense because now our federal dollars will be spent more wisely on prosecuting criminals and not sick patients.”
This is a momentous occasion for anyone who supports the public’s legal right to safely medicate.
If you’d like to help the Kettel Falls Five with their ongoing legal appeal, you can find details here.
