Pubdate: Wed, 02 Mar 2011
Source: Record Searchlight (Redding, CA)
Copyright: 2011 Record Searchlight
Contact:  http://www.redding.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/360
Author: Sean Longoria

SISKIYOU COUNTY SHERIFF LOPEY STANDS BY HIS WORDS ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The Siskiyou County sheriff is standing by controversial comments he
made at a recent Dunsmuir City Council meeting.

Dunsmuir Mayor Nick Mitchell asked Sheriff Jon Lopey at the Friday
meeting for his opinion on the role of the Sheriff's Office if the
council adopted a medical marijuana cultivation ordinance up for
discussion that night.

Lopey spoke for more than 20 minutes on his experiences as a law
enforcement officer dealing with medical marijuana, but his comments
about the stabbing of a deputy earlier that day grabbed the attention
of residents.

"I just got back from the hospital ... because one of my officers was
assaulted over in Dorris this afternoon by an individual who has a
medical marijuana card," Lopey said at the meeting. "I'm not saying
that means somebody using marijuana is prone to that kind of behavior,
but I'm just telling you there are deleterious effects of illicit drug
use, or in this case and some cases, legal use of marijuana."

The unidentified deputy was stabbed and cut several times with pieces
of a broken vase after he responded to a suicidal subject call in
Dorris, said sheriff's spokeswoman Allison Giannini. The deputy was
told the man had overdosed on antidepressants.

He and another deputy hit the alleged attacker, 20-year-old Skylar
Brown of Dorris, several times with a stun gun but it had no effect,
Giannini said. Together, they were able to subdue Brown and arrest
him.

Lopey has declined to release the deputy's name because he's the
victim of a violent crime, he said Wednesday.

Lopey's remarks before the council drew attention from Dunsmuir
residents, including City Councilman Ed Steele, who said he's received
many e-mails from residents who were confused and disturbed by the
sheriff's comments.

"Sheriff Lopey implied in his testimony before the Dunsmuir City
Council that one of his deputies was injured by someone under the
influence of medical marijuana," Steele said on his blog,
CouncilmanEdSteele.com. "I have researched this issue further, and
feel that Sheriff Lopey did this mentally ill person a huge disservice
and broke trust with we members of the Dunsmuir City Council who need
to feel confident that the information provided us by the sheriff's
department is accurate and without bias."

Lopey said Wednesday that he isn't certain marijuana was a factor in
the stabbing but said it could have been. He did not want to comment
on Brown's mental health status but said Brown was very profane and
combative at the hospital and was screaming at deputies to return his
marijuana.

"He was not a very cooperative subject," Lopey said.

Lopey also said his comments came from his more than 20 years'
experience as a drug recognition officer for the California Highway
Patrol, member of California Narcotics Officers' Association and
court-certified drug expert.

Leslie Wilde, who owns Dunsmuir's only medical marijuana collective,
said Wednesday it seemed like Lopey was trying to get the council to
ban cultivation.

"I thought that was a cheap shot," Wilde said.

Lopey said the Sheriff's Office will support the rights of any medical
marijuana patient or collective that follows the law and he'll meet
with anyone who wants to discuss the matter.

"I thought I made it clear that I would support any ordinance the
council passed," he said. "I'll treat anybody fairly as long as they
comply with the law." 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.