Massachusetts: Police Plan To Seek Charges Against Medical Marijuana Consultant

Jacob Redmond

Well-Known Member
State Police plan to seek drug-related charges against Northampton medical marijuana consultant Ezra Parzybok.

Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Steven E. Gagne said State Police plan to file an application for criminal complaint in Northampton District Court against Parzybok. Mary Carey, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said the charges were related to marijuana.

Parzybok said Wednesday afternoon that his attorneys had advised him not to comment on the issue until they had learned more about any possible charges.

Northampton Police reports show that officers from Northampton and State Police troopers visited Parzybok's home at 30 Norwood Ave. at 11:57 a.m. Tuesday. Northampton Police Capt. John Cartledge said the department is referring comment to the district attorney's office. Gagne and Carey said they could not give any more details.

Parzybok is an outspoken proponent of medical marijuana who advises medical marijuana patients or would-be patients about how to be certified by a doctor to use medical marijuana, how to grow it legally, and how to choose the right strain or method of consumption.

In a story published Sept. 15 in the Gazette's Health section, Parzybok – who was photographed with a marijuana plant – said he is certified to use medical marijuana.

State law allows a certified medical marijuana patient to possess 10 ounces, considered a two-month supply. If a financial or travel hardship prevents a patient from buying marijuana at a dispensary, he or she can be approved to grow a limited amount of plants, sufficient for a two-month supply.

Medical marijuana law experts have said that it is legal for any medical marijuana patient to grow the plant until a dispensary opens. The area's only dispensary, New England Treatment Access, is expected to open later this month at 118 Conz. St. in Northampton.

State law also allows a person to get permission from the state Department of Public Health to be a "caregiver" who is allowed to grow marijuana or buy it at a dispensary for a particular, certified patient.

Possession of an ounce of marijuana or less is not a criminal offense in Massachusetts.

In 2014, Parzybok, Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jeremy Bucci and other medical marijuana experts participated in a panel discussion hosted by the Gazette, WHMP and Northampton Community Television. Among the topics discussed was the legality of growing or possessing medical marijuana. The Gazette reported that Bucci said the district attorney's office would consider any marijuana-growing cases on their individual merits.

In any Northampton District Court case in which police file an application for criminal complaint, a clerk will review it to determine whether there is probable cause for that charge. If so, the police can seek an arrest warrant or ask for a summons to be issued to inform the defendant to be at court for arraignment.

15527.jpg


News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Police plan to seek drug charges against medical marijuana consultant Ezra Parzybok of Northampton
Author: Rebecca Everett
Contact: Contact Page
Photo Credit: The Associated Press/Teresa Crawford
Website: Gazette Net
 
So, are they going to charge him because he had a picture with a plant?! Did he say that was his plant and where was the picture taken? I don't see what possible charges they are going to bring down. It's time for all this BS to come to an end!
 
They haven't filed charges yet. This article doesn't even guess at the charges.

When Massachusetts poilice file charges, they generally accuse a citizen of many more things than they can prove. The charges reduce, and are often dismissed at the first hearing with a judge. - In other words, even if the charges SOUND bad, they usually don't turn out nearly as bad as it first seems, in Massachussetts.
 
Back
Top Bottom