Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
U.S. authorities have handed a case concerning 157 pounds of marijuana found in the gas tank of suspected drug smugglers in St. Paul, Minn. to local police.
Local authorities said they found it unusual that the federal government would decline to prosecute a case involving such a large amount of marijuana, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Thursday.
"I think it is unusual," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said. "This is a significant quantity of marijuana that these people were caught with."
Kent Bailey, head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration's Minneapolis field office, said the organization does not forward marijuana cases to the U.S. attorney's office unless the amount involved exceeds 500 pounds. The St. Paul case involved 157 pounds of the substance, which was discovered by auto mechanics when the suspects took their vehicle in for service.
"It's a big case by state standards but a small case by federal standards," defense attorney Fred Bruno, who is not involved in the case but has dealt with similar cases, told the Star Tribune. "That amount would raise just about every eyebrow in the state judicial system, but maybe not many in the federal system."
News Moderator - User 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: yfuls.com
Copyright: 2007 UPI
Website: Playfuls.com
Local authorities said they found it unusual that the federal government would decline to prosecute a case involving such a large amount of marijuana, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Thursday.
"I think it is unusual," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said. "This is a significant quantity of marijuana that these people were caught with."
Kent Bailey, head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration's Minneapolis field office, said the organization does not forward marijuana cases to the U.S. attorney's office unless the amount involved exceeds 500 pounds. The St. Paul case involved 157 pounds of the substance, which was discovered by auto mechanics when the suspects took their vehicle in for service.
"It's a big case by state standards but a small case by federal standards," defense attorney Fred Bruno, who is not involved in the case but has dealt with similar cases, told the Star Tribune. "That amount would raise just about every eyebrow in the state judicial system, but maybe not many in the federal system."
News Moderator - User 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: yfuls.com
Copyright: 2007 UPI
Website: Playfuls.com
