Laporte man found guilty in ‘medical marijuana’ case

BY Sarah smithssmith@parkrapidsenterprise.com Despite his best efforts to call attention to the medicinal powers of marijuana, Laporte resident David Paul Patterson was convicted Wednesday night of possessing seven pounds of pot with intent to distribute it. A Hubbard County jury took 30 minutes to deliver the verdict. Each crime of Fifth Degree Drug Possession carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Patterson claimed repeatedly throughout the trial that he was providing marijuana oil, often free, to friends and neighbors who needed a cure for or relief from ailments such as cancer, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Some of the jurors, during pre-trial questioning, said they felt marijuana should be legalized even for recreational purposes, in addition to medicinal reasons, but with strict governmental controls over it. Other jurors on the 12-member panel agreed pot should be outlawed. Period. Patterson wore a bright green T-shirt that read on the front “Of the people by the people, for the people.” The back of the shirt stated, “NOT of the police, by the police, for the police.” He wore jeans embroidered with marijuana leaves on the pockets. Marijuana was legalized for limited medical use only by the Minnesota Legislature in 2014. However, it was illegal when authorities raided Patterson’s rural home off County Road 45 on Jan. 24, 2014. A drug agent for the Paul Bunyan Task Force testified the raid was conducted after surveillance and undercover tips indicated Patterson was dealing marijuana, a charge Patterson vehemently denied. He admitted to “smoking a lot of pot” himself, but said he used it for spiritual and medicinal purposes only. He described himself as a Rastafarian, an African-centric religion that developed in Jamaica in the 1930s and was popularized by reggae singer Bob Marley. The movement is characterized by men and woman with dreadlocks smoking ganja, the Jamaican term for marijuana. It is a Christian-based religion and Patterson carried a Bible with him in court and read some passages from it until Hubbard County Attorney Don Dearstyne lodged numerous objections over the relevance of the passages. Patterson claimed in Biblical times, anointing oils were marijuana-based. “You guys are the criminals in the eyes of the Lord,” Patterson accused the prosecutor and judge. The undercover agent testified that Patterson was cooperative and pointed out where officers could fine the bags of marijuana. But he also testified that officers did not find marijuana oil simmering in a crock pot, while they seized a digital scale. A Bureau of Criminal Apprehension forensic scientist admitted not all of the bags of marijuana were tested, because of the cost and time involved. Some of the pot on display was allegedly homegrown, which Patterson denied planting, and most of it was “professionally packaged.” The undercover agent and forensic scientist said they could not testify as to the pot’s grade, whether it was “high grade.” The undercover agent testified that he was generally familiar with a “honey oil” refined with Butane. Patterson and his co-counsel, Frank Bibeau, tried to suggest the search warrant was defective because it was based on errors and that there was no proof Patterson had actually sold any pot. Thus, there was no criminal activity, they suggested, invalidating the search. Dearstyne again objected to the line of questioning and to several articles about the benefits of medical marijuana, which Rasmussen sustained. None of the articles made it to the jury. “We did rely on his cooperation,” the undercover agent admitted. “We did appreciate his cooperation.” Bibeau and Patterson maintained the political tide is turning in favor of legalizing marijuana, and more than half of the American public supports marijuana possession. However, those arguments were drowned out in a chorus of objections by the prosecutor. Rasmussen released Patterson on his own recognizance until sentencing March 30. He likely will serve a year in jail.        
BY Sarah smithssmith@parkrapidsenterprise.comDespite his best efforts to call attention to the medicinal powers of marijuana, Laporte resident David Paul Patterson was convicted Wednesday night of possessing seven pounds of pot with intent to distribute it.A Hubbard County jury took 30 minutes to deliver the verdict. Each crime of Fifth Degree Drug Possession carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.Patterson claimed repeatedly throughout the trial that he was providing marijuana oil, often free, to friends and neighbors who needed a cure for or relief from ailments such as cancer, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.Some of the jurors, during pre-trial questioning, said they felt marijuana should be legalized even for recreational purposes, in addition to medicinal reasons, but with strict governmental controls over it. Other jurors on the 12-member panel agreed pot should be outlawed. Period.Patterson wore a bright green T-shirt that read on the front “Of the people by the people, for the people.”The back of the shirt stated, “NOT of the police, by the police, for the police.”He wore jeans embroidered with marijuana leaves on the pockets.Marijuana was legalized for limited medical use only by the Minnesota Legislature in 2014.However, it was illegal when authorities raided Patterson’s rural home off County Road 45 on Jan. 24, 2014.A drug agent for the Paul Bunyan Task Force testified the raid was conducted after surveillance and undercover tips indicated Patterson was dealing marijuana, a charge Patterson vehemently denied.He admitted to “smoking a lot of pot” himself, but said he used it for spiritual and medicinal purposes only. He described himself as a Rastafarian, an African-centric religion that developed in Jamaica in the 1930s and was popularized by reggae singer Bob Marley.The movement is characterized by men and woman with dreadlocks smoking ganja, the Jamaican term for marijuana. It is a Christian-based religion and Patterson carried a Bible with him in court and read some passages from it until Hubbard County Attorney Don Dearstyne lodged numerous objections over the relevance of the passages.Patterson claimed in Biblical times, anointing oils were marijuana-based.“You guys are the criminals in the eyes of the Lord,” Patterson accused the prosecutor and judge.The undercover agent testified that Patterson was cooperative and pointed out where officers could fine the bags of marijuana. But he also testified that officers did not find marijuana oil simmering in a crock pot, while they seized a digital scale.A Bureau of Criminal Apprehension forensic scientist admitted not all of the bags of marijuana were tested, because of the cost and time involved.Some of the pot on display was allegedly homegrown, which Patterson denied planting, and most of it was “professionally packaged.”The undercover agent and forensic scientist said they could not testify as to the pot’s grade, whether it was “high grade.”The undercover agent testified that he was generally familiar with a “honey oil” refined with Butane.Patterson and his co-counsel, Frank Bibeau, tried to suggest the search warrant was defective because it was based on errors and that there was no proof Patterson had actually sold any pot. Thus, there was no criminal activity, they suggested, invalidating the search.Dearstyne again objected to the line of questioning and to several articles about the benefits of medical marijuana, which Rasmussen sustained. None of the articles made it to the jury.“We did rely on his cooperation,” the undercover agent admitted. “We did appreciate his cooperation.”Bibeau and Patterson maintained the political tide is turning in favor of legalizing marijuana, and more than half of the American public supports marijuana possession.However, those arguments were drowned out in a chorus of objections by the prosecutor.Rasmussen released Patterson on his own recognizance until sentencing March 30.He likely will serve a year in jail.