Court orders return of seized cannabis to Ojai dispensary
Years after the Ventura County Sheriff's Office seized at least 25 pounds of cannabis from an Ojai dispensary, a court order prompted deputies to return the product this week.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge David Hirsch ordered the return of the product to Sespe Creek Collective, which deputies had raided in 2016, less than a week before Proposition 64 – California's voter-approved "marijuana act" – legalized recreational marijuana use by adults.
Authorities seized an estimated $350,000 worth of product from both Sespe's delivery operations and the personal collection of its chief executive officer, Chelsea Sutula. Deputies also seized $28,000 in bank funds and $6,000 in cash as part of a civil asset forfeiture.
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In the years since the raid, criminal charges against Sutula and Sespe were dropped and the money has been returned. But legal obstacles prevented the return of the seized cannabis until last month's court order.
"It's a victory in some ways, but a really disappointing one," Sutula said.
The cannabis had been improperly stored in brown paper bags, Sutula said. The bags of plants were filled with insects – both dead and alive – when she picked them up from the sheriff's office, rendering the product unusable.
"It was kind of gnarly," Sutula said.
However, the cannabis was destined to be destroyed even if it had been returned in its original condition because it was seized before it could be processed through the California Department of Cannabis Control's "track and trace" system, Sutula said. The system was created after Prop. 64 took effect.
She could not burn the plants, but had to mix them with other substances until they were no longer usable.
"The waste is the most upsetting thing for me," Sutula said.
Since the 2016 seizure, Sutula has rebuilt Sespe Creek into a successful cannabis dispensary and delivery company. Long an advocate for cannabis' legalization, Sutula said she believed she was initially targeted due to her public advocacy work.
With the returned cannabis now destroyed, Sutula said she intends to sue the sheriff's office for damages incurred by the raid, though no lawsuit had been filed as of Friday.
"I'm trying to put it behind me," she said, "but I want justice at the same time."
Jeremy Childs is a breaking news and public safety reporter covering the night shift for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached by calling 805-437-0208 or emailing jeremy.childs@vcstar.com. You can also find him on Twitter @Jeremy_Childs.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Court orders return of seized cannabis to Ojai dispensary
