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HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. – Eight people, including a former police officer, face felony charges for their roles in an alleged medical marijuana scheme in the Arkansas Delta.
The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control, which oversees the state’s medical marijuana program, said the scheme involved selling marijuana out of a dispensary to people without medical cards.
The case centers around the Greenlight dispensary in Helena-West Helena. Like all Arkansas dispensaries, only those with medical marijuana cards are allowed to shop there. According to state officials, though, a group of employees tried to find a way around that part of the law. They were arrested over the last week.
“This is a first in the industry. We have not seen anything like this,” Scott Hardin, a spokesperson for Arkansas’ ABC, said. “Today we’ve got eight people arrested, but that number could grow.”
More than 100,000 Arkansans have licenses to buy marijuana, but Hardin said the employees at Greenlight attempted to expand access to the drug illegally.
Hardin told FOX13 until now, the worst kind of violations he was aware of at dispensaries included employees incorrectly measuring or mishandling product, which were met with fines, not arrests.
He said the state’s investigation found the employees were using dead, elderly or inactive patients’ medical cards to buy marijuana, which they resold to people without medical cards.
John Mueller, Greenlight’s CEO, told FOX13 in a statement the employees were fired in January, immediately after the company was informed after the investigation.
“This matter came to our attention in January of this year, and we immediately terminated the employees involved and began working with the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Enforcement Division, the Arkansas Marijuana Medical Commission and local law enforcement on this investigation,” Mueller said. “Greenlight’s primary focus is protecting patients and their access to legal cannabis as well as supporting a fully regulated market.”
One of the fired Greenlight employees, Greg McDaniel, then started a job in law enforcement.
Vincent Bell, Helena-West Helena’s police chief, told FOX13 McDaniel was hired about three months ago. Bell said he was aware McDaniel had previously worked at the dispensary, but did not believe it to be a problem.
Bell said he did not know about the investigation until he was told McDaniel was about to be charged, at which point McDaniel resigned.
“Arkansas’ medical marijuana industry is among the most strictly regulated in the country, if not the most. Once a seed goes in the ground, it is being tracked from seed to sale,” Hardin said. “We want the industry to understand that this kind of thing is not going to be accepted.”
The ABC said the case is still under investigation, so the amount of money and marijuana involved in the alleged scheme is still under investigation. More charges may be filed.
The Phillips County Sheriff’s Office said all eight suspects were booked and released from jail. They are due in court November 25.
The suspects and their charges are listed below:
Greg McDaniel: Obtaining Drugs by Fraud, Class D Felony; Use of a Communication Device, Class C Felony; and Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Class A MisdemeanorApril Jones: Obtaining Drugs by Fraud, Class D FelonyShameka Wright: Obtaining Drugs by Fraud, Class D FelonyGerald W. Jennings: Obtaining Drugs by Fraud, Class D FelonyLauren Delk: Obtaining Drugs by Fraud, Class D FelonyAusten Delk: Obtaining Drugs by Fraud, Class D FelonyTaylor Perkins: Obtaining Drugs by Fraud, Class D FelonyDemario Rose: Obtaining Drugs by Fraud, Class D Felony
”}]] ALLEGED DISPENSARY SCHEME – The case centers around the Greenlight dispensary in Helena-West Helena. Like all Arkansas dispensaries, only those with medical marijuana cards are allowed to shop there. According to state officials, though, a group of employees tried to find a way around that part of the law. They were arrested over the last week. Read More