10/13/2011
An industry man entered a plea of not guilty to charges that stemmed from a drug bust that raised several questions about how to enforce the medical marijuana laws in the state of Maine.
The man, 37-year-old Christopher Sirois, was arrested by Maine drug enforcement agents in May after they found 226 marijuana plants when they raided his home. The search was triggered by agents’ suspicions that he was growing and at the same time, distributing marijuana. According to agency officials, Sirois is also suspected of selling another type of drug.
However, law enforcement officials are at a loss of what charges to file and against whom because a woman, who happens to be a medical marijuana patient, is also living in the same home.
Assistant Attorney General David Fisher, in a statement, revealed that Sirois was initially arrested on a drug trafficking charge for another drug, a hallucinogenic stimulant, while authorities determined how to handle the marijuana plants, as well as other evidences.
Following further investigation, Fisher said that a marijuana cultivation charge and another count of drug trafficking linked to evidence of other illicit drug activity was added to the string of charges against Sirois.
The 44-year-old woman living at the Shadagee Road residence has multiple sclerosis and she possesses an authorization from her doctor for medical marijuana.
Although the agents did not arrest the woman, they seized all except six of the marijuana plants found on the premises. According to Fisher, the woman was allowed to keep six marijuana plants because that is the number allowed by law for medical marijuana patients.
