Medical Cannabis distributor Les Crane slain

The Daily Journal
November 18, 2005

Les Crane, 39, owner of Mendo Spiritual Remedies in Laytonville and Hemp Plus Ministry in Ukiah, was shot to death at his Laytonville home early Friday morning.

Mendocino County Sheriff's Detective Commander D.J. Miller said Crane was killed about 2:30 a.m. in the home invasion. "The investigation has disclosed it appears to be robbery motivated. An undisclosed amount of currency and processed marijuana was stolen," Miller said.

Crane came to Mendocino County several years ago with $100 and a dog after selling his tie-dye business in Florida. He had heard Mendocino County had passed Measure G supporting legalization of marijuana in the county for personal use. He turned the $100 into a sizable profit that harvest year and took that nest egg and started the dispensary and then opened a youth center in Laytonville.

Law enforcement officials are seeing more violence sparked by marijuana.

......................................................................................................
And from: The Associated Press
Nov. 18, 2005

LAYTONVILLE, Calif. - A Laytonville pot guru who founded two Mendocino County medicinal cannabis clubs was shot to death during a robbery in his home early Friday.

Authorities said Les Crane's death could be related to his marijuana-growing and dispensing activities.

"I am totally surprised we haven't had more robberies and violent crimes associated with these things because of the amount of money involved and the value of the product," said Sheriff Tony Craver.

Two other people at Crane's home were beaten during the robbery. One suffered head injuries, the other a broken arm. Both have been released from the hospital.

Police have no suspects.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
We officially now have pirrahna in the waters.
I will update as any new information becomes available regarding this evil crime.

IMB

Background newspaper story

Background newspaper story

From the Ukiah Daily Journal originally published
2005-10-25

The owner of Mendo Spiritual Remedies in Laytonville and Hemp Plus Ministry in Ukiah -- who says he provides medical marijuana to more than a thousand people in Mendocino County -- will be in court next week to face charges for cultivation of marijuana.

Les Crane, founder and self-proclaimed reverend of the two churches where medical marijuana is available locally, said some 5,000 cannabis plants and his life savings -- about $6,000 converted into gold -- were seized by the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office on May 16.

"They came here because a guy was coming to rob my house. I called them to come and solve the problem and then they found out about the grow. We showed them all the documentation and they left and went and got a search warrant and came back and searched my church," Crane said.

"I bought those plants for $8 a piece from someone else and they came in and killed them and took my life savings."

According to Crane, he had permission from District Attorney Norm Vroman to grow as much marijuana as possible in a 10-foot by 10-foot space, but the deputies were not satisfied with the documentation provided for the medical cannabis.

"We told them that we had more patients and if they would just wait we could get more patients' notes and they said they didn't care," Crane said. "I was doing everything that Norm Vroman said and now I am being charged."

Mendo Spiritual Remedies serves some 800 people in the Laytonville area and Hemp Plus Ministry, which just opened last month in Ukiah, already has 200 patients, according to Crane.

Vroman said he does not remember talking individually with Crane about medical marijuana, but attested if distributors do not produce more than they are legally allowed, law enforcement officials only check to see if the operation is legitimate.

"I don't believe I ever told anyone it was legal to grow marijuana unless they have a doctor's recommendation or they have the documentation from someone who has a doctor's recommendation," Vroman said.

Crane said that after his money and property was seized, he filed a lawsuit to get his belongings back, which was when he was served notice that he was being charged with cultivation of marijuana.

"I am suing them in another court because I want my property back and as soon as they were served with the papers, they charged me," he said. "What they want to do is scare me."

According to Vroman, Crane is being charged for illegally cultivating marijuana to enforce the law, which has nothing to do with scare tactics.

"These are tactics that we use when we think someone is breaking the law and I guess the best place to sort that out is in the court room," Vroman said.

Crane will be in the Mendocino County Superior Court branch in Willits at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 2 for arraignment and said he plans on fighting the charges.

"Anyone that is a patient that would like to stand up, please join me and stand up against the tyranny," Crane said. "It isn't a controlled substance to me. This is a medicine and those laws do not apply to patients.
..............................................................................................

Another background news story:

Hemp Plus Ministry Will Continue Dispensing

Ukiah Daily Journal
October 13th, 2005

An organization distributing medical marijuana will not cease to do so even after receiving a letter from the city calling its actions "prohibited," employees said...


..."A man with multiple sclerosis who could not breathe without a machine drove more than an hour to Hemp Plus. An HIV-positive woman with Parkinson's began to cry when Duff handed her the cannabis and told her to keep the few dollars she had brought.
"If you live one day -- just one day -- like that and I'll give it to you for free," Duff said."
http://www.compassionatecoalition.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=7663&

A compassionate soul has passed, "Rest In Peace" Les, you and your loved ones are in our prayers.

....................................................................................................
A quotaion by Viktor Frankl:
We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.
...........................
Les was one of those men.
R.I.P. Les Crane

That's a damn shame. This man loses his life because he's trying to help people with medical problems.

The worst is the police won't bother working the case that hard if at all. This man's family will likely never see closure.

I love how they are blaming the weed for increased violence. Well DUH, they've made the black market so lucrative with the Drug War this is bound to start happening. There's always an element that will take what they want instead of earning it.

Peace, love and my condolences to those connected to this issue.

Hempy

That's absolutely terrible. I can't really put my emotions into words right now.

If only people would see that THIS is why cannabis should be legalized! The government created this situation...from the backstabbing police tactics to the fact that illegality inflates the value of the plant and gives heartless bastards a reason to go stealing & shooting.

What a goddam shame.

My condolences to everyone, as we are all connected to this horrible crime.

is there a grassy knoll or a book depository near where les lived?can you say police cover-up.sweep it under the rug.freakin' shame.my thoughts and prayers go out too thefamilies and folks affected.a man's life and a plant.can't we all just get a bong?

I wanted to link these two threads about Les together

I wanted to link these two threads about Les together

http://icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=270078#post270078

R.I.P. compassionate friend.

Wow, that's awful.

There's some really greedy people out there that will do these terrible things to get their hands on some weed and kill and injure others in the process.