Pubdate: Thu, 17 Mar 2011
Source: Montana Standard (Butte, MT)
Copyright: 2011 Montana Standard
Contact:  http://www.mtstandard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/609
Author: Angela Brandt, Montana Lee Newspapers

WORKERS SAY RAID LEFT BUSINESS IN RUINS

HELENA -- Jade Starr, an employee at Montana Cannabis, along with other
workers cleaned up the gutted greenhouse Tuesday morning following a
raid by federal agents.

"It felt like a serious armed robbery to me," Starr said. "They did a
real good job of ruining everything."

Starr, who still has marks on his wrists from where he was handcuffed,
said the whole incident is surreal. About $70,000 worth of lights were
taken along with all of the medical marijuana.

Chris Williams, co-owner of Montana Cannabis, said he is "shaken and
in a fog."

"We haven't broken any laws. I don't know what they think they've
got," he said. "I know they don't have a case against me."

Williams said the company is breaking even.

"We reported every bit of money we got. We don't have any large sum of
money," he said.

Employees said the recovery process will be taken day by
day.

"They think they ruined us, but we've been working for free for months
because we believe in the cause," Jena Thompson said as she picked up
empty pots.

Dan Weber, a part-time worker and patient, said he started
volunteering at the greenhouse because he simply liked being around
the plants. Williams is a phenomenal boss, Weber said.

"I've never had an employer who cared as much as Chris. They've bent
over backwards as an employer," he said.

Weber said the saddest part is the patients who will
suffer.

"This is the only medicine that doesn't affect me adversely," said
Weber, whose left side is paralyzed following a stroke.
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.