Former Santa Barbara, California Cannabis Operators Face Charges of Illegal Sales

Prosecutors in Santa Barbara County, California have filed criminal charges against five former cannabis operators accusing them of perjury, the unlawful cultivation and sale of marijuana, and conspiracy to commit a crime, Noozhawk reports. The cases include individuals associated with Herbal Angels and Santa Barbara Greenland Deliveries (SBGD).  

In the Herbal Angels case, Eli Sheiman and Mariette Wingard, co-owners and operators of an allegedly illegal cannabis grow, each face two misdemeanor counts for growing more than six plants and illegally possessing cannabis for sale. Sheiman is also charged with two felony counts of perjury and falsification of public records. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

The SBGD case centers around an allegedly unlicensed cannabis operation and the alleged illegal sale of cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms. William “Bubba” Hines, a Louisiana oilman, Arthur Olowski, and Ingrid McCann are accused of conspiracy to commit crimes involving illegal cultivation, sale or transportation of cannabis, and the sale of a controlled substance for the psilocybin mushrooms. Hines and McCann face two felony counts, while Olowski faces four felony counts.  

Attorneys for all defendants argue, however, that their clients are victims of unclear county ordinances, and unresolved issues between California and federal law. Josh Webb, an attorney for Olowski, told Noozhawk that there is “so much gray area in the whole process” that “it’s been the Wild West.”     

Bill Makler, an attorney for Ingrid McCann, said his client “is caught up in a cauldron of unsettled and confusing laws that have come about since legalization of marijuana began, and she looks forward to presenting her defenses at trial.”  

Hearings for the cases are set for this month but typically these cases have been settled prior to trial.