A 56-year-old cannabis cultivator in Wimer, Oregon was beaten and robbed earlier this month in what is reported to be the first violent crime at a licensed cannabis grow, according to the Oregonian.
James Bowman suffered a broken nose and black eyes in the attack, during which his assailants made off with his entire harvested crop. Bowman moved to Wimer two years ago to grow medical cannabis after a previous farm in Ruch was raided by law enforcement officials in 2012, prior to voters approving the adult-use initiative. After the move, his farm, BlueSky Gardens, was granted a tier two cultivation license by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which allows outdoor cannabis grows on up to 40,000 square feet of land.
Bowman reported the theft, as state law requires, to the commission who will conduct an administrative investigation after the criminal investigation closes.
Jackson County Detective Jason Penn explained that the cannabis was stolen from a cargo container which had been secured by a padlock — which Penn said “are easily clipped off.” The site was under video surveillance, but the thieves damaged the system and authorities are trying to determine what footage might still exist.
Bowman’s product was at its peak; harvested, cured, and ready for market.
“It’s all buttoned up nicely in big totes and it’s ready to go,” Penn said in the report. “It’s like coming to someone’s house on Christmas Eve and taking all their goodies.”
According to Oregrown Co-founder Aviv Hadar, premium outdoor-grown cannabis is worth $1,600 to $2,100 per pound wholesale and double that amount on the retail market.
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