Oakland County deputies raid medical marijuana complex, make no arrests but seize cash

By Jonathan Oosting | MLive.com
Jan. 22, 2011

Oakland County Sheriff's deputies on Wednesday raided an Oak Park magazine, dispensary and hydroponic shop run by a local entrepreneur who says marijuana saved his life after a foot injury ended his construction career.

A spokesman for Rick "Big Daddy" Ferris, the 46-year-old Berkley resident who runs the complex -- which houses the Michigan Medical Marijuana Magazine office, nonprofit Big Daddy's Compassion Club and Big Daddy's Hydro -- told the Detroit Free Press that authorities did not make any arrests during the raid "because none of us were breaking the law."

They did, however, seize cash.

Jan. 13, Freep.com: In Wednesday's raid, officers wore bulletproof vests, and one wore a mask, said attorney Jim Rasor, who represents Big Daddy's Enterprises. But they took nothing except about $20,000 in cash, gathered from receipts, the offices and wallets of about 10 employees and patients, he said.

The sheriff gets 80% of the money seized, under state drug forfeiture laws that give the rest to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, said Rasor, who also is an elected Royal Oak city commissioner.

"I know, as a public official, that the public sector is running out of money. But it's just plain wrong to finance your operation on the backs of people who are ill (or) providing a safe alternative to obtaining medical marijuana on the street," Rasor said.