Did you see a SWAT team in Blaine Wednesday? It was for four pot plants, cannabis board says

A man growing four marijuana plants over the legal limit in his home prompted a visit from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team Wednesday, according to the state Liquor and Cannabis Control Board.

Police searched the man’s home in the 500 block of G Street at about 2 p.m., Blaine Police said. The man, whose name was not released, was not arrested, but the control board will pass along information to the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office for potential charges, said Capt. Tom Dixon with the board’s enforcement division.

Blaine police began investigating the house after hearing complaints from neighbors about vehicles coming and going and odor of marijuana coming from the home.

During their search, police found 10 plants growing inside the home, Dixon said, adding that the man was allowed to only grow six plants for medicinal use. Police also found other marijuana and paraphernalia, Dixon said, including:

▪ More than three times the allowed amount of usable marijuana

▪ An illegal butane extractor used for making marijuana concentrate

▪ Packaging materials

Police allowed the man to decide which marijuana plants he could keep and cut the extra four. Dixon declined go into detail about the packaging materials found at the house. He added police found other evidence the man was taking orders from at least one person to distribute marijuana through the mail for money.

Blaine Police’s threat-assessment protocol led the department to decide a SWAT team was necessary to serve the search warrant, Dixon said, adding that the liquor and cannabis board was not involved in that decision.

“We are thankful they addressed the threat level they were supposed to address,” he said.

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Did you see a SWAT team in Blaine Wednesday? It was for four pot plants, cannabis board says."