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When news hit that D.C. cops busted a CBS reporter for dealing pot, we thought the journo might be the hook-up for federal Washington’s political and media elite. But a source familiar with Howard Arenstein‘s side of the case tells City Desk the 60-year-old Georgetown resident isn’t Jason Chaffetz‘s weed connect after all.
Police arrested Arenstein and his wife because of 11 fecund pot plants, that reached as high as eight-feet, along with several bags of pot. The couple was charged with possession with intent to distribute. That’s probably because the plants could have produced a pound of marijuana each, and 11 pounds of weed is a lot of smoke for two people, even if you’re dedicated stoners.
But the source says that despite all the product police found when they raided Arenstein’s home on Saturday, he wasn’t growing the herb for cash: “It was not being distributed to anyone else.” In fact, the source says, as details emerge, it’ll become apparent that the cannabis was being utilized as “medical marijuana.”
If that’s true, the whole ordeal might end up getting politicized. Though the law may come under fire if/when the Republicans win the House in November, the District has legalized pot for medicinal use. Despite the fact that patients aren’t allowed to grow their own plants or possess more than four ounces at a time, going forward, Arenstein—an award-winning journalist—could make a good poster boy for medical marijuana advocates.
Photo by katherine_hitt via Flickr/Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivs 2.0