By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A Chehalis firefighter has been charged with possession of synthetic marijuana after “Spice” wrappers were found in the trash in the fire station building.
Adam Myer, 42, resigned from the department last week.
The one count of possession of a controlled substance filed in Lewis County Superior Court is a class C felony.
Myer denied using the drug during work hours.
Spice is one of numerous products that were legal until about a year ago, according to Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher.
“You used to be able to buy them over the counter,” Meagher said.
According to charging documents and Chehalis police, a police detective this summer was interviewing fire department employees about suspected thefts of small amounts of cash around the department.
That investigation didn’t lead to anything, but Chief Kelvin Johnson told the detective about a garbage bag containing suspicious empty packaging which had been discovered in the bathroom of the old police department next door.
Detective Rick Silva was told Myer spent a lot of his off-duty time at the station and at one point had spent several hours in that restroom, which his co-workers thought was odd.
The residue found with the wrappers was tested at the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab in Vancouver and had a chemical known as Naphthoylindole, which is now classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, according to charging documents.
Spice refers to a mixture of herbs typically sprayed with a synthetic compound similar chemically to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana; it is usually smoked, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
It is known by various labels including or K-2, Black Mamba, Bombay Blue, Fake Weed, Genie and Zohai, according to the DEA.
The documents allege Myer told the detective on July 20 the packaging was his, but he had not used the substance for some time and “straightened up” after a long talk with a fellow firefighter.
Chief Kelvin Johnson was unavailable to offer comment on Myer’s employment status, but co-workers yesterday said Myer last worked on July 20 and resigned last week.
Myer confirmed that yesterday, and said he didn’t want to discuss the case.
He said he has a medical condition that forced him to give up his job.
He disputed he admitted to the detective the Spice packaging was his.
“I never knowingly bought anything illegal,” Myer said. “It was a legal product bought from a store in Chehalis.”
He said it was perhaps unwise, but not against the law as far as he knew.
Myer said that after he spoke with detective Silva the first time, stores in Chehalis were still selling the product, saying he knew of three local businesses engaged in its sale for the better part of the summer.
“If they’re going to consider something illegal, they ought to prevent the sale of it, so people don’t unwittingly buy it,” Myer said.
Chehalis Police Department Deputy Chief Randy Kaut said he isn’t aware of any businesses still selling the banned products.
It’s not something officers saw a whole lot of, although it did start to increase a little bit not long before it was banned, according to Kaut.
The Washington State Board of Pharmacy last autumn permanently banned the sale, possession and use of chemicals contained in products such as Spice, K-2, Bath Salts and others, made with either synthetic marijuana or synthetic stimulants.
An increasing number of reports from poison centers, hospitals and law enforcement prompted the DEA to control the active ingredients in synthetic marijuana beginning in March of last year. A measure signed in to federal law this summer added 26 synthetic drugs to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
Deputy Prosecutor Meagher said no merchants have been charged in Lewis County under the new law. Less than five individuals locally have been charged with possession, Meagher said.
Myer has been summonsed to appear in court on Nov. 6.
•••
In Cowlitz County, prosecutors recently dismissed similar charges against two individuals because at the time they possessed the substances, it was not illegal yet to possess them. Read about it here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Ofcourse you would comment on this news David Lowe because you are a criminal who uses drugs (in my opinion). What would America be like without Laws? According to David Lowe it would be one big pot smoking orgie which I’m sure he’d love! However, America is built on ethics and morals. Dipsh*ts like David Lowe are cock roaches that unfortunately we as civilians have to deal with. He wishes for no boundaries, no one that will hold him accountable for his actions, and no one that will stop his criminal ways.
We are more than that.
This county will not fold to the corrupt talk of the criminal David Lowe.
The problem with the pending vote to legalize marijuana is that is does not allow for private citizens to grow their own. When the law is written that way it means the state will still be spending money to prosecute people for growing their own. Also if it is taxed to a point that it is outrageoulsy expensive then the cartels will just cut their “street” prices and still make a profit.
Also we just got the state out of the liquor business and they sold all those stores. The state would need to buy stores, places to grow the marijuana and hire people to work in the stores.
There is also the fact that marijuana is still a controlled substance under federal law leaving WA State marijuana stores open to prosecution.
No on I-502!!!
Cannabis is already legal to patients who need it most with a doctor’s recommendation.
Instead of trying to make the sales and distribution of cannaibs more like the sales and distribution of alcohol, we need to make alcohol sales more like cannabis sales; requiring a doctor’s recommendation and STRICT allowances of product.
The way it is now, any person of legal age can walk into a pharmacy and buy enough liquor to kill themselves and they don’t even need an authorization or card that shows they’ve taken classes on the dangers of alcohol or that alcohol can kill.
But, we require a doctors recommendation for a herb that doesn’t kill anybody, ever. I’m just saying that if were going to be nazi’s and require paperwork for a benign and harmless herb, then why not require paperwork for substances that kill tens of thousands annually?
Falsetto – I pretty much agree with everything you’ve said. “Minimalist” was probably the wrong word to use in trying to express myself. I do want all good things for all Americans, but as you said, the monies that are bilked from us are totally misused and misapplied. Once it’s in their hands, it’s nearly impossible to have a say in what they do with it.
Please Vote I-502 end the Nonsense. Marijuana has killed no one. Alcohol, Prescription Drugs, Ciggerettes and Police are killing in Record Numbers all over a peson and their right to ingest a Herb, Plant, Product of the Earth a Gift from God….
Just think of all of the Trees we will be able to save.
The Government has sold us out on this one everyone!
DCE -thanks for the response. But what is your assessment of the bill to “legalize” MJ? i.e., “WA state to tax it 25% at every level of production, distribution, and sale PLUS $1000 per year per location to maintain a license PLUS the usual annual B&O tax PLUS the usual annual income tax.”
(By the way, since this would be a legal state activity, but still remains a federal crime, how does one actually report and pay federal taxes on an illegal activity without telegraphing yourself for federal prosecution?)
It’s a joke… once WA has the ability to levy such tax on every step of prod, distr, and sale, it’s impossible to modify it to reduce the tax. They’re only agreeing to legalize it if they can rape the producers and users to such magnitude. I say this bill is not legalization of MJ, but rather, bribery deemed legal only because it’s the government.
We need a government that is beholden to The People, rather than private international corporate interests.
The phrase “minimalist government” is a generalization and can be interpreted misleadingly.
The government is spread across a very wide spectrum that includes everything pretty much every aspect of our lives. Someone once said, “There are two certainties in life; death and taxes”. That being said, it’s apparent there’s no such thing as a ‘minimalist’ government except in the cases of such places as afghanistan or burma where there really is no government and no schools, water treatment plants, etc.
These are the things that make the United States unique, in that we have a STRONG government. But what makes us weak is when our tax dollars are spent on other countries before being spent on Americans.
In essence, one could argue that when it comes to heathcare and programs to help the disabled, elderly, and poor; we already have a minimalist government!
What needs to happen is we as The People of the United States need to demand that our tax dollars are spent here at home on the problems that affect Americans. Then, if there is any money left over, we can help others in places like Afghanistan where they are more than happy not to have to pay taxes like rich Americans.
What a complete Joke this is, The guy buys a Tabacoo like product at a local store instead of Alcohol and ends up with criminal charges. I’m sorry but the System is out of control. There are Police Officers in Centralia Under the Influence of Pain Meds and their allowed to carry a Badge and a Gun.
I agree the guy had a small problem, but life is a learning process. There has to be more to the story. The Firehouse is like a Family. Infact I know a Retired Montana FireMarshall, and this issue should have been worked out in private… Just Look at The Cop Calling Nanny State That Has Formed.. People The Police are not your friends. There is no rehabilitaion in jail, its a criminal training camp… Now this guy is screwd for a while… Look at what our society is doing to our fellow man…. So what he smoked some spice.. No Diferent that going to the Local Bar and downing some suds… Alcohol Kills…Canabis has never killed anyone, it’s a shame that this fire fighter Just Didn’t get a MMJ card and Puff The Magic Dragon….After all You can be prescribed pills that will kill you but those are leagal… Do you see what’s happening to Freedoms?
Legalize Cannabis so people don’t have to smoke dangerous Spice……….Enough..Spread the Word
Hello Morning Coffee, two days ago I was arrestted for allegedly maintainng a building where cannabis was sold this was over a year and a half ago. The Centralia Police are so wrong. When I was at the Tower Avenue Store it was my Mission to Train People how to grow cannabis and not sell the product there. I was then releived of my Duties at Hub City Natual Medicine because I refused to sell cannabis from the Building. Them a month long police investigation was conducted. Not once was I recorded on the Premis. In fact 3 people have already been convicted for these crimes, Colby Cave, Don Mack and Lauri Spangler. Ms Spangler was the leaser of the Building. I had nothing to ever do with cannabis sales at this facility, yet the prosecution is now trying to convict me for explaing to stundets how to cultivate cannabis. This is a Real attack on free speech. Check out my web site and watch the Centralia Police shut off my video camera with no warrant. The real criminals here are the Cemtralia PD…..Here’s the Kicker as a documentary movie maker I recorded all of my class room training lessons with my video camera and have a huge time line of proof. I have done something no one else has ever done. I will be challenging the Kangaroo Court all the way to trial. Free speech is not a crime Yet….And a Medical Marijuana Training Center is not against the Law. But shutting off a video camera is when your a police officer.. Here’s that proof..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L192EzJQcvY&list=UUq4XOCoy9DKGkUzW73rCz3g&index=1&feature=plcp What is all boils down to is that the Centralia Police are concerned about my web site and have even told me to take it down…..Free Speech is our right. I am standing up for the community by doing what I do…
I too agree cannabis should be legalized, but if you read the full text for the measure, it allows WA state to tax it 25% at every level of production, distribution, and sale PLUS $1000 per year per location to maintain a license PLUS the usual B&O tax PLUS the usual income tax. That’s ridiculous! WA state wants to generate billions on the proposition of legalizing cannabis…. where will the tax be spent?…. supposedly the greatest % would be applied to health care. I dunno…. we need a minimalist government… I can’t support the measure when the greedy government is only doing it to find yet one more way to bilk money from the citizens.
To bad that this had to happen, this is why Cannabis needs to be legalized. The Governments Lie is over, Marijuana does not cause Black men to rape white woman, nor does it kill brain cells, in fact cannabis and the human mind have a special connection. the human mind has built in cannaboid receptors, and cannabis only clouds brain cells. Here’s another fact , you cannot overdose from Cannabis like you can from alcohol. The Fact is Big Business Like Budweiser , Dupont and many other companys do not want cannabis legalized because of it’s paper pulp abilitys. Also George Bushes parachute cords were made from cannabis. Even the Declaration of Independence was printed on Hemp Paper. I would rather have a stoned driver on the road than a drunk any day. There have also been studies that prove people who smoke marijuana before driving auctualy are safer drivers. In fact the Fluoride in the City Of Centralia’s water supply is far more Dangerous than Cannabis. The Fluoride has skull and bones on the bag. Cannabis is also being reclassified for it’s prper medical use. Lets face it Marijuana is here to stay. We the People have had enough of the Governments Lies… Why worry about cannabis when the Government is importing Herion, don’t think so.. Heres the Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj-b3pB6M7s And lets not forget the CIA plane that crashed with 6 tons of cocaine onboard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendition_aircraft… I look at it this Way, Marijuana Growers are protecting the United States by meeting the supply and demand here in our own country. Growing Cannabis here in the US lowers the amount needed from the Drug Cartels…… The game is Over.. Vote 1-502 Marijuana has never killed anyone ever…….Alcohol and prescription pills are killing by the thousands. The difference is they are so called legal drugs, while Cannabis is a Herb, Not a Drug. In fact Ciggerettes are more addicting than crack cocaine yet you can buy this product anywhere, and the kill rate is criminal… I wish the Fire Fighter was able to access Cannabis instead of Spice. And yes I use the Miracle medicine to lower my prescription pill intake. People can say what ever they want about me, but millions of Americans cannot be wrong. Look at Micheal Phelps, he uses cannabis and he’s a winner……….The Government is a Liar and they have made millions of criminals over a plant….. Check out Law Enforcement against Prohibition, even cops say legalize drugs. http://www.leap.cc/ Reseach the Facts, I know its hard for people to change their minds about this so called Gate Way Drug,
Please Support 502 so people like this can access cannabis, like you can alcohol….Everone has a right to ingest products into their bodys if it’s not causing harm. So challenge me and prove to me that marijuana isn’t safe.
this makes me sad.. not angry..just sad…being that I have lived in the area for over 20 years and most of that time in Chehalis,I consider Chehalis Fire Dept “my department” because I lived in Chehalis so long..And being that I was in VISIONS for 2 years and the Late Brian Slater substituted in that class,the department was one I really got to know well..I always found myself watching the trucks go by,or if the truck was responding to a fire nearby where I lived,I’d come down and watch..
Reading this article,and having met most of the firefighters,I can only say that I am sorry to see one of the finest young guys on that department go out this way..