Jun.11, 2010

The Santa Barbara Police Department served search and arrest warrants Friday morning at a marijuana dispensary on State Street believed to be operating illegally.

Hortipharm, at 3516 State St., is accused of operating outside the limitations of the Compassionate Use Act, which provides limited immunity from laws prohibiting marijuana sales, possession and cultivation, according to Paul McCaffrey, a lieutenant with the police department.

He said the investigation, conducted jointly by the police department and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, also revealed evidence that the owners had laundered money through their other business, Pizza Guru.

The owners — Joshua David Braun, 33, and Dayli Rose Braun, 26 — were tracked down at a Goleta-area hotel and arrested on charges of laundering. Joshua Braun also was charged with possession of marijuana for sales. Bail for each was set at $1 million.

Police have seized a large quantity of marijuana, concentrated marijuana known as hashish, other marijuana products and paraphernalia, and sophisticated equipment used to grow large quantities of marijuana.

In addition to the Hortipharm dispensary, police conducted search warrants at several other locations including:

» 270 Vereda Pradera in Goleta

» Pizza Guru at 3534 State St.

» 304 Mesa Lane

» 832 W. Victoria St.

» A residence on Almond Avenue, used as an indoor grow house

» 7553 Hempstead in Goleta

» 5423 Santa Rita Road in Lompoc

» A storage facility in Goleta

Santa Barbara police detectives made the additional following arrests:

» Carl David Quinn, 31, for possession of marijuana for sales. Bail was set $50,000.

» Nicole Cate McKernan, 24, for possession of marijuana for sales and marijuana sales. Bail was set at $50,000.

» Tiffany Shinn, 25, for possession of marijuana. She was cited and released.

Detectives with the sheriff’s department arrested George Wardlaw, 46, for possession of marijuana for sales, and Andrew Edison, 35, for resisting arrest. Wardlaw’s bail was set at $30,000. Edison was cited and released.

McCaffrey said the investigation is continuing, and more arrests are expected.