A 58-year-old Mountain View man authorities say ran an unlicensed medical marijuana dispensary made his initial court appearance Monday.
Hilo District Judge Harry Freitas ordered Michael “Mike” Doyle Ruggles to return at 2 p.m. today for a preliminary hearing.
Ruggles was initially charged with 30 drug and drug paraphernalia charges and one firearms-related charge after police executed a search warrant Thursday on his Pikake Street property in Fern Acres.
Police say they confiscated 134 marijuana plants, 49.3 pounds of dried processed marijuana, 1.2 pounds and 357 capsules of suspected marijuana concentrate, 5.5 pounds of marijuana edibles, $1,846 in cash for forfeiture, a loaded pistol, a loaded shotgun and a 15-round magazine for a pistol.
A number of those charges have been consolidated, and Ruggles now faces two counts each of first-degree commercial promotion of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, and one count each of first-degree promotion of a detrimental drug, first-degree promotion of a harmful drug and possessing a prohibited pistol magazine.
Ruggles’ bail was reduced from its original $84,500 to $36,000.
Ruggles, a longtime marijuana activist, openly operated what he calls the Alternative Pain Management Puuhonua Collective, which he has maintained is a legal way for medical marijuana patients to obtain their medicine. He posted a video on YouTube touting the collective while standing behind display cases holding pipes, bongs and other marijuana-related paraphernalia, and in front of shelves with labeled jars containing what appears to be marijuana.
Police say an undercover officer bought 48.2 grams of processed marijuana and a vaping device, like an electronic cigarette, with a vial of marijuana concentrate from Ruggles on Sept. 5.
According to Lt. Mark Farias, commander of Hilo Vice Section, the undercover officer had a letter from a physician stating he had started the process to obtain a medical marijuana card. Farias said the application was made using the officer’s undercover identity, not his real name.
Numerous friends and supporters of Ruggles were in the courtroom gallery Monday. One, Brittany Neal, who said she’s a member of and volunteer for Ruggles’ collective, said he provided a necessary service to medical cannabis patients unable to grow their own marijuana. Neal added she thinks Ruggles is a victim of police entrapment.
“The officer provided a photo ID that apparently had a false alias on it, that matched whatever written certification he had from the doctor — which apparently, was also fraudulent,” she said.
Another marijuana activist, George “Greywolf” Klare, a 77-year-old Puna man whose right eye has been removed, said he went to Ruggles for concentrate to ease the pain of cancer treatments.
“I’ve had 35 radiation treatments that were supposed to kill me … ,” he said. “I’m just so damn happy to be here today because I’ve lived this long.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
