Dopey Pot Thieves Steal Oregano

Would-Be Marijuana Moochers Smash into Dispensary

A trio of teenagers recently smashed a stolen van into a Colorado Springs medical marijuana dispensary. Maybe they’d already been smoking too much. Because instead of purloined pot, the group made off with large display jars full of oregano.

Oregano looks very much like marijuana. But each herb has a very distinctive and completely different aroma.  And after effects.

“All of our real product was locked away, “ Kim Casey, Native Roots manager told CBSDenver. “Our display items are just for display.”

Although the van crashed through the glass front and two walls of the pot dispensary building on Austin Bluffs Parkway, it did not reach the locked room where the real stuff is kept, reported the Gazette. Most likely because the thieves were not aware of the room’s existence. Working quickly, they whisked away what they thought was lots of weed plus a few t-shirts. The incident occurred around 1 a.m.

Colorado was one of the first states to legalize marijuana. But while possession and sale of marijuana are legal in Colorado, all buyers must be 21 or older.  The bungling pot burglars in this case are believed to be teenagers. They are suspected of breaking into and robbing a liquor store earlier that same night.

Legal marijuana has become a multibillion dollar industry in the U.S. It is expected to grow to $23 billion by 2022, according to Arcview, a California-based firm that tracks the legal marijuana industry.

Thieves Also Crashed into Police Car

Witnesses drawn to the scene by the commotion arrived in time to see the suspected thieves rush out of the building with the jars and into a waiting getaway car. They left the van abandoned at the scene. The witnesses called the police who soon were in pursuit of the getaway vehicle. But the suspects swerved their car into the police, crashing into it and speeding off. No injuries were reported but the suspects remain at large.

So, if you pull up next to a van that smells like pizza, call the cops.  It could be the suspected thieves. Or it could be someone getting pizza take-out. Let the police decide.

And if anyone decides to crash a van into your house, Deep Sentinel virtual guard service can get the police there before they steal your oregano or anything else.  No cell service? No problem. Even if you’re at the movies with your phone on silent or out of cell range in the Himalayas, Deep Sentinel’s got your back.