DA drops charges against pot deliverer 

Prosecutors have dismissed drug-related charges against a member of a medical marijuana collective originally suspected of violating state compassionate use laws.

On Jan. 22, San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Lee Cunningham filed a motion in SLO Superior Court to dismiss charges against Chance Simmons, 22, of San Luis Obispo.

Simmons, an employee at the SLO-based Ethnobotanica collective, faced two charges—one of possessing concentrated cannabis and another for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute—following his arrest during a traffic stop for a cracked windshield in Oceano on Jan. 5.

Simmons couldn’t be reached for comment on his dismissal, but his SLO-based attorney, Louis Koory, confirmed to New Times that the charges were dismissed following his discussions with “high-ranking” members of the Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Office.

Koory added that the collective’s property was returned by law enforcement, though Simmons had to spend time in jail and post bail.

Tony Cipolla, spokesman for the SLO County Sheriff’s Department, told New Times following Simmons’ arrest that the traffic stop wasn’t the result of any investigation and that the deputy had to make a “judgment call.”

A DA’s Office spokesperson confirmed it had asked for the charges to be dropped in the interest of justice, but didn’t disclose what specific factors led to the decision.