County to charge marijuana advocate

Charges were scheduled to be filed Wednesday in the case of Colfax marijuana advocate Michael Adam Assenberg.

Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy said Wednesday he planned to forward multiple felony counts regarding marijuana against Assenberg later this week.

Assenberg, who claims to be a medical marijuana patient, said Tuesday he is preparing to file a $3.5 million civil suit against the county for what he claims are several violations of his rights under both the state and federal constitutions.

“And the only way I will settle for less money is if (Sheriff) Brett Myers and Denis Tracy either resign or are recalled,” said Assenberg.

His house on the south hill of Colfax was raided May 5 by agents from the Quad Cities Drug Task Force. The agents, who had obtained a warrant, seized 82 marijuana plants.

Prosecutor Tracy dismissed Assenberg’s chances in his civil suit.

“Mr. Assenberg is blowing smoke,” said Tracy.

Tracy said he met with Assenberg for a two-hour discussion of the case earlier this summer. They were scheduled to meet again, said Tracy, but that meeting was canceled when Assenberg hired an attorney for the civil suit.

“So it looks like we’re not going to be able to settle his case without a trial,” said Tracy.

That’s good news, said Assenberg, who added he is looking forward to having a venue in which he can argue his case for reform of medical marijuana laws.

“Medical marijuana is protected by the state of Washington for medicinal use,” said Assenberg. “I will not settle this case out of court. I’m going to take it all the way to a jury to set a legal precedent.”

Assenberg has for the past several years operated a medical marijuana dispensary named Compassion 4 Patients and Adam’s Incredible Mededibles.

Assenberg said he also plans to advertise in local media outlets for support in his call for the recalls of Tracy and Myers.

“There’s no reason I should not go after them just as hard as they would go after me,” said Assenberg.

County officials recently returned to Assenberg computers which were seized as evidence. The computers belong to him, his wife Carla, who is also a marijuana patient, and his daughter.

Since the May raid, Assenberg has resumed his business, growing and delivering medical marijuana and food products made with marijuana to patients throughout the county.

Deliveries are made in a refurbished ambulance.

Assenberg was disabled after breaking his back while working as a security guard at an Oregon lumber yard in the mid 1980s. He said medical marijuana provides him relief from the “constant” pain he has suffered since.