| Photo: Missoula Independent |
| Jason Christ of the Montana Caregivers Network was arrested Monday afternoon. |
Montana medical marijuana advocate Jason Christ, the polarizing founder of Montana Caregivers Network, was arrested in Missoula late Monday afternoon and charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors, reports Matthew Frank at the Missoula Independent.
“The incident that occurred was about marijuana, but his charges were not related to marijuana, if that makes sense,” said Sgt. Bob Bouchee of the Missoula Police Department.
Christ did not comment, and Chris Arneson, public relations director with MCN, declined to give any more details about the incident.
“Because it’s an ongoing legal issue I really can’t talk too much about it,” Arneson said. “What I can tell you is it was a personal misunderstanding and had nothing to do with Montana Caregivers Network.”
“We believe the charges are frivolous and hope they will be dropped soon,” Arneson said.
The Missoula-based MCN, under the direction of Christ, is probably responsible for registering more patients in Montana’s medical marijuana program than any other organization.
The group has organized dozens of medical marijuana clinics throughout the state over the past year, with doctors occasionally recommending medical marijuana to more than a thousand patients in one day.
However, some within the movement believe that approach has done as much to hurt Montana’s medical marijuana industry, and its image, as it has to help it.
“For all the flaws in the law, the biggest single problem has been Mr. Christ’s exploitation of its vagueness and loopholes,” said Tom Daubert, founder of patient advocacy group Patients and Families United.
MCN announced last week that it is stopping the traveling medical marijuana clinics for which it has become known, amidst heavy criticism.