Massive pot seizures on city Sheriff Anthony Miranda’s watch made his deputies ill, according to a federal lawsuit.
Mayor Adams’ war on illegal smoke and cannabis shops , spearheaded by Miranda, saw the sheriff confiscate 600 pounds of marijuana in just under three months, from November 2022 through Jan. 20, 2023.
“However, this operation proved to not only be unlawful, it proved hazardous for deputy sheriffs
and those employees tasked with handling and storing the seized cannabis,” Deputy Sheriff Furney Canteen said in the legal filing.
Many workers “were experiencing significant health issues as a result of handling and storing seized marijuana,” and E. coli, salmonella and lead were found in some of the seized drugs,” the whistleblower said, echoing the words of a former colleague who is also suing the city and Miranda.