Colorado hands back seized medical pot

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Dec. 4 (UPI) -- The return of 39 dead pot plants to a Colorado couple this week is being seen by some as a milestone in the debate over medical marijuana.

Fort Collins police returned the goods to James and Lisa Masters Monday, more than a year after they were seized from their home in a case hinging on the clash between federal drug laws and state medical-marijuana statutes.

Colorado voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that allows for the cultivation and use of marijuana for medical purposes.

"I'm hoping this sends a message to police departments around Colorado that the Constitution is the highest law of the state and voters put it in there for a reason," Robert Correy, one of the Masters' lawyers, told the Rocky Mountain News.

The newspaper said a judge ruled in the couple's favor in the case, saying they met the qualifications to be considered medical marijuana caregivers despite some lapses in their paperwork.