Damascus man arrested in Nebraska on pot-trafficking charges

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – An Oregon marijuana processor was arrested Thursday in Nebraska on drug trafficking allegations after deputies reported discovering about $1.1 million in cannabis extract in his U-Haul van during a traffic stop.
 
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Thursday that Oregon Liquor Control Commission spokesman Mark Pettinger said this was the first known case of a licensed Oregon marijuana supplier arrested for allegedly trafficking in another state.
 
The Lincoln Journal Star reports 38-year-old Richard Wilkinson of Damascus was stopped in Lincoln, Nebraska, for following another vehicle too closely.
 
Deputies searched the van when they smelled marijuana and discovered 25 pounds of the extract, sealed packages of marijuana, vials of hash oil and 3,500 marijuana seeds.
 
Deputies believe Wilkinson was heading to a state where medical marijuana is legal, Sheriff Terry Wagner said, but it’s still illegal in Nebraska.