Scot Granke, former Paw Paw teacher, sentenced to jail time in medical marijuana case
PAW PAW, MI --
Scot Granke, a former Paw Paw Middle School teacher accused of violating his license to grow medical marijuana, was sentenced Monday to three weekends in jail in a plea-bargain agreement that dropped the drug charges.
Granke also will pay $868 in fines under a sentence handed down by Van Buren County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Brickley.
Brickley opted for jail despite a sentencing report that recommended a sentence of one day in jail with credit of one day already served.
"You had in your possession the trust of children and parents," Brickley said about sending Granke to jail. "It's unfortunate you choose the paths" that led Granke to court.
After the hearing, Granke and his lawyer, Caleb Grimes of South Haven, said they were surprised at the sentence.
"There was no evidence that children had anything to do with this case," Grimes said, noting that Granke had a legal license to grow medical marijuana and there was no indication that operation affected his job at Paw Paw middle school.
"I make medicine, that's all I do," Granke said. "My patients don't get high. They get a treatment for their ailments."
Granke grew marijuana in a barn outside his Bangor home, and served five patients.
Last summer, Granke and his wife, Marlene, were in the midst of a contentious divorce and custody battle, according to court testimony at Granke's preliminary examination in December.
He moved out of the house in June and largely stopped caring for the marijuana plants.
By August, many of the plants were yellowed and dying, and the hashish butter that Granke made for his patients was infested with mites.
But that month, Marlene Granke told Michigan State Police that Granke might be violating his medical marijuana license in terms of the number of plants.
Trooper Evan Hauger and Lt. Tim Blanksford found 66 plants, 18 more than Granke's license allowed, and a pound of possessed marijuana, when the maximum Granke is allowed is 15 ounces, Lt. Kevin Wiley testified at an October court hearing to obtain an arrest warrant for Granke.
The hashish butter, which was not allowed under the medical marijuana law, and four unregistered handguns were found, Wiley testified at that hearing.
In January, the drug and weapon charges were dropped and Granke pleaded guilty to being a school employee who failed to report a felony arrest to his employer, a high-court misdemeanor.
Paw Paw Public Schools put Granke on administrative leave in August, after they were informed by Marlene Granke about the police raid, Scot Granke told Brickley on Monday.
In October, he arraigned on the felony drug charges.
Under Michigan law, school employees are required to self-report a criminal arraignment on any felony charges within three business days. Granke said Paw Paw learned about the felony charges from the media.
Granke resigned from his Paw Paw teaching job in December. He said he is now looking for work.
