FREELAND — The plan to create a medical marijuana co-op in Freeland may go up in smoke.
Citing online threats against his business and family, MedBot co-op founder Captn Blynd vowed Tuesday to make a pile of his marijuana plants, douse them with gasoline and set his buds ablaze.
Blynd announced his plans to create a medical marijuana co-op last week, but said news coverage of his plans in The Record were followed by threatening e-mails and posts on his Facebook page.
“At three o’clock today, because of all the problems he’s had and the threats against me, he is going to burn his entire crop,” his wife, Kate, told the Record.
Captn Blynd invited reporters from local newspapers to witness the event, which was scheduled as Wednesday’s edition was going to press.
“He does not want the hassle, that too many people have threatened to hurt him and me,” his wife said.
Captn Blynd posted an e-mail he perceived to be a threat on Facebook page for his company, MedBot, on Sunday. On Monday, he posted a response on the MedBot Facebook page.
“I propose that the South Whidbey Garden Club ask for volunteers to form a low-profit business. I will pay for this licensing. I ask that all proceeds go to the Island County food bank. I will provide what equipment I can afford. I will provide my business outline. I will provide my time and labor as a volunteer. I will donate all excess from my garden to this organization,” he wrote.
Despite Tuesday’s planned destruction of his pot crop, Blynd said he would continue the effort to form a marijuana medical cooperative on South Whidbey.
“One man, apparently, cannot change what is happening here,” he said. “I am rededicating. I am going to round up respectable, responsible individuals in this community and we are going to bring true medical marijuana to this community.”
“I want any profits that are received to go to the community food bank. No one will make money from this.”
“I expected it [harassment] from law enforcement, not from people claiming to be medical marijuana distributors,” he added.
Blynd said he believed the threats were prompted by the low prices that he promised to put on his marijuana prescriptions.
“They’re clear about it — because I want to charge prices that are too low,” he said.
