Masked intruders hit legal marijuana grow -- first violent crime at licensed pot farm

(OregonLive) Four masked intruders severely beat and robbed a marijuana grower in Jackson County this month in the first reported instance of violent crime at a state-licensed cannabis production operation. The assailants woke James Bowman in the early hours of Dec. 16, broke his nose and left him with black eyes, county sheriff's officials said. They filled a rented U-Haul truck with hundreds of pounds of harvested marijuana and took off. Hours later, two of Bowman's workers discovered the 56-year-old, still tied up and cold, sheriff's officials said. The robbers had left the door to his house open. Bowman holds a tier two license, the larger of the two license types issued for outdoor production. Under state rules, he can produce cannabis on up to 40,000 square feet of land. Mark Pettinger, a commission spokesman, said the agency will conduct an administrative investigation into the security breach once the criminal investigation concludes. Bowman reported the theft to the commission as required.