A Sandy Springs man said he loves his family more than anything else. Wesley Alan Johnson told Channel 2 Action News he’s been criminalized for his beliefs: He’s a member of “First Church of Cannabis.”
But according to police, Johnson was running a marijuana trafficking operation from his Johnson Ferry Road home.
Johnson, 38, was arrested Wednesday after officers seized more than 70 plants from his home. Police said the plants were in various stages of growth.
Sandy Springs police received a tip from the Missouri Highway Patrol that Johnson was moving large quantities of marijuana from his home.
“Prior to them arriving to the front door, they could actually smell the marijuana emitting from the location,” Sgt. Ron Momon said. “They knocked on the door, met the individual. He identified himself. They asked him for consent to search the place and he denied the consent to search.”
Johnson admitted to police he had just smoked a bowl of marijuana, Momon said. Officers executed a search warrant in the home, where they found a complex growing system.
Johnson was charged with trafficking marijuana, manufacturing marijuana and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony, Fulton County jail records showed. He was released Friday after posting $20,000 bond.
“I love my family,” Johnson told Channel 2. “I’m a family man, and I’ve been criminalized because of my beliefs.”
Johnson said he’s a part of a growing movement that seeks to decriminalize marijuana.
“I think the main reason I’m so passionate about this cause is I’ve personally seen people who have been able to ease their suffering before they passed on,” he said. “A lot of us are believers that this plant was given to us by God.”
In April, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed legislation that makes medical marijuana legal, allowing those with certain illnesses to possess up to 20 ounces of cannabis oil.
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