Ronald Grandi is a U.S. Army veteran and NJ medical marijuana patient with prostate cancer accused of being an underground legacy operator in South Jersey.
“I’m a cancer patient. I would gift some to veterans at no charge,” he said. “They say it’s distributing.”
Police raided Grandi’s home on November 1st. He has court on Thursday in Cumberland County Superior Court.
“I’ve never been through anything like this before. It’s my first offense,” Grandi said.
“I can’t smoke anymore,” he noted.
So, Grandi has been making infused honey and barbecue sauce to take his medicine. He has been giving away some extras to those in need.
Grandi said medical marijuana is the only way he can find relief.
Senior NJ Medical Marijuana Patient in Trouble
He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010. So, he had his prostate removed. But in 2015, the cancer came back, so he underwent radiation.
“They took so much from me,” Grandi noted.
He said he has had several negative side effects from cancer.
“I need a wheelchair and special braces put on my legs. It’s crazy,” Grandi lamented.
“When you have cancer, there’s a little bit of pain. Plus, my knees need to be replaced,” he added.
Grandi said it’s in remission currently.
“It could come back any time,” he noted.
Grandi became an official medical marijuana cardholder patient in 2015.
“On the medical marijuana card, they have me as unlimited,” he noted.
Only the sickest patients are allowed an “unlimited” amount.
However, “it was so expensive for me to get it from a dispensary. Being disabled and being on Social Security, I get it from other sources. You know what I mean?” Grandi explained.
Since he is on Social Security, he is feeling the pain of paying for an effective lawyer.
“The rich people can get representation. Us poor people can’t,” Grandi lamented.
He has launched a GoFundMe for help.
Grandi added he is also an ordained minister with the power to marry people.
Honorably Discharged U.S. Army Veteran
He served in the United States military, first in the U.S. Army and then in the New Jersey National Guard from 1979 to 1988. He was honorably discharged as an E4 Specialist, the equivalent of a Marine Corporal. Grandi explained he was an ammunition transportation specialist.
“It’s a shame when you defend your country… you get shit on. That’s the way I feel, “he said.
“Being a veteran and cannabis patient, I don’t know how they can do this to me!” Grandi exclaimed. “It’s insane. I don’t know what to do.”
Accused of Marijuana Gifting Crimes
He has been accused of being an underground legacy operator distributing marijuana.
In 2022, Grandi explained he met the owner of the former underground legacy cannabis lounge Rekt Cafe in Atlantic City, Gary Bozzini. He said he worked for him for about 6 months, making edibles and delivering products.
“They were following me for a year and a half after I was doing that. My boss was saying it was a gray area,” Grandi said.
“If I knew then what I know now, I would never … have done it,” he added.
Gifting as a business tactic was used by many underground weed legacy operators as legal justification for a while. Unfortunately, former NJ Attorney General Gurbir Grewal denounced the practice. Before that, it was becoming widespread and accepted by some officials.
Underground Legacy Operator Marijuana Distribution Charges
Grandi confessed he is not up to date on New Jersey cannabis laws.
“I was under the impression you could gift something to someone,” he said. “I’m 67 years old and didn’t know about the rules.”
According to the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s website, one can legally gift up to one ounce but cannot receive compensation.
“I didn’t know how much you can gift,” Grandi admitted. “It was for people who needed it.”
“Once you go outside your home, that’s where the problem is,” he recalled cops saying.
Grandi noted the cops only found cannabis flower in a safe and no cash.
“I was carrying some stuff out of my house to bring to veterans and people. That’s distributing?” he said. “I wasn’t charging. If I was charging, I would have a whole lot of money.”
“I never made any profit,” Grandi insisted.
He noted that the police found he had a 5-pound jar of infused honey along with infused barbecue sauce.
Grandi has a magic butter machine and a decarb box. These are common tools cannabis consumers can use to make their cannabis edibles. To the police, though, it’s proof he had a large-scale operation.
“I guess that makes me a bad guy,” Grandi said.
Gifting Infused Honey Cannabis Edibles
He explained he doesn’t know the milligrams of how much THC is in his honey. THC is the main cannabinoid that gets you high. Grandi noted that to make his 5-pound jar of infused honey he used an ounce and a half of a flower.
Savvy operators will charge more for cannabis edibles with more THC milligrams since it’s stronger.
“There’s so much worse people than me,” he argued.
Grandi is from Vineland but is now living in Glassboro. He is having severe housing problems now after the raid and dealing with the effects. In addition, his vehicle was impounded by the police.
“I just feel so hopeless. I don’t want to die in prison,” Grandi said.
