Couple to ask police to pay for dead marijuana

FORT COLLINS – A couple plans to file for compensation after they say police destroyed their medical marijuana.

The 39 marijuana plants were seized from James and Lisa Masters' home in August 2006 during a raid by Fort Collins Police.

Criminal charges against the couple were dismissed in June 2007 and in November a judge ordered that police return all of the seized materials.

The Masters got the plants back in December, but all of the marijuana plants were dead.

According to DEA estimates, each plant is worth thousands of dollars. The Masters plan to ask for compensation on Thursday. It would be the first request of its kind in Colorado history.

The Masters say police were legally required to keep the marijuana plants alive.

James and Lisa Masters say they grow marijuana for legal medicinal purposes. James says he has chronic pain and cyclic vomiting. Lisa has fibromyalgia and other ailments.