A Petaluma man wanted by federal authorities on marijuana trafficking and money laundering charges has applied for political asylum in Canada. Kenneth Hayes successfully fought pot charges in Sonoma County last year. He says through his Canadian lawyer he would face persecution for his political opinions if he were forced to return to America. Hayes was arrested in April in Vancouver, British Columbia, for alleged immigration violations. Hayes fled to Canada in January, shortly before federal drug enforcement agents seized 200 pot plants from his Petaluma ranch. Hayes says he grew the marijuana for use by medical marijuana users.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 5:31 pm