Heidi Fleiss Busted, But Not Arrested After Police Find Nearly 400 Marijuana Plants In Her Home; How’d That Happen?
Former “Hollywood Madam,” Heidi Fleiss, was busted by deputies last week after a search of her Nevada home revealed that she was growing 392 marijuana plants without a license. Deputies decided not to arrest Fleiss on the charge, citing the $200,000 worth of exotic birds living in her home as the main reason for the non-arrest.
"We don't have facilities for exotic birds, and they are pretty rare and very expensive," Sheriff Anthony De Meo told CNN Tuesday.
According to CNN, authorities went to Fleiss’s home to execute an arrest warrant for another woman. But upon entering the premises, deputies saw cannabis plants on the property. When they questioned Fleiss about the plants, she originally said she was growing them for a cooperative in Las Vegas. When she was asked for documentation confirming her statement to be true, Fleiss recanted and told police that she is in the process of getting a license to grow.
"Ms. Fleiss could not produce the necessary documentation to support this. Later she admitted, in a roundabout way, that she was going to get a license because she did not have one," said police.
Currently, 20 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana. Nevada is one of those states. Medical marijuana was legalized in Nevada in 2000. In June of this year, Nevada became the 14th state to establish a system of state-regulated medical marijuana dispensaries. Fleiss, in her statements to police, contended that she was growing the marijuana to distribute to one of those dispensaries.
Police said that Fleiss’s cooperation during the investigation contributed to their decision not to arrest her. Her exotic bird collection may have been the most significant deciding factor though. In 2008, Fleiss was the subject of a documentary called Heidi Fleiss: Prostitute to Parrots, which followed her as she cared for her exotic birds.
Medical marijuana may not be the smartest venture for Fleiss. She appeared on both Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew and Sober House With Dr. Drew, where she addressed her problem with drug abuse.
