Orland Man Accused of Using Medical Marijuana Card To Deal Pot

ORLAND PARK, IL -- An Orland Park man was arrested after police found more than the legal amount of medical cannabis allowed under the state statute during a traffic stop, prosecutors said. Raymond Dignan, 32, appeared before Cook County Judge Michael Kane on felony charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, and possession of more than 100 grams of cannabis. Dignan was also charged with misdemeanor unlawful possession of medical cannabis and various traffic violations.

Dignan was pulled over in the early morning hours of Jan. 23 for speeding and making an improper turn, the prosecutor said. While following Dignan’s vehicle, an Orland Park police officer saw him allegedly tossing something out the car window. As the cop approached Dignan’s car, the prosecutor said the officer could detect the smell of raw cannabis inside the vehicle. Dignan explained that he had a medical marijuana caretaker’s card.

Police searched Dignan’s car where they found $1,260 in his wallet and $360 in his front pocket, the prosecutor said. Inside the car, police recovered 163.5 grams of cannabis, multiple cannabis edibles, a digital scale, plastic baggies and a pipe, according to the charges. Officers also found the object that Dignan allegedly tossed out of his car window, which they said was a package containing 8.8 grams of suspect cocaine. Under Illinois’s Cannabis Care Act, patients and caregivers can access 2.5 ounces or 70 grams of medical marijuana every 14 days through their registered dispensary.

“However, even with the medical marijuana caretaker’s card, he was well out of compliance with the law,” Orland Park police said in an email.

Dignan’s attorney told the judge that his client worked for his family’s construction business. Dignan never had a felony.

The judge set bail at $5,000. Dignan was also ordered to surrender his medical marijuana card and to submit to random drug testing. Dignan’s next court day is Feb. 14 in Bridgeview.