Burglars hit cannabis shops

Burglars targeted at least three Santa Fe-area medical cannabis dispensaries in the last nine days, but they didn’t hit the bull’s eye.

Three people armed with hammers, carrying duffel bags and wearing rubber gloves and masks tried to break the windows of Fruit of the Earth Organics in the 900 block of Early Street on around 4 am March 20, according to a police report.

But rather than carrying away the cannabis of their dreams, the trio broke windows to the part of the building that sells CBD and other health products. They didn't stay long. Police arrived within about five minutes of the alarm going off. Dispensary Manager Elisha Weisman arrived with 10 minutes.

"I'm sure they were trying to get into our dispensary, but they did not get into our dispensary. We have the best security around so they are not going to be able to get in," Weisman tells SFR. "We will certainly continue to beef up security every day so that there is never a risk of anybody getting through the door."

Video cameras caught images of what police describe as three men carrying "gym style bags which appeared to be empty" as well as hammers, which they used to break glass in a door and several windows. Responding officers viewed those images, but police spokesman Greg Gurule says they haven't been turned over yet.

Meanwhile, on the same night on the Southside, someone tried to break in to Shift New Mexico Dispensary on 24 Bisbee Ct., an employee tells SFR. Burglars only broke a window, she says, and failed to make it past the rest of the shop's security systems. Gurule says Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department responded to that call, but the sheriff's spokesman says no records exist.

Then, on Wednesday, thieves hit Kure around 1:40 am, according to a police report. An employee tells SFR display cases and glass pipes were broken in the front CBD section of the store, but no one made it into the dispensary area. Several CBD products, apparel and other merchandise are missing.

"Kure gives its sincerest apologies for the sudden inconvenience. Unfortunately we were broken into," reads a sign posted on the door Friday night. "But don't worry, the shop will return to normal in no time."

Gurule tells SFR he's not sure whether there are suspects in the break-ins or whether detectives believe they are related. He declined to make investigators available for an interview.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story was not clear that the Fruit of the Earth crime happened on March 20.