Kenney: Pot party bust "overkill," legalization needed

Officials say L&I went to investigate a pot party bust and found a slew of violations in Frankford.

"It's a pretty quiet block," said Zenola Davis about how she used to think of her Frankford neighborhood. She's lived here on Worth Street for 19 years but looking out her front door today at "Threads USA" warehouse across the street she has a different feeling.

"Smoke was coming out the windows, the doors and they got high. That's how much smoke came out of there. My neighbors say they got a contact in the air," said Davis who also says when she got home her neighbors were talking about a huge pot party that police broke up just before 8 o'clock Saturday night. They raided the place and found more than 200 people inside, about 50 pounds of bulk marijuana, nearly 50 thousand dollars in cash, 100 pounds of THC infused edibles and four handguns. Police say the pot party had been advertised on social media.

"It's sounds truly ridiculous and stupid of these people. They did it online on Instagram. How stupid can you be?" said Davis.

License and Inspections were also on scene and released a report Monday stating it was a fire hazard because of the amount of people inside and because the place has only one way in and out. They also found fire alarm wires cut, overhead sprinklers that didn't work and combustible items near ignition sources.

L&I also says butane torches were used inside.

But block captain Kasey Fisher says organizers told her a different story about the event.

"They said it was for medicinal purposes. It was a lot of people that I saw come out on canes." Fisher says she was in her front window when it all went down.

"The cops came, came up and they came thick," she said. She believes the alleged pot party was for sick people seeking relief and not just getting high.

"It's sad that Pennsylvania hasn't gotten on board like Colorado and other various places for the medicated use of legalizing marijuana," said Fisher.

Mayor Kenney told reporters who asked him about what happened that the real solution is legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania so police resources don't have to be used for things like this. But he also said due to the sale size and dangerous conditions of the building that law enforcement was warranted.

Police arrested 22 people.

"I just think the amount of resources that were put into it may have been a little overkill," he said.