University Police confiscated materials in Los Alamitos Residence Hall they said were going to be used for manufacturing methamphetamines.
“[We believe] these materials and these instruments and this equipment … were there for the specific purpose of manufacturing an illegal substance,” said Stan Skipworth, chief of University Police.
One of those materials was pseudoephedrine (PSE), which is commonly used as a decongestant and is found in many over-the-counter medications. PSE can also be used to make methamphetamines.
PSE is illegal to own if possessed for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamines. Skipworth said University Police believe the PSE found in the halls was owned for that purpose.
Other confiscated materials included fluids, mixing agents and containers. All materials were independently stored and had not been modified.
Police also found pots, soil and psilocybin mushroom spores, Skipworth said.
Psilocybin mushrooms are illegal and can be used to induce hallucinations. They are commonly known as “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms.”
According to Skipworth, the place where the materials were stocked and what it was placed together with may be a violation of state law or local ordinances.
The find occurred on March 27 on the first floor of Los Alamitos residence halls at 8:40 p.m. Officers were making a response to a call of a suspicious odor.
Upon arrival, officers encountered a very strong “chemical-like odor in the air,” Skipworth said. After tracing the odor to a specific room, officers sealed the room and checked if the building was empty for spring break.
Police then received a search warrant from a judge that allowed them to go into the room and retrieve the materials.
University Police are interviewing one person about the materials. Police declined to give that person’s name or the room number the materials were found in.
So far no arrests have been made.
Skipworth said once police finish their investigation they will send the case over to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. The district attorney will determine what charges to bring against the owner of the materials.
“As it stands right now, we have presented a case that focuses on the possession of materials for the purposes of manufacturing illegal substances,” Skipworth said.
“Meth making tools, I wouldn’t expect it,” said Alyssa Avila, a freshman biology major who lives in Los Alamitos Residence Hall. “Our dorm is ususally the quiet one.”
According to Cal State Long Beach’s residence hall handbook, “The sale or knowing possession of dangerous drugs, restricted dangerous drugs, or narcotics … is prohibited.”
The handbook says that any violation of this policy may lead to probation, suspension or expulsion.
CSULB’s Housing and Residential Life declined to comment on the case.
And my suitemates and I thought turning a bathroom into a meth lab was jokingly funny.
But if they can prove intent to cultivate those spores (like they could in the soil and pots that were recovered), the police can deem it illegal under federal law. Also, because it was within 1000 feet of a college, the penalty is doubled. Even if they don’t get busted for the spores, those kids will be hit hard for the meth materials because it is currently considered the primary drug threat in CA by the DEA.
There are no such things as Mushroom Seeds morons. All mushrooms grow from spoores. And mushroom spoores are not illegal.
you can’t just barge right in there. police don’t even do that to apartments or homes. people acutally live at the dorms, they’re not children (although they tend to act like it)
George,
Cameras everywhere AND random unannounced visits from the cops? Sounds like fun
i think its sad that this was going on in the dorms, but lets not jump to big brother status there George. Should police randomly be searching people’s homes in the community to make sure there is no threat to the neighbors or other community members? Some concept, different scale…
For California State University-Long Beach police to have found materials in a dormitory that could manufacture metamphetamines is a frightening thought. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office will determine what charges to bring against the owner of these materials. The bottom line: CSULB police need to make periodical unannounced inspections of dorm rooms, in order to discourage students from being involved in illegal activities!
Bummer, Los Al usually cranks out some good chit. It helped our entire floor through midterms.
I’m wondering why the university fuzz didn’t call in Haz-Mat or the big boys from the Long Beach PD. S. Holmes is right, Mushrooms grow from spores, not seeds. Since these are only products that can be used to manufacture illegal drugs, do they fall into the handbook policy? I mean, they weren’t drugs yet. Doesn’t the prosecutor need to prove actual intent to manufacture? The reporter should have probably gone to the RH and spoken to other residents, rather than relying solely on his crony at the cop desk. At least somebody would have told him what the room number was. Weak reporting, Cuaron. Step out of your safety zone and do some reporting.
Mushrooms don’t grow from seeds…