Victim of pot theft dazed and confused?

Even in a city famed for its liberal policies on marijuana, police in Santa Cruz had to wonder what a robbery victim must have been smoking before he called them this week.

A 20-year-old resident of nearby Felton, he complained that two men pointed a gun through the window of his parked car and made off with four ounces of marijuana that happened to be sitting in his lap.

At first, he claimed it was for medicinal use only, according to police.

“His initial line of defense was to present us with a medical marijuana card, which -- no surprise -- does not allow you to sell marijuana on the street,” said police spokesman Zach Friend.

Later, the shaken young man said the marijuana belonged to a buddy. Under additional questioning, he admitted that the men who accosted him Tuesday night were prospective customers, police said.

“At one point he said he regretted calling us, and I’m sure he did,” Friend said. “It’s quite rare to have people dealing drugs call us when they’re ripped off.”

Police are seeking the pair on suspicion of armed robbery.

They took no action against the dealer, who had no criminal record and no drugs any longer in his possession. Officials said they did not identify him because of his status as a victim.

“The greater priority for us is in dealing with a robbery committed with a handgun,” Friend said.

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steve.chawkins@latimes.com