cannabisnews.com: Woman Linked To Pot Club Evicted Woman Linked To Pot Club Evicted Posted by FoM on December 13, 2001 at 10:04:29 PT By Jim Pfiffer, Star-Gazette Source: Star-Gazette An Elmira woman who faces criminal charges for running a medical marijuana club out of her apartment was notified Wednesday she is being evicted. Sherrie D. Wilkie, 65, who moved into Edward Flannery Apartments last month, must move out of the federally subsidized high-rise complex for senior citizens by Feb. 1.Wilkie, who lives alone and is unemployed, said she will stay in the apartment until she is forced to leave. "At this point I have nothing else to do but wait for them to come and take all my belongings out and then lock me out," Wilkie said Wednesday. Wilkie is scheduled to be arraigned at 8 a.m. today in Elmira City Court on a felony charge of second-degree criminal possession of marijuana.Police raided her sixth-story apartment on Dec. 5 and confiscated nearly three pounds of pot and 40 grams of hashish.While Wilkie hasn't been convicted of a crime, she is being evicted from Flannery Apartments because she violated her monthly lease by admitting she uses marijuana in the building, said James Mirando, executive director of the Elmira Housing Authority. The authority runs the 209-apartment complex on the city's Southside.The month-to-month lease forbids the use, possession or sale of illegal drugs in or near the apartment building, Mirando said.Wilkie was quoted in the Star-Gazette on Wednesday saying she uses the drugs to alleviate constant pain because of failing health. She also said she started a buyers club in 1998 to distribute the drugs to others. Wilkie said she and about 12 adult members of the club use the drugs to alleviate pain, improve appetite, reduce depression and help induce sleep.Wilkie claims there's nothing wrong with what she's doing because the drugs are used for medicinal purposes. However, housing laws aren't as forgiving."In federally subsidized housing, it's one strike and you're out," Mirando said.Housing laws also don't allow Wilkie to appeal the eviction because it involves drugs, Mirando said.If Wilkie refuses to leave her apartment by Feb. 1, the housing authority will petition the case to court and ask a judge to issue a warrant to forcibly evict her, Mirando said.Mirando said the housing authority received numerous complaints about Wilkie's drug use and sales, including when she lived in Hoffman Plaza, a federally subsidized housing complex on Elmira's Northside. It is also run by the housing authority.Wilkie lived at Hoffman Plaza for four to five years. She said she moved to Flannery Apartments last month because of problems with a neighbor.Although she has a daughter who lives in Elmira, Wilkie said it would be impractical -- considering her medical problems -- to move in with her daughter and grandchildren in their small apartment.Wilkie, who said she has heart disease, arthritis and several other disorders, receives $368 a month in Social Security disability income. She pays $180 a month in rent.Source: Star-Gazette (NY)Author: Jim Pfiffer, Star-GazettePublished: Thursday, December 13, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Star-GazetteContact: opinion stargazette.comWebsite: http://www.stargazette.com/Related Article & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmWoman Running Medical Pot Club Busted http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11551.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on December 13, 2001 at 10:50:24 PT What? Just an eviction? No burning at the stake? How 'bout a good ol' fashion stoning on the town square? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment