cannabisnews.com: Second Santa Cruz Medical Pot Shop on Tap





Second Santa Cruz Medical Pot Shop on Tap
Posted by CN Staff on March 14, 2006 at 06:26:44 PT
By Shanna McCord, Sentinel Staff Writer 
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz -- The city is likely to land a second medical pot shop soon, and medical marijuana supporters say the addition will benefit thousands of county users through greater access, better prices and higher quality.K.E. Sampson, a Corralitos resident and medical marijuana patient of five years, has submitted an application to turn an empty two-story office building on Limekiln Street into The Santa Cruz Patient Collective in the city's Harvey West industrial area.
Sampson said he plans to run the collective like Greenway Compassionate Relief Inc., the city's first medical marijuana dispensary, which opened on DuBois Street in September. "Healthy competition will ensure the best prices as well as the best quality," Sampson, 44, said. "My forte will be providing the highest quality of organic marijuana I can come across."With an estimated 3,000 medical marijuana patients in Santa Cruz County and few outlets to access the drug legally, proponents say two dispensaries within blocks of each other will keep users from having to drive to San Francisco and Oakland to buy the drug. The city, with a national reputation of looking kindly on marijuana use, has allowed medical marijuana dispensaries since 2001. However, strict rules surrounding location and unwilling landlords have kept such businesses from starting.City rules for medical pot shops forbid use of the drug on the property, require a doctor's note or county-issued medical marijuana card to purchase the drug and mandate on-site security guards. No such business can be within 600 feet of a park or school.Greenway owner Lisa Molyneux worked with the city for more than a year before obtaining the special-use permits necessary to open. Since opening, Greenway has drawn "not one complaint" from the public or police, city planner Mike Ferry said.Molyneux said Greenway employs 12 people and has a database of about 2,500 medical marijuana patients. The dispensary, she said, continues to grow every day, including clients from outside the county."If the city approves Sampson's application," Molyneux said, "it'll be a benefit to the movement more than anything else."Sampson, who previously owned a trucking company in Watsonville, said he suffered a head injury 12 years ago that left him in a coma for three months and led to his use of the drug. Sampson said he slipped while trying to avoid a deep mud puddle, fell back and struck his head on a step of the truck."They found me floating face up a couple hours later," he said. It took years to regain his ability to walk and talk normally again, he said. "Ironically, I didn't gain much of anything until I found medical marijuana," Sampson said. "It alleviated my migraines and allowed my body to start working again."While state voters approved the use of marijuana for medical reasons by passing Proposition 215 in 1996, federal authorities have made it clear that U.S. drug laws prohibiting possession, distribution and use of marijuana will be enforced regardless of California law. Marijuana critics say there is no medicinal benefits from the drug, and its harmful effects are often under-represented.Ferry said he expects the city Planning Commission to hear Sampson's medical marijuana dispensary plans at its April 6 meeting. Planning staff, he said, will likely recommend approval.No City Council approval is necessary, he said.Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)Author: Shanna McCord, Sentinel Staff WriterPublished: March 14, 2006 Copyright: 2006 Santa Cruz SentinelContact: editorial santa-cruz.comWebsite: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/Related Articles: Santa Cruz Okays City-Run Marijuana Distributionhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21287.shtmlSanta Cruz Proposes Marijuana Departmenthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21225.shtmlPot Shop Lights Up The Townhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21118.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on March 15, 2006 at 12:28:40 PT
There is nothing about this government
based on any element of true Christianity. I'd like it pointed out to me if there is. "They honor me with their lips...but their heart is far from me."
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Comment #6 posted by afterburner on March 15, 2006 at 11:38:59 PT
Love loVE LOve 
"They know not God, for God is love."Love inspires us, heals us, teaches us, humanizes us.The prison-industrial complex dehumanizes us, makes us beasts of burden. Humanizing helps us live up to the potential that God intended and Jesus incarnated. Humanizing is not elevating us above God. "Love the Lord thy God. Love thy neighbor as thyself." "Love thine enemies." Dehumanizing sets up winners and losers, dominators and dominated, overlords and peasants, victors and victims. Dehumanizing is the tool of the deceiver, rebelling against the Most High.
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on March 14, 2006 at 19:21:49 PT
How can this happen?
How are they able to find people that will treat people like that over a plant...and in this case, a medicinal plant.What kind of person? What kind of mental and spiritual illness would make them willing to do something like break people's doors down and treat them like that over a plant?Why is this country performing this sort of terrorism against it citizens in the name of a plant?I'm so ashamed of the prohibitionists who run this country.Which reminds me...what part of this country and it's government was based on Christianity? None! Not a bit of it that I can see. It says something about trusting God on the money. God is Love. In Love we trust? America? You've got to be kidding. The people who love prohibition and it's fruits, and among them, I'm thinking of a certain Mark Souder, don't know the God that is Love, at all and they sure don't have a grasp on the teachings of Christ. They pervert the gospel on every hand. They are perverts and devils, masquerading as "the good guys". Oh God. If there is ever judgement and God does judge their deeds...do they honestly think that he will ignore what they've done to people for the sake of their prohibition and the power they have, and misuse, to harm those they dislike, and the love they have for the funds and "resources" it provides them with. Will he thank them for doing this to people over a plant he gave to all mankind? As far as Love is concerned...their behavior proves that they know nothing of Love. Surely, God will say, "You did this to me." and they will say, "When Lord, did we do this to you?"What moral perverts!You know what I think? They have lost their humanity. Their souls and hearts and even their rational minds are gone. They practice the ways of their "Father"...the destroyer. "They know not God, for God is love."
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on March 14, 2006 at 19:01:48 PT
Map Redrawn for Medical Marijuana Outlets
March 14, 2006OAKLAND - For nearly two years, Alameda County supervisors have debated, questioned, praised, criticized and agonized over medical marijuana clinics. 
Not on Tuesday.Instead, they took only five minutes to redraw the map identifying where three dispensaries can operate in unincorporated areas. No muss, no fuss, no public testimony, no supervisors' comments, and just a brief staff report. Then, Nate Miley, one of two supervisors whose districts include cannabis clubs, made the motion to stretch the east Ashland-Castro Valley area slightly south into Cherryland. What's the practical effect of the change? -The Garden of Eden dispensary on Foothill Boulevard in south Cherryland was added to east Ashland-Castro Valley, known as Area Three. The Garden of Eden is practically guaranteed the permit for this area. Earlier this month, supervisors denied A Natural Source on Foothill Boulevard in Ashland a chance to compete for a permit. It's closing by the end of the month. -The Garden of Eden's move to Area Three leaves the Alameda County Resource Center and Compassionate Caregivers of Alameda County to compete for the operating permit in Area Two, northwest Ashland and the rest of south Cherryland. Complete Article: http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_3602258
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on March 14, 2006 at 16:45:49 PT
ASA Press Release
DEA Raids Small Medical Marijuana Collective -- Puts Patient in Hospital; Advocates Protest Excessive Force, Intimidation***March 14, 2006To: National Desk Contact: Hilary McQuie of Americans for Safe Access, 510-333-8554PALM DESERT, Calif., March 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Despite assertions from federal officials that they would not be going after medical marijuana patients or small cooperatives, DEA agents, along with Riverside County Sheriff's officers, this morning raided a small medical marijuana collective cultivation outside of Palm Desert that had recently been pictured in the press, injuring a 53 year old medical marijuana patient.When the DEA knocked on the door, Gary Silva went to let them in. As he was unlocking the door, DEA agents proceeded to kick it in, dislocating Mr. Silva's shoulder, cracking a bone, and causing lacerations to his face."Everything I was doing was within California law. I grew for myself and a few other patients, and donated the excess to a nearby dispensing collective. There was no need for our California sheriffs to call in federal agents to injure me and harass my family," said Mr Silva after his release from the hospital for treatment of his injuries. Mr. Silva cultivates and uses medical marijuana for degenerative disk disease and nerve damage.Agents confiscated less than 80 plants and dry medicine, which were grown for several patient collective members. Patient records and equipment were seized as well. No arrests were made. DEA agents repeatedly told Gary that they would not be arresting him, and that he would only be arrested if he grew again."This sounds like pure harassment by the DEA and by a local sheriff that isn't happy to uphold state law," noted Rebecca Saltzman, Americans for Safe Access Field Director. "It was just a matter of time before a patient would be injured from a federal raid, and if this hostility by the DEA continues, it's going to happen again."Some members of Congress are also questioning the federal actions taken to prosecute medical marijuana patients. By the request of Americans for Safe Access, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) this week led a group of lawmakers in calling for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation of how much money the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) spent each year over the past decade to enforce federal medical marijuana laws. The request may be viewed at: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3142Medical cannabis supporters plan to rally in opposition to this latest DEA raid and violent attack on a California-legal medical marijuana patient at noon on Thursday, March 16th in front of local federal buildings and DEA offices. So far, protests are planned in Austin, TX; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; Missoula, MT; Riverside, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, DC. Please check our web site www.safeaccessnow.org or call the ASA office (510) 251-1856 for location updates and other information.---A national coalition of 25,000 patients, doctors and advocates, Americans for Safe Access is the largest organization working solely on medical marijuana. To learn more, see http://www.SafeAccessNow.orgCopyright: 2006 U.S. Newswire http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=62349
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 14, 2006 at 15:18:50 PT
MMJ Video from Current TV
OC NORML Event Bill Britt (7:57) uploaded to Contraband on february 28 2006http://current.tv/studio/media/1768589
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 14, 2006 at 10:44:29 PT
Go Santa Cruz!
I hope it keeps going well for everyone in Santa Cruz and that the Feds leave you all alone.
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