cannabisnews.com: Pot Dispensary Sells Marijuana To First Customers Pot Dispensary Sells Marijuana To First Customers Posted by CN Staff on September 22, 2005 at 07:41:43 PT By Shanna McCord, Sentinel Staff Writer Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel Santa Cruz -- The pungent odor of marijuana wafted through the office Wednesday as the city’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened. "Finally," sighed owner Lisa Molyneux, a Boulder Creek resident who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1997.Molyneux has worked 14 months for the necessary city permits and approvals to start Greenway Compassionate Relief Inc. The City Council, faced with almost no public opposition, gave Molyneux its unanimous approval in July. Molyneux said she’s spent about $100,000 to start the business, including monthly rent for the 5,000-square-foot office and arranging security.The DuBois Street pot shop in the Harvey West industrial area is a place for the estimated 3,000 medical marijuana patients in Santa Cruz County to safely and legally access the drug, she said. Having a place to buy medical marijuana in Santa Cruz means local patients don’t have to drive to San Francisco, Oakland or Hayward, Molyneux said.Wednesday, clients lined up outside the office in the morning waiting for Molyneux to get started at 11 a.m.Counterintuitive to Santa Cruz, no one protested the business.Medical marijuana patients chose their pot Wednesday like someone picking out a cookie or muffin from a bakery.Behind two large glass cases were a range of marijuana varieties with names such as "Haze Heaven," "Sativa Special," "Ron’s Rags" and "Morning Star."Each eighth-ounce of marijuana was sealed in a clear, small plastic bag with a Ziploc-like top.Patients walked out with their pot inside a small, white paper sack.Brandon Brown, 42, an antique dealer in Corralitos, spent $90 on two-eighths of marijuana Wednesday at Greenway.He suffers chronic stomach pain and said, "Something like this was desperately needed."He said pot controls his nausea and it helps him sleep."This is very comparable to a San Francisco clinic," Brown said. "It’s packaged even better. It’s ethical and it’s very well done."Molyneux’s shop operates based on state and local laws that allow the use of marijuana for serious medical reasonsThe federal government, however, denies marijuana has any medical use, and a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June reaffirmed the drug is illegal."My hope is by following state and city laws strictly, the feds will overlook us," Molyneux said. "I’m sure they know we’re open."Mike Corral, who founded Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana with his wife, Valerie, in 1993, enthusiastically supports Greenway.WAMM, a cooperative with 200 medical marijuana patients, faces the same uncertain future as Greenway because of federal restrictions."I’d tell Lisa (Molyneux) to operate in the cleanest possible fashion," Corral said. "Because all of us in the medical marijuana industry are under scrutiny."We don’t know what the feds are going to do."Despite recommendations from the Police and Parks and Recreation departments to deny Greenway from setting up near Harvey West Park, Mayor Mike Rotkin welcomes the business as an asset to the area."I’m feeling quite confident this isn’t going to cause problems in our community," Rotkin said. "I expect it’s going to be a very smooth-running operation."As far as others duplicating what Molyneux started, Rotkin said they would have to meet the same stringent standards."They would have to be as responsible and organized as she is," he said.Complete Title: Harvey West Pot Dispensary Sells Marijuana To First CustomersSource: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)Author: Shanna McCord, Sentinel Staff WriterPublished: September 22, 2005 Copyright: 2005 Santa Cruz SentinelContact: editorial santa-cruz.comWebsite: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/CNews MMJ Information & Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmPot Shop Lights Up The Townhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21118.shtml Dispense With The Clones http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21014.shtmlSanta Cruz Approves Medical Pot Shophttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20991.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by mayan on September 23, 2005 at 16:58:13 PT Drunk W Dangers of a Drunk Dubya: http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7430.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on September 23, 2005 at 09:22:48 PT About Bush and Drinking I was looking for news and found a number of articles that say he is drinking again. This really concerns me if it turns out to be true. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by mayan on September 22, 2005 at 17:45:48 PT Drunkard I knew something was up when Shrubby staggered off the helicopter and stumbled toward the White House! The little shit-eating grin on his face was not that of a sober person. How could you murder thousands of people and not seek an escape? [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by afterburner on September 22, 2005 at 11:26:59 PT That's the Problem - Fed. Government Is in Denial "The federal government, however, denies marijuana has any medical use" [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 22, 2005 at 10:56:59 PT Same For Meth EJ I've heard that about Meth also. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by E_Johnson on September 22, 2005 at 10:54:10 PT I've heard that too FoM I've heard it about meth too. I was afraid this would happen when he got elected.I thought, he's going to be the first sitting President ordered into rehab during his term. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 22, 2005 at 10:44:07 PT Thanks EJ I know that the National Inquirer doesn't say something like this without proof because of liability. We sure don't need a person who was an out of control alcoholic running our country. Is that impeachable?I remember on PI years ago that it was said that people who drink and love to drink do cocaine so they can drink more. All that would make is a wide awake drunk in my opinion. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on September 22, 2005 at 10:38:19 PT FoM it's probably true Rush Limbaugh got busted by the Enquirer because his maid ratted him out. She was worried that he was taking enough Oxy to OD, and she ratted him out to the tabloids to force him into rehab.Looking at this Enquirer article on Bush -- it has clear explicit bylines, it's a lengthy detailed article that cites numerous inside sources -- I'm willing to bet that the same thing is going on.Someone in the Buash family inner circle is worried about his drinking to the extent that they ratted him out to the tabloids to get his attention.That's what I think.It happens all the time in Hollywood. People see their bosses or friends go off the deep end with addiction, and they tell it all to the tabloids as a way to expose the secret and hopefully save the person's life. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on September 22, 2005 at 09:23:35 PT Oh My EJ I sure hope not. He stutters and fumbles and seems really out there somewhere so it could be true. He looks like he is having a nervous breakdown to me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on September 22, 2005 at 09:13:44 PT Enquirer says Bush is drinking again An alcoholic who is back on booze -- an idea that can give people the shivers even if the alcoholic in question has nothing to do with national security.The National Enquirer, the tabloid newspaper that discovered Rush Limbaugh's Oxycontin addiction, now says that Bush has resorted to sneaking drinks in private for months now, and his wife finally caught him in the act.http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/63426 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment