cannabisnews.com: Pot Club Struggles for Financial Survival





Pot Club Struggles for Financial Survival
Posted by CN Staff on May 20, 2007 at 06:01:12 PT
By Shanna McCord, Sentinel Staff Writer
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz, CA -- Santa Cruz's oldest marijuana club has seen a precipitous drop in donations that sustain the organization since the federal government raided its gardens five years ago, and organizers are worried they will have to scale back their operations or even close.Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana has reduced the amount of marijuana given away as it struggles to stay in business and continue serving its 175 members, many seriously ill with terminal cancer or AIDS.
"It's dire," WAMM co-founder Mike Corral said. "Not too far in the future we'll run out of what's available in our bank accounts now. It's a matter of months not a year or years."The organization, which opened in April 1993 to grow a communal marijuana garden for patients to share, costs about $150,000 to operate each year, Corral said. Donations, which they depend on for the bulk of their budget, have been down at least 60 percent for the past couple of years, he said.Money problems for WAMM started after a raid by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency in September 2002 when the pot farm was stripped clean and 130 of the organization's marijuana plants were seized. Corral and his wife, Valerie Corral, were arrested during the raid.Since then, membership has fallen slightly and donations have dropped dramatically, which has made it difficult to take care of existing patients, Corral said.The organization has asked patients to cut back on the amount of marijuana they use to make sure there's enough for everyone who needs it, he said. Faced with the prospect of closing their administrative office on Almar Avenue in Santa Cruz, WAMM has made a plea by writing e-mails to the public to contribute $5 a month so "we can keep this vision alive." "If each of us contributes as little a $5 a month, we can move political history," Valerie Corral wrote in an e-mail. "That's one trip to Starbucks, less than a movie."Ken Sampson, owner of the Santa Cruz Patient Collective, a place for medical marijuana patients to buy the drug, received the Corrals' e-mail and is concerned for WAMM's future."They're extremely vital," Sampson said. "They're basically the grassroots of the medical marijuana movement. I'm looking to do what I can to help."If the pot club were to close, many sick people would be at a loss."If WAMM were to fold, very poor people would be unable to find medicine," Corral said. "It would cost the city and county more money to supply the services we supply."Marijuana became legal in California in 1996 for people with serious illnesses, however, the federal government considers the drug illegal and has the authority to confiscate marijuana, even if it's used for medicinal purposes.The Corrals have been involved in a series of lawsuits against the federal government during the past 10 years to defend their right to use and distribute medical marijuana. Their legal cases have been covered by pro bono attorneys and are not eating into their operation budget, Corral said.Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)Author: Shanna McCord, Sentinel Staff WriterPublished: May 20, 2007 Copyright: 2007 Santa Cruz SentinelContact: editorial santa-cruz.comWebsite: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on May 21, 2007 at 15:58:42 PT
WAMM
Now would be a great time for them to win one of those lawsuits. A very good time.I can't understand why supporters would run out from under them because of that raid. If they supported their good works then...they should have continued or even increased their support after the raid. Wrong upon wrong done to people trying to survive the best they can. This has been a nasty, hateful, cruel prohibition.
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on May 21, 2007 at 15:51:53 PT
"the Hands of Top DEA Officials"
Oh my!Wonder how that will go?Got a pretty good idea.The "masters" heed not the call of the "slaves"...or something like that.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on May 21, 2007 at 12:37:34 PT
Press Release from MAPS
Following Positive Recommendation From DEA Judge, Fate of Medical Marijuana Research in U.S. is Now in the Hands of Top DEA Officialshttp://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,109151.shtml
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Comment #11 posted by Truth on May 21, 2007 at 10:51:45 PT
Tod
God Bless Tod Mikuriya.A True American Hero!
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Comment #10 posted by ekim on May 21, 2007 at 09:09:23 PT
Thank you Dr. Tod
 a small personal story on Dr.Mikuriya. Years ago when we were forming a med cannabis march in Lansing MI i called the good Dr. and told him what we were planning and asked if he could help me with a list of actual ailments which are helped with cannabis use. Dr. Mikuriya gave me a list and made sure i spelled each one correctly, he was very kind and spent quite a while helping. It has been said here before but needs to be restated -- with out such leaders as Tod those who have taken the oath would be nearly invisible.Speaking of the health of the CountryToday on C-Span the AG of CA Jerry Brown was on saying that he is in DC asking Pres Bush to allow CA a waver cutting global warming emissions. He said we are too dependant on imported oil and we must have other means of power for the good of everyone.
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Comment #9 posted by charmed quark on May 21, 2007 at 06:57:27 PT
Dr. Tod M
Yes, he was diagnosed with cancer. I was a patient of his. He announced to all of his patients that they needed to get new doctors and wrote very gracious referral letters for all of us. I heard he had a good final year in spite of the cancer.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on May 20, 2007 at 18:06:22 PT
Hope
Yes we lost an icon in the medical marijuana movement. He will be missed by so many people.
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on May 20, 2007 at 18:01:43 PT
Oh no.
I didn't realize he was ill. I'm so sad. We have lost a champion.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 20, 2007 at 17:52:22 PT
Hope
He passed away this morning. I assume an article will be written tomorrow. I knew he was very sick for a long time. I think he had cancer of the pancreas or liver but I could be wrong.
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on May 20, 2007 at 15:50:28 PT
Tod Mikuriya: RIP?
When did this happen? What happened? I'm so sad. 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 20, 2007 at 13:29:08 PT
Tod Mikuriya: RIP
This is sad. He left a mark on many of us. May he rest in peace. 
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 20, 2007 at 11:56:22 PT
Max Flowers 
That's a good point. To me what WAMM has tried to do is help very sick people. What would the world be like if we didn't have Mike and Valerie Corrals in it anymore? I don't want to know.
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Comment #2 posted by Max Flowers on May 20, 2007 at 11:41:56 PT
They're not just a medical cannabis club
...they're a hospice too! This article doesn't point out that very important fact.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 20, 2007 at 07:06:15 PT
WAMM
Ever since I first heard about WAMM I thought this is how it could be done. I hope that they don't have to shut down. That would be so darn sad.
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