cannabisnews.com: Sonoma Pot Store Furor Grows 





Sonoma Pot Store Furor Grows 
Posted by CN Staff on April 01, 2004 at 19:57:25 PT
By Lori A. Carter, The Press Democrat
Source: Press Democrat
Sonoma planners have determined that medical marijuana shops will be allowed in town, but proprietors of a proposed club must find a new location after their landlord decided not to rent to them.The Sonoma Cannabis Buyers Cooperative was originally planned to open today on Broadway a few blocks south of the historic Plaza, said proprietors Aaron Mitchell and his mother, Karen Van Kayne.
But the deal fell through after landlord Jack Powers said he decided he didn't want to take on the potential legal liabilities of allowing his building to be used for such a controversial service.Mitchell and Van Kayne both accused Sonoma Police Chief John Gurney of pressuring Powers to back out of their signed lease agreement -- a charge Gurney vehemently denied.After meeting with Van Kayne, Mitchell, the city prosecutor and police, City Planner David Goodison determined a marijuana co-op is a medical service that would be allowed in certain commercial areas, subject to city-imposed conditions.But shortly thereafter, Powers asked Gurney for information about current laws regarding marijuana. Powers said he decided that he did not want to expose himself to potential legal problems because federal law -- unlike state law -- does not recognize the medical use of marijuana."I'm not going against any laws," Powers said.Van Kayne and Mitchell both accused Gurney of "harassing and threatening" Powers into backing out of the agreement."They are absolutely lying," Gurney said."The landlord wasn't happy once this thing got media attention," he said. "He called here wanting to know what he could do. We told him they had the right to be there and that if he made the decision to lease to them it was his problem. He found a loophole."Van Kayne said losing this property was simply a minor glitch. She and her son are searching for another location for Sonoma's first official medical marijuana dispensary.In 2000 and 2001, the Sonoma County Hemp Bank operated on Napa Street, dispensing the drug to more than 150 patients, unbeknownst to city officials. It closed after a related club in Oakland was raided by federal authorities.Mitchell described himself as a businessman who runs a company called Mitchell Bros. 21st Century Film Group. His father, Artie, a self-proclaimed "king of porn," was shot to death by his brother Jim in 1991 during an argument. The pair, operating as the Mitchell Bros., were pioneers in the live and film porn business in San Francisco.Note: Despite planners' approval, landlord backs out of deal, citing fear of potential liability. Source: Press Democrat, The (CA)Author: Lori A. Carter, The Press DemocratPublished: April 1, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Press DemocratContact: letters pressdemo.comWebsite: http://www.pressdemo.com/Related Articles & Web Site:SAMMhttp://www.samm.net/Sebastopol May Get Its Own Med Pot Dispensaryhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18558.shtmlSonoma May Get Medical Pot Club http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18480.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 02, 2004 at 15:18:38 PT
Related News Article About MMJ Club
Sonoma Pot Club Opening Nixed By Joshua Coman Index-Tribune Staff WriterApril 2, 2004 
The opening of Sonoma's first medical marijuana dispensary has been postponed, but those involved don't agree on the reasons why.The cannabis club's lease for a property on Broadway has been canceled, stalling the opening of the controversial store until a new location is found, co-owner Karen Van Kayne said. The store was scheduled to open yesterday. Van Kayne alleges that foul play by the city's police chief led to the loss of the lease. She said that building owner Jack Powers told her that Sonoma police Chief John Gurney warned Powers that the federal government would raid the business the day it opened, causing Powers to back out of the deal.Powers and Gurney denied Van Kayne's allegations. "There's no story here," Powers said. "I wasn't harassed." Powers added that he called Gurney and asked for a copy of a federal opinion letter Gurney had requested from the Drug Enforcement Administration.The letter was written by Special Agent Stephen Delgado of the San Francisco DEA field office. Delgado wrote that the DEA does not recognize state law allowing medical marijuana sales. It wasn't until the phone call, Gurney said, that he talked to Powers about the proposed club and then only to provide the information that Powers sought.Powers said that after he learned the federal government considers a medical marijuana store to be illegal, he sent Van Kayne a letter explaining that the terms of the lease require that the business be allowed under law, attract no publicity, have a city business license and have permission to operate from the police department. "There were requirements in the lease that the use be legal," Powers said. "And I found out the feds aren't going to go for something like this."Despite the rocky start, Van Kayne said she and her son, Aaron Mitchell, still plan to open a Sonoma Valley cannabis club, probably in June and at a different location. http://www.sonomanews.com/articles/2004/04/02/news/top_stories/news02.txt
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