LITTLE CONSENSUS ON CONSEQUENCES OF COURT MARIJUANA RULING

Medical marijuana cooperatives, city officials, and anti-drug activists in
Berkeley are looking at where they stand in the wake of a U.S. Supreme
Court ruling which decided there was no medical exemption for marijuana in
federal drug law.

Depending on where one asks, the unanimous decision is good news, bad news,
or no news at all for medical marijuana patients.

Jim Squatter, co director of Cannabis Buyers Cooperative of Berkeley, said
the decision came as no surprise and leaves him feeling safer.

"It (the Supreme Court ruling) sets us up in a better position -- the state
is backing off, and the Feds are taking over," said Squatter. "And the
political climate tells me they are not going to get convictions."

Lt. Russell Lopes of the Berkeley police department said the ruling in
Washington, D.C. will have no bearing on how the police go about their
business.

"Our policy concerning marijuana in general is that it is an extremely low
priority," said Lopes. "Nothing is going to change regardless of what the
court says."

While the police aren't planning a restructuring of their marijuana policy,
other parts of the city government have been obliged to pay closer
attention to the decision.

"We have all along been monitoring the legal landscape," said city attorney
Manuela Albuquerque. "As soon as we make one set of assumptions, the law
changes on us."

Albuquerque said the decision has forced her to reassess the City Council's
directive to develop a permitting process for medical marijuana cooperatives.

The city manager arranged for a meeting between city officials and at least
two of the medical marijuana cooperatives.

"I've been asking for a meeting with the city manager for a couple of
years," said Squatter.

In contrast to Squatter's belief that medical marijuana cooperatives are in
a better position after Monday's ruling, anti-drug activists are energized
by the decision written by Justice Clarence Thomas.

Kevin Sabet, director of Citizens for a Drug Free Berkeley, said the city
is obligated to enforce federal law.

"It's a simple thing in my mind," said Sabet. "This is the third branch of
government to say there is no medical use for marijuana.

"I only hope that the City of Berkeley and others desiring to smoke weed
for so-called medical purposes' will now follow the law. If they don't, we
will see them in court," said Sabet in a press release.

Sabet, a soon-to-be graduate of UC Berkeley, said litigation will not be
his first method of coercion.

"We're going to call Manuela Albuquerque, the city manager, and the rest of
the city government," he said.

But if the medical marijuana cooperatives remain open, Sabet said he will
resort to the courts.

"If it has to come down to a court challenge," said Sabet. "It's an open
and shut case. The hardest thing about this case is putting up the filing
fee and driving down to the Alameda County Superior Court."

Albuquerque said she believes the city is not vulnerable to a lawsuit.