MEDICAL POT DISPENSER INDICTED

SACRAMENTO - A federal grand jury has returned a three-count indictment
against a man who was running a medical marijuana dispensary on Folsom
Boulevard, ruling that he acted illegally by selling marijuana, carrying two
pistols and owning them as a felon, according to court documents.

Louis Wayne Fowler, 51, was found July 7 to have 816 marijuana plants at his
store and 288 at his home on the 6100 block of 20th Street in Rio Linda.

He also had a Beretta .32-caliber semiautomatic pistol in his pocket and a
loaded Intratec 9mm assault weapon on the floor of his Mercedes, documents
say.

On June 6, after the Supreme Court ruled that federal law trumps
California's medical marijuana law, Fowler told The Bee he planned no
changes to his operation.

One month later, drug enforcement agents raided his shop, Alternative
Specialties, at 9205 Folsom Blvd., and searched his home.

He was arrested on a complaint of growing at least 1,000 marijuana plants,
possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and illegally
possessing firearms after a prior felony conviction.

The grand jury handed down the same charges on Friday.