SANTA CRUZ CITY COUNCIL DEPUTIZES POT FARMERS

Santa Cruz officials have taken another pot shot at federal drug agents by
deputizing two founders of a medical marijuana farm which was raided in
September.

Valerie and Michael Corral were deputized yesterday on a seven-oh council
vote.

The vote gave the Corrals the authority to cultivate, distribute and possess
medical marijuana.

Ben Rice is the Corrals' attorney. He says the council's action means the
couple can carry the controlled substance because they are in effect
enforcing drug laws. In this case -- the drug law is the city's ordinance
regulating medical pot.

Not surprisingly -- the federal Drug Enforcement Agency is not amused.

D-E-A spokesman Richard Meyer says nobody in the country is allowed to
distribute illegal drugs -- period.

Valerie Corral says Santa Cruz joins Oakland and San Francisco in deputizing
medical marijuana providers.

The vote follows a highly publicized pot giveaway at City Hall September
17th. That was twelve days after the raid on the Corrals' farm near
Davenport.