MARIJUANA CO-OP CLOSES AFTER WARNING BY POLICE

The co-founder of a local co-operative that supplies marijuana to scores of
patients suffering from AIDS and other health conditions closed down
operations this week after receiving a letter from Seattle police saying
her actions may violate state law.

JoAnna McKee of Green Cross Co-operative said yesterday that she received a
letter from the commander of the Police Department's narcotics division
requesting that Green Cross "cease and desist" delivery of marijuana in the
manner it currently does.

"We got the letter late Friday, and we didn't open our doors on Monday,"
McKee said.

Green Cross, which McKee said delivers marijuana to about 20
doctor-approved patients per day, four days a week, has suspended
operations while the co-operative's lawyers work with police and
prosecutors to resolve the matter.

At issue is a difference in views of state law over the way medical
marijuana can be legally distributed to patients who have received
permission from doctors to use it.

The department's letter, sent to McKee by Narcotics Division Capt. Jim
Pryor, says state law requires that a person delivering marijuana for
medical use "be the primary caregiver to only one patient at any one time."

In the view of police and prosecutors, the letter says, that means that
each patient may have only one caregiver, and each caregiver only one patient.

But McKee sees things differently, saying that because she deals with
patients individually -- one at a time -- she is within legal guidelines.

Seattle police Sgt. John Hayes said yesterday that the letter was prompted
in light of recent citizens complaints and a Supreme Court ruling that cast
doubt on legal medical marijuana use.

In May, the top court ruled that marijuana grown and sold for medical
purposes is not protected from prosecutions under federal anti-drug laws.
The decision involved a California case, but did not overturn California's
medical-marijuana law or similar laws in eight other states, including
Washington. Initiative 692, which allows marijuana use for medical purposes
in Washington, went into effect in December 1998. Since then, no county
prosecutor has filed charges over medical marijuana.