CANNABIS CENTER KEEPS ON GROWING

*West Hollywood commits to helping medical marijuana site expand.

West Hollywood -- The City Council has voted to assist the Los Angeles
Cannabis Resource Center in buying the building that center officials have
been leasing since 1996 on Santa Monica Boulevard.

The center distributes marijuana to more than 600 members who have
prescriptions to use the drug for medicinal purposes.

Officials plan to use the city's $300,000 loan toward the purchase of the
$1.2 million site, said Allyne Winderman, the city's economic development
and housing manager.

An additional $50,000 grant will be donated by the city to the center
toward fixing up the facade of the three-story building, she added.

The city should also benefit from the venture.

Along with the purchase of the building comes a parking lot that the city
hopes to acquire for parking or green space, said Councilman John Heilman.

"We viewed this as an opportunity to upgrade the building," said Heilman.
"We've been interested in this building regardless of who wanted to
purchase it, but because it is an existing tenant, that makes it all the
more exciting.

The center serves the community's needs and we'd like to acquire the
parking, so it's a win-win for all of us."

But Councilman Sal Guarriello did not see it that way. He was the only
council member that voted down the monetary assistance.

"The Cannabis Club does a lot of good, but I don't want to see a precedent
get started," said Guarriello. "Every organization will be asking for
assistance. Years ago we gave all this money, like $2.6 million, to the
homeless shelter to purchase their building and now they are moving out of
the city."

The Cannabis Center is negotiating interest rates with a bank that has
committed to loaning them money for the mortgage, said Scott Imler, the
center's executive director.

For its first mortgage payment, the Cannabis Center has to come up with
$780,000 by the June 4 escrow deadline.

The present building owners have also agreed to help with the loan.

"We're excited about the possibilities," said Imler. "We've just outgrown
our needs at this location and need more space to accommodate our members."

Through this acquisition, the Cannabis Center will take over the ground
floor of the building, which will add an additional 5,000 square feet to
the 4,200 square feet it is now using.

Among other things, the added space will enable the center to have ground
access space for its wheelchair-bound members. "Right now, we have three
members in wheelchairs," said Imler. "We have to bring the disbursements to
them while they wait outside."

The center also plans to expand its cultivation of marijuana.

Now, one-third of its supply is grown at the center, another third is grown
by members at their homes and the rest is bought on the black market, said
Imler.

"Our long-term plan is to decultivate the site and grow outside of the
city, like Topanga Canyon. We've had discussions with law enforcement and
no one believes growing marijuana in the middle of the city is a good
idea," said Imler "With the purchase of the building, we will be able to
eliminate getting our supply from the black market."

Other plans include building a solarium on the roof for growing purposes.

"We're considering the possibility," said Imler. "Of course we would have
some type of screen so that it's not in the helicopter's face. But we have
a huge electric bill, about $1,200 a month.

The sun is free."