CANNABIS BUYERS' CO-OP TO REOPEN, BUT NOT SELL POT

Courts: The group will offer hemp products as it appeals a judge's order
barring the sale of marijuana.

OAKLAND--The Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative says that it will reopen
Monday, offering hemp products, not medical marijuana. The organization,
which dispensed marijuana to about 2,000 member-patients, was closed last
month && federal judge.

Closure was sought by the Clinton administration's Justice Department,
which said the distribution of medical marijuana, authorized by a 1996
California initiative, violated federal drug laws. The cooperative is
appealing U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer's order. Meanwhile, it has
obtained permission from Breyer to reopen for patient services as long as
no marijuana is on the premises. The services will include counseling and
educating members about the medical use of cannabis as well as "cultivation
meetings," the cooperative said. With the shutdown of the cooperative and
most other marijuana clubs in the area, patients whose doctors recommend
the drug can get it legally only by growing it or obtaining it from a
caregiver. Also scheduled to open is the cooperative's Hemp Store, which
will sell products made from hemp, the fiber of the cannabis plant, and
books about medical marijuana.

Checked-by: Richard Lake