POT CLUB SAYS IT WILL REOPEN IN OAKLAND

The Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative says it will reopen Monday,
offering hemp products, not medical marijuana.

The organization, which dispensed marijuana to about 2,000
member-patients from its downtown location on Broadway, was closed
last month by a federal judge. Closure was sought by the 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: Patrick Henry