COURT SHUTS OAKLAND POT CLUB

SAN FRANCISCO - One of the largest medical marijuana clubs in California
has been shut down in a dispute with the federal government over
distribution of a substance some patients say eases their pain.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday denied a request by the
Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative to remain open while it appeals a
ruling finding the club in contempt of court for continuing to distribute
marijuana.

The club, which claims 2,200 patients as members, was one of six in
Northern California sued by the Justice Department for violating the
federal law against distribution of marijuana. Of the six, only two remain
open, along with a handful of others around the state.

"It's going to be devastating," said Dave Fratello, whose group, Americans
for Medical Rights, sponsored the 1996 California proposition legalizing
marijuana use for medical reasons and is pushing hard for similar measures
in other states this year.

"In a lot of cases we're talking about people who are dying," he said. "If
they don't have easy access, they may not have any access at all."

Proposition 215 allows patients and their caregivers to possess and grow
marijuana without prosecution under California law, if recommended by a
doctor to relieve the pain from AIDS or cancer treatment, glaucoma or other
conditions.

The initiative had no effect on federal laws against distribution.

Nearly 30 medical marijuana suppliers were in operation in California last
year, Fratello said. A Los Angeles club is now the only sizable one still
open, he said. About 12,000 people in California have received doctor
recommendations saying they would benefit from marijuana, Fratello said.

Voters in six states - Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and
Arizona - and the District of Columbia will be asked Nov. 3 whether to
allow the cultivation and distribution of marijuana for medical reasons.

Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson