JUDGE GRANTS STAY FOR CANNABIS CLUB

Courts: At the last minute, a jurist says the medical-marijuana facility
can stay open until attorneys file with the court of appeals.

San Francisco-Hours before U.S. marshals were supposed to shut down an
Oakland medical marijuana club Friday, a federal judge issued a stay
allowing it to remain open until at least Monday.

U. S. District Judge Charles Breyer said the 2,200-member Oakland cannabis
Buyers' Cooperative could stay open until attorneys seek an additional stay
from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that would allow it to continue
to operate.

The Justice Department has sued six Northern California clubs to enforce
federal laws against marijuana distribution, and Breyer issued an
injunction in May prohibiting them from distributing marijuana while the
lawsuit was pending. Breyer ruled Tuesday that the Oakland club could have
been shut down any time after 5 p. m. because it had violated that order.

"Every minute that we're still here we are educating American citizens that
we can still do this, "said Jeff Jones, executive director of the club.
"We need to destigmatize this issue and continue to educate people on the
fact that medical marijuana is a very beneficial substance to a lot of
people. "

The clubs sprang up in California after passage of Proposition 215, the
November 1996 initiative allowing seriously ill patients to grow and use
marijuana for pain relief, with a doctor's recommendation, without being
prosecuted under state law.

Advocates say only marijuana can make certain treatments for AIDS and
cancer bearable, and ease pain from glaucoma and other conditions. But
federal law says marijuana has no medical purpose and cannot be
administered safely, even under medical supervision.

Many of California's marijuana clubs have been shut down through the
efforts of the Justice Department and Attorney General Dan Lungren, who
obtained state court rulings limiting the scope of Prop. 215.

Checked-by: Pat Dolan