CANNABIS CENTER'S CLOSING IS A SAD DAY FOR S.J.

AFTER putting 15 months of hard work and our lives into getting San Jose
city government to work with us on a medical marijuana dispensary, Peter
Baez and I have decided to close the Santa Clara County Medical Cannabis
Center (Page 2B, May 1). This is the most difficult decision we have had to
make since deciding that we would try to create a model medical marijuana
center in San Jose for patients to receive the treatment and benefits of
marijuana therapy.

It broke our hearts even more when we received a distressing call for help
from a woman whose husband is dying from cancer. The elderly voice over the
phone sounded tearful and said, ``His cancer is so bad that he can't eat;
he's lost over 50 pounds in two weeks. We've tried everything. Could you
help us?''

Hope is all we have sometimes. Let us hope that the San Jose Police
Department and the Santa Clara County District Attorney realize that their
acts are incomprehensible.

We kept our lines of communication with the city open at all times. We had
issues of concern regarding safety, zoning and guidelines set by the police
chief. We believed the city would meet us halfway, but they let us down
horrendously. Only in meetings with then-chief Lou Cobarruviaz did we
accomplish anything.

The cannabis center may be dying, but the biggest death is that of the
spirit of giving, and that of every sick and dying patient in our county.
Peter and I knew that we were doing something right. It was also something
that gained San Jose recognition for taking bold but necessary steps on a
controversial issue. To now discredit and take unjustifiable legal actions
against those people serving our community is an outrage.

A year ago, the federal government was recruiting Americans to volunteer in
their communities. Today, we're forced to abandon our project because of a
communication failure by city officials. San Jose is sending a clear
message that it doesn't care about human life.

Marijuana helps people; Californians know that, because a large majority of
the voters supported it. It is a sad day when two seriously ill citizens
have given what could be the last years of their lives only to have city
officials turn their backs.

- -- Jesse A. Garcia

Director, Santa Clara County Medical Cannabis Center

Checked-by: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)