CLUB DIES; NEW ONE SPROUTS IN ITS PLACE

Admission: Peron said he erred in giving pot to caregivers.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A reluctant sheriff shut down San Francisco's largest
medical marijuana club Monday, as organizers waited in the wings to reopen
under another name.

San Francisco Sheriff Mike Hennessey served Cannabis Cultivators Club
founder Dennis Peron with an order closing down the operation shortly after
1 p.m. and ordered the building vacated. Peron and his followers cooperated
peacefully.

Hennessey made it clear he personally opposed the court order initiated by
state Attorney General Dan Lungren, whom Peron is opposing in a David vs.
Goliath campaign in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

``I support the medicinal marijuana law in the state of California, and it
does seem this is an attempt to thwart that law,'' Hennessey said.

The sheriff also said he would not move against the club's successor
agency, the Cannabis Healing Center, which was opening under a new director
at the same site.

``That has nothing to do with this court order,'' Hennessey said.

Peron started the club four years ago and was a prime mover behind the
successful 1996 drive for the state's medicinal marijuana initiative.
Monday, he emerged from the club with his belongings -- including a pot
plant -- packed in a cardboard box.

To shouts of ``Peron! Peron!'' from 75 supporters, the sometimes emotional
activist said it was time for him to move on.

``It's been an honor to lead you into a more loving and compassionate
society, and it's very sad for me to have this moment in my life,'' Peron
said.

Customers of the club were relieved that the new cannabis center was
opening apparently unmolested, but bitter about the attempt to shut it
down.

``Dennis Peron helped me keep 17 people alive this year,'' said an angry
Houston Broglin. ``Pot makes AIDS patients eat. If you take this away, then
you actually put a lot of people in the ground.''

A client who identified himself as Billy emphasized the positive, noting
that the new center was opening.

``All praise to God. It's still here,'' Billy said. ``This is history in
the making.''

The court order to close down the club was based on pot sales to providers,
rather than directly to patients. Peron called the issue a technicality
that Lungren had seized on, but took responsibility for the error.

``When I started this, there was no roadmap. Maybe I made some mistakes
along the way. Who knew you couldn't sell to caregivers?'' he said.

The new Cannabis Healing Center is run by Hazel Rodgers and is posted with
notices that pot can be sold only to patients, and not caregivers.

It's also covered with ``Peron for Governor'' posters, pins and bumper stickers.