SHERIFF CLOSES POT CLUB, SLAMS COURT ORDER

A sheriff reluctantly 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 and ordered
the building vacated. Peron and his followers cooperated peacefully.

Hennessey made it clear he 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,'' he
said.

Peron started the club four years ago and was a prime mover behind the
successful 1996 drive for the state's medicinal marijuana law, which allows
the sale of marijuana to patients for medical use. Monday, he emerged from
the club with his belongings -- including a pot plant -- packed in a
cardboard box.

``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 to the shouts of ``Peron! Peron!'' from 75 supporters.

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