Alternative Pot Club Shuts Down

Feeling the heat from law enforcement, a leading alternative to Dennis
Peron's Cannabis Cultivator's Club in San Francisco has shut its doors.

Cannabis Helping Alleviate Medical Problems, or CHAMP, which provided
marijuana to 500 members from its headquarters at 194 Church Street, shut
down for good Wednesday. `

`We didn't feel a lot of support from the city to support its clubs,'' said
Victor Hernandez, CHAMP executive director.

Hernandez said members of the staff at the club were upset about a two-week
period of surveillance by unidentified plainclothes police, who videotaped
outside the club and trailed staff members.

``The biggest culprit in this thing is Dan Lungren, who refuses to carry
out the will of the voters who passed Proposition 215,'' said Hernandez.

Members of the organization were permitted to smoke marijuana for their
medical conditions at the facility, but it did not foster a night club
atmosphere like Peron's club.

Hernandez said he sees nothing wrong with Peron's approach. ``In Dennis'
situation, people seemed to be in much better spirits than they would be
somewhere else,'' he said.

Hernandez said the club offices will be open next week from Wednesday
through Thursday, noon to 7 p.m., for members to pick up their medical
records.