UKIAH CANNABIS CLUB THREATENED BY COURT RULING

Ukiah Cannabis Buyers' Club owners are worried a new court ruling could
shut down their medical marijuana business, leaving their customers without
respite from pain.

"It's not fair, I have over 300 clients now who are very sick," said one of
the clubs owners, Cherrie Lovett, who started the club partly because she
didn't want to keep driving to San Francisco to get marijuana treatments
for lupus, a painful and crippling disease.

She said the club is the only place people can go in the area to legally
get and smoke marijuana and many people will do without it if she's shut down.

"It upsets me, I give so much free stuff away (to people who can't afford
it). Where are they going to get it when I'm gone?" Lovett said.

The 1st District Court of Appeals ruling specifically applies to the San
Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club run by Dennis Peron. It said Perons club
dies not meet the criteria of a "primary care giver".

That issue would apply to all cannabis clubs, and state Attorney General
Dan Lungren has said he plans to use it accordingly. But that could take
awhile.

The ruling does not go into effect for 30 days, and Peron plans to appeal
to the Supreme Court, which would then have 60 days to decide whether to
take the case.

Attorney Dave Nelson, who has represented the local Cannabis club in the
past, noted the ruling would likely not be enforced as long as it's on appeal.

"So far, it's not final. They don't have any precedent they can act on,"
he said.

He further noted the ruling contradicts the apparent wishes of California
voters, who approved the use of medical marijuana last year.

Lovett and coowner Marvin Lerhman both said they think the court ruled
against Peron be cause he was accused of running a sloppy shop.

"They're after Dennis because they're accusing him of selling to minors,
Lovett said.

She said the Ukiah club doesn't let minors in unless they have both
parental approval and authorization from a physician. The club also keeps
close tabs on it's clients and recently began requiring photo IDs.

"I want it to be a nice, loving, caring, non criminal environment. I'm not
out to be a drug seller," Lovett said.

She said the club not only provides relief for sick people, many of them
dying of AIDS, it also gives them a place to go where they can feel they
belong.

To that end, the club is planning a Christmas party for clients who have
nowhere to go for the holidays.

The Sheriff's Office will be reviewing last week's court ruling this week
to decide what action, if any, to take, according to spokesman Lt. Kevin
Broin. He said taking action would depend on instructions from Lungren.

Lovett said she's hoping for the best and won't shut down unless forced to.

"We're going to be there until they walk in and say we can't be," she said.