S.J. pot club looking for experienced, clean grower

Mercury News Staff Report

Got a green thumb? If so, the officials of a San Jose medicinal marijuana club
may want to talk to you. Faced with a July 25 mandate to grow their own
medicinal marijuana on site, Santa Clara County Medical Cannabis Club is
exploring ways to grow enough marijuana 20 pounds in a 425squarefoot
office room to serve its 140 patients, said director Peter Baez.

So far, Baez expects to take out a want ad next week for an experienced
marijuana cultivator and he will consult with those outer space experts,
NASA, to help him solve his office space problem.

Baez said he plans to meet with a NASA/Ames Research Center scientist who
is an expert on growing plants in the cramped space of the space shuttle to
discern how many plants the club can be grown hydroponically at its 265
Meridian Ave. office.

As for his hiring a marijuana grower, Baez says that person must have two
qualifications experience with hydroponics and a clean record.

``Whether they grew it illegally or not, that is not my problem,'' Baez said. ``I
just want someone who has a background check that clears. . . . I'll weed out,
literally, the (bad) ones, when I choose.''

Baez's problems began when police notified officials last month that one of the
conditions of the club's special use permit mandated that the marijuana had to
be grown on premises.

Currently, the club obtains marijuana for its clients from a San Francisco
cannabis club, eliminating the need to grow its own pot.

If the club cannot meet the deadline, Baez said, he'll simply drive patients
himself to San Francisco and let them purchase the marijuana directly from
that club.

``If it comes down to push against shove, I'm going to do what my heart tells
me,'' Baez said. ``I'll figure something out.''

City officials could not be reached for comment Friday night.

Published Saturday, July 19, 1997, in the San Jose Mercury News


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