NO MORE MEDICAL MARIJUANA ON THE CENTRAL COAST

Several medical marijuana dispensaries in Santa Barbara closed their
doors Sept. 19 in response to pressure by the federal Drug
Enforcement Administration.

Dispensaries are allowed in certain circumstances under California
law to provide marijuana to patients with a doctor's recommendation,
but the federal government considers them to be in conflict with
federal laws restricting drug trafficking. According to a DEA
representative, several letters were sent out to property owners in
late July informing them of ongoing illegal activity on their
properties-specifically, the selling of marijuana. They further
threatened to seize the properties if the dispensaries were not
closed by Sept. 19.

Santa Barbara is one of several California cities to pass an
ordinance allowing marijuana dispensaries. The city's attorney was
not available for comment.

Threatening landlords with property seizure has become a common
tactic for closing dispensary doors throughout California, according
to DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullin. She said more than 200 such letters
were sent in July in the federal district that includes Los Angeles
and Santa Barbara. She could not say how many landlords complied.

New Times called five Santa Barbara dispensaries for statements, but
none answered. One number had been disconnected. A representative for
the Santa Barbara chapter of NORML, the national group that lobbies
for the legalization of marijuana-medical or otherwise-confirmed
that all of the area's dispensaries have closed their doors in
response to the letters. When asked where patients would get
marijuana, he said "probably anywhere they can."

Following the closure of Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers, the
medical marijuana dispensary formerly located in Morro Bay, many
patients reported driving to Santa Barbara to get their prescriptions
filled.