NEW TAHOE COLLECTIVE SAYS IT'S 'HERE TO STAY'

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE -- Although federal agents shut down a purported
medical marijuana collective in South Lake Tahoe last week, a second
collective opened its doors this month, and operators said they plan
to dispense marijuana to qualified California residents.

Tahoe Wellness Collective opened in the Bijou Shopping Center on Jan.
8 and plans to offer marijuana to adults with state-issued medical
marijuana cards or a doctor's recommendation as soon as this week.

Opening of the collective has been met with praise by South Shore
residents, said Tahoe Wellness Collective spokesman Cody Bass.

"We've had a ton of support locally," Bass said.

About 45 people have signed up for the collective since it opened, Bass said.

The collective also offers counseling and a wide variety of classes
- -- including yoga, fitness training and parenting -- to members as
part of a "natural perspective of wellness," according to a flier
from the collective.

Marijuana use will not be allowed at the 3,500-square-foot space that
houses the collective, but the collective will offer several types of
marijuana and a full line of edible marijuana products to patients, Bass said.

The city denied the collective a business license because of city
code section 32-2, which requires all activities to be in line with
local, state and federal laws, Bass said. The use of marijuana --
including use for medical purposes -- is illegal under federal law.

Collectives are not considered businesses, according to guidelines
issued by California Attorney General Edmund Brown in August, and
Bass said the denial of a business license shouldn't prevent the
collective's operation.

Bass also said he doesn't expect city officials to enforce code
section 32-2, and said he believes the Obama administration will end
to federal raids on state-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries.

Operators of the collective are prepared to legally challenge any
enforcement measures should they arise, Bass said.

"We're not going anywhere," Bass said. "We're here to stay."