TEHAMA HERBAL COLLECTIVE OPEN, DESPITE COUNCIL BAN

CORNING Tehama Herbal Collective, Inc. is open for business despite
receiving a letter from Planning Director John Stoufer ordering it to
discontinue operations due to the passage of a 45 day temporary
ordinance banning collectives in the city.

(The city) legally can't close us unless we voluntarily close, said
Ken Prather, who with his wife Kathy applied to the city for a
business license on Aug. 6 to run THC, a medical marijuana collective.

Prather says ordinance does not apply to THC Inc. because it was open
and signing up patient members on Aug. 7, which is prior to the
passage of the temporary ordinance on Aug. 11.

The Prathers were told the business license was denied because of
zoning issues, however, as a non-profit mutual benefit corporation it
is exempt from having a business license, Prather said.

All members of THC, at 1317 Solano St., are required to verify that
they have a doctor's recommendation for medical marijuana either by
bringing in the original with an embossed seal or through the doctor's
office by fax, phone or e-mail, Prather said.

In addition, members have to sign a code of conduct, which includes a
rule that they cannot smoke, ingest or consume medical marijuana in
any way within 150 feet of the store in any direction.

If anyone's caught, they're automatically banned from the collective,
Kathy Prather said. We're pretty serious about it.

THC staples all bags shut so nothing can fall out and stamps the
membership ID number on the bag, so if someone violates the rules, the
collective can track the person down, she said.

While THC does not grow mature plants it does have clones, which are
cuttings from an existing female plant, that can be given to members
for their gardens, she said.

THC also has edibles, meaning marijuana is put into food such as
butter, for those, like cancer patients, who can't or don't like to
smoke it, she said.

Opening up THC has been a lot of leg work, Kathy Prather
said.

You're regulated through three different agencies to even get the
seller's permit, Ken Prather said. It's a checks and balances system.

As for concerns about security, THC has a 24-hour surveillance system
with four cameras already installed, she said.

The only official complaint the couple has received was from Chris
Copley, owner of Hebrews across the street, but Ken Prather says it is
being withdrawn.

Ken Prather said Copley came into the store Friday morning with an
apology saying that after checking out the store he was withdrawing
the complaint.

It doesn't bother me and it doesn't bother my business, said Rosa
Castrejon of Tina Marie's Beauty Salon, a neighboring business.

A few doors down at Daisy's Ice Cream, Juan Oceguera said having THC
as a neighbor was not a problem.

Maybe it will bring more customers, maybe not, Oceguera
said.

Corning Police Chief Tony Cardenas said his main concern with the
collective was whether or not it was legal, which is something that is
in the process of being decided.

As a medical cannabis collective, THC is run by a corporate board with
a cap on how much can go to salaries, Kathy Prather said. Anything
above the cap has to go back to members or be given as a donation to
the public.

We grew up here so we want to give back to the community, Kathy
Prather said.

THC would like to donate to projects like Rodgers Theatre, Corning
Skateboard Park and helping a local clinic do a free immunization day,
she said.

THC is also the chemical symbol for Tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical
in marijuana that produces the high when it is ingested.