MEDICAL POT PARTY PLANNED IN RIVERSIDE

Riverside medical marijuana clinic manager Lanny Swerdlow says he
just wants to throw a private, alcohol-free New Year's Eve
celebration for patients.

But to one Inland anti-drug group, Swerdlow's private party is a
thinly disguised illegal drug bash, and the group has pressed that
assertion by filing a complaint with the state attorney general.

The party, which is only for medical marijuana patients, will be
held tonight at the THCF Medical Clinic and Patient Center, where
patients can seek a doctor's recommendation for marijuana but not
obtain the drug.

Swerdlow said Wednesday in a phone interview he's expecting about 50
to 60 people to attend the event. He won't offer live entertainment
because that requires a city permit he doesn't have, he said.

Patients who show a valid recommendation will get a wristband and
can use marijuana that they bring to the party, Swerdlow said. Any
non-patients must be guests of a patient and will not be permitted
to use marijuana.

"Instead of having people go to parties with alcohol, these are
patients that are going to be using cannabis," Swerdlow said.

Swerdlow said he knows the city is watching him closely, and that's
frustrating because there are so many other New Year's parties
planned, and his will not include alcohol, which he considers much
more dangerous.

But Inland anti-drug activists don't see Swerdlow's party as a
harmless alternative to the traditional champagne toast. Paul
Chabot, an adviser with the 150-member Inland Valley Drug Free
Community Coalition and a state Assembly candidate, said he was
"shocked at the audacity" of party organizers, "but we're
not surprised because this has been their intent all along, which
is to promote drug usage."

Chabot said by phone the coalition is mainly concerned that young
people will attend the event. He said the group recently filed a
consumer complaint against the THCF clinic because of the party.

Dana Simas, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Jerry Brown , said by
phone the complaint was received but she could not comment on the issue.

Riverside officials also are aware of the party but are waiting to
see what happens before responding.

"There's certainly no prohibition for anyone to have a party,"
Riverside Police Sgt. Jaybee Brennan said. "If there is criminal
activity and there are radio calls for service at the location,
obviously we will do what we do with every radio call."