ACCUSATIONS NOT BASED ON FACTS

I am very flattered by the June 1 letter recognizing my efforts on
behalf of medical marijuana patients by "hectoring the San Bernardino
Board of Supervisors to draft an ordinance regulating the sale of
medical marijuana." However I cannot take all the credit, as more
than 30 other concerned citizens also hectored the board members for
their inability to get a medical marijuana ordinance written as they
said they would over a year ago. The letter writer should give credit
where credit is due.

After San Bernardino County lost its case in May 2009 to have
Proposition 215 declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court,
Supervisors Paul Biane and Josie Gonzales made statements supporting
the development of an ordinance and patients participated in a number
of meetings with the Sheriff's Department and the Planning Department.

Patients came to believe naively that San Bernardino County was
earnestly engaged in drafting a medical marijuana collective ordinance.

They did not realize that they were being yanked around by a chain
until February and it was only then that they started to approach the
Board of Supervisors wanting to know why after eight months of secret
meetings involving more than 20 county employees representing 10
difference agencies, there was no ordinance written or even one being written.

Unlike San Bernardino County - which is expending hundreds of
thousands of dollars of taxpayer money with sheriff's deputies
arresting and the District Attorney's Office prosecuting medical
marijuana patients and providers - the County of Riverside has not
been criminally going after anyone. Riverside County appears to
recognize that the collectives are not doing anything criminal, but
do claim they are violating various zoning ordinances - a civil
offense, not a criminal offense.

The county and cities within Riverside have issued cease-and-desist
orders and filed lawsuits seeking temporary restraining orders. This
means the issues surrounding the legality of medical marijuana
collectives will be settled in civil courts like civilized people.

The county is not resorting to the brute force of law enforcement
which is what is occurring in San Bernardino County.

Patient advocate time is limited and we must choose our actions
wisely. Where patients and providers are being arrested and
prosecuted takes priority over court actions being argued by a gaggle
of lawyers with patients sitting safely on the sidelines with their
fingers crossed.

The June 1 letter said, "Lanny opened his own marijuana collective in
Riverside. Lanny's business, presently with 5,000 paid-in members, is
profitable " Although I did come up with the concept for utilizing a
farmer's market distribution method for medicinal marijuana and I am
a member of the Board of Directors, I do not own the collective, as
it is a registered not-for-profit mutual benefit association.

More disturbing is the accusation that I am making a profit. I am
sure the writer is aware that it is illegal for a collective to make
a profit. A collective that did make a profit would no longer be
afforded the protections of S.B. 420. As a consequence the operators
would be guilty of possession with intent to sell and a host of other felonies.

I am shocked that The Sun would publish such a letter.