WARRANTS SERVED AT FRESNO CO. POT DISPENSARIES

Sheriff Mims Says Pot Dispensaries Are Making Illegal Profit on
Marijuana Sales.

The battle between local governments and medical marijuana
dispensaries escalated Wednesday when about 200 law-enforcement
officers raided five shops.

All are in unincorporated Fresno County four along Clovis Avenue in
the county island of Tarpey Village and another in Friant.

Sheriff Margaret Mims said she believes the dispensaries are making a
profit from marijuana sales, which is illegal under state law.

"These are not collectives," she said. "They are store-front
dispensaries."

None of the shops were shut down, but officers seized their marijuana
in addition to serving search warrants seeking bank and telephone records.

Wednesday's sweep added Fresno County to the list of California cities
and counties that have gotten tough with dispensaries most notably
the city of Fresno's ban that reached court before it became permanent.

The Tarpey Village crackdown couldn't have come soon enough, said some
neighbors. But dispensary clients said they were disappointed that yet
another source of medical marijuana was being targeted.

Mims and county Supervisor Debbie Poochigian, whose district includes
the Clovis Avenue-area dispensaries, said they routinely receive
complaints from neighbors about illegal drug deals and excessive traffic.

The dispensaries line the west side of Clovis Avenue starting near
Ashlan Avenue. In a half-mile stretch there's Garden Ablaze,
EarthSource, Cafe 215 Collective and Buds 4 Life Collective.

Residents say collective customers smoke marijuana in the
neighborhood, block driveways, leave trash and urinate in their yards.
They say they are afraid to let their children play outside.

"This neighborhood is not safe anymore," said Dawn Dussell, who
recently moved back to the area. "I'm so happy something is being done."

Tanis Thacker, Dussell's 12-year-old brother, said he saw a collective
customer urinate in his yard Tuesday.

The traffic is so bad, Tanis said, that he has nearly been hit by cars
three times.

"I've lost hope for this neighborhood," he said. "I'm embarrassed to
live here."

Poochigian said she would like to see the dispensaries shut
down.

"They're illegal in cities, and I'm hoping the board will do the same
for Fresno County," she said.

In July, the county Board of Supervisors enacted a moratorium on new
medical marijuana dispensaries, hoping to gain time to draw up
regulations for the relatively new industry. The regulations are being
drafted and are expected to prohibit more dispensaries from opening.

The county said it would decide on a case-by-case basis whether
existing dispensaries could continue operating. The fate of the
dispensaries under the forthcoming regulations is yet to be determined.

The city of Fresno bars the dispensaries, and city officials said
Wednesday they're not aware of any illicit operations.

Mims is scheduled to have a news conference this morning to speak
about the investigation.

On Wednesday, she said the seizures came after a six-month
investigation. Local, state and federal agents seized records at the
dispensaries shortly before 11 a.m. Besides the four shops closely
bunched along Clovis Avenue, a fifth collective Buds 4 Life North in
Friant also was searched.

Warrants also were served at five residences and two
warehouses.

No arrests were made, and customers were not targeted, although they
were interviewed by officers, Mims said.

Chris Rice, who said he was a client at Buds 4 Life on Clovis Avenue,
arrived at the dispensary during the law-enforcement operation. He
said he uses marijuana to manage pain from a knee injury.

"I don't like it at all," Rice said of the crack-down. "I need my
medication."

He said Wednesday's law-enforcement effort would not stop him from
obtaining marijuana.

"I'm probably going to go and buy it from someone on the street," Rice
said.

Ryan Jackson, who was in Buds 4 Life when the search warrants were
served, said officers asked him how much money he pays for medical
marijuana, which he said he uses for back pain.

He said people with chronic pain need marijuana dispensaries. He said
he doesn't like taking painkillers because they make him fall asleep.

"All the stuff here is safe and it's grown organically," Jackson
said.

Imogene Ballew, 90, who has lived in the neighborhood for 57 years,
said she appreciated "with all my heart" the search warrants being
served.

She said she used to walk for exercise from her home to Clovis Avenue
past the Buds 4 Life building before the collective opened.

But now, said Ballew, "I don't dare do that."