SANTA CRUZ DEPUTIZES MEDICINAL POT FARMERS

Valerie and Michael Corral, the founders of a medicinal marijuana farm that
was busted in early September, are now Deputy Valerie Corral and Deputy
Michael Corral by order of the Santa Cruz City Council.

Taking another pot shot at the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the
council voted 7-0 Tuesday to give the Corrals the "authority to cultivate,
distribute and possess medical marijuana."

The Corrals' attorney, Ben Rice, maintains that the "deputy" status allows
the Corrals to carry a controlled substance because they are enforcing
local drug laws -- in this case, the city of Santa Cruz's ordinance
regulating the way medicinal marijuana can be distributed.

But the DEA indicated it wasn't amused by the Corrals' new "deputy" status.

"No one in the United States is allowed to distribute illegal drugs --
period," Richard Meyer, a DEA spokesman, said after the council's vote.

Valerie Corral said Santa Cruz is the third city in California to deputize
medicinal marijuana providers. One person has been deputized in Oakland and
two in San Francisco, she said.

Though the council action is largely symbolic, the Corrals carry the
official title of Santa Cruz city deputy.

Tuesday's action follows a highly publicized pot giveaway at City Hall on
Sept. 17, 12 days after the raid on the farm in the hills near Davenport.
The farm was operated by the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana.

The council acted Tuesday at the request of the Corrals, who are still
waiting to see if federal prosecutors will charge them with anything.