EMBRY'S POT CHARGES DROPPED

- - Doctor's Letters And 'Interest Of Justice' Sited As Reasons For Halting
Proceedings.

The Orange County district attorney's office dropped two felony charges of
cultivation and possession for sale of marijuana against Ross Embry of
Laguna Beach.

"Based on the information we have, we felt that in the interests of justice
not to proceed," said Susan Schroeder, spokeswoman for the district
attorney's office.

Embry was exonerated last Friday after his court-appointed attorney
presented two letters from doctors.

"It's a great relief, and I'm glad that it happened that way," Embry said
during an interview at Laguna Health Club.

His attorney began proceedings on Wednesday to obtain a court order to
release the marijuana seized from his apartment during his arrest on Sept. 17.

But because Embry lives at Hagan Place, which is federal housing for
individuals living with HIV and AIDS, federal zero tolerance rules prohibit
him from bringing the marijuana back to his home.

He plans to arrange meetings with respective representatives of the
oncology departments at South Coast Medical Center and UCLA to discuss the
possibility of donating the marijuana to cancer patients suffering from the
side effects of chemotherapy.

Although Embry's doctor can prescribe marijuana to him to alleviate the
nausea caused by his medications, there is not yet a legal method for Embry
to buy it. The section of the California Health and Safety Code that
outlines the purpose of Proposition 215 encourages the federal and state
governments to implement a plan for the safe and affordable distribution of
marijuana.

"Somebody has to take a stand and put themselves in the forefront," he
said. "I'm ready. I'm strong."

- - MARY A. CASTILLO is a news assistant for the Coastline Pilot. She covers
education, public safety and City Hall. She can be reached at
mary.castillo@latimes.com.