GUARD AT MORRO BAY MEDICAL MARIJUANA CLUB ACCUSED OF DRUG DEAL

A security officer at a Morro Bay medical marijuana dispensary was
allegedly selling the drug outside the cannabis co-op that was raided
recently by federal and sheriff's investigators, according to a crime report.

The Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers reopened Saturday after a
March 29 raid by Drug Enforcement Administration and Sheriff's
Department investigators.

Security officer Abe Baxter, 26, was arrested that day on suspicion
of possessing marijuana or hashish for sale and selling or furnishing
the drug, according to sheriff's Sgt. Brian Hascall.

A confidential informant told sheriff's investigators that the
security officer had allegedly offered him the drug off the co-op's
property, according to the sheriff's crime report.

"During the purchase of medicinal marijuana from the club, Baxter
approached him to determine if he was interested in purchasing
marijuana outside the confines of the cannabis club," the report read.

Sheriff's deputies bought three-quarters of a pound of marijuana on
July 12 for $3,200 from Baxter in a San Luis Obispo parking lot,
according to the report.

The strain of marijuana they bought, called "Diesel," was the same
type being sold by the dispensary, according to the report. Although
there is no direct statement from Baxter that the marijuana was from
the dispensary, investigators said in the report they believed the
Diesel strain was from the co-op.

On Tuesday, co-op owner Charles Lynch would not discuss Baxter's
arrest but said he decided to reopen and pointed to a city license he
replaced after investigators seized his.

It is unknown whether Baxter, who has been released from jail, still
works at the dispensary at 780 Monterey Ave.

Lynch said he was concerned for patients because agents and sheriff's
investigators seized confidential patient information, despite
patient privacy laws.

"We're operating under California state law," Lynch said. "These
rights are not being honored at the federal level."

Lynch said he is not accepting new patients and would not say if
there were any changes to operations at the co-op because of the raid.

Sheriff's officials declined to comment on Baxter's case or on the
federal search warrants.

Templeton resident Dan McCraw buys medicinal marijuana from the club
and said Tuesday he kept calling until employees answered the phone.
As he was leaving the dispensary Tuesday, McCraw said he wasn't
worried about his personal information being seized.