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August 5, 1996 - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuter) - California investigators raided a San Francisco club Sunday that says it sells marijuana to thousands of seriously ill people to ease their suffering.
The raid, on the Cannabis Buyer's Club, was part of a two- year probe by state and local drug agents, according to California Department of Justice spokesman Steve Telliano.
No arrests were made during the raid by state and local agents and no charges have been filed, but Telliano said evidence gathered Sunday could lead to arrests.
Authorities alleged the club sells more than 100 pounds of marijuana per week with a street value of more than $350,000. Under California law, sale of any marijuana is illegal. But with a doctor's prescription, a patient can obtain a capsule that contains the active ingredients in marijuana.
The Cannabis Buyer's Club did not have the authority to sell marijuana capsules to patients with prescriptions, and, according to Telliano, sold marijuana to some people who do not appear to be ill.
"This place sold the weed itself, which is illegal," Telliano said.
The club, which has been in operation for three years, does not deny it illegally sells marijuana. Gary Johnson, assistant manager of the club, said it supplies about 12,000 San Francisco area clients with marijuana. Johnson said the club's clients use marijuana to ease the suffering associated with AIDS, cancer and glaucoma. To buy marijuana, its clients must provide the club with medical prescriptions or letters of diagnosis, Johnson said.
"We are breaking the law, but it's an act of civil disobedience," Johnson said. "There is no justice in what they are doing."
But authorities said they have undercover videos of multi- pound marijuana sales by the club to people without prescriptions, as well as evidence that marijuana that was purchased at the club was being resold on the streets. During the raid, Telliano said authorities confiscated "a large amount" of marijuana plants. Authorities also searched several homes in the San Francisco Bay area associated with the club, Telliano said. Authorities declined to give more details about the other searches.
The use of marijuana for medical purposes has been the subject of heated debate in California for years. Californians in November will vote on a proposition that would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to the seriously ill.
©1996 Reuters Limited
Reprinted with permission. Republication and redissemination are expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.