California, Torrance

[palmspringsbum]

Today is Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Originally published Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Updated Tuesday, July 18, 2006


Torrance to debate ban on medical marijuana stores

A decision is expected tonight on an ordinance proposed by the city's police chief that would ban medical dispensaries.

By Ian Hanigan
DAILY BREEZE

The Torrance City Council will decide tonight whether to deny business licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries.

In doing so, officials here are about to enter a hazy legal realm defined by contradictory state and federal laws. Simply put, California voters have said medicinal marijuana is OK; the feds just say no.

A handful of South Bay municipalities have in recent months passed licensing moratoriums on so-called co-ops, taking time to weigh the impacts and explore appropriate zoning for distributors of medical marijuana. But Torrance is poised to take it a step further.

In a written recommendation to council members, Police Chief James Herren says co-ops are out of step with federal law and therefore should not be licensed by the city.

The ordinance proposed by Herren is intended to prevent future cannabis dispensaries from popping up in Torrance. At the same time, it comes on the heels of a new local co-op called the Green Cross of Torrance, which opened its doors on Hawthorne Boulevard sometime around April.

Torrance Police Lt. Rod Irvine said the arrival of that business prompted some concern.

"Obviously, this is an issue that we haven't had to deal with," Irvine said. "When it came up, we started looking at the best ways to resolve the issue, and this is our first step."

City Manager LeRoy Jackson said Monday that any change in the Municipal Code wouldn't take effect until 30 days after the council's approval. What remained unclear was how Green Cross might be impacted.

Torrance's only marijuana dispensary operates discreetly from a storefront shrouded by reflective glass, advertising only its address on a large sign visible from Hawthorne Boulevard.

When reached by telephone, a proprietor declined to comment on the city's proposed action.

Officials confirmed that Green Cross already has a permit to operate through the end of the year. However, if the ordinance passes, the facility could be barred from obtaining a new license.

In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 215, also known as the Compassionate Use Act, allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to patients being treated for cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma and other illnesses.

But the state initiative did not trump federal law. On the contrary, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government can continue to crack down against growing, possessing or using marijuana even in states where voters have decided otherwise.

Local officials, meanwhile, are essentially caught in the middle.

"It's a confusing issue because you do have the ambiguity of the law," Irvine said.

In recent weeks, the councils of Redondo Beach and Hawthorne adopted 45-day bans on licenses for local dispensaries, joining Lawndale and Hermosa Beach.

The city of Manhattan Beach is expected to consider its own moratorium tonight.

[palmspringsbum]

Torrance City Council officials fail to block marijuana

Members vote 3-2 in favor of a ban on medical dispensaries, but four votes were required. The proposal could be brought back.

By Ian Hanigan
Daily Breeze
July 20, 2006

A proposed ordinance that would have denied business licenses to dispensaries of medical marijuana stalled at this week's Torrance City Council meeting, falling one vote short of passage.

The council, normally a seven-member panel, was down to five Tuesday night. As a result, the final vote was 3-2 in favor of keeping licenses out of the hands of businesses that violate federal law.

Under the city charter, it takes four votes to enact new ordinances.

Mayor Frank Scotto came out in favor of the proposal, as did council members Hope Witkowsky and Tom Brewer. Pat McIntyre and Bill Sutherland voted against it.

Councilman Paul Nowatka was out of the country, and the seventh seat has been vacant since Scotto's inauguration as mayor.

With only one more vote needed, Nowatka now plays a key role. City Attorney John Fellows suggested that if the councilman is interested in backing the ordinance, he can ask for the item to resurface at a future council session.

At this week's meeting, Assistant City Attorney Ron Pohl pointed out that the proposed change was not based on a single establishment or even a specific type of business. Rather, he said, it would be intended to prevent any business that violates federal law from setting up shop in Torrance.

"We're simply saying we're not going to license businesses that want to open in a strip mall and start selling marijuana or any other thing that violates federal law," Pohl said. "We're not going to issue a business license (to a printing company) that's going to counterfeit American dollars."

But it was a local cannabis dispensary on Hawthorne Boulevard that prompted the drafting of the ordinance, which was recommended by Police Chief James Herren. Green Cross of Torrance, which operates discreetly from a storefront with reflective glass, opened sometime around April.

On Tuesday night, several audience members defended Green Cross -- and the general need for a medical marijuana distributor in Torrance.

Amanda Brazel, a spokeswoman for the group Americans for Safe Access, said patients afflicted with painful illnesses shouldn't have to sit in traffic to find relief. While possession and distribution of medical marijuana is illegal under federal law, she noted that California voters have decided otherwise, and she urged the council to side with them.

"The federal government is out of touch with what the people need," Brazel said, "and the patients need this medicine."

Local activist Bonnie Mae Barnard said she would consider herself "the most anti-drug person" around. But, she said, she has witnessed the benefits of medicinal marijuana while caring for a friend who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

"I'm just concerned that there is a real need out there," she said.

Proposition 215, also known as the Compassionate Use Act, was endorsed by a majority of California voters in 1996, allowing doctors to recommend marijuana to patients being treated for cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, glaucoma and other illnesses.

However, the initiative is at odds with federal law, and local municipalities have been caught in the middle.

In recent months, several area cities -- Redondo Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale and Hermosa Beach -- have adopted moratoriums to study the issue and explore possible zoning options for medical marijuana dispensaries, also known as co-ops.

[palmspringsbum]

Originally published Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Updated Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Torrance council rejects medical marijuana shops

Fate of an already operating co-op appears unclear after City Council unanimously approves ordinance. City is first in South Bay to declare dispensaries unwelcome.

By Ian Hanigan
DAILY BREEZE

Torrance business licenses will no longer be granted to medical marijuana dispensaries -- or any establishments that breach federal law, a unanimous City Council ruled Tuesday night.

In doing so, Torrance becomes the first South Bay city to declare co-ops, which provide medicinal pot for specific ailments, unwelcome within its boundaries.

Though about 20 medical marijuana supporters spoke out against the ordinance and urged the council to simply regulate local dispensaries, council members said most residents did not want these facilities in their community.

"Most people in favor of this aren't from Torrance," Councilman Tom Brewer said. "Most people opposed are from Torrance."

Mayor Frank Scotto said he received numerous phone calls about the issue, and almost all of the people he talked to encouraged the ordinance's adoption.

"I think Torrance is a community that we don't want this type of activity," Scotto said.

But what remained unclear even after the 6-0 vote -- which drew some jeers from the audience -- was how the new ordinance would impact the only marijuana dispensary already here.

The Green Cross of Torrance has been operating from a nondescript storefront on Hawthorne Boulevard since April 20. City leaders have said existing businesses will have to affirm that they are in compliance with federal law before their licenses are renewed, which happens at the end of the year.

On July 18, the Torrance council first took a vote on the proposal. But with Councilman Paul Nowatka out of the country and another seat vacant, proponents didn't have the four votes needed to officially adopt the new ordinance. That night, council members Pat McIntyre and Bill Sutherland voted against it.

Nowatka asked to bring the recommendation back when he returned.

City officials have insisted that the ordinance was not written for the sole purpose of preventing the arrival of cannabis dispensaries. But they say it was the Green Cross of Torrance that sparked the movement.

On Tuesday night, supporters who spoke out in favor of the local dispensary -- and of marijuana's attributes in general -- heavily outnumbered those who spoke out against it.

One woman in a wheelchair said the drug helped her cope with multiple sclerosis and severe lower-back arthritis. A man with AIDS said marijuana blunted symptoms including vomiting and retching. A self-proclaimed Republican and business owner said it treated his asthma, anxiety and high blood pressure.

Josh Shriber, 27, of Redondo Beach said he never smoked pot before a high school football injury that resulted in a coma, a stroke and about 10 different surgeries.

He said medical marijuana provided relief without the side effects of Vicodin and Valium.

"Since then, (marijuana) has helped me wonderfully," Shriber said.

Amanda Brazel, a spokeswoman for the group Americans for Safe Access, made her second appearance before the council and urged leaders to make sure those who were hurting have a close, safe way to seek relief.

"We don't want to put these patients on a street corner hoping to find a dealer," she said.

But others were equally adamant about not wanting a dispensary in town.

"I just don't want to see drugs in our city for whatever reason," said Spencer Chan, 59, of Torrance.

Local activist Newton Young said he didn't believe marijuana had any real medical value.

"If you don't approve this ordinance," he said, "how many of these dispensaries are going to pop up all over Torrance like mushrooms?"

With the passage of Proposition 215 in 1996, California is one of about a dozen states that allow doctors to recommend marijuana for specific medical conditions, including cancer, anorexia, chronic pain and AIDS.

But the federal government, which does not recognize any medical benefits associated with marijuana, prohibits both its use and possession.

Dude, drugs are in your town. Probably in your very own medicine cabinet.

And what difference does it make how many dispensaries pop up?

[budman]

Today is Saturday, August 05, 2006
Originally published Saturday, August 05, 2006
Updated Saturday, August 05, 2006

Medical marijuana shop will quit if city asks for it
<blockquote>
<b>A Torrance medical marijuana outlet is in limbo even though the City Council has voted against licensing such businesses.</b>
</blockquote>
By Ian Hanigan
DAILY BREEZE

For such an unremarkable storefront with nary a clue to indicate what's inside, Torrance's only medical marijuana dispensary has attracted a lot of attention.

This week, City Council reacted to the arrival of Green Cross of Torrance by voting unanimously to deny business licenses to all future cannabis co-ops, as well as other establishments that violate federal law.

But the ordinance, which was adopted Tuesday night after a parade of public speakers, did not specifically spell out the fate of Green Cross, leaving its proprietors -- and customers -- to wait and wonder.

Lt. Rod Irvine of the Torrance Police Department said there were no imminent plans to shut the facility down as a result of the new rules, which go into effect at the end of the month. But all businesses will have to sign a declaration affirming they are not in violation of federal, state or local laws to renew their permits in December.

"Obviously, it will become a question when their license comes up for renewal," Irvine said.

While Green Cross remained open Friday, Director Rafael Chavez said he had no idea what would happen next or whether his license could be revoked early. Either way, he said, he has every intention of working with the city.

"If they want us out, we'll get out," he said. "We don't want to stay there if we're not wanted."

Chavez said his lawyer will look to the City Attorney's Office for advice on what to do next. As for the council's decision, he said he wasn't shocked, given Torrance's conservative reputation.

"I'm not mad at all," Chavez said Friday. "I'm just trying to bring something good to the community that the people wanted."

Though the passage of Proposition 215 in 1996 allows doctors to recommend marijuana for specific medical ailments -- including cancer, anorexia, chronic pain and AIDS -- possession and use of the drug remains illegal under federal law.

Given the contradicting statutes, medical marijuana supporters had argued that the city should side with the state voters who passed the initiative known as the Compassionate Use Act; others insisted Torrance shouldn't knowingly license any business that violates federal drug laws.

A staff report accompanying the local ordinance said there were roughly 13 other dispensaries in and around the South Bay, including co-ops in Palos Verdes Estates, Lawndale, El Segundo, San Pedro and Long Beach. Though the report indicated there also was one in Redondo Beach, that facility is not currently open.


Tuesday night's speakers in Torrance included a woman in a wheelchair who had multiple sclerosis and severe lower-back arthritis, a man suffering with AIDS-related symptoms and a 27-year-old who sustained a crippling head injury on a high school football field.

Most said pot relieved their pain without the negative side effects associated with prescription drugs, including <a href=http://forums.palmspringsbum.com/viewtopic.php?t=194 target=_blank>Vicodin and Valium</a>, and they urged council members to regulate marijuana distributors while ensuring continued local access.

But there were other speakers who implored the council to keep dispensaries -- and their central crop -- out of the city.

"I think it would be a blight on the face of Torrance," said resident Newton Young, "and I don't want Torrance to have that reputation."

In the end, the council sympathized with pain-sufferers but agreed with the latter group.

Green Cross attorney Jonathan M. Cole said he was not shocked. "It's a little disappointing though, basically because of the people who came out and what seems to be overwhelming support for Green Cross and the services they provide," he said. "It just seems they disregarded all that and decided to ramrod it through."

But toward the end of Tuesday's meeting, Councilman Paul Nowatka said the ordinance wasn't just in line with federal law, it was consistent with the city's own values. He noted that in years past, officials have made similar efforts to keep undesirable businesses such as tattoo parlors and pornography dealers out of Torrance.

"This is a community that likes to keep itself squeaky clean," Nowatka said, "and we've done everything to protect that."

[palmspringsbum]

Today is Friday, October 20, 2006
Originally published Friday, October 20, 2006
Updated Friday, October 20, 2006

DEA raids Green Cross in Torrance, makes seizures

Affidavit says federal officials believe the medical marijuana facility director and his brother are common drug dealers.

By Larry Altman and Ian Hanigan
DAILY BREEZE

Federal agents raided a controversial medical marijuana dispensary in Torrance on Thursday, seeking evidence that could lead to criminal drug dealing charges against its owners.

Workers at a nearby business said about 18 police and federal Drug Enforcement Administration officers blocked the entrances to the Green Cross of Torrance's parking lot at 22926 Hawthorne Blvd. at about 2:30 p.m. Then about half a dozen officers in vests and helmets approached the dispensary with guns drawn.

"They were walking like cats," said one of the workers, who asked not to be identified. "And then they said, 'Open the door! Open the door!' "

According to a DEA affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles to support a search warrant, investigators suspect Green Cross director Rafael Chavez and his brother, Edward Chavez, are common drug dealers, committing crimes including possession and distribution of marijuana.

"Though (Green Cross) purports to sell marijuana to individuals solely for medicinal reasons, there is probable cause to believe that the location sells marijuana to individuals who do not have any medical condition," Special Agent Joseph Bryson wrote in his affidavit.

No arrests were made during Thursday's raid.

Reached for comment, Rafael Chavez said he had little knowledge of the search and reiterated that his co-op was established to offer safe access to marijuana for medical purposes.

"For the most part, I don't know what's going on, but I do think it's not good for all these patients that are relying on this," Chavez said. "It's legal in California, and I'm being harassed by federal agents."

During the past few weeks, investigators put the business under surveillance. Bryson said he watched the business from 3:39 to 5:18 p.m. on Oct. 5, seeing 15 customers exit the Green Cross with brown paper bags.

Many of the customers parked a long distance away and walked, then "looked in all directions as they walked from the dispensary," the affidavit said.

"Of the 15 customers I observed, none appeared to be seriously ill or physically impaired," Bryson wrote. "One of the customers carried a cane, though he appeared to use the cane only when he came in close proximity to (Green Cross)."

On Oct. 10, a team of agents and police officers watched 25 customers come and go from the co-op in two hours. A police officer pulled over each customer as they drove away.

The affidavit said male and female customers admitted to buying various types and quantities of marijuana ranging from $55 to $70 for an eighth-ounce. One man, the document said, bought one-quarter ounce of marijuana for $140.

One customer, identified in the document as Raymond Buckey, told the officer who stopped him that he had just bought five different kinds of marijuana in eighth-ounce increments at $70 each, and showed the officer five green vials containing marijuana, the document said.

Authorities could not confirm whether Buckey was the former Torrance resident who came to fame in the 1980s in the McMartin Pre-School molestation case in Manhattan Beach.

Torrance's only marijuana dispensary brought controversy the moment it opened in April.

As a result of Proposition 215, passed by state voters in 1996, California is among a handful of states that allow doctors to recommend marijuana for specific medical ailments, including cancer, anorexia, chronic pain and AIDS.

But the possession and use of marijuana remains illegal under federal law, creating some confusion for local municipalities. Federal law contends marijuana has no medicinal value.

Given conflicting policies, medical marijuana supporters argued over the summer that Torrance should side with the will of the state voters who passed the so-called Compassionate Use Act.

Others, however, insisted Torrance should not knowingly license any business that violates federal drug laws.

The Torrance City Council voted unanimously Aug. 1 to deny business licenses to cannabis co-ops and other establishments that violate federal law.

At the time, a police spokesman said there were no imminent plans to shut down the local dispensary. But, city officials said, come December all businesses seeking to renew their licenses would have to sign declarations affirming they don't violate federal, state or local laws.

Chavez told the Daily Breeze in August that he wasn't sure what would happen to his co-op in the meantime. He added that he had every intention of working with the city.

DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen said her agency's investigation is not related to the Torrance city controversy or California laws. "We served a federal search warrant," Pullen said. "Marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance and is illegal."

According to the search warrant affidavit, the Green Cross listed 28 different strains of marijuana for sale on its Web site. "The menu also included marijuana edibles and topical lotions," the agent wrote. "Entries as recent as Oct. 13, 2006, indicated that Green Cross of Torrance is still operating as a marijuana dispensary."

Pullen said she did not know what agents seized from the business. The search warrant said agents sought marijuana, derivatives, edible products containing marijuana, and paraphernalia used for its cultivation, including high-intensity lights, nutrients, fertilizers and irrigation equipment.

Investigators also sought paperwork and computers.

Staff writer Doug Irving and Copley News Service correspondent Matt Krasnowski contributed to this story.

[palmspringsbum]

Medical Marijuana Dispensary in Torrance Raided by Federal Agents

KNX 1070
October 20, 2006

Torrance (CNS) -- A medical marijuana dispensary in Torrance was raided by federal agents, and several people who went there to sell marijuana were arrested, authorities said today.

A search warrant was served at the Green Cross of Torrance in the 22900 block of Hawthorne Boulevard yesterday afternoon, said Sarah Pullen of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Agents seized 70 pounds of marijuana during the raid, along with a shotgun and a small amount of currency, Pullen said.

No arrests were made by the DEA during the raid, but a short time later, some people were arrested while allegedly delivering marijuana to the dispensary, Pullen said.

The arrests were made by members of LA IMPACT, the Los Angeles interagency Metropolitan Apprehension Task Force, Pullen said. The names of the suspects were not immediately released.

A DEA affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in support of the search warrant alleged that Green Cross director Rafael Chaves and his brother, Edward Chavez, were drug dealers, the Daily Breeze reported.

“Though (Green Cross) purports to sell marijuana to individuals solely for medicinal reasons, there is probable cause to believe that the location sells marijuana to individuals who do not have any medical condition,” Special Agent Joseph Bryson wrote in the affidavit, according to the newspaper.

Rafael Chavez told the newspaper that his co-op was established to offer safe access to marijuana for medical purposes.

“For the most part, I don’t know what’s going on, but I do think it’s not good for all these patients that are relying on this,” Chavez told the newspaper. “It’s legal in California, and I’m being harassed by federal agents.”

Employees at a nearby business told the Breeze that about 18 people and federal DEA officers blocked the entrances to the dispensary’s parking lot about 2:30 pm, and that about six officers in vests and helmets approached the storefront with guns drawn.

Proposition 215, approved by state voters in 1996, makes it legal for doctors to write prescriptions for medical marijuana for patients with various medical conditions, including cancer, chronic pain, and AIDS. But selling or possessing marijuana is against federal law.

[palmspringsbum]

Today is Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Originally published Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Updated Tuesday, October 24, 2006

4 face charges after raid of Green Cross dispensary

Federal agents raided the Torrance shop and jailed four who allegedly tried to sell marijuana to agents from a countywide task force.

By Ian Hanigan
DAILY BREEZE

Federal agents seized about 70 pounds of marijuana along with nearly 100 pot plants, a shotgun and a small amount of cash during last week's raid of a medical marijuana dispensary in Torrance, a Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman said Monday.

Though the DEA claimed no arrests, police working for a county task force jailed four people who arrived later that day to sell cannabis to the co-op.

Facing charges of possession and transportation of a controlled substance with intent to sell are Brian Keldoff, 47, of Lawndale; Cory Zila, 20, of Mammoth Lakes; Kelly Culver, 26, of Newport Beach; and John Ornguze, 24, of Ladera Ranch.

Authorities began their search about 2:15 p.m. Thursday in the 22900 block of Hawthorne Boulevard, where Green Cross of Torrance had been in business since April.

Witnesses said police and federal DEA agents blocked the entrances of Green Cross' parking lot before a half-dozen or so officers approached the business with their guns drawn.

Marijuana-laced food was among the items seized, DEA Special Agent Sarah Pullen said.

Following the raid, four people were taken into custody after they allegedly attempted to sell pot to undercover detectives working for LA IMPACT, a countywide task force with an emphasis on drug trafficking.

"Within a five-hour time span, four people came in and essentially offered to sell marijuana to the facility," Torrance police Lt. Rod Irvine said.

That led to the additional confiscation of more than 20 pounds of pot and more than 60 vials of hash oil, a concentrated form of cannabis.

Though state law permits the regulated growth of marijuana for medical use, the would-be vendors were not authorized to cultivate or sell the drug, Irvine said.

Investigators searched the dispensary because they suspect Green Cross director Rafael Chavez and his brother, Edward Chavez, have been illegally selling pot to customers with no medical conditions, according to a DEA affidavit.

Chavez could not be reached for comment Monday, but he has repeatedly defended his establishment, saying it offers "compassion" to patients suffering from chronic pain and disease.

In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 215, allowing doctors to recommend marijuana to patients afflicted with cancer, anorexia, AIDS, glaucoma and other illnesses.

But the state initiative does not supersede federal law, which maintains it is illegal to grow, possess or use the drug.

"For the most part, I don't know what's going on, but I do think it's not good for all these patients that are relying on this," Chavez told the Daily Breeze after the raid last week. "It's legal in California, and I'm being harassed by federal agents."

Green Cross opened its doors in Torrance on April 20, prompting some concern among local officials. On Aug. 1, the City Council responded by passing an ordinance denying business licenses to marijuana dispensaries and other establishments considered out of step with federal law.

With its current license set to expire in December, the dispensary remained open.

In the weeks prior to Thursday's search, investigators surveyed the dispensary at least twice. According to the affidavit, a team of agents and police officers watched 25 customers stop by the co-op during a two-hour span on Oct. 10.

Police pulled over the customers as they drove away, and those who were questioned admitted purchasing various types and quantities of the drug, which ranged from $55 to $70 for an eighth of an ounce.

Pullen, the DEA spokeswoman, said Monday that no charges had been filed as a result of the evidence collected during last week's search. But, she added, the investigation is ongoing.

"Obviously," she said, "we build cases in an attempt to dismantle and disrupt organizations."

[palmspringsbum]

Originally published Thursday, November 02, 2006
Updated Thursday, November 02, 2006

Torrance to close medical marijuana dispensary

<span class=postbigbold>Public's health and safety is cited in the action against the Green Cross on Hawthorne Boulevard. The business can protest the decision.</span>

By Ian Hanigan
Daily Breeze

The city of Torrance has revoked the business license of a controversial medical marijuana dispensary, officials said Wednesday.

Less than two weeks after federal agents raided the Green Cross of Torrance, the Hawthorne Boulevard co-op was notified shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday that it no longer had permission to operate locally.

The decision was made after Police Chief John Neu declared the establishment a detriment to public health and safety.

"Essentially, it was done based on the belief that there was criminal activity occurring at the location," Torrance police Lt. Rod Irvine said.

A mandatory hearing before Torrance's License Review Board is set for this morning. The dispensary can either accept the ruling, argue against it, or ask for a continuance.

"While we have the right to shut them down without a hearing, we have to provide a hearing within 48 hours, and that's what this is," Assistant City Attorney Ron Pohl said. "It's their opportunity to show cause why (the license) should not be revoked."

Green Cross Director Rafael Chavez told the Daily Breeze in July that his facility had more than 600 members and generally served 20 to 30 "patients" a day. All of them, he said, were required to produce documentation from their doctors.

More recently, however, federal investigators have accused Green Cross of selling pot to buyers without medical problems.

Reached for comment Wednesday, Chavez declined to say if he planned to fight the revocation.

"I don't really have a comment right now," he said. "We'll see what happens."

Proposition 215, which was endorsed by state voters in 1996, allows physicians in California to recommend marijuana to patients suffering from ailments such as cancer, anorexia, AIDS, glaucoma and chronic pain.

At the same time, cannabis has no medicinal value in the eyes of the federal government, which just says "no" to growing, possessing or using the drug.


With conflicting statutes, Green Cross began operating from behind a reflective storefront at 22926 Hawthorne Blvd. on April 20. Very quickly, the place attracted the attention of local officials.

In August, the City Council voted unanimously to deny business licenses to co-ops and other establishments inconsistent with federal law. The action did not affect Green Cross's existing license, which was set to expire at the end of the year.

At that time, Chavez said he had no idea what would happen next or whether his license would be revoked early.

By Oct. 19, however, he was facing more serious problems, as federal agents raided his dispensary and seized roughly 70 pounds of pot, nearly 100 marijuana plants, a shotgun and a small amount of cash.

According to a Drug Enforcement Administration affidavit, investigators suspected that Chavez and his brother, Edward Chavez, were illegally selling marijuana to customers with no medical need for it.

Green Cross reopened after the raid and continued to operate until police arrived Tuesday evening.

[palmspringsbum]

Originally published Thursday, November 02, 2006
Updated Friday, November 03, 2006

Torrance board backs police closure of pot dispensary

<span class=postbigbold>Green Cross representatives did not attend the city's License Review Board meeting.</span>

By Ian Hanigan
DAILY BREEZE

Torrance's lone medical marijuana dispensary has been officially shut down -- for good, it seems.

Two days after police revoked the business license of the Green Cross of Torrance, a city board upheld the action today during a 35-minute public hearing at City Hall.

Green Cross representatives did not attend the city's License Review Board meeting, and only one woman spoke on the dispensary¹s behalf.

In the end, the three-member panel agreed with Assistant City Attorney Ronald Pohl that Green Cross was in violation of a Municipal Code section barring businesses that engage in unlawful practices.

"I think what happened today reflected the will of the City Council when they made it clear that businesses in Torrance have to comply with local, state and federal law," Pohl said afterward.

Though California voters passed a proposition in 1996 that permits marijuana for certain medical ailments, the drug's use, possession and distribution remain illegal under federal law.

Moreover, Pohl said a state Senate bill that allows patients and primary caregivers to grow and cultivate medicinal pot does not authorize the establishment of storefront businesses.

In Torrance, the Green Cross operated out of its storefront at 22926 Hawthorne Blvd. for a little more than six months.

After local officials expressed some concern, the City Council voted this summer to deny business licenses to future medical marijuana dispensaries and other commercial ventures that violate federal law.

Torrance wasn't alone. Other local cities to recently pass temporary or permanent bans on so-called co-ops include Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Lawndale, Lomita, Rancho Palos Verdes and Redondo Beach.

Meanwhile, Green Cross continued to take customers, as its license was valid through December. But on Oct. 19, the business was raided by Drug Enforcement Administration agents, who confiscated about 163 pounds of cannabis contraband, including some edible items.

A search warrant affidavit filed by the DEA said there was probable cause to believe that director Ubaldo Chavez -- also known as Rafael Chavez -- and his brother were selling pot to individuals with no medical need.

Neither was arrested, and Green Cross reopened after the raid. But the establishment was forced to close again on Halloween when police arrived and informed the night manager that the business' license had been formally revoked by order of Police Chief John Neu.

That action automatically triggered today's hearing.