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Feds Force Morro Bay Medical Marijuana Facility to Close

by repost
San Luis Obispo County's only medical marijuana facility has closed
its doors, indefinitely, again.
Morro Bay Medical Marijuana Facility Closed its Doors Again

May 21, 2007 06:03 PM

Monday, May 21, 2007

Reported by: Andrew Masuda

MORRO BAY

San Luis Obispo County's only medical marijuana facility has closed
its doors, indefinitely, again.

Here are the facts first.

* Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers opened in Morro Bay last spring.

* Last March 29th, federal drug agents and San Luis Obispo county
sheriff's detectives served sealed federal warrants at the dispensary.

* Marijuana, computers and files were removed during the raid and
the facility reopened about a week later.

* However, the dispensary closed its doors again, indefinitely,
last Wednesday.

The attorney for the dispensary's operator said federal agents forced
the landlord to terminate his client's lease.

It's prompted city staff into action to try and make medical
marijuana again available in Morro Bay.

Nita Overlay works on a customer's stained glass window.

From her storefront window, Overlay said she's seen hundreds leave
Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers carrying a brown bag of
medical marijuana.

She said the dispensary gave her no problems.

"The people who worked there were fine, you know. Always fine,
courteous, polite, you know. I really never had any trouble," said
Artistic Endeavors Owner, Nita Overlay.

There's literally no sign of Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers.

Attorney Lou Koory said his client, the dispensary's operator,
cleared out the facility over the weekend.

Koory said the landlord terminated his client's lease because federal
agents threatened to seize the building because the business violates
federal law.

And though his client, Charles Lynch would keep his business in Morro
Bay, he can't.

His business license won't carry over to a new location.

And the city of Morro Bay has a moratorium in effect that prevents
any dispensary from opening.

Morro Bay Mayor Janice Peters said city staff is drafting an
ordinance that would allow a dispensary under certain parameters.

"The moratorium is just to set up some ground rules on the location
and how many, that sort of thing. So right now because of this one
closing our city attorney has moved it up on his to do list," said
Morro Bay Mayor Janice Peters.

An ordinance is expected to go before council sometime this summer.

But until it becomes law, Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers is
no more in Morro Bay.

<http://www.ksby.com/global/story.asp?s=6548595>http://www.ksby.com/global/story.asp?s=6548595

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