As the quiet war rages on between the Justice Department and the medical marijuana community in California, one casualty of the recent crackdown has turned out to still have some life left in her. Berkeley Patients Group, which shut down in May after threats from U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, reopened Wednesday at 2366 San Pablo Avenue, just about seven blocks down the street from its original location at 2747 San Pablo.
The 12-year-old Berkeley Patients Group is one of the largest and oldest dispensaries in the East Bay, at one point boasting 10,000 members. The move down the street is a triumphant fuck you to Haag, who forced the shutdown in May because the location was too close to two nearby schools this was the justification given for all the recent dispensary shutdowns in the Bay Area, while in other parts of the state U.S. Attorneys have used different tactics in trying to curtail the growth of the industry.
"We are happy to be getting back to work, serving our patients and providing good jobs for our employees," said Brad Senesac, in a statement on behalf of the dispensary.
Since May, the Berkeley Patients Group has been operating a delivery service, but they managed to find a new landlord, Nahla Droubi of Moraga, who doesn't think she has anything to fear from the feds.
[Tribune]
