75A - PH - MEDICAL MARIJUANA - PROHIBIT

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LOS ANGELES RECENT INVESTIGATIONS The County Ordinance does not specify who may dispense medical marijuana and what dosage is appropriate for a particular illness. Furthermore, many dispensaries contract with physicians who issue the recommendations without examining the individual to verily they are in fact ill. and. using the marijuana for the illness. In May 2005, the LAPD began investigating Compassionate Caregivers Group (CCG) Inc., a medical marijuana dispensary located in West iialiywood, that'oordered t1-ie City of Los Angeles. The dispensary was one of seven CCG medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the state. The owner of CCCr, a marijuana trafficking fugitive from another state, also owned Green Medicine Group (GMG) that referred prospective patients to their group of doctors throughout the state. One of the GMG doctors saw as many as 49 patients a day charging from $150-$250 per patient. The same doctor saw 293 patients in one week. The doctor allegedly examined each patient from. aclosed-circuit television monitor and a clerk in another office where the patient was, handed out pre-signed medical recommendations. Because there is no ordinance, procedure, guideline or anything to regulate dispensaries and to whom or how they disperse drugs, they are free to distribute as much marijuana as they want and to anyone, whether they are adults or young people. Young people from all. over Los Angeles County flocked to CCG to buy marijuana and then returned to their respective communities to conduct street sales of the drug. No one on the premises had medical or pharmaceutical training or licensing to distribute marijuana, edibles, plants and liquids. There was no first aid kit, defibrillator or trauma kit present at the location in case of a medical emergency. Furthermore, the business promoted the sale and cultivation of 60 strains of marijuana, of which, only six strains were for medical purposes. Evidence was also recovered at the scene that showed the dispensary was in business to make a profit. Over $1.7 million in calla alone was received during the month of March 2005. And, most importantly, only three medical marijuana recommendations were found for patients residing in Los Angeles County, yet they provided medical. marijuana to an average of 304 patients per week. The County Ordinance provides for the sales and consumption of edible marijuana. Edibles are food products, i.e. soda pop, peanut butter, candy, bakery items, jam and other liquids that contain various levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive agent of marijuana. There were no regulations in the ordinance for the quality control, potency, dosage and legality of the products sold. There is no Food and Drug Administration approval of the products. On March 23, 2006 in Oakland, "Beyond Bomb," one of a handful of manufacturers and distributors of edible marijuana products, who distribute edibles to medical marijuana dispensaries in California and the US, was searched by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The owner was arrested for marijuana traff eking. The area of the company used for processing and packaging edibles was atrocious. No sanitary precautions were taken whatsoever and the area was absolutely filthy and vermin was present. In addition, the company sold edibles in packaging resembling copyrighted and trademarked food items. Beyond Bomb used the same logo, candy wrapper colors and derivatives of the names of legal products, i.e. "Buddafinga" had the similar color wrapper and logo as the NestleUSA candy bar "Butterfmger." Over 20 different legitimate products were found that had infringed copyrights and trademarks in this manner. 14 75A-23