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We had everything." At $65 an eighth, that meant thugs could make off with about
<br />$25,000 with one quick hit, to say nothing of the cash he kept on hand. With this, the
<br />city had. finally had enough. City Councilmember Linda Maio convened a neighborhood
<br />meeting about the club -- which Estes didn't bother to attend -- and told. the rest of
<br />Berkeley's cannabis dispensaries to bring their colleague to heel. "I called Don Duncan
<br />and his folks and said, you guys have to be part of the solution here," she says. "Tt's not
<br />okay that this happens, and it's not acceptable if this is just a rare thing. Don knows that
<br />this is not acceptable -- he urdcrstands That this would jeopardize the whole movement if
<br />it's allowed to get worse." Estes' new offtce manager, Dorrit Geshuri, sat down with City
<br />Manager Weldon Rucker and. police officials, and other Alliance members, and together
<br />thev hammered out a series of reforms. On January 2, Geshuri agreed. to the following
<br />terms: the club would only operate five hours a day: less than a pound of dope would. be
<br />on the premises; newspaper advertising would stop immediately; a professional security
<br />company would be retained; and security cameras would be installed. The final robbery
<br />on June 5 spelled the end for Ken Estes. Despite his promise not to keep more than a
<br />pound of pot at the store, neighbors report that during the getaway, the robbers' duffel bag
<br />was so heavy that they had to drag it down to the car. As for- the security cameras, club
<br />officials claimed that they had mysteriously broken down that day, and there was no film
<br />of the incident. Estes had used up his last store of good. faith, and even the other clubs
<br />agreed he had to go. "I don't think Ken is a bad guy, but it's no longer appropriate for
<br />him to operate in Berkeley," Duncan says. "The consensus of the Alliance is for Ken to
<br />leave the city, to either move on or find another career. That conclusion has been some
<br />time in coming. We're happy to have him as a friend, but it's in the best interest of the
<br />patients that Ken close for real." Duncan's abandonment h.as left Estes fairly bitrter.
<br />"Yeah, they don't want the competition," he says. "They can keep the prices high, and
<br />they can control the game. It's business, it's all about business..tf you're Starbuck, you
<br />want Peet's out of town." Still., Estes has finally agreed to get out of town.. He, his brother
<br />Randy Moses, and Geshuri have signed a lease at a new club in Oakland, near the corner
<br />of 18th Street and Broadway, where he promises to tighten up security. The numerous
<br />car dealerships have given in this part of town its historic name, "Auto Row," but it
<br />should really be called "Pot Row." Virtually all the pot clubs in Oakland are clustered in
<br />this neighborhood, and they're not happy to see Estes join them. If Estes waists to defy
<br />Janes, his new neighbors, the cops, and the entire city of Oakland, there's not much.
<br />anyone can do about it. Linda Maio was at a loss when. it briefly looked like Estes had
<br />decided to stay in Berkeley; she ineffectually threatened to circulate a petition and
<br />prepare a nuisance complaint. As for, say, an undercover operation to catch Estes selling
<br />to customers without a valid doctor's note, she never considered that option for a second,
<br />and police won't say whether they did. If this the hest local government can do, Estes is in
<br />the clear. But medical. marijuana's era of raw capitalists may be coming to an end. State
<br />Senator John Vasconcellos has drafted a new bill regulating the industry, and now that it
<br />has the support of both the California District Attorneys' Association and the California
<br />State Sheriffs' Association, Govenzor Davis has indicated that he might sign it. The bill
<br />would establish a statewide registry of medical-marijuana patients and caregivers, who
<br />would receive a card certifying their medical status. Physicians would submit candidates
<br />for medical pot to the county Health Department, which would approve or reject
<br />applicants based on a review of the accuracy of the medical records.
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<br />75A-59
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