Subj: US: Judge Halts Closure Of Medical Marijuana Club Until Monday



Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA)



Pubdate: Fri, 16 Oct 1998





JUDGE HALTS CLOSURE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA CLUB UNTIL MONDAY



(10-16) 20:37 EDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A federal judge allowed an Oakland

medical marijuana club to remain open a few days longer than a Friday

deadline for its closure.



U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said the 2,200-member Oakland Cannabis

Buyers' Cooperative could stay open until at least Monday. The time will

allow attorneys to seek an additional stay from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court

of Appeals so it can continue to operate.



The Justice Department has sued six Northern California clubs to enforce

federal laws against marijuana distribution. In May, Breyer prohibited them

from distributing marijuana while the lawsuit was pending. The judge ruled

Tuesday that the Oakland club violated the order and could have been closed

Friday.



The clubs sprang up around California after passage of a 1996 initiative

allowing seriously ill patients to grow and use marijuana for pain relief,

with a doctor's recommendation, without being prosecuted under state law.



But federal law says marijuana has no medical purpose and cannot be

administered safely under medical supervision.