Pubdate: Tue, 20 Mar 2012
Source: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA)
Copyright: 2012 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.dailybulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/871
Author: Sandra Emerson

OWNER REOPENS G3 HOLISTIC

Marijuana Clinic Defies Federal Raid

UPLAND - G3 Holistic is resilient.

The medical-marijuana cooperative has survived two Drug Enforcement 
Administration raids - including one last week - and continues to 
provide medication to its 2,900 members.

"I've been first in line, and I've been in early every day, so I 
would continue to be the first in line to solve this issue," said 
Aaron Sandusky, the president of G3.

Federal law prohibits marijuana, but California voters approved the 
use of the drug for medical purposes in 1996.

The cooperative has a case pending in the state Supreme Court against 
the city, which has been fighting to close down G3 Holistic since it 
opened in 2009.

Councilman Ken Willis, who has been vocal against medical marijuana, 
said the situation is now between G3 and the federal government.

"But I would caution them," Willis said. "I don't think it's a good 
idea to flaunt yourself in front of the federal authorities. They 
have jurisdiction."

The co-op was recuperating from its first raid in November when it 
was raided again March 12.

Federal agents last week confiscated at least 25 pounds of marijuana 
and 89 pounds of edible products that contained marijuana.

But, G3 members got together and restocked the co-op so they could reopen.

"We're under duress from the previous raid," Sandusky said. "I'm 
trying to recover as much as I can. I'm asking everyone to work for 
medications right now and volunteer as much time as they can. 
Everybody's obviously very willing to help out."

Brian Muehlen of Ontario, who has been a member of G3 since it 
opened, was in the cooperative during the first raid.

"It's ridiculous that they're wasting all this federal tax money to 
come steal everything that's legal in our state," said Muehlen, who 
has been volunteering at the co-op.

"There's nothing I like more than listening to a patient tell me 
they've cut five or six pills out of their life that makes them loopy 
and hurts their liver.

"They cut them out of their life because of this medicine, and we 
should be able to provide that medicine for those people."

The November raid left G3 Holistic without any medical marijuana, 
$22,000 in unfunded payroll liability and a $44,000 bill with 
Southern California Edison. Sandusky's 50 employees lost their health 
insurance and were forced to apply for unemployment.

G3 Holistic cooperatives in Colton and Moreno Valley, a warehouse in 
Ontario, Sandusky's home in Rancho Cucamonga and the Rialto home of 
his partner John Nuckolls were also all raided in November.

As a result of the raid, the co-ops closed.

Sandusky re-opened the Upland location, at 1710 W. Foothill Blvd., on Dec. 30.

Sandusky is suing the landlord of the Ontario warehouse, alleging 
that the landlord stole some assets not taken during the raid, and is 
involved in litigation with Colton and Moreno Valley.

The city of Upland was granted an injunction in August 2010 by a West 
Valley Superior Court judge in Rancho Cucamonga. The city's zoning 
laws prohibit marijuana dispensaries.

The case has since been heard in the 4th District Appellate Court in 
Riverside, which ruled in favor of the city, but attorneys for G3 
have taken the fight to the state's top court.

Upland has reached out to the federal government regarding their 
fight against cooperatives in the city. The city has spent more than 
$400,000 fighting medical marijuana.

However, Willis said he first learned of the raid a couple hours 
later while at the dentist.

"The feds don't go around telling people they plan to raid some 
place," he said. "The DEA or the FBI don't have a list of friends 
that they call before they raid."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom