Pubdate: Wed, 17 Dec 2008
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)
Copyright: 2008 Santa Cruz Sentinel
Contact: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/submitletters
Website: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/394
Author: Genevieve Bookwalter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

MEDICAL CANNABIS CLUB SEEKS A KITCHEN

SANTA CRUZ -- The city's first medical marijuana dispensary is hoping 
to build a new kitchen for its two pastry chefs so they can bake pot 
brownies, cookies and truffles in a controlled space at its shop.

Lisa Molyneux, owner of Greenway Compassionate Relief Inc. in Harvey 
West, is slated to ask the city Planning Commission on Thursday to 
approve plans for a new, 430-square foot commercial kitchen. Now, the 
two chefs rent a commercial kitchen, which Molyneux said she can't 
watch as closely as if she had her own.

"We're just doing our best to keep ahead of the curve and make sure 
everything is above board, made in a clean facility and controlled," 
Molyneux said.

The medical edibles sell for anywhere between $5 and $20, Molyneux 
said, depending on the strength of the drug inside. Treats include 
simple snacks like peanut butter to creations from one pastry chef 
who "just does chocolate," Molyneux said.

The baked goods are important because they "work the longest and with 
the least euphoria if used correctly," the Planning Commission staff 
report said.

Molyneux's shop opened in 2005 and was the first medical marijuana 
dispensary in the county. Molyneux, who was diagnosed with thyroid 
cancer in 1997, said she opened the shop after growing tired of the 
150-mile round-trip drive to Oakland for her own medication.

That cancer is now in remission, but Molyneux said she wanted to help 
other county medical marijuana patients buy their drugs closer to home.

While Molyneux's application to open Greenway Compassionate Relief 
was opposed by police in 2005, a look at law enforcement records show 
that officers have responded to few calls in the neighborhood since 
the shop opened, said Zach Friend, spokesman for the Santa Cruz 
Police Department.

Police did not oppose the kitchen application, and it could be 
approved with little fanfare at Thursday's meeting, said Eric 
Marlatt, principal planner with the city's Planning Department. 
Planning department staff is recommending approval of the kitchen and 
included the matter on the commission's consent agenda, which is made 
up of items passed as a group with one vote, according to meeting documents.

Councilman Mike Rotkin said he backed the recommendation, noting that 
Molyneux and her staff have helped clean up and police the 
neighborhood around her shop.

"I can't imagine why we wouldn't be open and generous to them doing 
whatever they want because they're doing a great job of carrying out 
their operation," Rotkin said.

Conditions for kitchen approval include keeping food scraps out of 
the public garbage collection and driving them directly to the dump, 
and attaching warning labels to all baked goods stating that the 
snack contains medical cannabis, according to the staff report.

The meeting will be 7 p.m. Thursday in the City Council chambers, 809 
Center St., Santa Cruz.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom