Pubdate: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 Source: Western Front, The (Western Washington Univ., WA Edu) Copyright: 2011 The Western Front Contact: http://westernfrontonline.net/contact-us/ Website: http://westernfrontonline.net Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/994 Author: Will Graff NEW DOWNTOWN POT CO-OP BURGLARIZED The Newest Medical Marijuana Dispensary in Whatcom County Had a Window Smashed and Was Burglarized After Being Open for Just Over a Week. All four suspects who broke into the Northern Cross medical marijuana co-op on Sunday, April 10, were caught on camera and have been identified, said Martin Nickerson, owner of Northern Cross. He plans to hand over the tapes to the police and said he will be pressing charges on the individuals responsible for the break-in. Northern Cross opened April 1 and is the first and only brick and mortar pick-up prescription medical marijuana dispensary in Whatcom County. Northern Cross wasn't targeted due to the nature of the business, Nickerson said. "This could happen anywhere," Nickerson said. "It's not necessarily because we are a (medical marijuana) collective." The office on Cornwall Avenue now has one of its opaque, white glass panels on the storefront boarded up. The business hours taped to the front door are the only identifier that the business exists. At the co-op, patients are called up to a window one-by-one and asked to present the medical marijuana card prescribed by their physician. The clerk asks what provider they are with and makes a call to verify the account. An employee then brings the patient into the back where the dispensary's products are held. No sales of cannabis are made on these premises. Although Northern Cross is still open for business, the operation has come under fire and Whatcom County prosecutor David McEachran said the store is operating illegally. "Right now, just looking at it, if they're selling the controlled substance that is marijuana, that's illegal," he said. McEachran said he didn't know when or if the county will take action against the collective. Northern Cross declined to comment about their status as a business prior to press time. In Whatcom County, Northern Cross is the only collective with a storefront, but a number of collectives operate on delivery only. Mt. Baker Collective is one of the medial marijuana dispensaries delivering to Whatcom County. Washington law states that a patient is allowed to grow marijuana plants of their own, but if the patient is not able to grow marijuana for themselves, they can designate a provider. Collectives, like Mt. Baker and Northern Cross, receive their supplies of marijuana through donations from patients who have more than they need. According to state law, a provider can only supply a single patient at any time. Collectives like Mt. Baker Collective operate by acting as the sole provider for the patient they are delivering to at that moment. Then move to the next patient, who becomes their sole provider. A bill previously passed by the Senate was passed by the House on Monday, April 11. The bill "revises and clarifies the law on the medical use of cannabis," according to the bill digest. Organizers against the bill said it will close medical marijuana clinics without providing an alternative option. It will also force patients to register with the state in order to use medical marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.