Source:   Orange County Register
Contact:   Wednesday, January 14, 1998
Author:  Tiffany Montgomery & Muhammed El-Hasan-The Orange County Register

GARDEN GROVE TARGETS CANNABIS CLUBS

The council amends the code in order to yank a business license for
'illegal activity.'

Garden Grove-The city Tuesday was poised to revoke a business license it
issued nearly three months ago to a cannabis club.

City officials voted unanimously to amend a provision in the city code,
allowing the city to yank the license of any business engaging in "illegal
activity."

"I'm the mayor of Garden Grove.  I have no intention of seeing headlines
saying that it's OK to open up a marijuana farm in Garden Grove," Bruce
Broadwater said.  "It's not going to happen."

The Orange County Patient, Doctors and Nurses Support Group Co-op rents a
post office box in the city, but dos not have a permanent meeting place.

The group's founder, Marvin Chavez of Santa Ana, vowed after the vote to
"keep fighting."

Chavez said the organization's purpose is to help those who need marijuana
for medicinal purposes.

"It's for patients to all come together and support each other, come out of
the closet and educate each other about our conditions, and take charge of
our care," he said.

Chavez said his group does not sell marijuana but encourages members to
grow it and provides it to those who don't for a donation.

Proposition 215, which was passed by California voters in 1996, allows
patients suffering from a variety of illness to possess and grow marijuana
for medical use with a doctor's recommendation.

The amended city law also allows the city to rescind a license if an
application is filed with misleading or false information.