Pubdate: 24 Mar 1999 Source: Sacramento Bee (CA) Copyright: 1999 The Sacramento Bee Contact: P.O.Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852 Feedback: http://www.sacbee.com/about_us/sacbeemail.html Website: http://www.sacbee.com/ Forum: http://www.sacbee.com/voices/voices_forum.html OPERATORS OF CANNABIS CLUBS PLEAD GUILTY SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Two men who said they operated a couple of San Diego County cannabis clubs to provide people legal, medicinal marijuana pleaded guilty Tuesday to maintaining a place for distribution of a controlled substance. In exchange for their plea, prosecutor David Songco dropped seven other felony charges against Steven McWilliams, 44, and Dion Markgraaff, 29. They each face up to three years in prison when they are sentenced April 20, but lawyers on both sides said they will likely receive probation. "There's nothing to be won here," Markgraaff said after the Superior Court hearing. "I've been conspiring to help people. I pleaded guilty." McWilliams and Markgraaff said they smoked marijuana before entering their pleas. McWilliams was arrested Jan. 12, 1998, at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Warner Springs in eastern San Diego County. Agents seized 11 potted marijuana plants in his van. A later search of McWilliams' home netted an additional 450 plants. McWilliams, who operated with Markgraaff the Cannabis Caregivers Club in Ocean Beach and Hillcrest, claimed he was protected under a new state law that allows a patient or designated caregiver to cultivate and possess marijuana for medicinal purposes. The California Supreme Court has ruled that cannabis clubs are not protected by the law. "All along the D.A. said this conduct was illegal and this plea change supports that," Songco said. "Our main concern was to demonstrate this was illegal." A trial for McWilliams and Markgraaff was set to begin Tuesday. They faced up to four years in prison if convicted of all charges. They remain free on bond pending sentencing. - --- MAP posted-by: Mike Gogulski