Politics & Government

New Marijuana 'Co-op' Opens — Police Say 'Illegally'

Greenhouse Cannabis Club opened its doors in Murrieta after it was shut down near Lake Elsinore.

 

Glass shelves were stocked with medical marijuana Tuesday afternoon in a storefront on Jefferson Avenue, despite a moratorium on such operations.

The shop sits just over Temecula's city boundaries in Murrieta. Both cities have a ban on dispensaries.

Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Eric McNeil, the owner of Greenhouse Cannabis Club, or GHCC, 26151 Jefferson Ave., Suite A, contends the operation is a cooperative—not a dispensary—and said he is operating within his rights.

"A dispensary is a place where you go and purchase products; a co-op is a club where members bring products," McNeil said. "We are allowed to take donations and those go toward (overhead)."

Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

McNeil relocated his shop to Murrieta after the operation was He was serving 2,500 clients there, and said they have followed him.

He said he chose Murrieta because his landlord agreed to give him a one-year lease. "He hasn't had a tenant in three years," McNeil said.

Murrieta police said they were aware the shop opened. "Yes—illegally," said Murrieta police Capt. Dennis Vrooman when asked. "The city has a moratorium on dispensaries."

The moratorium was approved by City Council Nov. 15, 2011, and is in effect through the end of this year.

Vrooman said the shop is operating without a business license, and that the Police Department has "been in contact with out city attorney as to their operation."

McNeil's shop opened Jan. 3 in its Murrieta location.

"When we found out they were operating, we contacted the employees Sunday," Vrooman said. "On Monday, we asked them to voluntarily close and we would not cite them.

"Mr. McNeil told us he would voluntarily close, so we did not give them any administrative citations — based on his word."

But McNeil said he is operating within California law, and has hired an attorney who he hopes will sort things out with the city.

"I was staying low-key and discreet," McNeil said. "I have no signage, just 6-inch white letters on the door."

He said he closed the shop Monday, but after his attorney served a letter to City Hall and the Police Department Tuesday, he reopened.

"My attorney advised me to go ahead and open back up," McNeil said.

The police were cordial when they came on their initial visit, he said, but he complained that on Monday, his clients were stopped by police as they left the facility.

"They were harassing my patients, pulling them over without probable cause," McNeil said. "They all had (medical marijuana) cards."

Vrooman said some traffic stops were conducted.

"They were for violations separate from anything to do with the dispensary," Vrooman said. "Nobody was cited for marijuana possession. If there were any citations issued, they were for driving violations."

The City of Murrieta Dispensary owners Beth Burns and Charles Thompson racked up more than $44,000 in daily citations for being open.

Temecula is also locked in a legal battle with what officials call a dispensary. Read about the suit against Cooperative Patients' Services by

Officials said the bans are in place because dispensaries are magnets for crime. To read what they said, .

Several dispensaries in French Valley , one store in Temecula was , and the founder of another shop .

The county initiated a crack-down on dispensaries in unincorporated areas. To read about it, .


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here