Cannabis Buyers’ Co-Op to Reopen, but Not Sell Pot

The Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Cooperative says that it will reopen Monday, offering hemp products, not medical marijuana.

The organization, which dispensed marijuana to about 2,000 member-patients, was closed last month by a federal judge. Closure was sought by the Clinton administration’s Justice Department, which said the distribution of medical marijuana, authorized by a 1996 California initiative, violated federal drug laws.

The cooperative is appealing U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer’s order. Meanwhile, it has obtained permission from Breyer to reopen for patient services as long as no marijuana is on the premises.

The services will include counseling and educating members about the medical use of cannabis as well as “cultivation meetings,” the cooperative said. With the shutdown of the cooperative and most other marijuana clubs in the area, patients whose doctors recommend the drug can get it legally only by growing it or obtaining it from a caregiver.

Also scheduled to open is the cooperative’s Hemp Store, which will sell products made from hemp, the fiber of the cannabis plant, and books about medical marijuana.