Quote:Danville home, Newark pot club raided one week after another dispensary closed
By Chris De Benedetti
Fremont Argus
Posted: 12/14/2011 04:59:37 PM PST
Updated: 12/15/2011 09:10:26 AM PST

NEWARK -- Police raided the city's lone remaining pot club Wednesday, about a week after another marijuana dispensary ended its months-long fight with city officials by closing for good, authorities said.

Police served a search warrant about 3 p.m. at Happy Wellness Center at 7200 Jarvis Ave., near Haley Street, state Department of Justice spokeswoman Michelle Gregory said.

The Southern Alameda County Major Crimes Task Force assisted Newark and Union City SWAT teams in the raid, she said.

Police also searched a Danville home in the 100 block of Victoria Place, near Blackhawk Road, where four people "associated with the dispensary" reside, Gregory said.

Officers arrested Keila Santos-Gonzalez,
28, at the house, authorities said. Police are looking for the other three residents, Gregory said.

An undisclosed amount of cash was seized at the residence, she said.

The Danville home was dark Wednesday evening, surrounded by crime scene tape. The large home, with a fountain in front, sits on a cul-de-sac near tony Blackhawk.

The police operation occurred nearly six months after authorities raided NBD Collective, which opened in 2009 on Thornton Avenue in the Old Town neighborhood.

NBD agreed to close last week after its landlord received a letter from federal prosecutors threatening to seize his property if the dispensary owners did not leave, said Terrence Grindall, Newark's community development director.

"The landlord asked them to leave and they agreed," he said.

It was one of several legal challenges facing the pot club.

Five people, including NBD Collective owners Teddy Miller and Bob Uwanawich were arrested in a June 28 raid of NBD's facility.

They are facing more than 25 charges, including multiple felony counts, said Kirk Elliott, an attorney representing the defendants.

The city and NBD also waged legal battle for more than 18 months, as city officials claimed that a dispensary was not a permitted land use in that area.

Meanwhile, Happy Wellness Center opened more than three months ago and remained in operation until the raid Wednesday, said Scot Candell, the club's attorney.

Candell said the dispensary has done nothing wrong. "The collective is in full compliance with state law," he said.

Quote:
Carl’s Jr. is rolling out a CBD burger, but don’t get your hopes too high

By Maura Judkis
April 17 at 2:00 PM

Carl’s Jr.




If you live in Denver and you’re celebrating 420, the weed-smoker’s holiday, the burger chain Carl’s Jr. has just the thing for your inevitable munchies. The restaurant is debuting a CBD-infused burger, to be sold for $4.20, on Saturday, April 20 (4/20), at a single restaurant in Denver. The burger, which has been named Rocky Mountain High: CheeseBurger Delight, consists of two beef patties, topped with pickled jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, fries and CBD-infused Santa Fe Sauce. Carl’s Jr. is the first major fast-food chain to put CBD on its menu.
But if you think you’re going to get blazed off a cheeseburger, bad news: CBD is a non-psychoactive compound in hemp. It does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the compound in marijuana that makes people feel high. Advocates say it promotes relaxation, diminishes stress and eases pain. In fact, some say that CBD can counteract some of the unpleasant effects of being high on THC — so if you show up to Carl’s Jr. stoned and anxious or paranoid, the burger could mellow out your high.
CBD has been popping up in lattes, gummies, skin-care products and even pet food: It has become one of the biggest trends of the year and is only expected to grow. The CBD industry got a big boost after the passage of the farm bill earlier this year. When it’s derived from hemp and grown according to strict regulations, its use will be legal nationwide. (Cannabinoids that do not comply with these regulations will remain a Schedule 1 substance.) But for now, it’s a tricky area of the law, because the Food and Drug Administration still hasn’t decided how to regulate CBD products.
April 20 has become a major branding opportunity for food companies. Even such mainstream brands as Burger King, Denny’s and Chipotle use the opportunity to connect with their customers through cheeky social media posts using stoner lingo. But professionals in the cannabis industry don’t love the pile-on from junk-food brands, which they say promotes negative stereotypes about the lifestyle.
Though the burger will be available only on Saturday at the Carl’s Jr. restaurant at 4050 Colorado Blvd. in Denver, availability could eventually expand. A company executive told Business Insider that if the test goes well, Carl’s Jr. would consider, ahem, rolling it out across America, though it could face challenges with state regulations.
Given how much publicity the burger is getting, there’s a good chance that demand on Saturday will be … high.