Cannabis Clinic Shuts Down After DOJ Warning Letter – January 3, 2012
Kevin L. Hoover
Eye Editor
ARCATA – Arcata’s Humboldt Medical Supply (HMS) cannabis center closed yesterday following receipt of a warning letter from U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag.
The letter, apparently sent in early December, was sent to HMS’s landlord, Danco Group and the bank which hold the loan for financing the property, which is the former P.C. Sacchi Chevrolet dealership located next to the Arcata Post Office, according to a source who has seen it.
The letter reportedly notes HMS’s proximity to the Arcata Ball Park, stating that it is close to what it suggests is a “playground.”
The letter was also sent to the owners of the building that hosts the Sai Center at Ninth and I streets, which is involved in a regulatory standoff with the City of Arcata. Sai Center operator Steven Gasparas has traditionally ignored warnings from authorities. His shop remains open despite the DOJ letter and denial of a Conditional Use Permit by the City.
The DOJ letter reportedly warns of both imprisonment and asset forfeiture if the centers remain open. It is not known whether Arcata’s two other cannabis centers, Humboldt Patient Resource Center and The Humboldt Cooperative have received the letter. Those centers are located slightly farther away from the Ball Park, in the old Isackson Ford building at Seventh and I streets.
