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Peninsula Pot Club Plan Goes Up In Smoke

REDWOOD CITY (KCBS) - The operators of what would have been the Peninsula's first licensed marijuana collective have withdrawn their application due to a lack of support from law enforcement.

Last month, the Sans Souci Medical Collective won approval from a licensing board in San Mateo County, but it did not have the support of many supervisors, the district attorney or the county sheriff.

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

On Tuesday, Bradley Ehikian withdrew his application before it was open to debate.

"Without the will and backing of law enforcement and or county government, we believe that further investment of time and resources to this effort is futile," said Ehikian.

Ehikian said he envisioned a large scale collective with hi-tech growing equipment and even classes in nutrition and yoga.

County Sheriff Greg Munks said Ehikian's intentions were good, but he was concerned about the club's proposal to serve up to 500 patients every day.

"This to me is more of a retail operation. It is not the model that they put forth, a collective or cooperative," Munks said. "And the size and scope of it I believe is inappropriate for this neighborhood."

Some residents were concerned that the collective would be near a community center and a school. Munks said that even if the club won approval, the operators would have to worry about being targeted by state or federal law enforcement.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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