Demonstrations on how to make salad dressing with pot, and volunteers dispensing free 3-gram samples of cannabis while medical-marijuana users sit around chatting at coffee tables, is the new standard for a breed of “Medical Marijuana Clubs” emerging in Arizona. According to The Arizona Republic, at least seven of these establishments are in operation as a consequence of the state and federal dispute over Arizona’s new medical marijuana law, Proposition 203, which passed last November. Hundreds of state-licensed dispensaries were set to open shop in August, but progress has since been halted after bold warnings from federal prosecutors going after medical marijuana dispensaries. Prospective dispensers were told they could be charged under federal drug-trafficking laws if they failed to adhere to such warnings. Not to be outdone, a canny group of caregivers has begun supplying the clubs with marijuana. Their pricey growing costs are being recouped by donations from pot-club owners. The co-op of caregivers and patients can share marijuana under current law, advocates say, as long as “nothing of value is transferred in return.” For example, the 2811 Club in Phoenix charges patients an initial $25 application fee and an entry fee of $75 during each visit to attend classes and receive a sample of bud, according to the report. The Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery isn’t so certain this procedure falls within the legal limits. “It sounds to me like someone is asking for something of value in order to participate,” he says.
