SLT council agrees to help pot shop get permit

By Kathryn Reed

Tahoe Wellness Cooperative could have medicine on its shelves this weekend.

Cody Bass, owner of the lone medicinal marijuana shop in South Lake Tahoe, told Lake Tahoe News he intends to be calling people first thing this morning to have supplies replenished in a matter of days.

All of this is allowable because the City Council on March 27 unanimously agreed to have the city attorney write a letter to the state saying Bass is in compliance with city laws per court order and therefore should be granted a state license.

After the vote – which came at about 9:30pm Tuesday – there was applause, disbelief and relief.

TWC has been unable to stock everything people need because Police Chief Brian Uhler at the beginning of the year wrote a letter to the state Bureau of Cannabis Control that essentially put the kibosh on the business.

“In order for a state license to be issued, the local government must also agree to permit the business, and the local government was not willing to permit the activity. So we couldn’t license Tahoe Wellness,” Alex Traverso with the state Bureau of Cannabis Control told Lake Tahoe News earlier this year.

Sergio Rudin, who on March 27 was the attorney from the law firm of Burke, Williams and Sorensen representing the city, said crafting the letter isn’t a problem. The state still would need to give its OK for the 120-day permit.

Some of Tuesday night’s discussion pertained to the June 2015 raid on TWC.  This then led to a criminal complaint being filed against Bass last fall regarding income tax evasion.

A judge on Monday could rule on whether the search warrant affidavits could be unsealed. The thinking is this would give the city an indication of the evidence against Bass. Bass has not seen the information and could choose not to make the documents public.

It was pointed out, though, that in this country a person is innocent until proven guilty – no matter the evidence.

The whole goal of the council’s was to be able to provide this type of medicine for people in town.

The issues between the city and Bass remain to be worked out. For now, though, there should be ample medical marijuana in South Lake Tahoe in a matter of days.