Tahoe Wellness Cooperative given "breath of life"

Tahoe Wellness Cooperative (TWC), the only medicinal marijuana collective in South Lake Tahoe, was given the boost they needed Tuesday during a special SLT City Council meeting.

Cody Bass, the nonprofit's executive director, has been unable to purchase many products for this business since retail sales of marijuana have been allowed in the state of California. Those businesses are now only allowed to sell to others with a license.

The reason stems from Bass's inability to get a license to operate from the City after his landlord did not grant him permission, a prerequisite of the medical marijuana license. The courts issued a stay that allowed TWC to stay open, but when the State asked the City if Bass had a license to operate, SLT Police Chief said no, thus not allowed Bass to obtain the licensing he needed to buy product.

On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to allow Bass to keep the doors open at TWC at least temporarily as he, City staff, the Council and the acting City Attorney work through a list of six things listed on Tuesday's agenda that could get in the way of future licensing.

1. Direct staff to provide unsealed search warrant affidavit information to the City Council when/if it becomes available. This stems from a raid at TWC in 2015 where cash, cannabis, records and keys were taken. He is now facing tax evasion charges that stem from that raid, but he has not had his day in court.

2. Direct staff to prepare a summary of all publicly releasable amterials to be provided in a report to the City Council.

3. Direct staff to prepare a summary of all materials which cannot be released publicly to be provided to the City Council in closed sessions.

4. Direct staff to seek the voluntary release of information which may assist in making a future permit/licensing decision from Bass in accordance with dispensary operating requirements of the City.

5. Direct staff to conduct an inspection of records in accordance with those requirements.

6. Direct the City Manager to have staff initiate a review of all renewable criteria and compare such criteria against the operating practices of TWC.

They hope to have those steps done within 120 days, the length of the TWC discretionary permit.

Bass told the Council that the District Attorney's office doesn't have anything against him as the raid "found nothing." He also told Council he now has the permission of the landlord, Patty Olsen, to operate a dispensary.

"This is not about you," Mayor Wendy David told Bass. "It's about your medical patients that don’t have another way to get their medicine. We are trusting you that what you’ve said is true."

Bass said he will get the letter from the City stating he is operating business under the existing conditions to the State Wednesday, and hopes to have product to sell by the weekend. He had said during previous City Council meetings that he prefers buying cannabis oils and products from a trusted company in Oakland that has been unable to sell to him since January 1 due to new license requirements.