[420 Girl]

Although federal agents shut down a purported medical marijuana collective in South Lake Tahoe last week, a second collective opened its doors this month, and operators said they plan to dispense marijuana to qualified California residents.

Tahoe Wellness Collective opened in the Bijou Shopping Center on Jan. 8 and plans to offer marijuana to adults with state-issued medical marijuana cards or a doctor’s recommendation as soon as this week.

Opening of the collective has been met with praise by South Shore residents, said Tahoe Wellness Collective spokesman Cody Bass.

“We’ve had a ton of support locally,” Bass said.

About 45 people have signed up for the collective since it opened, Bass said.

The collective also offers counseling and a wide variety of classes — including yoga, fitness training and parenting — to members as part of a “natural perspective of wellness,” according to a flier from the collective.

Marijuana use will not be allowed at the 3,500-square-foot space that houses the collective, but the collective will offer several types of marijuana and a full line of edible marijuana products to patients, Bass said.

The city denied the collective a business license because of city code section 32-2, which requires all activities to be in line with local, state and federal laws, Bass said. The use of marijuana — including use for medical purposes — is illegal under federal law.

Collectives are not considered businesses, according to guidelines issued by California Attorney General Edmund Brown in August, and Bass said the denial of a business license shouldn’t prevent the collective’s operation.

Bass also said he doesn’t expect city officials to enforce code section 32-2, and said he believes the Obama administration will end to federal raids on state-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries.

Operators of the collective are prepared to legally challenge any enforcement measures should they arise, Bass said.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Bass said. “We’re here to stay.”

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