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I -Team Investigation: Who Is Doc 420?
<br />Availability Of Medical Marijuana Questioned / By Dan Noyes
<br />SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1, 2007 (KGO) ....... One young doctor from Hollywood is making a very good
<br />living at it with patients up and down the coast..... Six months ago, she started calling herself Doc 420 --
<br />420 is the street slang for smoking marijuana. "That's just kind of a bit of a fluke, just kind of happened
<br />that that phone number was available and the Web site was available. So, I became Doc 420," says Patel.
<br />Yes, she has a toll -free number, a Doc 420 Web site and a MySpace page with a picture. Dan Noyes:
<br />"What did you hope to accomplish with this image ?" Sona Patel: "Well, you know what, it was just
<br />something that a marketing team had come up with for me." Doc 420 says the high heels and hot pants
<br />have paid off, attracting many new patients.... So, we wanted to find out, is Doc 420 following state law
<br />when she prescribes marijuana? ..... I -Team Producer #1: "Is it hard to like get a card ?" Doc 420: "No, it's
<br />really easy." I -Team Producer #1: "What do you do ?" Doc 420: "Well, I do an evaluation which is free."
<br />Dr. Patel explained if they passed the evaluation, her recommendation would cost $100. That would allow
<br />them to buy pot from a dispensary. She could see our two producers right away. I -Team Producer 91:
<br />"What if you don't have a condition ?" Doc 420: "Well, most likely, people are using it for something
<br />whether you... really realize it or not, if it's helping you sleep or calming your stress or there are so many
<br />different reasons that still qualify you. You may not even realize it." I -Team Producer #2: "It could be
<br />something like just I can't sleep or whatever ?" Doc 420: "Yeah, exactly, and I have a lot of people like
<br />that, too." Our producers went to the ATM, returned with cash, and after a few minutes emerged with a
<br />three -month recommendation for medical marijuana...... Kimberly Kirchmeyer says at least six doctors
<br />have lost their licenses recently for similar failures and medical board investigators are now looking into
<br />Doc 420 ........ Supervisor Mirkarimi: "Clearly, I think the motivation is about profiteering and that's where
<br />it degrades the law and I abhor this kind of conduct . "....Dr. Patel says she sees 20 to 30 patients a day, and
<br />that she works seven days a week at her various offices. It's clearly a lucrative career. For more on this
<br />story, read my blog on Doc 420 with all the links for this story, in which I explore what the pot clubs are
<br />doing to the Lower Haight and tell you how the expression 420 came about.
<br />Source: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i
<br />King Bong, Paul Stanford is Oregon's "Drug Czar." Now he's under attack.
<br />BY JAMES PITKIN I/ [December 12th, 2007]
<br />Paul Stanford should be at the top of his game. After more than two decades growing, toking and
<br />agitating to legalize cannabis, the 47 -year -old Portlander is now running the largest chain of medical -
<br />marijuana clinics in the nation. Stanford spends half his time jetting between home and Honolulu, Los
<br />Angeles, Denver and Seattle, visiting his clinics that have helped thousands gain medical- marijuana
<br />permits. His nonprofit, The Hemp & Cannabis (ahem, THC) Foundation, is on track to rake in $2 million
<br />this year ...... Of the 14,831 patients currently registered in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program,
<br />Stanford estimates more than half, 8,000, gained their license to burn with the help of his clinic. "The
<br />goal of my life has been to end the adult prohibition from marijuana, " Stanford says....... the Internal
<br />Revenue Service, which WW has learned is investigating Stanford for allegedly running his nonprofit as a
<br />personal slush fund. "This is a million - dollar organization that's being run like a lemonade stand," says
<br />Victoria Cox, spokeswoman for the state Department of Justice...... With offices in five states, Stanford
<br />has more locations than any other medical- marijuana clinic in the country, opening in 2000. He's helped
<br />24,000 people get permits, 18,000 of them in Oregon .... In an interoffice memo obtained by WW, DOI
<br />investigative auditor Douglas Pearson noted the following concerns about Stanford's foundation: The
<br />THCF board consists only of Stanford, his mother, and Tim Herman, Stanford's friend and handyman.
<br />They meet once a year. The nonprofit has no internal financial controls, with Stanford overseeing all
<br />income and disbursements. In 2006, Stanford received $100,000 to cover "personal expenses." (Stanford
<br />told WW he pays himself only $30,000 a year). Stanford pays no federal income tax for his employees
<br />and appears to have "serious and repeated violations of IRS regulations."
<br />Source: httD: / /wweek.com /editorial /3405/10114/
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