Lawsuit filed over control of Hopland pot dispensary

Two members of a Hopland-based medical marijuana dispensary are suing for control of the organization, a sign of marijuana's march toward the mainstream.

"I think that cases like these in state court may become more frequent as the industry becomes more legitimized and entrenched in the routine machinations of society," said Kris Hermes, spokesman for the medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access.

The civil lawsuit was filed in Mendocino County Superior Court by Sonoma County residents Django Broomfield and Shara Stamler, members and former employees of Collective Conscious Apothecary, located in a recently renovated building on Hopland's historic main street, Highway 101. The dispensary is part of California Wide Patient Group, a mutual benefit corporation that provides medicinal marijuana to about 2,560 patients, according to court records.

Broomfield and Stamler allege the organization's founder and chief executive officer, John Oliver, has failed to follow laws regulating medicinal marijuana and mutual benefit corporations. He's engaged in illegal activities, including selling large amounts of marijuana to non-members of the organization, they claim in the lawsuit.

"As a result of defendant John Oliver's illegal acts, unsuspecting members of the organization may all be placed in harm's way, which may render them unknowingly liable or subject to criminal sanctions," according to the civil lawsuit, filed in late May.

They also allege Oliver refused them access to the corporation's documents and embezzled payroll and payroll taxes. Stamler, who managed the dispensary for five months, claims Oliver withheld half of her $5,000 monthly paycheck, calling it a loan to the corporation.

The plaintiffs are seeking control and dissolution of the corporation so they can form a new nonprofit "which has not been tainted by the director's unlawful activities," according to the lawsuit.

Oliver did not return phone calls seeking comment, but his attorney, Philip DeJong, said there's no merit to the case. I "sure haven't seen the beef," he said.

Neither Broomfield nor Stamler nor their attorney could be reached to elaborate on the allegations and their plans for the corporation should they succeed in wresting its control from Oliver and his wife, the only two corporate board members.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6472 or Glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com.