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New medical marijuana dispensary opens in Palm Springs

K Kaufmann The Desert Sun

Palm Springs, CA Mar 13, 2007 -- A new medical marijuana dispensary has opened in Palm Springs at the location of the recently closed Collective Apothecary of Palm Springs, or CAPS.

Employees at the new dispensary, Palm Springs Safe Access Collectives, declined comment Tuesday, but area advocates said the business located at 333 N. Palm Canyon Drive has been open for a week or more.

CAPS closed in January, following raids by federal and county agents at other area dispensaries. Palm Springs Caregivers, which was located at 2100 N. Palm Canyon Drive, closed in November following two raids by the Drug Enforcement Adminstration.

Agents from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department raided CannaHelp in Palm Desert in December. The county filed felony charges against owner Stacy Hochanadel and two managers, John Bednar and James Campbell, in January.

The three men were in Riverside Superior Court in Indio for a preliminary hearing on March 2, when the case was recently continued until April. The dispensary remains open.